Dear MLP analysis community and those that consume their reviews:
I’ve watched videos and read written reviews created by the well-known members of the adult, amateur My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic analysis community; I’ve come to the conclusion that these adult critics are critiquing Hasbro’s MLP franchise from the point of view of adults. Many of their reviews of the franchise are both funny and insightful. However, their foremost mistake in their analysis is that they disregard the fact that the MLP franchise is primarily made for both the enjoyment and education of preschool and elementary school children. As these adult fans critique from the point of view of adults, many of their reviews are often absurdly harsh and unforgiving for entertainment created for children. Thus, their reviews appear similar to inflammatory posts created by internet trolls rather than authentic critiques.
Those in the MLP analysis community appear unaware that children’s minds are not the same as adult minds. Children’s minds take in information about the world, interpret that information, and then act on that information differently than do adults. That is why the popular and critically acclaimed children’s book, “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss is written differently than the adult novel “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. That is why the television series “Sesame Street” is written differently than from the series “Mad Men”. And, it is consequently logical to review the 2017 “My Little Pony: The Movie” differently than from “Blade Runner 2049”.
I realize that children do not care about the “flaws” such as stereotypical characters, contrived coincidences, and simplified story plots, as well as foreshortened third acts in the MLP television series described in exhaustive detail by members of the adult analysis community. When I was about five years old, I saw “The Mysterians”, a science fiction & horror film made in 1957. After my first viewing, I thought this film was the greatest thing ever and would have given it a ten out of ten, if anyone had asked me about it. About one year ago, I saw the film again and it was like watching an entirely different movie. I saw the film’s many flaws and could not recapture the luster I had for it when I was a child. Today, I give it a five out of ten. I find that this film is still entertaining, but now nowhere near as close to giving me the joy it did when I was a child.
My point of my essay is that professional media reviewers realize the differences between children and adults. Therefore, they use one list of criteria for children’s entertainment and another list of criteria for adult entertainment. For example, while we adults have seen the commonly used literary themes hundreds of times, most children have little or no knowledge of many tropes used by the MLP writers. As a result, when a specific trope is used in children’s entertainment, adults sees an overused cliché; while children may have seen the same trope very few times or might be the first time encountering that trope.
After watching the 2017 MLP movie, I saw in the theater hallway the children who have also seen the movie. These children were all smiles and giggles, attempting to talk their parents into seeing it again real soon. If the late Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert knew enough to critique children’s entertainment differently than adult entertainment; then why can’t members of the adult analysis community adjust their reviews and then attempt to see the MLP franchise from the point of view of the target audience, preschool and elementary school children?
Sincerely,
James Patrick Buchanan, a professional journalist who sees the MLP franchise for what it is and still loves it!
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