Regarding Brotherhooves Social · 7:48am Oct 5th, 2015
Predictably, I've heard that some people have gotten offended by the heinous crime of... a stallion in drag, I guess?
Okay, I know there's more to it than that. After watching the episode, I've decided to weigh in on it.
There are those in the LGBT community and even some outside it who consider the whole "guy dressing as a girl and played for laughs" thing to be an overdone comedic gimmick that goes back for decades, back when the whole idea of a guy dressing in women's clothing was absolutely unacceptable to society and, essentially, nothing but a joke.
In that sense, I can see where they're coming from. Something like this would always have to be approached carefully. I've held off on writing a crossdressing fic for exactly that reason.
But here's the thing. The portrayal in the episode was as tasteful as it could have been.
Big Mac was rather obviously a stallion. It's clear that a lot of ponies noticed it, and not just when he slipped up. The stallion operating the record player stumbled before saying "Ma'am" to address him.
I mention that example in particular because it's a good way to handle this. You generally want to address someone by the pronoun they're obviously trying for. If you see a guy in drag, it's probably a pretty safe bet to assume he's trying to pass. Even if you call him "ma'am" and offend him, all you have to do is apologize and correct yourself.
The point is, it's preferable to the "Sir, er, ma'am, I mean, sir..." gimmick that I've seen before. That is an overused comedy trope that would've been irritating.
The other matter is that we find out at the end that the judges were aware of Big Mac being a stallion the entire time. They don't know if he's trans or what, but it didn't matter because they let him participate as a mare. They didn't even comment on it. That's as respectful as it can get.
And yes, there were there obvious "Wow this is weird" reactions from the ponies. But you know what? That's just realistic. When you see a huge freaking stallion walking around in a dress, a wig, and lipstick with a hilariously fake feminine voice, that will raise eyebrows. There's no way around it.
And speaking of raised eyebrows, one of the judges was clearly infatuated with Big Mac in drag.
It depends on the context, of course (i.e. did he know Big Mac was a stallion?) but it's still better than "wow what a freak."
Plus, all of that kind of misses the point. How do I put this delicately?
Big Mac wanted to help his goddamn sister.
Pictured: Literally the entire point of the episode.
It doesn't make him trans, or a (repeat) crossdresser, or whatever else. It's just a stallion wearing a disguise.
So, why are people up in arms about this?
The simple explanation is that they suffer from a condition that doctors refer to as "being a whiny bitch."
More eloquently, there is power in being offended. It gives you the moral high ground, and the "right" to try to control another person's speech or actions by shaming them. It's righteous indignation, and that emotion is addictive.
I'm going to go ahead and say that the majority of people who were "offended" by this episode aren't actually trans or even crossdressers at all. They're most likely just people who like being offended because of how it makes them feel.
In other words...
Righteous indignation, power over other people, and the good feeling of belonging to a group of like-minded individuals. It's no wonder people do it; it must be pretty rewarding.
There is no pleasing someone who wants to be offended. They will find a reason to be.
So what do we do about it? Well, the answer is simple.
All that power evaporates. After that, all they can do is sputter and insult you. At which point you respond with snarky image macros (I have so many.)
Let people dress how they want, refer to them as the pronouns they want, and otherwise mind your own business. That goes both ways, much like I do. You see a guy in drag, don't make fun of him. And don't assume you have the right to be offended on behalf of another person.
If they don't have a problem with it, why should you?
Just shut up and d'aww at the cute ponies!
Then on top of that people have a predisposition against ponies. I did enjoy this public service announcement, well written!
I very much agree that the stock response to "I'm offended" should be "I don't care" or "that's your problem"
Indeed.
That Rainbow Dash triggered gif is a thing of beauty.
I was honestly surprised to hear that people were genuinely offended at this episode (like that honestly matters anyways). It's like these people never watched Mrs. Doubtfire.
Yup.
Now write gay porn with big mac in a dress please.
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Or never heard of J. Edgar Hoover.
Just shut up and d'aww at the cute ponies!
Beautifully Said, isn't that the point of why we all watch this show? Also the not giving a fuck gif is awesome, please share more of them with the world. Lol.
Someone help me out. I need that black and white clapping gif and I can't find it.
Ahem. Good sir (or ma'am, whichever you prefer), This was glorious. Eloquent, simple, analytic, and decently humble. I wish the world had more ponies like you in it. Celestia bless you.
I could not have said it better myself. I actually thought it was a very positive message overall.
After all, this is an episode about how a male character feels overshadowed by a female character in the eyes of a sibling, and so decides to dress like a female himself to try and help his sister be happy.
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I do think it depends. If someone walks around with a sign saying "God Hates Fags" then you're pretty justified if that offends you. The problem only arises when people are essentially just looking for something to whine about.
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Her face just works so well for it.
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I have lots, but I must pace myself.
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i.imgur.com/Zyxx2ue.gif
This it? Also, glad you enjoyed yourself.
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I'm not even surprised.
No Big Mac, but I do have something with crossdressing planned. It features the pairing I write more than any other.
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I did appreciate how the reactions were both positive and reasonable. Acknowledging the whole "Wow a stallion in a dress, that's a little odd" thing, yet not really reacting with hostility or shaming. I think that's a pretty fair balance, all in all.
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Oh you love me. I have priorities
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Even then. Personally, those people just amuse me, the best thing, imo, is to IGNORE attention seekers like that, rather than giving them the attention they so desperately crave. Getting offended still does not make sense, rolling your eyes and moving on is the best course of action.
>tumbler
and then the internet collectively did what ab is doing in that pic , which btw HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT MADE ME LAUGH SUPER HARD......
To me, this is as offensive to trans individuals as Derpy was to mentally challenged individuals.
I think what it really boils down to in many (perhaps most) cases is intent. Someone you know well jokingly calling you "fag" holds no real negative intent, despite the negative connotations associated with the word. Someone you know well or even a stranger angrily calling you "fag" does hold negative intent and thus should be called out on it. There are of course gray areas (there are gray areas in everything; the world is basically one giant gray area in my opinion), such as when people use the word "gay" as an adjective to mean "bad", so as always circumstances alter cases.
I thought it was a great episode, personally.