#open letter to the crew of VLD

[kalluralove]

Open letter regarding the treatment of Princess Allura in VLD

Here is my letter regarding the poor treatment of Princess Allura in the VLD series. I'm hoping it will inspire more people to write their own for the @justiceforallura but, if for some reason you are unable to do so, you can cosign this letter instead. Simply reblog with "I cosign" in the comments. For those not on Tumblr you may do the same by retweeting on Twitter. (Notes in comments and DMs will not be accepted. We want to spread the word to as many fans as possible!) There is strength in numbers! We must make ourselves heard and understood!

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This is a letter to the license holders of Voltron, as well as anyone else involved in the making of DreamWork’s “Voltron, Legendary Defender”.

As a young girl in 1984 I stumbled across a TV show that immediately grabbed my attention. It aired in the afternoon when I got home from school, and it was a small miracle when I could get to the one television in the house first. It was thrilling to me: a giant robot, sword fights, and yes, even romance.

Then there was Princess Allura.

Allura was something you didn’t see enough of in that day. She was a determined young woman who simultaneously ruled a planet and protected it. For a young girl like me she was the epitome of womanhood. But the show was geared towards young boys and girls like me weren’t considered important to its success.

Back then I believed fandom was something Star Wars had. I didn’t know there were others out there who loved the show as much as I did. Especially not other girls. So imagine my joy when, thirty-two years later, I found others who cherished this series as much as I had. We excitedly dove into the reboot, starting blogs while publishing fanfiction and fanart. We reminisced about days of long ago, sharing memories of our favorite characters and episodes.

Some of these women I’ve formed bonds with are women of color. To them Allura of old was a beloved character that they could only somewhat identify with. Yet the new princess was much, much more than that. She looked like them. She was the object of affection for multiple suitors in the show. She was smart yet girlish. And they could cosplay as her without worrying about backlash.

VLD did that for them. They gave those girls someone they could look up to who they could see themselves in. It was even lauded by Allura’s voice actress, the lovely Kimberly Brooks, as progressive. There was so much possibility, so much promise with this new Princess.

And yet, that promise was broken.

As seasons went on we saw a woman who literally lost everything, then lost some more. First she lost her planet and her people. When we find out there are still Alteans alive 10,000 years have passed. They don’t know her (although in the alternate reality she is still considered the savior of the Alteans after an equal amount of time has passed.) She is rejected by them. And, in the end, she dies because of them.

Do you honestly think there is any positive takeaway from this? My friends had to frantically call everyone they knew who watched the show to tell them not to watch it. Can you imagine? This wasn’t Game of Thrones. This was a series that was supposed to be a modern telling of an old classic. Instead it was a modern day lynching of a beloved princess.

Granted to say beloved is maybe incorrect. The showrunners did a very good job of reducing her to a side character, even though she was a leader and a paladin. Collectibles? Merchandise? Toys? She’s barely visible. Backstory? That went to the Galra villains. Happily ever after? She literally was a bone thrown to a popular character. Every effort was made to erase her from her own story.

So my question is, why hasn’t this been addressed? After the uproar around Adam’s death in season 7 an apology was issued at least, although it was half-hearted and forced. Then how is it a main character, with more than 2 minutes of airtime and literally a legacy character, not important enough to comment on? The killing of minority characters has long been used in media and as of late is beginning to be pushed aside as it should be. Any person of color watching a series should not expect the character who “represents” them to be the one who dies when things go wrong. Red shirts may be a long-standing joke amongst Star Trek fans but it isn’t something that should apply to skin color.

It’s unconscionable that between the executive producers, writers, and rights holders, that nobody thought to stop this from happening. Killing a woman of color in a show that’s rated Y-7 is dangerous and disgusting. The takeaway for children may vary depending on their own race but either way it’s detrimental. And for adults, for my beautiful friends who wholeheartedly embraced Princess Allura, it’s completely devastating.

How you decide to approach this from here out is up to you. WEP, as the rights holders I would encourage you to be vocal about this. Chances are this happened outside of your control, and if that is the case you should stand with us and say so. It won’t damage the Voltron brand, it will bring forth a new determination to see this done right. Why? Because those of us who have loved this legend for so long want to see it finally done properly. If you tell us this was not what you wanted we will be first in line the next time it’s reborn.

For Dreamworks, if you value us as consumers of your other shows and movies, please know that our trust is damaged. Whether you directed the writers to do this, or you signed off on it, or you simply couldn’t be bothered to correct the actions of others, you bear liability here. We don’t want a new ending. We don’t want a new season 8. For us the show died with Allura and we can only see the possibility it held through the lens of our imagination. All we ask is something to make us believe again, to give us hope that the next time will be better.

For the Executive Producers, we know you’ve moved on. Even though we defended you through Season 7, we are aware now of the disdain you held for us. We expect nothing from you, honestly.

For everyone else involved in the show, we love you. Your hearts went into this series and we see it. You’ve become our heroes, and we thank you sincerely for the work you did.

For the fans left heartbroken over the final season, please keep the faith. Make those calls. Write those letters. Silence is viewed as acceptance. Let your sisters know that you stand with them, and let the powers that be know we stand united.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Your fandom friend,

KalluraLove

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Thank you for reading and sharing. Let's get #justiceforallura trending!

[chibi-pix]

I’ll be honest.  I was tempted to skip tonight for Voltron. But, I got myself to listen as I was drawing.  So, here we go! Episodes 31 through 35 of Vehicle Voltron! Let’s go!

Ah, an asteroid belt in episode 31. And telling the team to “avoid entering the asteroid belt”, yeah, dude? That’s never gonna happen.  And then the Lieutenant in the meteor breaker. Something about him made me think he wasn’t really opposed to dying. Jeff crying a bit... I think the lieutenant must have died in the original version. 

Okay, let’s move on to episode 32. Lisa had given Jeff a good luck charm and he decided to wear it. Then he got shot. Dude! That may not be luck on your side! And with the group trapped with the solar energy thing. It made me grin that Chip got to use a cannon. At least we can probably trust him with it. Pidge would have been more dangerous if he had a cannon. “We’ll open a way for you, Jeff!” Then the support team proceeds to crash through to make an opening. Well, I mean, yeah, I probably would have done that, too.

How about episode 33?  “I can’t get the fighting out of my head.” Jeff, honey, that may be what we call PTSD. You’re practically in a war, it’s to be expected. You need to talk to someone about this.  And though danger lurks, breaks is good for crew moral.  And Krik and Cinda having to take a swim to get away. Swimming and them being from a water world are nice details. I know I appreciated it in my VV/VLD AU. Though that chapter isn’t up yet.

Episode 34. Two things with this. Jeff wanting to name the planet after his dog is so cute!  And everyone trying to stop Hazar’s efforts for peace... screw you guys! Get wrecked! I hope karma high fives y’all in the faces with cacti! Hazar only wants what is actually best for his people! And in an easier and better way to achieve it. 

Anyway, how about we go on to episode 35. Chip focused! Yay! Seeing him drive, even in his dream. Honey, I know you fly a ship for Voltron, but can you legally drive? Screw knowing how, my grandpa knew how to drive since he was like twelve, too, but I don’t think it’s legal. Oh well. Anyway, it breaks my heart. Chip isn’t used to be away from his brother and really misses Pidge. And the potential abandonment issues. Y’all! I need tissues! I’m gonna cry! And this all distracts Chip... "He’s gotta learn to be half the man his brother Pidge is.” Rocky, dammit! Leave Chip alone! He’s just a kid! An emotional kid who probably doesn’t even know that Baldo’s been destroyed, his brother is very far away, he’s a kid! He’s entitled to his emotions and is doing his best! Sod off! “Wouldn’t he (Pidge) jump if his team needed him at a time like this.” Pidge would literally blow himself up for his friends’ sake. That kid is utter chaos. Though we love him, he may not always be the best example or role model. But. I’m glad Chip got an actual letter in the end and that his brother is well. It makes me happy.  Ah, and Dorma. She has a point that Hazar should be taking action and stop brooding if he wants there to be progress. 

Well, there we have it. Another night of Voltron.  I’ll admit, I was kinda hoping that the end of 35 will be the letter we saw in 52 of Lion Force, kinda like setting a timeline. Maybe something will come up later? Oh well. 

Well, that’s it for the night. Until next time.

[ptw30]

An Open Letter to DreamWorks Before VLD Season 8

Hello @dreamworksanimation, 

Hope all is well with you. I wrote to you the day @voltron Season 7 dropped, and though you have addressed some of the social issues on Twitter and at the recent NYCC panel, most noticeably concerns about queerbaiting between Adam and Shiro, there are some aspects of Season 7 you have not. Since I’ve been getting asks/comments from DW content creators when I write about She-Ra, I figured I’d reach out in kind before Season 8 drops. 

As you know - fans and even the media took note of the negative messages beyond queerbaiting in Season 7. 

If you haven’t read, here are a handful of posts about S7 that explain the fandom’s aversion - 

stop and un-remember this

We need to talk about Voltron’s ableism

On Shiro and the Atlas

This honestly makes me want to cry

An S7 study in screencaps

Season 7 review/recap

Ask about merchandising

Screen Rant Interview Redux

Culmination of Shiro’s Treatment

Shiro Standing Around

With Shiro (and Keith) missing in the astral plane fight in the Season 8 trailer, I wanted to ask you to consider open communication with your fandom. Young Justice, Miraculous, and The Dragon Prince have all addressed their fandom concerns within the last year, and though Mr. Dos Santos did tweet an open letter and both Mr. Dos Santos and Ms. Montgomery spoke at NYCC, the two messages fell short of expectations.

I know you already announced a release date for Season 8, and Ms. Montgomery said that the crew “tried their best in the time they had” after the Season 7 backlash. I understand you won’t go back and change Season 7 even though it’s clear VLD had an empowering and satisfying story written (please see: The Wolf, the Atlas and the Bayard and Allura & Atlas). I can understand that monetary forces will win out and prevent a reanimating of Season 7. (However, if you did - there would be no end to my loyalty.)

If you decided to create a Season 8 that explored the issues raised and delivered on its promises – stronger together; a disabled, queer, minority head of Voltron; addressing Lance’s insecurities and Shiro’s PTSD; Allura as commander of the coalition and Atlas – the fandom would wait for it. 

If you have already created an empowering Season 8, then as a marketing professional, I urge you to show it. The trailer didn’t indicate Shiro would return to the Black Lion or Allura would assume her command position, and if this is your last season – there’s no reason not to reveal some of these changes in order to invigorate the fandom. 

I loved Voltron’s original premise and the first two seasons. I want to continue watching it and other DreamWorks shows, but I can’t support the DreamWorks brand with the negative and harmful messages it promotes. And I am not alone. 

At this time, I understand your IMDb views have fallen drastically since S7 and continue to fall, and by showing Shiro on the Astral Plane or in the Black Lion, you’ll create excitement for the new season.  

If you haven’t created a strong S8, as the drop date seems to indicate, you have She-Ra: Princesses of Power and 3Below to hold the fandom over. If you explained that you’re revising to create true and empowering representation, then I believe you’d find the fandom would embrace your decision and also commit to supporting VLD – and all of – DreamWorks shows again. I know I would. A decision such as that would get me buying DreamWorks merchandise again in a heartbeat as well as tuning in to She-Ra, 3Below, the Fast & the Furious, and more. 

As Voltron stands now, I can’t support it, and you know that. You’ve seen my posts where I explain I feel uncomfortable even wearing VLD shirts, fearing that I am supporting the offensive messages in Season 7. These messages include but are not limited to - persistent ableism concerning one character’s disability and PTSD, a knowing and intentional use of the Bury Your Gays trope, and devaluing a powerful non-white female commander down to a naive foot soldier. 

By perpetuating these messages, you (and I, as a complicit viewer) are telling the people who identify with Shiro, Allura, Lotor, and more, that they are not important, that they should not seek to have meaningful and satisfying relationships, that they should be punished for following their dreams and even, in Shiro’s case, achieving his. (And for Keith, he can’t be whom he wants to be; Lance, his strengths aren’t good enough; and for Allura, she’s only important as a paladin and not in the command role she originally held.)

I haven’t bought your merchandise since Shiro was announced to no longer be the Black Paladin, and Season 7 only reaffirmed my continued boycott of your products and now all your shows. I’ll watch Season 8, but VLD is the last DreamWorks production I will ever watch if you do not address the aforementioned concerns. This also includes any potential Voltron spin-offs you may have in production. 

(I am steadfast in my beliefs. I spent years reading comics, especially DC Comics, and I have yet to see a DCU movie other than Wonder Woman due to DC’s messages. So when I say I will not watch your shows, I mean it.)

I just wanted to make you aware, and I hope you have created an exciting Season 8 that is inclusive and empowering with a commitment to “true representation.” However, as mentioned prior, Ms. Montgomery said the crew “did the best they could in the time they had,” but that is not making sure Season 8 does not have the harmful messages Season 7 did. In order to truly commit to true representation, you need to take the time to do so. 

If you haven’t committed to a powerful Season 8, then please consider doing so. For a satisfying conclusion to what had been a great premise and a great show, I believe the fandom would be willing to wait, and I believe you’d find that they’d celebrate that you heard their concerns, you listened, and you did better. 

Do better, DreamWorks, and we’ll support you. 

Regards,

Dev (ptw30)

[slashtakemylife]

Just finished the last episodes and I need to rant about Adam because boi, if they had actually given the importance to Adam they said he had, Voltron would've been very different, in a better way

When S7 aired and I learned of Adam's death I felt upset and shocked but I never raged, I was just disappointed, I nosedived to every interview to see if the general media talked about it, and they did! However in the interviews I read things about Adam like, "since Shiro is gone, Adam is the next best pilot there is" (as to why it was Adam on the first unsuccesful wave), "he didn't hesitate" " he was made of the same cloth as Shiro" "His importance to Voltron is very big", I got massive warning signs of they doing what I personally call "sugarcoating" specially after reading the apology were JDS said they never intended to make Adam a recurring character, but alas, I waited to finish the season and properly make an opinion, well the warning signs were true and now I AM RANTING!!

I'll be going a little off topic but one thing I seriously hate in movies and shows are when female characters, specially love interests, are the best of the best, the most high rank, the smartest, the strongest, the handmade creation of the gods themselves, up to a point that sometimes you go, then why is the male character the leader? Isn't she more qualified? well yeah but she isn't just because, but other than saying how awesome she is, they barely show it, in important, crucial, deciding, defining moments they are not there when by their rank they should be or they are just adorning the background barely making any opninions, or despite being shown to be badass in certain scenes they are just sitting plants in others just for the hero to rescue them

Female characters are awesome and I love many of them but there are obvious parts were they are simply pushed aside despite the amount of importance they give them, Hollywood is afraid of putting female leads but also afraid of being called mysogynist so they create secondary female characters and then they "sugarcoat" them to us with valuable aspects such as a big family conection, a big link to the plot of the movie, a rank, a skill or smth to show she is a "strong woman" but only when convinient

As a female I'm used to this sugarcoating, so when on interviews I read those things about Adam, that is what pissed me off. Listen, in my true honest opinion, the VLD crew really wanted to make this rep for us, Barlee admitted it was greenlit late, it was smashed together (and it shows) but they did their best, I accepted Adam as JDS letter clearly says, Adam was just a character meant to show Shiro's sexuality, nothing less and nothing more, it's not that he is not important, he just wasn't planned for more and I'm not mad about it, I can accept that.

Suddenly declaring Adam as a symbol of loss, regret and war; a major character that has a major impactful role in Voltron..., please, that comes straight out of nowhere, since they saw how meaningful Adam was to ppl, they decided to "sugarcoat" him by giving him more value than he actually has or was meant to have, just let the man die and let me mourn him in peace

If I really give Adam the characteristics and value they said, things would've and could've been different in a so much better way and here is my how: (remember Adam is supposed to be like Shiro, one of if not the best pilot, behind Shiro, the garrison has to offer and a brave man that doesn't hesitate to jump into action, a team leader)

(Take this as a prompt as well please because I would love a fic like this)

So Shiro wants to go to Kerberos but Admiral Sanda won't let him, Sam Holt is pushing for Shiro because he is the best, but you need to replace him so, who is the second if not also the best pilot such as Shiro? You know it, Adam, he was there for every record but he is Shiro's flight parter so there is a high chance some of those records are Adam's as well, also Sam is close to Shiro so he probably would accept Adam as a replacement (or at least that is what Sanda would think)

If Adam is a self sacrificing hero like Shiro, he would want to accept just to keep Shiro safe back on Earth, Shiro could feel betrayed by Adam and the whole drama would've been so much better, but we need Shiro on Kerberos (unless you want BlackPaladdin!Adam) so imagine Adam coming over to Shiro and saying:

"Out of our time together, out of my respect and love for you, I'm doing this last thing, I'm rejecting Admiral Sanda's proposal and promote for you to be there, so go, but don't expect me to be here when you get back"

So Shiro basically has Adam's blessing but they still break up, they still parted on rocky terms but is more bittersweet and you show how mature and deep their relationship is

Back to canon, I believe they introduced Adam in the breakup because we are supposed to like him but not get invested in him so when he does die we won't feel so bad, VLD promoted Adam as Shiro's significant other, then they sugarcoated him by saying they were close to marriage but when we finally discover Adam's fate they go like, "we'll remember he is his ex, not current, so while feelings are still there Shiro already knew it was kind of over, so don't feel sad for Adam or Shiro, just remember Shiro is gay"

Having Adam just, "how important am I to you?" let's just say I'm not surprised ppl disliked Adam because he gave Shiro that ultimatum, his character felt needy and greedy but then again, we are not supposed to get too invested in him. (Boi, that went exactly the wrong direction, the fandom imprinted on Adam like newly born ducks)

I'll be going a little off topic but I'm coming back to Adam after explaining this thing: the cadets, why you use cadets and not fully trained officers? In all shows the main characters share their audiences' age but they always explain why, the adults are evil, fate just happened to put them there, a mystical something chose them (in the paladins cases) but here? They just say they are the best of the best, and that is good but still, just cadets, you can't do test with them, they could die, ppl have died while testing things, some of the crew of the guys that went to the moon died in a test in rl, right?

I thought, ok I'll go with it, but the Why You Don't Do That pretty much slaps them in the face, when the Galra attack, why they don't want to deploy them?

They are just cadets!

THEN WHY TF TRAIN THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!????

Sam came back knowing a Galra attack is inminent, the garrison is about to make the most advanced ships and weapons and they are giving them to cadets?! WHY?!?!

(Fix it and prompt time!)

Before Sam arrives they couldn't even make the pod move, so they could've explain the cadets as this

"It will takes us Years to create a simple prototype, if we were to train older cadets, they woulb be close to or retiring so better young ones so when we finally fly something they would not only have years of training but would be at their prime"

When Sam arrives

"I know you all expected to use this years from now but the Galra won't wait and neither will we, you are already trained for this so may as well keep it up"

- (the continuation of this prompt is after we talk Adam some more)

Back to the interviews, in one they said Adam's death was inminent given the natural flow of the show, if the Galra attack then we will deploy the best we have but the best we have is Adam so tough luck.

Me after watching the show: I'm calling BS on this! They HAD a defense line, they HAD the knowledge, they just sent them because they were stupid enough to put cadets in the only advanced weapon they had and to show how shitty Sanda was, and our poor gay man was the price, also brave Adam? I don't doubt it but then again, he did what soldiers do, he followed orders, so they didn't show me how brave he was, they showed me him doing his job, he knows what those commands mean, he knows what is his job description so while yeah he is obviously brave, so is everyone, he doesn't stand out, if he had been already buckled in Before the command then yes he is great but no, he just followed orders

You want to show his bravery and leader skills? Hold my juice, (I don't drink beer, sorry) we are about to get to the next part of the prompt

- (The next part :D)

Sam:

"We will keep you cadets but since the making of the ships is about to be done with the info I brought, we need an experienced pilot to be your leader specially in battle since you are new to that"

-Quiz time!-

Who is the best pilot the garrison has to offer known and acknowledged by both Sanda and Sam?

ADAM!!!

MFE pilot and leader!Adam

When the Garla attack, Adam is no longer in his squad, he stayed in base when Sanda deploys his unit and sees them get decimated, before they all die he does this

Adam:

"Cadets, I won't force you into doing anything, but there are good man and women out there getting killed by the very threat we've been training to defeat, so I'm taking my MFE and blast them to the next moon, anyone who wants to come along is welcome"

Sanda: "don't you daaare, court martial BS!"

Adam, while in his MFE:

"Open the particle barrier or I'll see a way to blast throught it!"

Sam does open it and they cover fire enough to save the few remaining earth pilots

(End prompt)

You see?!?! This is how you show me Adam being brave and a team leader, the original paladins are 4 young ones and a space dad, they could've had the earth equivalent with the 4 cadets and their own Shiro with Adam as their leader, can I also mention how he is now VERY much alive? So yeah, Adam is dead because you chose so! Shiro is alive because you chose so too! He was supposed to die to let Keith be the leader but you found his value and made great things with him and we all love him!

WHY COULD'NT YOU DO THIS WITH ADAAAAAAM!!!!!!

And you can't tell me it wouldn't be absolute poetry to have Space Dad as Captain of the Atlas, Space Son as the Voltron leader and Earth Dad as he leader of the Earth forces, being the support to keep safe his two idiots he loves and calls family

Adam should've left Griffin in charge for a moment, go to Shiro and blast Sendak with his MFE while screaming, this is for killing the love of my life! (Ok I got over excited in that last bit but you know it would've been epic)

If you reached this far you probably think I'm just a rabbid Adashi shipper ranting about my ship, and yeah I sorta am, as I said, I'm really just venting but still my true discomfort is the whole sugarcoating thing

I accepted Adam as JDS said, as what the show is showing me he is, a background character that, while he definitely is a major someone to Shiro, it is just for him, he doesn't have so much major importance in Voltron as a whole but he was designed that way, he is still part of Shiro's backstory but he is dead now and we shall move on

Don't try to make him more than he is outside of the show canon, this whole issue is because EVERYTHING is out of canon, the show reflects NOTHING of everything you said of both Shiro's sexuality and Adam as a character, if S8 brings Adam back whether is a flashback or alive, I'll come back to this because I will judge if they will own up to what they said he is or once again leave vague things that reflect nothing and try to cover it up outside of canon, I'm mad but mostly disappointed

I'll be fine in a few days and I will see S8 with the same excitement as I have all the rest of the seasons

[sol1056]

What do you suppose will happen next with the EP's and Dreamworks during the post S7 weeks? Do you see them doing more damage control because they're going to need a lot of water put out the flames. It's getting really bad. People are either quitting the show (even the most popular blogs are packing up.) or possibly harassing the cast and crew because of course they are. This is no doubt going to affect the the show ratings and the well-being of anyone who works on the show.

Looks like we didn’t have to wait that long. 

An open letter to the VLD fandom RE: Season 7

…which given the way the EPs have been speaking in interviews, they may’ve seen this as no more or less than they’ve weathered before. But I have never done a sentiment analysis on a trending keyword and seen negatives like this before: 

That was from middle of Sunday after S7′s drop. Meanwhile, the trending related search terms for “voltron” on google were “bury your gays” and “queerbaiting,” and of course the nearly unheard-of backlashes at Rotten Tomatoes (with preliminary scores of 13%) and IMDB (with an overall season average of around 6.5). The pattern for reviews is those who love post high scores, which gradually come down as others review. When you get the opposite – the angry ones deluging first – you have really fucked up.

JDS says he spent the weekend hiding from twitter, but I guaran-damn-tee you that marketing and the execs did not. That kind of anger on socmed gets noticed, especially when it comes on this big and this strong, and worse, it’s freaking justified. And it doesn’t help that we’ve got an interview floating around where the EPs say something to the effect of the audience queerbaiting itself. 

And I should note: JDS comments he’d liked some tweets that he felt matched his position, and then realized he’d made things worse. Yeah, I bet he did, right around the time his boss called him up and asked him wtf he was thinking. 

Because his likes were fuel on a raging fire and we’ve gone beyond just a bunch of noisy fans who want some pairing. We’re talking full-on righteous fury. I don’t care what the GOP thinks, marriage equality remains the law of the land and the fastest-growing family sector is queer couples with kids. If anyone here thinks DW isn’t fully aware of that, wake up and smell the dollar signs running off to any company not named Dreamworks.  

My bet? He had a draft by this morning and there were emergency meetings for his boss to review, then PR/marketing, possibly a few other execs. By midday I’d be willing to bet the draft worked its way up to his boss’ boss, who wanted to know in turn wtf was going on. Every word in that letter got debated, reviewed, and okayed, before he could finally post at about 6pm LA time. 

But what this really means, ultimately, is that it mattered to someone at DW that the LGBT+ community not be pissed off, and that does give me hope. Not for VLD, since barring some natural disaster the final season will arrive in the next two or three months (or sooner). Definitely for those execs involved — and hopefully JDS and LM and the rest of the decision-making staff — in terms of oversight of stories related to marginalized communities, and how we’re represented and treated on-screen. 

[beanymachine]

Open Letter Apology

I’d like to apologize for my initial reaction on Season 7 and accusing of certain things such as queer baiting. I still believe there was queer baiting for this season, but I think it was more in the fault of marketing. As for the Voltron Crew and their writing, I am not sure. More information keeps coming out, and I don’t know what if it was their original script plan, and which was forced to be changed or edited. So I will have to wait probably until after the series has ended to get any definite answers, like how much of Season 7’s original plot was changed due to higher ups?

I deeply am sorry for sounding mean in my review. I know the writers did their best, but I sometimes get so upset when I think writing for things like shows or books isn’t too well. And part of me is wondering if their writing decisions were there own intentions or pressure or influence from other people. And it could be Season 7 was rough to introduce the last season. I’m sorry for judging the writing of this season too early without details.

We should all probably try to take a step back and take a break. And I know how important shows can be. This was the first time I felt bad after seeing something at the time, to me, poorly written. It hurt me emotionally in a way I guess but only a little. You have bonded with these characters right? And understood how their world works but there is still some secrets left to be unseen? I get it.

And to the people who are actually sending death threats, please calm down. You threating people isn’t going to get what you want anywhere. Also they are human beings with their own emotions and feelings so it’s being cruel. Plus although we bonded with these characters it’s still a fictional show. Shows make us appreciate and view the real world differently. And it helps us see how we can change the world into a place better for everyone. If you really are upset, make your own story. Learn from others mistakes if you see them as mistakes. And I don’t necessarily mean fan fiction. I mean like, create your own original story with original characters. That’s what I’m doing anyways. And I’ve been doing it for a while now, way before I began watching Voltron or Season 7.

That’s all I wanted to say. I’m sorry VLD Crew.

[kalluralove]

Thank you @blackbaeyard @lorimdarkblade @pinkalluring and @bryonyoungblood for co-signing!

Open letter regarding the treatment of Princess Allura in VLD

Here is my letter regarding the poor treatment of Princess Allura in the VLD series. I’m hoping it will inspire more people to write their own for the @justiceforallura but, if for some reason you are unable to do so, you can cosign this letter instead. Simply reblog with “I cosign” in the comments. For those not on Tumblr you may do the same by retweeting on Twitter. (Notes in comments and DMs will not be accepted. We want to spread the word to as many fans as possible!) There is strength in numbers! We must make ourselves heard and understood!

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This is a letter to the license holders of Voltron, as well as anyone else involved in the making of DreamWork’s “Voltron, Legendary Defender”.

As a young girl in 1984 I stumbled across a TV show that immediately grabbed my attention. It aired in the afternoon when I got home from school, and it was a small miracle when I could get to the one television in the house first. It was thrilling to me: a giant robot, sword fights, and yes, even romance.

Then there was Princess Allura.

Allura was something you didn’t see enough of in that day. She was a determined young woman who simultaneously ruled a planet and protected it. For a young girl like me she was the epitome of womanhood. But the show was geared towards young boys and girls like me weren’t considered important to its success.

Back then I believed fandom was something Star Wars had. I didn’t know there were others out there who loved the show as much as I did. Especially not other girls. So imagine my joy when, thirty-two years later, I found others who cherished this series as much as I had. We excitedly dove into the reboot, starting blogs while publishing fanfiction and fanart. We reminisced about days of long ago, sharing memories of our favorite characters and episodes.

Some of these women I’ve formed bonds with are women of color. To them Allura of old was a beloved character that they could only somewhat identify with. Yet the new princess was much, much more than that. She looked like them. She was the object of affection for multiple suitors in the show. She was smart yet girlish. And they could cosplay as her without worrying about backlash.

VLD did that for them. They gave those girls someone they could look up to who they could see themselves in. It was even lauded by Allura’s voice actress, the lovely Kimberly Brooks, as progressive. There was so much possibility, so much promise with this new Princess.

And yet, that promise was broken.

As seasons went on we saw a woman who literally lost everything, then lost some more. First she lost her planet and her people. When we find out there are still Alteans alive 10,000 years have passed. They don’t know her (although in the alternate reality she is still considered the savior of the Alteans after an equal amount of time has passed.) She is rejected by them. And, in the end, she dies because of them.

Do you honestly think there is any positive takeaway from this? My friends had to frantically call everyone they knew who watched the show to tell them not to watch it. Can you imagine? This wasn’t Game of Thrones. This was a series that was supposed to be a modern telling of an old classic. Instead it was a modern day lynching of a beloved princess.

Granted to say beloved is maybe incorrect. The showrunners did a very good job of reducing her to a side character, even though she was a leader and a paladin. Collectibles? Merchandise? Toys? She’s barely visible. Backstory? That went to the Galra villains. Happily ever after? She literally was a bone thrown to a popular character. Every effort was made to erase her from her own story.

So my question is, why hasn’t this been addressed? After the uproar around Adam’s death in season 7 an apology was issued at least, although it was half-hearted and forced. Then how is it a main character, with more than 2 minutes of airtime and literally a legacy character, not important enough to comment on? The killing of minority characters has long been used in media and as of late is beginning to be pushed aside as it should be. Any person of color watching a series should not expect the character who “represents” them to be the one who dies when things go wrong. Red shirts may be a long-standing joke amongst Star Trek fans but it isn’t something that should apply to skin color.

It’s unconscionable that between the executive producers, writers, and rights holders, that nobody thought to stop this from happening. Killing a woman of color in a show that’s rated Y-7 is dangerous and disgusting. The takeaway for children may vary depending on their own race but either way it’s detrimental. And for adults, for my beautiful friends who wholeheartedly embraced Princess Allura, it’s completely devastating.

How you decide to approach this from here out is up to you. WEP, as the rights holders I would encourage you to be vocal about this. Chances are this happened outside of your control, and if that is the case you should stand with us and say so. It won’t damage the Voltron brand, it will bring forth a new determination to see this done right. Why? Because those of us who have loved this legend for so long want to see it finally done properly. If you tell us this was not what you wanted we will be first in line the next time it’s reborn.

For Dreamworks, if you value us as consumers of your other shows and movies, please know that our trust is damaged. Whether you directed the writers to do this, or you signed off on it, or you simply couldn’t be bothered to correct the actions of others, you bear liability here. We don’t want a new ending. We don’t want a new season 8. For us the show died with Allura and we can only see the possibility it held through the lens of our imagination. All we ask is something to make us believe again, to give us hope that the next time will be better.

For the Executive Producers, we know you’ve moved on. Even though we defended you through Season 7, we are aware now of the disdain you held for us. We expect nothing from you, honestly.

For everyone else involved in the show, we love you. Your hearts went into this series and we see it. You’ve become our heroes, and we thank you sincerely for the work you did.

For the fans left heartbroken over the final season, please keep the faith. Make those calls. Write those letters. Silence is viewed as acceptance. Let your sisters know that you stand with them, and let the powers that be know we stand united.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Your fandom friend,

KalluraLove

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Thank you for reading and sharing. Let’s get #justiceforallura trending!