Everyone And Teen (Because Teens Are An Alien Species) · 2:13am Oct 9th, 2020
Blog Number 105: Parental Guidance Edition
A minor update: I've changed the rating of Too La Roo La Roo Lar (That's a Skyrish Lullaby) from "Everyone" to "Teen", since a major qualification for "Everyone" is that it should contain “things that would be reasonable to see on the show itself.”
I think it's safe to say this particular fic doesn't.
A little explanation might be called for at this point.
My general approach is to stick to a show-friendly tone. Partly because I feel no real deep need to inject so-called "mature" stuff into it. Quite a lot of points can be made perfectly family-friendly and still remain relevant, clever, and entertaining enough, and this is a drum I like to beat often under the banner that says, "'Mature' doesn't mean 'better'."
The show itself, well, shows the potential of that approach.
Partly because I'm generally wary of introducing grimmer or sleazier stuff into a fantasy world I ultimately like for its simple innocence. This is a show-specific thing for me, because I'm perfectly OK with darker stuff outside of it. But it gets complicated as soon as I turn to this particular fictional world, which is one reason why I tend to write and read closer to the "Everyone" end of the scale than anywhere near the "Mature" end.
And partly because, paradoxically, it can be a great way to test limits.
See, one of the things about insisting on family-friendly fare is that sometimes it actually works as a refreshing take, even as a challenge. Anyone can write a scary (or "scary") story involving explosive blood and guts; far harder and more interesting to write a scary story without so much as a drop of blood spilled. Death and violence are such obvious topics in horror that it's easy to forget they're merely tools, not the ultimate point, for horror as a genre.
Horror is just one example: I could make similar cases for "Dark" (which can be disturbing without being graphic), "Romance" (which doesn't need the sex to show a loving relationship), and "Comedy/Random" (which doesn't have to be puerile and lowest-common-denominator to make people laugh or scratch their heads).
Lastly, if there's one thing I've never liked, it's the idea that children can't handle certain things.
In broad strokes, yes, children are more likely to be bothered by e.g. onscreen decapitations and dark stuff than adults are. I'm not advocating they be allowed access to full-blown "Mature" stuff, nor that there isn't a grey area in the middle.
Note the "are more likely", though, which is not "are always". I think this is a statistical thing, and therefore really not as clear-cut as some people believe, either.
On balance, I'd sooner err closer to respecting children's individuality and intelligence. Some kids can handle the harsher stuff, for the simple reason that they are human beings and human beings tend to vary a lot. It's a case-by-case basis; in the aggregate, it suggests it'd be really nice to get some actual numbers rather than just lump all kids in the "fragile flower" category off the bat. And frankly, some kids have sensibilities that some adults don't, such as intelligence.
So occasionally I'll make nods in certain segments or scenes that, e.g. some ponies in Equestria are perfectly aware that alcohol exists, or some kids know/use bad language, or two loving parents/partners are implied to do exciting things in private.
Look, this is a very delicate balancing act, and I'm not intending to show off, like, "Ooh, look at these ponies, look at how edgy-edgy they are." My intended approach is more a combination of verisimilitude (for one thing, presumably excitement between parents has to happen at some point offscreen) and not wanting to pull punches all the way. I have a lot of respect for fiction that nods to children who recognize the world isn't all playtime and primroses; even if it's only conveyed by a few minor implications.
And then there are cases like Too La Roo La Roo Lar (That's a Skyrish Lullaby), wherein ponies drink alcohol frequently, fish are explicitly on the menu*, "eejit" is used three times in the text, and there are some very dark jokes peppered here and there.
* This isn't as randomly cruel as it sounds. It turns out ground-up fish is often used to feed livestock in industrial farming. Couple that with the idea of a portside town that I had in mind for the setting, and I thought it'd make an interesting little case of culture-clash. Especially if you want to bring up the early episodes featuring Fluttershy feeding fish to her critters.
I'm not apologizing for the content itself. I had a very specific vision in mind when I wrote it, and I'm not walking it back just because someone happens to not like it. I have my own views.
However, this is also clearly the point where the specification for “things that would be reasonable to see on the show itself” is being abused. That, I am apologizing for.
I didn't think much of it at the time because I do have a tendency to poke at the line of what constitutes "Everyone". This stuff was a little further than usual, but I didn't think it was that much further. At least until I received a PM recently that highlighted it.
Again, I don't feel moved to change the content of the fic. I stand by what I set out to do. But it became clear to me I was wrong when it came to the rating I was applying, so I've changed it.
And... that's all there is to it, really. I rode a hobby horse over a line, took it too far, and had to get off and walk it back. If anything similar pops up**, I might consider other changes (e.g. if it turns out an earlier fic is much harder to square with a show-tone style than I'd originally assumed).
** No guarantees, mind: it's entirely possible I might think some suggestions for "Teen" updates are simply oversensitive.
Academically, I'd also be mildly interested in other people's thoughts on this? Perchance? By way of compare and contrast?
In any case, that's all for now. Just thought I'd mention and explain it.
Impossible Numbers, out.
I'm always up for that. Though Applejack's ham sandwich might be more applicable here.
In any case, I can definitely see the argument for that story exceeding show tone. Still a great read, though.
5374199
That... would explain the pigs.
(Although I'm gonna ruin the joke here with a "technically": there are imitation meats in our human world, so the pony world might have some too. It's just not considered imitation meat there, but its own thing. I once had Derpy cook some tofu bacon in a fic; I just thought it'd be easier to call it that in the narration than come up with some obscure name for it).
Actually, now I'm curious if meat-eating is a thing in the Equestria Girls universe? I vaguely remember seeing burgers in the cafeteria in the first movie.
5374215
There were indeed burgers. Plus, Sunset works at a sushi place and gets lunch at work, so there's that. And that's saying nothing of one of the talents Lyra demonstrated during her Friendship Games tryouts...