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#lopoddity
Published: 2018-06-13 00:27:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 102756; Favourites: 6114; Downloads: 0
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Description
I dunno if you guessed it, but I like drawing cute little ponies....fanart of a children's cartoon. And every so often, someone feels the need to tell me that my personal interest is stupid, childish, cancerous....."cringe-y". Boy howdy, do I hear that word tossed around a lot. Cringe, cringe, cringe. We're all afraid of making something cringe-worthy. Something that could end up in those lovely "Bad OC" cringe compilations. I see other artists, especially young creators, getting policed and attacked for creating something that could-gasp!- be interpreted as the dreaded Mary Sue. So artists stifle themselves. Can't make your OC too colorful. Don't you dare make them related to a canon character! Better watch that backstory, lest somebody decry your character as an edgelord. You can have a nerdy interest, but you better not be too fucking passionate about it. Watch yourself. Don't be too different. Don't be cringe-y.
So here's my question to ye gatekeepers of content, ye knowers of all things cringe-worthy, ye adamant enforcers of creative conformity...........Who cares?
Really. Why. Why is "cringe" an issue? So what if someone makes an edgy black-and-red OC, or a sparkly mary sue alicorn princess? So what if somebody makes up an over-powered self-insert and ships them with a canon character? So what if somebody dares to be unironically passionate about a fandom or interest considered less-than-cool? Who cares if people have imperfect, cliche-riddled characters they love?
Cringe culture is mean-spirited. It demands creators conform. It's perpetuated by people who, quite oddly, get really bent out of shape at the sight of people unironically enjoying harmless things.
I say forget it. Trample it. Let people have fun. Especially don't be cruel to young creators- nobody learns to be a skilled artist or writer overnight. And this is by no means a statement against criticism, even harsh criticism.....but there's a big, big difference between giving constructive criticism, vs choosing to crap on somebody for having a "cringe-y" interest. Clicking on someone's work to tell them that it's cringe, or cancer, or that they should kill themselves.....that's not criticism. It's cruelty. The only point of it is to discourage and shame creators, often young, vulnerable ones. There is nothing heroic or helpful about this behavior. This is what I am standing against. To make things clear, I am not anti-criticism. I am anti-bullying.
Idk. I'm a teacher with an Art Education degree, and I believe one of the most important things is to encourage people's interest in the arts, not push them away (out of a mean-spirited attempt to seem cooler by proxy). My favorite Mister Rogers quote (applies to artists of all ages):
"Do you like to draw with crayons? I'm not very good at it. But it doesn't matter. It's the fun of doing it that's important. Now, I wouldn't have made that if I just thought about it. No matter how anybody says it is....It feels good to have made something."
edit: adding in a relevant C.S. Lewis quote as well, on enjoying "childish things"
“Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
Join my Cringe Challenge here!
Cringey Pony OC Challengefigured my last status would work better as a journal SO
I've got a little challenge for all my artists that love making MLP OCs~
if you want to, i'd sure appreciate if ya'll would design the "cringiest", most "mary-sue/gary stu" pony your brain can concoct, and submit your design to this journal in a comment. I'd like to do a piece about how cringe culture restricts our freedom as makers and consumers of content, so I'll be picking one of your "cringe" designs and drawing it! I'd like to make clear that this is not meant to be mean-spirited, your mock OC will be drawn respectfully, and hopefully be used to get those haters of "cringe-y OCs" to question why they feel the need to mock other people's harmless interests.
You can go however nuts you want. Break every OC-designing rule, design however you goddamn want. Wanna show me a rainbow-haired alicorn with jewel eyes and two sets of wings? Go for it! Make a black and red overpowered dark lord that cries ink black tears. This OC was designed by , their original (much better, lol) drawing is here:
edit: comments disabled because it's late and i'm tired, and some of ya'll are getting real huffy about a drawing of a rainbow horse with a flowery anti-bullying message. will probably turn comments back on later. For now i think i'm good on being told to kill myself. Great job convincing me cringe culture is totes necessary tho!
urgh
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Comments: 623
MakingFunOfStuff In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:37:38 +0000 UTC]
There's no need for anyone to be unnecessarily mean spirited with criticism, but as a fellow art teacher, I think there's nothing more close-minded than writing off advice because something is "fun" or "your style."
Drawing fun stuff is fine in moderation, but if it's just drawn to be instantly gratifying without artistic integrity then it's no better than watching TV or eating candy and it is by no means offensive to state that as a fact.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to psybeamz [2018-06-18 01:07:18 +0000 UTC]
It's not bullying to have a general opinion. If you see that as cruel I can't help it.
People have different opinions than you and that's never going to change... If you can't be happy until everyone in the world says "my little pony art is amazing" then you''re making yourself miserable.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to psybeamz [2018-06-18 03:51:55 +0000 UTC]
I agree with that.
You shouldn't tell people their art is cancerous cringe.
(You should, however, be allowed to feel that way).
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Lopoddity In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-13 04:46:15 +0000 UTC]
This is not a dismissal of criticism and advice. I stated that above. This is a statement against cringe culture, which is perpetuation of artistic conformity at best, and flat out bullying at it's worst. There's nothing constructive about commenting "ew cringe" on someone's artwork.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to Lopoddity [2018-06-13 05:26:16 +0000 UTC]
After more thought, here's what I really meant (not to say your point was contradictory):
It's rude to call someone's art cringey, but that doesn't mean all art is inherently mature or equally mature.
Some content in some contexts is, in fact, childish. If you spend excessive time on childish things, it's foolish like watching too much anime or Netflix, so it is good to encourage people to make things that are productive and not just things that satisfy the feels.
(Sometimes I wonder if people on Tumblr could make better use of their time than drawing 10 pictures a day of Grunkle Stan sobbing in a corner, for instance). But I do get what you're trying to say about being polite, and there is a lot to this that is subjective.
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SilverMuttt In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-17 05:41:01 +0000 UTC]
Dude. Yes. Thank you.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to SilverMuttt [2018-06-18 01:24:42 +0000 UTC]
I'm getting the feeling (from people who have responded) what they really want is nobody to have any negative opinions at all.
Now that's just making yourself miserable, and idk what to say at that point...
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SilverMuttt In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-18 01:57:51 +0000 UTC]
Yeah. Agreed. Negativity is just part of life.
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PXL8D In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-13 05:54:11 +0000 UTC]
While I agree that people sometimes should step out of their 'comfort zone' when it comes to art, it's just not right to tell them they can't indulge in what you call 'childish'. People have the right to happiness and if sobbing-in-a-corner Grunkle Stan is their happiness, why tell them to stop? If the content they create is not harmful to others, and they find it comforting/pleasing/whatever, then there's no reason to tell them they need to stop.
If anime/Netflix/drawing silly things makes someone happy, let them have that. This world is so fucked that sometimes, that's all someone can get out of it in order to feel good with life.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to PXL8D [2018-06-13 06:25:55 +0000 UTC]
It's only harmful if it's excessive or treated with undue importance. You'd have to look at individual artists to determine whether that's the case or not. It's not evil to draw characters crying in a corner. But it's not better than eating candy either. (and I would argue I have witnessed it make people selfish and miserable for dwelling on it too much... but that's personal experience).
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Lopoddity In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-13 05:50:14 +0000 UTC]
Yes, this is very subjective. Even if you believe someone could make better use of their time than drawing sweet Grunkle Stan fanart, honestly, who cares? If that's what they enjoy, so be it. They should be able to enjoy it unharassed....because again, it's their personal interest that is hurting no one. Time spent enjoyed isn't time wasted. And about "childish things", well, I love C.S. Lewis' quote on the subject.
“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
Life's too short, man. If people enjoy "childish things", or things you don't personally approve of, just look the other way.
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MakingFunOfStuff In reply to Lopoddity [2018-06-13 06:20:30 +0000 UTC]
Your use of the word sweet to describe the Grunkle Stan art implies you don't think it's childish. That's not looking the other way, that's looking and enjoying. Which is fine, but just to make sure we're on the same track, I think you're really asking people to change their opinions on art they think is "cringey" because there can't be a valid reason for saying it.
(By the way, sorry if it seems like I'm turning this into an argument, I'm not offended or trying to be offensive, I just like talking about these things for some reason, because I think it's interesting).
You're right there's no shame in enjoying fairytales or fan art, but I think there's room for debate of what constitutes being an innocent hobby and when it crosses over into a potentially harmful waste of time. Nevermind the word childish. I think there's some valid criticisms if you wanted to get into it. But anyway, you probably don't want to get in that long of an argument XD
Sorry to start a tangent on your piece.
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Rainbow-Mirage In reply to MakingFunOfStuff [2018-06-13 04:45:35 +0000 UTC]
I can't help but feel you've missed the point. What they mean is to not criticize 'cringey' interests just because you think the interest in question is childish or otherwise 'uncool'. it's not really about artistic talent.
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Cheesy-Doodles [2018-06-13 04:35:38 +0000 UTC]
YES, THIS!!!. I agree with everything that you said! 💙
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ChildofAura In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:32:26 +0000 UTC]
I'm not somebody who follows your art but holy shit knock them out girl!!!
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sinjarakun In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:31:50 +0000 UTC]
But what if I cringe at my own old art?
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Verity96 In reply to sinjarakun [2018-06-13 05:07:48 +0000 UTC]
Well, it just means you got better. You don't need to feel cringe, you can be proud of the progress you made.
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Cheesy-Doodles In reply to sinjarakun [2018-06-13 04:44:38 +0000 UTC]
Uh well cringing at your own art, and being shamed and made fun of is a tad different lol
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whitebearboy In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:29:49 +0000 UTC]
This OC is so pretty, she should not be cringed at!
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Luspear-Soram In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:28:24 +0000 UTC]
The picture is pretty cool, even though the colors are a bit too much. You have an interesting approach to the issue of cringe. I think it is fair to have cringe art at the beginner or novice level. It tends to have derogatory names like amateur and noob. The beginner level is a good thing. It is a great place for people to start out. As someone with a teacher license, I know that learning is a prolonged process with skill levels and practice. One can't go from being no artist to being as good as Shakespeare or Michelangelo overnight. It takes a lot of time and practice. At a beginner level, it is good to be able to draw or write anything at all. I think it is only wrong when someone has long mastered the skill and they use the beginner level as a crutch. That is when they can learn more about the technical aspects of the art and improve as an artist. They can still do beginner level work for fun. However they won't be taken seriously as an artist, until they get to higher levels. That is fair. I especially understand when it is young artists that have poor quality art. Of course they won't do well because they don't have as much time to practice, because they are so young. The best thing to do is to encourage them to keep practicing art. To use a technical term, it is best for an artist to work at the zone of proximal development. I can't put down young artists too badly, because I wasn't so great when I was that age. My biggest problem was ripping off everything I like, since I wan't skilled enough to be more creative. I was so close to making Harry Potter fan art and fan fiction. Back in my day, fan work was not a thing. I just made barely enough minor changes to avoid copyright infringement.
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mebrob In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:28:07 +0000 UTC]
fuck yeah!! learning making and enjoying things unapologetically is honestly the key to happiness. kudos to everyone who makes "mary sue" ocs or writes self insert characters, you guys are the real mvps.
Also amazing piece!!!!! i really enjoy the sentiment
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lilcatgirl In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:23:00 +0000 UTC]
Do you use sketchpads for this type of art?
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Lopoddity In reply to lilcatgirl [2018-06-13 04:24:29 +0000 UTC]
I use sketchpads for some of my drawings here, but this one was made 100% digitally, in FireAlpaca~
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0ArmoredSoul0 In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:20:17 +0000 UTC]
I already reblogged this on tumblr, and I just want to say A) this art is amazing and super cool, and B) I completely agree with every word. Cringe culture is a means of policing and reducing the creativity of young artists just starting to realize their potential, as well as crushing the inspiration of more experienced artists looking to branch out into something new.
Just think- If Lisa Frank had attempted to produce her artwork in today's culture, she would have been laughed out of the board room and no one would ever have the joy of having a sparkly rainbow backpack with attached wings and a unicorn dancing on the front. And every kid deserves to have fun with a sparkly awesome backpack.
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Magnamia In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:18:16 +0000 UTC]
Yesssss it is important to draw what makes you happy! Drawing is supposed to be enjoyable, and feeling like you can't do something does not always make things fun. Should draw anything you like!
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BananaMoMo In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:18:03 +0000 UTC]
clap clap clap amazing message here, I totally agree with you. people make me so angry sometimes; crushing kids dreams and interests because their art is too different for their liking. it's soo sad
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tomo-dachii In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:17:06 +0000 UTC]
aaa thank you for this lop!!!!! while i don’t really make pony ocs and my friends and people are generally accepting of me drawing furry art or loving “cringe” interests like vocaloid, mlp, etc, i do get made fun of it sometimes. recently ive wanted to dress more how i want to dress (brighter colors, cute clothes, stuff like that) and i know some people are gonna make fun of me, but honestly i dunno what their problem would be with somebody else doing something they personally wouldn’t do, like wear something cute or make an oc with rainbows or bat wings or something that falls along the lines of “Mary sue”. i’m glad you made this, this really boosted my confidence and hopes to start expressing myself through fashion!!!!!
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Zeinjave In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 04:04:08 +0000 UTC]
I love this message! C: And I love you more as a person for spreading a "fuck them, do your own thing" message. A+
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Patch-of-Heaven In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 03:59:37 +0000 UTC]
i love this.I LOVE this a lot.
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Vespayik In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 03:58:15 +0000 UTC]
I'm glad you made this, you're a very popular artist and so your art and its messages are bound to reach a lot more people and this message is one that needs to be spread. When I was a kid, I was terrified of making 'cringey' things because of the people who perpetuate this policing of other people's creativity. Kudos.
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AEB0717 In reply to ??? [2018-06-13 03:57:58 +0000 UTC]
I think you miss that many who make OCs WANT approval and WANT to entertain other people with their fanfiction. If they don't get their feedback, negative or otherwise, it hampers the growth of those who wish to garner popularity or otherwise polish story-telling skills. I'm one of them. I aim to develop my characters beyond power fantasy and the like (more "professional"), and "cringe" reactions help to alert me of when my characters aren't balanced enough. Of course, the pendulum swings both ways, and it isn't good to put too much weight into "cringe" feedback. I think there's a precarious balance that needs to be achieved.
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Lopoddity In reply to AEB0717 [2018-06-13 04:10:14 +0000 UTC]
"And this is by no means a statement against criticism.....but there's a big, big difference between giving constructive criticism, vs choosing to crap on somebody for having a "cringe-y" interest."
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AEB0717 In reply to Lopoddity [2018-06-13 05:47:31 +0000 UTC]
Yes, I'm aware. My position stands. It would appear more bona fide if you'd ease up with your temper.
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AEB0717 In reply to Lopoddity [2018-06-13 06:28:24 +0000 UTC]
You've seemed very defensive, which, honestly, is understandable. Hell, one of the folks who's had his comment deleted is blaming me for it and is having a hissy-fit directed in my neck of the woods. Whereas I'm not too bothered, I can only imagine what you're combing through.
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Lopoddity In reply to AEB0717 [2018-06-13 07:12:41 +0000 UTC]
Still, "ease up on your temper" strikes me as a bit of condescending tone-policing. I am responding to people that feel the need to argue on an anti-bullying positivity post, and I've been nothing but civil.
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AEB0717 In reply to Lopoddity [2018-06-13 07:34:30 +0000 UTC]
Take it as you will. More or less, we're both participating in tone-policing and condescension. You appeared condescending to me by implying stupidity on my end (by quoting yourself), you took what I said as condescension, we just revisited tone-policing (you tone-policing my tone-policing), and I grab the baton with... Tone-policing...? It's the carousel from hell.
Personally, I was concerned with you possibly biting my head off and being drowned in the comments. I've enjoyed your work for some time so, yeah, I care. It appears that my worries haven't entirely been for nothing. I wouldn't say that mocking people for misunderstanding is exactly "civil."
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Lopoddity In reply to AEB0717 [2018-06-13 07:42:10 +0000 UTC]
Guess it's pointless for me to argue anymore. Clearly you know me better than I do. Sure was condescending of me to point out something in the description I thought you might've missed. Look at me, biting off people's heads. I'm so darn temperamental. Grrr.
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