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Why Do We Have Alternate Character Interpretation?

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brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#1: Oct 8th 2011 at 9:56:05 AM

I get in and sometimes agree with it for characters like Gilda and Trixie but what about characters that are meant to be looked at as Complete Monsters? Discord, Lotso, Scar. all those characters where meant to be thought of as totally depraved characters by the writers of the shows/movies they appeared in. if there is room to speculate, weather intentional or not on the writers part, fine use the Alternate Character Interpretation trope. but there's no room to speculate with characters like Lotso or Discord.

and to all those people that use this trope on Snails, from what we've seen, he is simply a The Ditz. he has all the traits associated with a The Ditz.

edited 8th Oct '11 1:15:04 PM by brony99

ActuallyComma I am making sense! from a mysterious place Since: Feb, 2011
I am making sense!
#2: Oct 8th 2011 at 10:04:44 AM

There's always room for speculation. Don't misunderestimate the power of the viewer's imagination.

Except [condescending response follows]. Because [sarcasm here]. You do understand [snark], right? POTHOLE TO SARCASM MODE
randomguy123 Misanthropic Wiccan Nerd Since: Sep, 2010
Misanthropic Wiccan Nerd
#3: Oct 8th 2011 at 10:05:17 AM

Simply because the characters are fictional, and we are exposed to only a small amount of their fictional lives, it can sometimes be hard to define what they are like. Also, not everyone views traits the same way. For example, in MLP: FIM, Pinkie thought Dischord was pretty awesome until he hid the elements of harmony. And in a way, he IS awesome. He's a very powerful magic user, and instead of using that magic to enslave everyone, he makes it rain chocolate. He isn't as much of a Complete Monster as you may think, though I must admit that might be due to the fact that she show is G rated.

edited 8th Oct '11 10:05:39 AM by randomguy123

Misanthrope Supreme
TheFreeman from Hialeah,FL. Since: Mar, 2011
#4: Oct 8th 2011 at 10:07:06 AM

You still can't let this go? People are going to always view certain characters differently, even if its for nonsensical and retarded reasons.

edited 8th Oct '11 10:08:20 AM by TheFreeman

LostAnarchist Violence Is Necessary! from Neo Arcadia Itself Since: Sep, 2011
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#5: Oct 8th 2011 at 10:09:47 AM

[up] Such a hindrance to thinking... Is the begiining of trying to control a person, or a group's freedom of speech and self-expression. Remember that.

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#6: Oct 8th 2011 at 10:15:39 AM

Yeah, there's always room to speculate. I'm not sure why you're asserting otherwise, unless this is an attempt at a sneaky way of placing the "no room for speculation" label on Discord, so that you can be right about him being a Complete Monster with no room for debate, a topic you have brought up countless times.

I have a message from another time...
Gray64 Since: Dec, 1969
#7: Oct 8th 2011 at 11:00:22 AM

Well, there's Alternate Character Interpretation, and then there's Draco in Leather Pants. Some folks will choose to interpret a character however they want, despite the fact that their interpretation has no basis in any manner in which the character has ever been portrayed in their respective canon. This can be monstrously annoying, but what'cha gonna do? How people choose to interpret characters usually says more about them than it does about the characters, or about the work in question.

brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#8: Oct 8th 2011 at 12:01:13 PM

I just think it should only apply when there is a good reason for it. the creators of Toy Story 3 wanted us to think Lotso was a Complete Monster. when a test audience ended up feeling sorry for Lotso the creators went back and made him totally depraved.

and considering what happened with Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, if the writers wanted to portray Discord as anything more then a Complete Monster, they would have had him reformed or at least had the Mane Six feel sorry about having to turn him back into a statue. neither of which happened.

and it isn't just Discord as one other poster guessed, I'm just as pissed that Scar and Lotso get this treatment.

I accept and kind of agree with this for characters like Trixie but she's not even a Punch-Clock Villain.

edited 8th Oct '11 1:18:15 PM by brony99

Fancolors I draw stuff. from Land of the Mamelucos Since: Nov, 2010
I draw stuff.
#9: Oct 8th 2011 at 12:04:50 PM

Besides, it's fun!

ActuallyComma I am making sense! from a mysterious place Since: Feb, 2011
I am making sense!
#10: Oct 8th 2011 at 12:14:05 PM

Discord's just testing Ponykind's capacity for evolution and development. This will be revealed in the season finale where Twilight Sparkle struggles to seal an anti-time anomaly while jumping between 3 different timeframes.

Except [condescending response follows]. Because [sarcasm here]. You do understand [snark], right? POTHOLE TO SARCASM MODE
brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#11: Oct 8th 2011 at 12:22:18 PM

I feel that you should look at a character soley by what is shown. and Discord wasn't as bad as other characters that fit the Complete Monster bill because of the stupid censorship and preconceived notions of what children can handle we have today. if FIM was made back in the early 90s, I bet you that Discord would be almost en Expy of the DCAU Joker. and the DCAU version was just about on par with The Dark Knight Joker.

randomguy123 Misanthropic Wiccan Nerd Since: Sep, 2010
Misanthropic Wiccan Nerd
#12: Oct 8th 2011 at 1:05:25 PM

I'm not familiar with what counts as trolling on Tv Tropes. Does this ([up]) count?

Misanthrope Supreme
brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#13: Oct 8th 2011 at 1:14:07 PM

I'm not trolling. at least I'm not trying to. and the show being G-rated is exactly why Discord's Complete Monster status is in question. and remember it depends on the works standards. the point at which a character becomes a Complete Monster is different in almost every work.

ActuallyComma I am making sense! from a mysterious place Since: Feb, 2011
I am making sense!
#14: Oct 8th 2011 at 1:22:22 PM

Although you're not meant to be a troll, one could alternately interpret your character as such. Now the thread's all meta.

Except [condescending response follows]. Because [sarcasm here]. You do understand [snark], right? POTHOLE TO SARCASM MODE
brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#15: Oct 8th 2011 at 1:26:39 PM

well can we get back on topic?

brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#16: Oct 8th 2011 at 1:41:27 PM

and some people argue that Cell from Dragon Ball isn't a Complete Monster because he was made to be evil. this is true but he still is a Complete Monster because he was a sadist. the same can be said of Discord.

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#17: Oct 8th 2011 at 2:07:57 PM

We get it, you think Discord is a complete monster.

You are allowed to think this; it would be a damn shame if we had thought police.

But nobody else gives a crap, and you are not helping your case by bringing it up so often. Please do us all a favour and give it a rest.

brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#18: Oct 8th 2011 at 2:14:12 PM

it's not just about Discord. it's about all characters that are clearly Complete Monster that someone wants to humanize.

brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#19: Oct 8th 2011 at 2:59:46 PM

again, I don't mind it when this trope is applied to a character like Gilda the Griffin. I can actually kind of agree with it then. but Gilda didn't cause any harm and didn't want to. Discord wanted to screw up Equestria and drive everypony insane, from what we've seen and have been told, what else can Discord be but a Complete Monster? and this isn't just about Discord as I said already. Scar, Lotsa, all the other C Ms that someone wants to interpret in a way that the creators didn't intend.

TheFreeman from Hialeah,FL. Since: Mar, 2011
fifimcfeef A friend of Padraic from California Since: Jul, 2011
A friend of Padraic
#22: Oct 8th 2011 at 5:09:34 PM

When it comes to Disney villains, I stand alone with Padraic (Ratigan), whom I consider a mouse like he wishes... Maybe his mother was one. He isn't all that bad.

Yeah, Jason Kreis ain't exactly a soccer star.
brony99 Since: Sep, 2011
#23: Oct 8th 2011 at 6:12:59 PM

what about the others? Lotso meets all five of the Complete Monster criteria.

and I don't want to stop people from using this trope ''when it makes sense to do so!'

edited 8th Oct '11 6:17:31 PM by brony99

BobbyG vigilantly taxonomish from England Since: Jan, 2001
vigilantly taxonomish
#24: Oct 8th 2011 at 6:17:26 PM

This thread was created to circumvent the lock on the OTC thread on the same subject. Locking it. Please don't create another like it or there will be consequences.

And seriously, give it a rest with the Discord thing. Nobody, and nopony, cares.

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