It seems like the criticism with
Ultimate Spider-Man is starting to get to people in charge of
Marvel's Animation division. While I think that I have given this
show a fair shake(perhaps fairer than most online given some of the
criticisms that have been printed), even I know it is not without its
problems. We should have known this happened when Jeph Loeb shut down
his Facebook Page. Now Man of Action and Marvel have been censoring
negative comments about the series.
I'm sure it is very easy to rather
shoehorn the criticism of Ultimate Spider-Man, as a bunch of
embittered fanboys and fangirls on the Internet. It is a common
tactic used by those who are out of touch. To divert the blame
towards a rather vocal minority. Those who blame "the Internet
fan base" is rather out of touch with the real world, as those
who bother to take the time to post on the Internet are going to be
the most passionate fans, the most loyal, and thus the most likely to
spend money.
Also the most likely to promote your
show, the most likely to get their younger siblings, children,
friends, everyone else interested in your show. Obviously, there are
people in the field of entertainment who just don't get it. A bunch
of middle aged men trying to make something to appeal to children is
seldom does end rather well.
There is a fine line of making
something that appeals to children and something that "appeals
to children." The best animation is where children can watch it
but where adults can appreciate it as well. Why alienate one
audience, when you can have the entire audience, love your product,
buy toys either to play with or correct, buy DVDs to watch, play
video game tie ins, buy bed sheets, buy any kind of merchandise.
For years, the stigma that animation
should solely be for children has been something that has been the
doom of many cartoons. Although to be fair, that was a rather 1980s
mindsets, with the cartoon classics that you know and love not
talking down to the viewer. Yet in the 1980s, everything was driven
by merchandise. Most episodes were a calculated effort to get
children to rush off to Toys R Us and buy the latest new action
figure or variant action figure.
Yet even the 1980s, in all of their
insane glory, seemed to have some respect. Then in the 1990s cartoons
such as Batman the Animated Series paved the way for a more
intelligent run of cartoons. Where adults and children could sit down
and enjoy them.
Yet our one step back, where obviously
those who are making the decisions have a rather insulting view of
what appeals to children. Children have short attention spans, they
don't want to think, you know the drill. Children will be confused by
anything that requires them to tax more than a few brain cells.
An unfair statement for many and
obviously pandering to the lowest common perception of children.
Obviously with the censoring of any
kind of negative feedback, criticism, whatever you want to call it,
it is obvious that Marvel Animation may be trying to run undesirables
off, as in the long term fans of Marvel Comics. They want to pander
for the children.
It is a very short sighted business
model that works with a very narrow stereotype. And obviously given
that cartoons such as Ultimate Spider-Man is going to be what passes
for "mental stimulation" for the youth of this generation,
it kind of makes you cringe.
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