Friendship is Card Games: Fame and Misfortune · 8:46pm Aug 14th, 2017
Going to need to make this relatively quick, and apparently out of chronological order. (And yes, this was quick. I only got my replacement laptop about four hours ago. Love and care go into these blogs.) In any case, it’s time for perhaps the most metareferential episode the show’s ever given us.
I do appreciate the generational callback. And how it doesn’t do much beyond recalling the appearances of G3 ponies. Let us leave that realm otherwise undisturbed.
Given the callback, one has to wonder if Discord was invisibly watching the food fight like a tennis match.
Wow. That journal has been through a lot. I suppose it was in Golden Oaks during the explosion, but that still raises the question of what’s happened to it since. A lot of what’s happened to it looks less like fire damage than the slow ravages of time, which raises the question of just how long it’s been since Season 4. Heck, you’d think anything that was relatively intact after the fireball would have a place of honor, much less the journal that was instrumental in opening the Lockbox of Harmony.
Also, apparently Twilight backfilled the journal. As I noted, the referenced lesson was from “Return of Harmony,” long before the friendship journal was a thing.
I love how each of the Mane Six entered their respective lessons. I especially love how Pinkie planted a surprise for her future self. Though when Dash got to the calligraphy, at first I thought it was a pile of technical terms, some possibly invented by Twilight in her ongoing study of friendship.
I’m repeating someone else’s joke here, but I do like how Twilight now has a photocopier to go with her fax machine. Even if said photocopier does her job by making books projectile vomit. Very… striking imagery.
Also, note how Starlight never says that the copied manifesto (possibly the book full of equals signs back in the indoctrination hut) was her own work. It might be, yes, but it might not…
On the one hand, I’m happy to see any reference to Cheese Sandwich. On the other hand, Pinkie being reminded of him through the journal means he probably hasn’t been around lately.
Wait a second, publishing everything? Including the fact that Daring Do is real, along with who knows what other potentially classified information? Even beyond what’s coming, this seems like a very dangerous idea.
I won’t lie. I’ve had Dash’s reaction when looking back at some of my old work. On some other parts of my old work, I’ve had to resist the urge to hit Unpublish, but at least that means I’ve improved.
Yes, Twilight, that’s definitely how publishing works.
… Holy crap, is that how publishing works? (In Equestria, anyway. I know it’s not that easy here.)
How exactly do you win hopscotch?
Twilight Time 2 seems to be in motion… though at least it’ll bring some good if that many more destinies are realized.
It’s been asked, but why are Twilight’s Fillydelphian admirers fans if they haven’t actually read the books? Unless they were just saying that to heighten the journal’s’ collector value.
Huh. The journal’s a critical failure, going by that 1.5/5 star rating. Or that’s just one paper out of many.
Wow. Those two don’t even begin to care that they just devastated a multi-time savior of the world.
Also, I said the following exchange to myself after Starlight said she’d have a “chat” with those two:
“Just leave their souls intact when you’re through.”
“What about their bodies?”
“Did I say anything about their bodies?”
To be fair, Pinkie, that “You’ve known me for years” line was funny.
You know it’s bad when Rainbow Dash wants to get away from ponies stroking her ego.
It was about when the one stallion demanded answers that the episode started getting uncomfortably self-referential for my tastes. Still enjoyable, but it’s always disconcerting to have a mirror unexpectedly held up to your face.
That being said, this is the best rebuttal to the “all Fluttershy episodes are the same” complaint ever.
Rarity’s gown-creating face is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the neck snap on the ponnequin that really gets me.
Also, I admit, I thought Rarity was being paranoid at first, but this isn’t really marshmelodrama. This a legitimate reaction to the current circumstances.
For shame, Dinky! What would your mother say?
“That depends. Who is my mother?”
… Well played, young mare. Well played.
Also, I can’t decide if those taped-on cutie marks are more hilarious or pathetic. Also also, when do the Sweet Apple Admirers start their chores? After all, being an Apple should mean working like an Apple.
Congratulations, Twilight. You solved the Anti-Friendship Equation.
Hmm. I wonder how Twilight’s fans misinterpreted the book.
If Dash wanted to get praised for going to the bathroom, she’d just move back in with her parents.
It is a deep and terrible shame that this episode aired during Bronycon, since that means that no one there had a chance to cosplay in the stress couture. (On the other hand, that many layers in Baltimore? In August? Yeah, that might not end well.)
Show of hands, who else thought Starlight’s solution would involve time travel and/or mind control?
You know, what with Daring Do and similar seemingly unlikely events I could see someone read the journal and think it was fiction… if it weren’t for the occasional reference to the horrific, world-threatening monsters that the girls took down. Especially egregious coming from someone who allegedly works for a Canterlot newspaper, given how he should’ve been reporting on most of those world-ending threats.
… Wow This is just turning the fandom over and recording the seedy underbelly as it squirms right now. Though I would like some definitive answers regarding Apple-Pie genealogy.
And in Canterlot, Luna felt a stirring of pride without knowing why.
In addition to being a Birth of Venus riff, Fluttershy’s bit of the song also has her coming out of her shell. Major credit to the animators there; it takes a lot of cleverness to hide a pun behind a fine art reference.
Oof. That spinning animation certainly isn’t flawless. You can see how the models shift horizontally and abruptly shift into a different angle now and then.
No wonder the song didn’t work; it never actually addressed the complaints. At best, Dash was the only one accused of perfection. Rarity’s reviled, Pinkie’s flanderized, Applejack’s exploited, Fluttershy’s constantly challenged, and Twilight’s…
Okay, maybe two of them are seen as perfect, but we don’t really have a bead on the Twilight camp.
I’m with Applejack. This episode doesn’t really resolve the conflict. How the Mane Six feel about said conflict, yes, but not the issue itself. Rarity makes mention of fads, but I don’t think this is a fad. I think this is the beginning of a religious schism, with six sects dividing Equestria in their interpretations of the holy writ.
Well, that or Twilight went back out and told them all she had dungeons and wasn’t afraid to use them.
In any case, this was a surreal but very enjoyable episode. Yes, it highlights the worst excesses of the fandom, but it’s not meant as an insult. The idea isn’t “You are this” or “This is how we see you.” If there’s any message intended towards the peripheral demographic—and if there’s any episode one should be wary of overanalyzing, it’s this one—it’s “Avoid being this.” And possibly “Remember that the writers are human too.”
Plus, the Mane Six finally got the recognition they deserve… though that does make Spike’s exclusion from this episode sting all the more.
So yeah, good episode. Now, let’s see how you react to the following:
Cultural Appropriation 1W
Instant
Creatures you control get +1/+1 and become the creature type of your choice in addition to their other types until end of turn.
”There’s more to farming than a hat and an accent.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Quest for Assertiveness 1WW
Enchantment
Whenever a creature attacking you or a planeswalker you control becomes blocked, put a quest counter on Quest for Assertiveness.
As long as there are three or more quest counters on Quest for Assertiveness, each creature you control gets +1/+1, has vigilance, and can block an additional creature each combat.
Curse of Hilarity 3W
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant opponent
Whenever enchanted player casts a spell, you gain 2 life.
”May you be as respected as those who speak truth to power.”
—Princess Luna
Stress Sewing 3W
Enchantment
Whenever a source an opponent controls deals damage to you, reveal the top card of your library. If it’s an artifact or enchantment card, you may put it onto the battlefield. Otherwise, put it into your graveyard.
Fabric flew through the boutique in shapes no sane mare would consider.
Boycott 3WW
Enchantment
As Boycott enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Players can’t cast spells of the last chosen color.
3: Choose a color. Any player may activate this ability but only during his or her turn.
Investment Collector 4W
Creature — Pony Citizen
Each artifact you control enters the battlefield with an additional mint counter on it.
Each artifact you control with a mint counter on it has indestructible.
Whenever an artifact you control attacks, blocks, or becomes tapped, remove all mint counters from it.
3/3
Miss the Point U
Instant
Counter target noncreature spell. That spell’s controller draws a card.
”Did you ponies even read the journal!?”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Marksist Propaganda 1UU
Enchantment
Whenever a face-up creature deals damage to you, you may turn it face down. (It becomes a 2/2 creature.)
“I forgive you. You’re only lashing out because you don’t yet understand why this is for the best.”
—Starlight Glimmer
Elegant Calligraphy 3UU
Enchantment
If you would draw one or more cards, instead draw that many plus one cards.
”Why bother doing anything if you cannot do it beautifully?”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Canterlot Chronicler 4U
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
T: Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard. Then draw a card.
”Ugh. Nopony needs to read about that.”
1/2
Starlight’s Duplication 4UU
Sorcery
Reveal your hand. For each instant or sorcery card revealed this way, copy that card. You may cast any number of those copies without paying their mana costs.
All things are equal to themselves.
Bury in the Stacks 2BB
Sorcery
Kicker B (You may pay an additional B as you cast this spell.)
Target player puts two cards from his or her hand on top of his or her library. If Bury in the Stacks was kicked, that player shuffles his or her library.
Casual Slanderers 3B
Creature — Pony Citizen
At the beginning of your upkeep, target creature other than Casual Slanderers gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
”Apologize? Why? Don’t you know it’s rude to eavesdrop?”
2/2
Aggressive Lessons R
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has trample and “Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.”
Rainbow Dash rarely remembers lessons that didn’t involve at least one kick.
Sundae Assault R
Snow Instant
Sundae Assault deals 2 damage to target nonsnow creature. If S was spent to cast Sundae Assault, it deals 3 damage to that creature instead. (S can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)
For a few dark decades, Celestia was forced to outlaw vanilla beans.
Unceasing Admirers 2R
Creature — Pegasus Minion
Flying
Lieutenant — As long as you control your commander, Unceasing Admirers gets +2/+0 and attacks each turn if able.
Rainbow Dash: “Don’t tell me I was that bad.”
Pinkie Pie: “Okay, I won’t tell you.”
2/1
“Flawless” 1G
Enchantment — Song
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a verse counter on “Flawless”.
1G, Sacrifice “Flawless”: Up to X target creatures gain indestructible and “Whenever this creature is dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on it” until end of turn, where X is the number of verse counters on “Flawless”.
Stress Couture 4
Artifact — Equipment
Whenever you lose life, put that many +1/+1 counters on equipped creature.
When Rarity wears her emotions on her sleeve, she isn’t being metaphorical.
Equip 4
Friendship Journal 5
Artifact
T, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Draw a card.
The collected wisdom and experience of the Bearers lies within… and requires nearly as much wisdom and experience to properly appreciate.
Sweet Apple Admirers 2(rg)(rg)
Creature — Pony Minion
Trample, haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Sweet Apple Admirers unless you pay (rg)(rg)(rg).
Strangely, they had all vanished when the family started their chores.
6/6
Generational Echo 3(ur)B
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a creature spell, you may create a token that’s a copy of target creature card in your graveyard that shares a creature type with that spell. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
Nice work on the hybrid cards. Those are amongst the most difficult to design. The r/g upkeep, and the u/r duping attached to black's graveyard mechanics. Good stuff.
I am, however, still worried about the implications of this episode. Wait... does that count as over-analyzing? I'm so CoNfuSEd!
I know I enjoyed the episode. Also, I think you messed up on an italics because Casual Slanderers is in all italics.
I just realized, though, the last time we saw the journal in Twilight's Kingdom was in the Castle of the Two Sisters before they found the first five keys, not in the Golden Oaks Library
...Would you believe I actually did this once? I once wrote up a core rulebook for a self-made improv D&D parody game, got some friends to illustrate it, printed up a score of copies, and got my local game store to "stock" them in the rpg section. It was not exactly a serious work and I never got a single comment on it. Even now I am not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed by it. But it was a thing I did.
That is genius.
I loved the episode, and I think the song... more on that at the end.
The Botticelli bit was awesome!
/)
I think the song is the key thing here. Yes, it didn't address the complaints of the fans. And that's because there is no way to do so; almost any attempt to do so would only generate more complaints.
The real conflict here is seated in the emotions and reactions of the Mane 6. That's where the problem is, and that's what the song addresses. They were feeling like they had done wrong, or at least not done the "perfect" thing. And the song cleared that up. They did the best they could, and the reactions of all the ponies are not their fault. The real problem of the episode has been dealt with, and they get a nice moment when they are shown that their efforts have not gone completely unappreciated.
And that's why we didn't get a resolution to the bickering going on outside the castle: there is no possible solution!
Spike was off in A) the Dragon Lands canoodling with Ember, B) the changeling lands palling around with Thorax, or C) in the Crystal Empire desperately trying to keep things TV-Y between himself and the admirers.
I think he's doing fine.
"In the great commons at Skyla's Landing we have a tall and particularly beautiful stand of white pine, planted at the time of the first colonies. It represents our promise to the ponies, and to Planet itself, never to repeat the tragedy of Equestria."
--Lady Flutter Shye
"Planet Dreams"
*raises hand*
Actually, that was my second guess. The moment she had an idea and vanished with no explanation, I just couldn't get it out of my head that she was going to come back with a gun or something. XD
I saw that and made noises that confused everyone else in the room. Explaining it was too difficult. I'm afraid I was very, very drunk.
Oh, dang, I didn't realize that they basically revealed that Daring Do was real! She's gonna be super peeved once she finds out, if she even lives that long. Like, what happens if Ahuizotl shows up and sics his jaguar on her in her sleep?
Also, Marksist Propaganda is a 10/10 pun, would chuckle again.
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Ye, that's a beauty of a pun.
I was kind of disappointed when it didn't.
Course, I also wanted to see Starlight's "chat".
Stress Couture might have been the best joke in the episode.
Pretty much gotta agree with most of it, it's really the lack of resolution that makes me not really like this to much. It's not what it said, it's how it said it being a bit to mean spirited feeling given just how extreme they pushed it without any counter balance, and a lack of resolution to the rather major issues this was causing.
Plus all the fridge logic of where this fame was back when they saved the world for the n'th time.
Some really great bits, some good ideas, a good moral, just, it sacrificed believably ans storytelling for the sake of allegory and metanness to much for me.
I watched the ep today. My quick thought: the song is among the best the show's ever produced, and the ep has a few good moments (the Pinkie Pie laugh track, Fluttershy standing up, stress couture)... but most of it was very poorly handled. The tiff between the fillies that runs through the show is blatantly stuck in like a prop rather than two characters interacting. None of the reactions to the Mane 6 should have been universal; for example, Rarity should have had defenders, and some hipster pony should have refused to laugh at Pinkie. And, finally, the core premise of the episode- publishing a frickin' DIARY full of SECRETS- is appallingly idiotic. Larson's better than this, dammit.
Personally, I sometimes think that there's like five or six pale lavender unicorn fillies with two-tone goldenrod manes and amber eyes racing around. Perhaps somepony went to Kamino for larks.
+1
Somehow I never thought of this word until RoboFoME introduced me to it. I still remember it, though!
Raises Hand
Watched this one with a friend, and Starlight's antics hold a special place in our hearts. We also had a similar reaction to you to Starlight going to have a talk with those ponies.
Said friend said that Rarity went full Tim Burton, and I'm inclined to agree with him. Is it weird that I found Rarity both relatable and hilarious? "SURE THING, PONY WHO STILL LIKES ME!"
And while I'm on the subject of things my buddy pointed out, he was darn sure Pinkie's plight was a direct reference to the Monty Python skit, "The Man Who Makes People Laugh".
Regarding Spike's absence, I would have loved it if he'd commented on how come he wasn't being mobbed by rabid fans.
Episode 100 was the Fandom episode. Episode 170 (holly carp, we're that far already?) is the FanDumb episode.
And now for some cards...
Pffft! Investment Collector is so flavorful.
Huh. Marksist Propaganda is a bit of a two-edged sword when you come to people who abuse flip-effects. Also wouldn't effect transform cards, which is weird for flavor reasons. Interesting concept, though!
For a card that enebles that much derp, I'd make Elegant Calligraphy cost at least as much as Staff of Nin.
Friendship Journal doesn't wow me. I want to say it's overcosted for what it does, but I'm not certain.
Loved that you brought back minions. We need more minion tribal in Magic.
I liked the episode. sure, there are some problems, but even A Canterlot Wedding and The Cutie Remark had problems. I also loved the meta elements, and there were many other funny moments. That song also wasn't bad. Overall, I'd say it was one of the better season 7 episodes.
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Huh! You're right. Though maybe they left out the "A.K. Yearling = Daring Do" part? I mean, Ahuizotl only needs to visit a bookstore to realize Daring Do's adventures are being published. Then he'd probably be motivated enough to hunt down the author of said books, even if he doesn't realize the author is Daring herself.
And his (Cabeleron's?) goons were even seen roughing up A.K. Yearling's place, right in the episode where we found out she was Daring Do. So....... Ahuizotl already... knows...? Huh.
Yes, I expected time travel
to solve the prob----to make things worseto be used and have some weird third outcome.4635086
Eh, I sorta lost interest in watching reviews, except maybe Silver Quill and Kim Possible due to their presentation.
I remember Brony Curious complaining about the Breezie episode:
"This makes no sense! Why would the Breezies need to get pollen from Equestria if they live in another dimension? How could they have evolved to need that pollen if it isn't native to their environment? GAAAAAAAAH This episode is bad!"
Yes, what an estute observation!
Now someone go write a fic about the Great Breezie Exodus into ancient Equestria, in hopes of finding a cure for a plague when the original plant itself has died out in their home dimension, only armed with the hope that spores may have passed through the portal and spread into this strange new world...
What we need is a reviewer focussing on the fanfiction implications of an episode, and possible story scenarios that could come from it...
(well I guess there's plenty of that in blog-form, but you know what I mean...)
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Still don't know how to feel I feel about the episode myself.
Asides from that, I guess now we know how the mane six would react to Bronies. Not too favourable, which makes the fan in me whimper a little on the inside. :-/
Cue the innevitable influx of parodies taking jabs at the classic "Brony goes to Equestria" wishfulfillment scenario. "Brony Con goes to Equestria" might be an option also, considering the coincidental timing.
Although yelling "Rarity is worst pony" straight to her face seems like something that would innevitably cause a fist fight.
And wow, they didn't even adress shipping in the episode. Then again, they didn't really delve into art either.
I guess the mane six finding portraits and comic-strips of themselves would get... mixed reactions.
And nopony even tried to self-insert and become the Seventh Element of Harmony? Really???
Now, about those new Apple-fans...
What, if... some of them actually meant it? To some degree beyond "this is a cool fad", at least. I dunno, I sense there's a story in there somewhere of AJ talking to a few fans who actually stay when everypony else already left.
Plus, what we have here is the "Too Many Pinkie Pies Generalization" scenario, not seeing the individual in the wild crowd. I imagine, if AJ started yelling at them, some of them would actually feel hurt by that.
Heh, and wow, the CMC are now celebrities. That ... well, I guess we can be lucky they already got their cutiemarks.
I actually wrote a fanfic about that.
I can't help wondering if the writers deliberately left him out as a way to test us (or dick with us, however you want to put it).
I'll take a hand with an Enter The Infinite followed by an additional one of these. Then I'll take a deck with one Spellbook; some large number of Time Stretches, Beacons of Tomorrow, Temporal Masteries, and/or Temporal Trespasses; and finally, some Temporal Cascades (to avoid decking and/or deal with spellbook loss).
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/12/31/1329167__safe_artist-colon-dashiemlpfim_artist-colon-osipush_artist-colon-yoshigreenwater_gaea+everfree_sci-dash-twi_twilight+sparkle_equestria+girls_l.jpeg
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Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe it was the apple juice soaking into the pages. Or it's the Journal of Dorian Neigh; all the time that should be passing in Ponyville is being foisted upon the book.
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A cutie mark is something that says who and what its bearer is. You might call it identity property.
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Very true. If there were a silver bullet for fandom drama, the world would be a very different place.
4634589
"Ponyville? Oh, right, Ponyville. Lovely little town, but I've outgrown it. Call me in if a crazed unicorn starts setting things on fire. That includes Twilight Sparkle."
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Hmm. Now you have me thinking...
Fluttershy's a shoe-in for Deirdre. Likewise Dash for Santiago, Twilight for Zakharov, and Starlight for Yang. Rarity works as Morgan. It's a tough call with the earth ponies; both work well as Pravin Lal, whether it's AJ doing her duty or Pinkie Promising to uphold the UN charter. Plus, religion isn't really that big a deal in Equestria, though Applejack's love of tradition and Pinkie's stoic upbringing could both work there too.
Still, we can definitely be sure that Spike was the captain. Without him, things spiraled out of control with terrifying speed.
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Apparently, this is a Frankensteinian reanimation of one of his discarded scripts, with his name slapped on for union reasons.
4634828
Hey, it's definitely a nicer batch than their last bulk order. As long as the Clone Herd doesn't get together and try to kill all alicorns or something.
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You can thank Derpibooru for introducing me to the term.
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Only now do I realize that Rarity basically realized the dread future Luna projected in "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils."
Good call on the Calligraphy. While it can't be slipped into any deck like the Staff, it's still quite powerful. I've bumped it up to five mana.
As for the Minions, I actually considered making them Clerics, but decided this was a more accurate portrayal of their behavior.
4635798
I have something similar.
Scathing opinions incoming.
I found this a questionable creative decision, too.
Now, see, here's a funny thing. If they were just publishing the Journal of Friendship that we can read in real-life, with the entries that we've actually heard the characters write in season four, then this makes sense. Because that version of the Journal neither references Daring Do/A.K. Yearling by name, nor does it actually make any kind of coherent narrative where you can actually tell that Pinkie is hilarious or that Dash hung out with Daring Do or that Fluttershy keeps learning the same lessons over and over again. Which would mean a 1.5 star rating would be plausible from a certain kind of critic.
Yet somehow, the book's readers are able to discern all this information anyway, and form strong opinions based on them, as if they'd actually watched the show... I chalk it up as another sacrifice of story for allegory.
Yeah, same for me. I never think it's a good idea for a creative to argue with their critics over subjective matters. By all means, present your point of view if you think you can do it respectfully, but I don't think that this was respectful. This was Fluttershy literally lecturing people who complain about Fluttershy episodes, with said complainers portrayed in an explicitly negative light. And the funny thing is, I agree with everything she said. I've made the same argument myself in the past, in defence of Fluttershy's character arc. But this was just in poor taste.
*Raises hand*
I think it kinda addressed the point Fluttershy's critics were making as well, but... yeah, the song really didn't fit the actual conflict all that well. Which is why I think Oliver's blog on the subject was on the mark. This felt like a carryover from a previous version of the script.
Yep... They did just leave that unaddressed, didn't they?
...I don't think this episode was very well-written.
Pretty fine distinction. And not one which the episode made well. The readers of the Journal of Friendship are a metaphor for the show's fandom, but I can't remember any of them being presented in a positive light except for those two fillies at the end. If I were to overanalyse based on that, I'd say that the message is that the show is only for little girls, and that the grown men watching this are all just creepy, overzealous fanboys who should go away. And I don't think that that was their message, but that's what a surface-level reading of this situation looks like to me. If the lesson here isn't "You are this," then why was every character that was meant to be us like this? Where were the all the reasonable ponies?
Again, I'm not trying to imply any kind of malevolence or mean-spiritedness on the part of the episode's writers. I just think that they botched their message out of sheer ineptitude. And I also think that anyone who writes like this is probably in no position to be arguing with their critics.