To get away from the "screaming", I turn on PBS Kids, only to find mind control in action, trying to instill certain values into kids heads. Which bothers just as much in a different way.
I agree. It's too mechanical. They try to cram the rules of social conduct into kids' heads without giving any indication as to the real meaning of them --
why they exist. The fact is, good behavior works better for a reason, but they don't show it: They don't show the irritation and conflict that bad behavior brings and they don't show real harmony of a good group. (their characters are too one-dimensional so you can't show them connecting in purpose on multiple levels.)
That's what's different about Lauren Faust's version of My Little Pony. Each character is allowed range, and this range allows them to connect to each other. There's no preaching -- the characters are just themselves.
Most kid shows angle their characters to speak directly to the audience to some degree. ("DECEPTICONS ARE ATTACKING!" [Yes, Ironhide, that huge monitor showing the same picture to everyone in the room. I think we all got that.]) When you angle your dialogue to a 7 year old you're going to get crap dialogue -- the characters aren't going to be themselves, they're going to be the people they'd be if there was a retard in the room. In this new iteration of My Little Pony the characters are fully in-world and in-character. So it isn't made up of characters doing
girly things, it's just girl characters doing things -- i.e., the full range of "things" is allowed, making it non-selective as to audience.
So it's non-selective and non-preachy; just solid characters being themselves. Since they're cute and funny it ends up being great.
