Save Derpy!

For those of you who watch MLP, you're probably familiar with the character "Derpy Hooves."

Up until recently, our little Derpy only had one line..."Muffins." And, in fact, about three OTHER ponies were randomly saying "Muffins" at the same time. Not anything to get worked up about, right?

Wrong.

Due to an animation error, this adorable little pony's eyes were "derped." One looked up, the other--down. Bronies started noticing the gray pony, and she was soon named "Derpy Hooves," after her "derpy" expression.

Derpy attracted quite a lot of attention, and has since become the sort of "mascot" of the brony community--representing all the love and tolerance bronies preach--not to mention, representing those of us who make mistakes and don't always fit in.

She's been depicted as Doctor Whooves's loyal companion, a young and misunderstood pony, a dedicated mother, and a sweetheart who just wants to help her friends. She's kind, and sweet, and--yes--derpy. She makes mistakes. She messes up. She gets herself and her friends into trouble. But at the end of the day, everything is alright.

This endearingly clumsy little pony has touched so many lives. ALL of us have a little piece of Derpy in us--whether you're a fan of MLP or not.

All the love and creativity of the MLP fanbase has gone into Derpy Hooves. So much music, artwork, and writing was born because of her. She should go down in history as the inspiration for many great creative minds.

Just a few short weeks ago, Derpy Hooves had her very first full scene. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaUbi-7uBDg

I couldn't have been more excited to hear Rainbow Dash call Derpy by her proper fan name. In the past, she's been referred to as "Ditzy" on the show--she was the pony who went accidently go north to fetch the southern birds. To hear our community acknowledged by the use of Derpy's name was truly wonderful. Truly, insanely, wonderful.

The thing is, some people took Derpy's voice, appearance, and name to be offensive. And I'll admit--I wasn't thrilled by her voice. I expected it to be higher pitched, with an air of distraction, if that makes sense. Still, it didn't really bother me--after all, Derpy was talking!!! And they had used her name! All the work and love and care that us bronies had put into Derpy had finally been realized. Most other bronies shared my excitement.

Some fans did NOT share my excitement, though. They said that the name "Derpy" was offensive. They said her derpy eyes were offensive. They said her voice was offensive.

If you have some time, listen to this video by the girl most fans consider to be the REAL voice of Derpy. There is some swearing, but nothing too rude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmOxnt215ek&feature=channel_video_title

Despite videos, posts, and outcries like these, Hasbro decided to listen to the fans who were offended by Derpy. They changed her scene, so now it looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2CRjPO73Dg

Now, let's point out the changes.

First off--the voice. I don't actually mind this new voice so much. Okay, so it's not as silly sounding as Derpy SHOULD sound--but it's not bad.

Next--the eyes. WHY would they straighten Derpy's eyes?! They're silly and funny and adorable and endearing! They don't denote any mental challenges--so therefore, they aren't offensive! Those eyes were Derpy's trademark--the very things that brought attention to this little character! And now...now...

Lastly, and worst of all--her name. They got rid of her name. The name "Derpy," is no longer canon. The fans are no longer recognized. It's as if we don't exist. One of the things I loved about the creators/producers of MLP was that they LISTENED TO THE FANS. Now, I can no longer say that.

I guess if you don't know Derpy, this doesn't seem important. I know my own family is pretty sick of hearing about it. But this is important to us bronies. Imagine watching your child succeed in life, only for someone to change their mind and take all that success away. That's what it's like. We've poured our souls into Derpy, and now she's been rejected. In a way, we've all been rejected. Because we are all Derpy, in one way or another. Have you ever tripped over nothing? Lost your phone while it was in your hand? Fallen onto your friend's project, crushing it to pieces? Have you ever fallen out of a chair, or not realized something important right in front of you, or tried to help out your friends, only to end up hurting them? If so--you've derped. And if you're like me--if you've ever felt lonely, ever felt out of place, ever felt like you just didn't fit in--then you can probably relate to Derpy. If you're clumsy--then you are like Derpy. We are ALL like Derpy, and we must do all we can to save her.

So, what can you do to help?

Sign the petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/hasbro-studiosthe-hub-do-not-change-derpys-name#

Or donate here: http://www.sightsavers.org/fundraising/event.php?id=278
(you can read more about Sightsavers through this link. It's a great organization.)

Or simply tweet #savederpy or #WeAreAllDerpyHooves

If you're still not convinced, here's a final, heartbreaking sentiment from everypony's favorite crosseyed pony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK_L5kTIiXs