Velma, Outrage & the Model Minority Trap

[@LettaLeeJoy]

I really need to thank you for including quotes from "White Tears/Brown Scars. You introduced me to the book, and I tore through it in less than a week. I won't get too over the top, but it genuinely changed me. I'm gonna find more to read. You kicked off something big for me. So seriously, thank you for making this and thank you for including this reference.

[@memetastic01]

If the humor was better I would have loved this show, I think it could have been really cool if it was more heartfelt.

[@tylerbertram7065]

Especially sense we need more heartfelt shows in Adult Animation, I'm sick and tired of every adult animated show being a cynical comedy.

[@offbeatkiki]

Hoping they figure that out for next season!

[@tylerbertram7065]

@@offbeatkiki I highly doubt it.

[@itsrickyschannel.]

@@offbeatkiki Hasent season two been canned?

[@area52ron]

I agree They either told the joke poorly, overly explained the joke and why it’s funny, or don’t tell the punchline

[@abigailaceves9230]

Your deep analysis on the representation aspect of the show really surprised me. I didn’t watch the show because of the criticism I keep seeing online. I’m not sure if I’ll ever watch it, but great deep dive.

[@offbeatkiki]

hey i'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@abigailaceves9230]

@@offbeatkiki 😊😊

[@etabiansosin]

@@offbeatkikiWhile I may disagree with the race swapping of Velma, Daphne and Shaggy/Norville, but I'm not going to claim that The Velma show is automatically a bad show, because of it. There are a number of factors on why the show is bad. Unfortunately, a lot of people have criticized the show for Culture War Conspiracy Bait/Anti-SJW reasons. I did watch other videos criticizing the show and the ones I watched who did criticize the hell out of this show weren't Anti-SJW/Culture War Conspiracy Bait related. Due to those criticisms online, I decided not to watch, because it doesn't interest me. Though I can respect those who enjoyed the show despite the shows many flaws and I won't shame them for it.

[@etabiansosin]

@@offbeatkikiI do agree that we need more Indian Female Characters in Adult Animation to combat against The Model Minority Myth and not make them that contributes to The Male Gaze. Though using a white character like Velma by turning her Indian in order to combat against The Model Minority Myth wasn't the way to go about it. It would've been better if the show had original characters that are not the original Scooby-Doo cast that is also set within the Scooby-Doo universe like a stand-alone tv series. Like the main protagonist would be an Indian teenage girl that is a lot like Velma in The Velma series who has the same traits and flaws, strengths who would also combat against the negative stereotypes like The Minority Myth and The Male Gaze and whatnot. You would relate to her either way since she would be very similar to Indian Velma. I'm also happy that you can relate to this version of Velma despite my grips with this version. If I were to make a female Indian protagonist, I would name her Diana Croft and the show would be called The Mystery Adventures of Diana Croft. I don't know much on Indian Names so Diana Croft is all I can think of. Any suggestions for my character with an Indian Name? Just curious.

[@icecreamhero2375]

My biggest issue with the show is it thinks being self-aware is a substitute for jokes. They think pointing out cliches and then doing them anyway is funny. No its not. That's not a joke that's a statement. You can subvert cliches to be funny. One example of this is a joke from the Simpsons. Homer gets banned from Moes. A guy walks in who looks a lot like Homer and says "Hello I am Guy Incognito." They think he is homer and throw him out. The real Homer walks by. If that joke happened in Velma this would happen. Velma would say "Cartoon characters always fall for the most obvious disguises" and put on an obvious disguise.

[@mikebilbee1393]

My issue with the show has nothing to do with the "race swapping" or the representation. My problem is that the show is bad faith and treats the cartoon characters like crap if they don't bend to the real life person Mindy Kaling's world view. I'm not disagreeing with your take on the real purpose of the show, but I'd still say the show fumbles almost all of it, and I feel like it's okay to point that out. I truly hope the show does reach people that need it. I also hope that fans stop overhyping media that wasn't aimed at them and then tearing it down when (surprise) they're not the target audience, and I hope creators stop putting down other people and cultures to resolve their own trauma

[@mikebilbee1393]

Side comment: While the level of backlash was definitely unwarranted I do believe it's important to be able to have discussions about media we dislike and why. It gives an opportunity to look at things you may have been reactionary about in an objective light. Sadly, the Internet doesn't seem to be the place for that.

[@Stargazer_Ley]

I think the worst part of all this is that the vaild actual criticism of Velma got buried under racism and misogyny. I think more vaild criticism of the show is that it falls into "adult animated series" stereotypes. It's not new or different, it's the same low brow humor you see in everything else and as you, Kiki, point out those are are just accepted because they are white. I appreciate your perspective on the representation and honestly, didn't know about the lack of Indian woman in animation. Back when the show ended, I made my own sort of "rewrite" and I may return to it and change some stuff with this in mind. My major issues with Velma where mostly in the sexualization of minors (gross), the poor attempt at humor (the same thing that passes as humor in most adult animated cartoons), and the fact that it was a comedy as most adult animation is comedy. I want something that doesn't focus on comedy. Animation for teens and kids is allowed to vary in genre but it seems all we get for adults is comedy.

[@Jcrafter13]

Not to mention how unlikable the main character is and everyone else is. They had SUCH a good idea, adult version of Scooby Doo, but Mindy and the rest of her team just turned it into a heavily political, unfunny, hypocritical Wattpad fanfiction given an animation budget. Sincerely, I don't care about the race swapping, if anything it can lead to different styles and creative story telling for the characters, but the problem is that these ARENT the Scooby Doo characters. When you think of the OG Scooby Doo characters, you think of their personalities, not their skin color or race, Shaggy eats a lot, loves his dog, and is a scardey cat, Velma is smart, determined, and skeptical of what's really paranormal and what's fake, Fred is brave, leader like, and has a plan, Daphne is kind, adventurous and sort of a diva, and Scooby was the fun loving animal sidekick. They would have been fine with these personalities and added some but instead they made Fred a whiney spoiled brat, Daphne a typical mean girl, Shaggy a simping dweeb, and Velma the most narcissistic, insufferable, unlikable person ever. She suffered the most changes and turned into Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty but even then Rick has SOME redeeming qualities and experiences change through the series. And that's a big problem with her as a character, besides the big elephant in the room of her just being Mindys Fanfiction version of herself. Has Velma changed or grown into a better character. Answer? No. Infact the more we watch the worse she gets, along with everyone on the show. The point of having unlikable characters is to have them either supposed to be hated in the series or have to go through a character arc that changes them to the better person they're supposed to be. Or if your a Sunny in Philadelphia fan, you know it's for actual comedy. Velma does NONE of this. She doesn't learn shit, she doesn't better how she treats others, she's horrifically unfunnynor witty, and what's worse, she's SUPPOSED TO BE THE MAIN CHARACTER WERE ROOTING FOR. The only things I see people rooting for with her is her getting physically hurt.

[@captainblythe1872]

GOD you are really good and succinctly explaining my issues I had with this show’s backlash. I love messy representation. That’s literally closer to realism and is beautiful. Adult animation in general just suffer from irony poisoning as I call it. The innate need to always turn everything on its head and it doesn’t stop and breathe to allow more genuine moments. The writers of this show just seem very unconfident in their ability to handle these characters in a modern sense which is bizarre. I’m not sure if I explained that right

[@offbeatkiki]

i appreciate your take!

[@christopherb501]

Not just adult animation. When people compare things to the MCU in terms of characterization / dialogue, THAT'S usually what they're complaining about.

[@PlaystationFreak719]

Yeah you're right me personally I didn't really like Velma but as a long time Scooby-Doo fan I know that there is so much stuff out there that I can enjoy and just let the people that like Velma like Velma and let the people that hate Velma hate Velma

[@offbeatkiki]

very chill take!

[@icecreamhero2375]

The problem wasn't representation. I am perfectly happy to watch a show about minorities who aren't perfect angels. The problem was simply that the jokes were really bad. Also, the fact that they used Scooby Doo, made it nothing like Scooby Doo, and were surprised fans got mad. If this was an original property it would have gotten less backlash.

[@Saik0_876]

You took the word right out of my mouth.

[@jz-meister5343]

Honestly, I think you are the first KZbinr I have heard who has a positive take about the Velma series. I absolutely loved hearing your take on it. It is great to hear that you related to this series. I have had series that, even though it felt like they were widely disliked, I still really liked them and related to certain characters in them. It’s great that you related to things shown in this series and were willing to put your thoughts out there for us! :)

[@offbeatkiki]

the deluge of hate videos this show got was insane lol. the only people i know of who even made neutral videos were my friends veridis joe, mann of 1000 thoughts and harriyanna hook thanks for watching :)

[@slashandbones13]

The primary issue is that it isn't a rated R satire of Scooby-Doo, it's "adult" in very cheap easy ways with Scooby-Doo characters in name only. That being said, most "reviews" where thinny veiled excuses to attack Mindy Kaling.

[@visual_Memories]

Heya Kiki, random bystander here. This video, like the As Told By Ginger one, shook me down and rocked me to my core. I'd like to elaborate-- *soon* -- I need to process my words. Just know that you've reached someone today, and I'm so thrilled that you had the fortitude to release this. You're a sincere voice in a bleak, confused world. Keep shining that good shine.

[@offbeatkiki]

i look forward to hearing what you have to say! thank you so much for watching my videos and connecting with my work.

[@rykeman916]

I have not seen the show because the backlash was so strong, but I'm happy to know that it had some redeeming quality.

[@liamfitzgerald1400]

I was never going to like Velma. I generally speaking am not a huge fan of "edgy" adult takes on childhood favorites, and Scooby-Doo was something that was always really important to me growing up, flaws and all. The show just wasn't for me, and that's okay. But you are absolutely correct in that so much of the backlash against it is unquestionably racist, and I'm glad the algorithm did its dang job and recommended me this vid, because you did a really good job breaking down why. Definitely checking out more of your stuff. Have a nice night!

[@toon4thought]

This is a video KZbin outright *needed*. It was so obnoxious seeing the internet practically bully and drown out any perspectives that weren't their own into submission while this was going on. Even if one genuinely and without bias agree that it really is that bad, there was no reason to take it as far as they did. And even beyond that, you also educated me quite a bit about the historical backgrounds and subconscious biases. My eyes were wide open throughout that portion. Amazing job, Keeks. We love ya.

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks so much for your support toon, here and on patreon! glad i could help you learn something new too :)

[@wantedminion5966]

I missed judged this video. I thought this was going to be another “I watched Velma, so you don’t have to” video. But I got a review that was actually different and unique compared to the 100+ videos telling me that this is the worst cartoon ever made and has nothing redeemable about it.

[@amberwingtundrawing776]

My main issues with the show are the writing style being really insincere to me, BUT I wish we lived in a world where a show with bad writing and minorities wasn't automatically a crisis situation. There's so many shows and movies I don't like but can't discuss without being scared I'm about to have a weirdo agree with me bc "it's too woke!1!"

[@JFatzDaKeyz]

I don't think I've had a video that encompassed all of my thoughts about a show before. Thanks this was a great watch.

[@luckyluc009]

Can’t believe Scooby Doo month is starting with Velma 😫😭 ☠️ Someone’s gotta talk about it

[@offbeatkiki]

first and last time i talk about this show on my channel

[@RangerNationDubs]

Everything you said was pretty much right about a lot of the chuds online. But another and i think real good faith look at why many, many, many people hate this show. Is cause it's not really scooby doo sadly. I like shows like Rise of the tmnt or the new ninja turtles. Cause while they changed a lot. Theres a clear love for the characters and their framework is there, just everything else has been added on. If you want to deconstruct Fred(a mountainous masculine archetype) that sounds fun to me, but why make fun of his penis size, and shame the character to the worst degree. If you make shaggy not a coward who always does whats right in the end, is he even the same character. Daphne is probably the least changed, but they made her more of a mean girl archetype, which hey whatever. But why have a near naked bathroom seen with a 15 year old asian girl, kinda yucky. I'm fine with all the race swapping, I was really happy with the voice acting and animation, but this feels like it wasn't supposed to have scooby doo characters in it. It feels like an original show the studio thought it wouldn't sell without ham fisting a IP over it. Which would explain why the dog wasn't allowed even in it. Theres just a certain level that leaves a bad taste in your mouth that some people couldn't shake, even if it had a pretty good story to it.

[@Neyebureturns]

Thanks, my thoughts were really similar

[@adeptdamage3669]

The voice acting in Velma isn't that good either.

[@PinkPopcast]

I am SO happy your video essays have returned! Your in-depth analysis, extensive research, love for the craft, and crunchy-autumn vibes make for perfect digestible think pieces! It’s also nice to hear a nuanced perspective of this unreasonably divisive show! Keep on Kiki!

[@PinkPopcast]

“Indian Woman vs. Indiana Teenager” = 🤯

[@ToonrificTariq]

They don’t deserve this one, but they need it. Great job, Keeks. This video is fucking historic. 💰

[@Shadowbrickfilms13]

This show personally got on my nerves because it had so much potential. A horror comedy scooby doo show with a diverse version of the gang sounds incredible. What we got instead was a very mid show thats had all its actual problems buried under mounds of racist rhetoric. It was bad, but it didnt personally old yeller scooby doo by having a brown cast

[@justinbent9320]

This was probably the most nuanced take on the show I’ve seen, especially amongst the slew of racist and misogynistic comments around it. But even more than that, I think you articulated the reality of untold experiences of PoC that we’re often denied as is long-standing tradition of Western society. Funnily enough, that report on the model minority myth came about one year after the Moynihan Report that tried to explain the lack of upward mobility and disparagement that so many Black families were suffering under was symptomatic of a dysfunctional culture and we just needed to work harder to achieve more socioeconomic success. So it goes right into the point you made in why that myth was propagated and how effective it was in convincing so many people of these fabricated ideas. In any case, I’d just like to say thank you for making this video, sharing your perspective of the importance of real and nuanced Indian characters to representation and overall expressing your passion for animated media 🖤

[@offbeatkiki]

I love that we can learn from each other, I'm gonna read up on the Moynihan Report tonight. Thank you so much for being here

[@anagomes1226]

Thank you for this video! My girlfriend and I really liked the series and everyone just said such bad things that we couldn't talk to anyone about it

[@offbeatkiki]

aw i love that you watched it together! thank you!!

[@dinojackson8116]

Hi not trying to be mean I just genuinely want to know what you enjoy about the show. most people I ask who liked it give very different answers

[@anagomes1226]

@@dinojackson8116 hi!! so, I liked several points, the visuals for me are the main thing, I really liked the style and type of animation, and I really liked the jokes/humor, I initially watched it in my main language, which is Portuguese and in it, the jokes were very good, then I watched it in English too and the jokes that didn't make sense in Portuguese, did in English and it was a really cool experience, because it was as if I had watched two shows that complemented each other. I really liked the plot and how they created the group dynamics because it was something completely different already presented in Scooby-Doo and that for me brought a refreshment to the series, they were very bold and it was one of the points that made a lot of people hate it , but I particularly liked it a lot, I grew up watching everything involving Scooby-Doo and something different like that really pleased me I understand many of the criticisms made about the series, the script in the first episodes is really weak, but I think that after the first 2, the series improves a lot and opens up a lot of scope for stories that can be explored in a second season, I think it's that's it, sorry for the rant, if you have any questions just let me know!!

[@JakeLT64]

Could not agree more with the sentiment that a new interpretation of a property does not and can not invalidate the old. I urged every person I saw online touting that these depictions “ruined their childhood” to check out Scooby Doo and Guess Who, the most faithful continuation of the old series possible, and is THREE years old. As it becomes more and more difficult to get projects (especially animation) green lit in the streaming age without an existing IP attached, wildly different and experimental versions are the happiest medium we can hope for. We get essentially new characters, stories, and outlooks while the execs get their precious brand recognition. Win - Win.

[@offbeatkiki]

and it's like... most people complaining were not checking out 'and guess who' lol. thanks for watching :)

[@mitchfletcher2386]

I see your point, but I feel that regardless of Velma's ethnicity in this series, she would STILL be an unpleasant person. My problem isn't that she's not the same ethnicity that she is usually depicted as, it's that she is just...a lousy person. And I get that everyone else also sucks, but Velma goes out of her way to be lousy. It's like she WANTS people to despise her.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Because the intent of the show is to piss people off.

[@jorgerosado2087]

I’m definitely going to watch the second season now. Thanks for speaking out and providing your opinion. I love videos where creators take a maligned show and convince me that it’s better than advertised. Nicktendo did it with Fanboy and ChumChum, Tariq with Slacker Cats, and now you. Thank you.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Nah it's not worth it.

[@strikerx9720]

I loved this video! I watched Velma about halfway though before the humor and some of the writing started to turn me away from it but this video helped me be more confident in my thoughts about the show because I really liked the mystery aspect! I really did enjoy some of the character depictions too especially Norville. I also really liked Gigi’s character and what she brought to the dynamic of the main gang. I don’t think I would’ve watched season two before but this video has helped me consider it a lot more. I hope the backlash of this video isn’t too harsh but if it is just know your fans are still going to be here and videos like this are worth making!

[@mmps18]

Thank you for the fair take!! I never saw the show but saw a lot of scarily vitriolic videos by WOC of all people. Seeing your summary made me realize that none of them saw a single episode hahah. Thank you Kiki!

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for watching!

[@finland4ever55]

I have some things to address here: Velma also mocked Mexicans and Japanese people (she made rude comments about thinking she was Mexican and a rude joke sbout samurai or something) so shes a complete bigot. The racebending: Daphne was Scottish. Scots to this day are hated and oppressed by the british, they always have been. Yes there can be asian scots but they completely erased her scottish heritage. Velma was originally a Jewish character and its anti jewish what mindy did. Jewish rep ks also very rare and they completely removed it. Also Mindy doesnt have a good rep in the Jewish community. Never Have i Ever is literally about an antisemite. Devi literally says that Ben should have been unalived by the yahtzees. I dont feel like it was necesssroly anti indian feelings considering Velma was Japanese in Mystery Begins and Lake Monster.

[@theoneandonlyphineas]

Kiki, You did an amazing job giving this show the fair chance it's never been granted before, and honestly everything you did in this video impressed me. Amazing way to KIKI off scoobtober :).

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks so much phineas! appreciate your support on patreon!

[@rubyrose312]

I can say that I went into Velma hopefully optimistic, not really enjoying the teaser trailers for their comedy but not really seeing any problems with the concept. I also have no problems with race swapping in most instances, only really having a problem if a character defined by their culture is suddenly changed to a different race but that generally isn't the case. My problem with the show doesn't come from Velma's race or any of that, it all came from the humor and the story. I was not a fan of the humor of Velma at all and that is true for a lot of shows of its style like Family Guy or Rick and Morty, meta statements with hateful characters just isn't for me but I still watched the whole series so far to see the mystery which is my other big problem with it. The mystery has no setup at all, the villain of the series is no one that you could have possibly guessed at all and there are no clues leading to it at all when the best mysteries are often ones that you can look back on and notice all of the clues. That and the mystery being dropped multiple times in favor of wacky shenanigans just made the story impossible for me to enjoy. That and I honestly found the whole cast to be horrible people, not just Velma to be clear but everyone! Even all of the side characters! There was nothing that I could get out of the show as a fan of Scooby Doo who has watched the series since I was a kid and a fan of mystery stories since I was a baby. I can hope that Season Two gets better but there is a lot that they'd have to do to get me interested again.

[@Silverslate]

Regrettably I mentally slam dunked this show into the trash the instant I was made aware of the fact the show had meta humor. I've long since grown tired of meta humor and am just patiently waiting for comedies that are funny for their own merits, not lazily poking at tropes and cliches. Your video improved my opinion on the show, and I am glad there actually is something of true and wonderful substance underneath the poisonous humor stunting the narrative's growth. The presence of the meta humor at all has still killed my interest in watching it dead, but you changed me from not caring about the show at all to hoping the show gets another season for it's factors that actually matter, useless meta humor be damned.

[@harriyanna]

NAAN TUBE RISE UP! but on a serious note im literally in tears right now. this was beautifully done.

[@Rscapeextreme447]

Hi! I never watched this show but definitely remember the reactions when it was coming out. I feel like as addressed in the video, that more representation needs to be put into new ips. I feel like if this show had been about 4 characters who did not relate to scobby doo, people probably wouldn’t have gotten so angry at it because it sounds like the main story was halfway decent. We need new ips but the corporations only do the safe bets and never venture into new ideas, like you said, just to fire staff and take bonuses.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Nah the show itself was pretty bad.

[@devernepersonal3636]

This show would have been good as it’s own show that wasn’t literally just shitting on Scooby doo and literally having nothing to do with it. Race swapping established characters isn’t progressive, it’s lazy. Yes I know she was Asian once, but she was still true to who Velma was and in the actual Scooby doo universe. This was just not respecting Velma. Again this concept would have been fine if mindy had just had an animated version of herself in her own universe

[@lewa3910]

you never cared about velma as a character till the backlash for this show occured

[@devernepersonal3636]

@@lewa3910 I always liked Velma as a character. You assume(ist)

[@area52ron]

Smart enough to figure out the mystery? It was the rest of the characters who figured it out and told it to Velma though?

[@gaumeguro8185]

Great video!! I want to give this show a second chance thanks to you lol. I love the design changes overall, I just wish Shaggy’s silliness was in tact. I feel they could’ve executed his character better but I wanna give the writers the benefit of the doubt and want to see how their characters grow. Studios not letting original stories with characters of color shine is such a shame. What a problem!!! That needs to be solved asap, I want to see so many more new stories without the nostalgia bait. I also always thought the excessive hate for this show was widely unnecessary! Having constructive criticisms abt something or just plain hating it is no excuse to spout ignorant, racist bs. I saw some of that when it first aired, so abhorrent. Love what you said abt what good representation ACTUALLY means. Complexity is always better than boring characters conceived to be palatable.

[@offbeatkiki]

there are things i like a lot about this version of norville! he's got some more subtle silliness like his love for international snacks (which he has a streaming show for) and other little quirks like painting a pretty intense portrait of him and velma for her birthday. thanks for watching :)

[@gaumeguro8185]

@@offbeatkiki how cute!!!! I’ll definitely give him more of a chance with more of a “new character” mindset and if i ever miss shaggy i can just watch mystery inc! Have a nice day and ty for the response :3

[@NosManJr]

Nah Ki was not taking no malarkey with dis one. Never seen them spitting so passionately before and I'm here for it 💯💪🏾

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for always showing up for me man!

[@just_a_magikarp]

I really enjoyed your unique perspective whenever I saw someone talking about the show it was typically negative but I'm really happy to see someone actually enjoyed it.

[@WillTheGreatest]

My biggest issue during my hatewatch was more the writing than the changes in characterization. It didnt help i was oversaturated with mindys writing teams style having seen sex lives of college girls and never have i ever around the same time. So while i hated the show damn near till the end, i can still appreciate all your points made and agree theyre good points to consider. I still think the execution of those themes and the humor ultimately falls flat for me. Great video.

[@sleepyartist6227]

I was super excited for Velma when it was announced, but hearing that the series was gonna be a prequel rather than Velma stepping away from the gang made me uninterested and hearing criticism of some of Kalings really weird treatment of her Jewish characters in "Never have I ever" kinda put me off. But this video is kinda giving me an idea to try and give Velma a fair shot.

[@bigboss425]

8:26 i get all of this but thats not my dislike of velma, my own dislike comes from it being just like a lot of mindys characters just another mindy kaling oc in a world where it transforms characters into their most barest form or completely changing who they are i do not hate velma i think it was a show that couldve worked if another creator made it but because of mindy kaling its just another stereotypical one note show yk?

[@bigboss425]

And yk that isnt to say the show was completely bad i enjoyed the last two episodes but i felt the comedy was poor and revolved more so on “im a simp im a mysoginist im deeper then you think or the worst one being mindy her self as im smarter and more capable and then men” and while i do agree some things were done ok like the popular girls and their choices others were not the episode where velma pretends to be a man discounts a lot of stuff men go through daily making it seem like our life is easy when it isnt. I think we live in a society rules by a majority male humans but it doesn’t mean men are dumb or our lives are any easier then womens. And thats where it lands mindy kaling and her use of sexism to discount most men, i do not hate the show nor do i think its overtly sexist to either side but its lack of acknowledgement of what men deal with and what men are capable of was really disheartening as i was excited to see what this show does with the characters

[@bigboss425]

Also sorry for the speech

[@area52ron]

I don’t mind the race bending although they should have been aged up or have the nude scenes or when the hot girls try to get onto the list scenes (at least some of them) to be cut out/changed or censored because they are technically minors in the Velma show

[@JazzyCee]

Very interesting video, great work as always, kiki! The model minority and sexualization of Velma parts really rang true for me, as I think we're kind of seeing the same thing right now with Annette from Castlevania Nocturne. Hell, I'm a small creator and had to remove a bunch of racist comments day one of my video on the game, not even the anime, being out. I reached out to the directors on twitter, and they responded saying it has been rough lately and it really broke my heart.

[@offbeatkiki]

aw man, her design is so awesome. people need to chill the hell out

[@l1nk2futr3]

I commend you for the courage it took to share this, Kiki; your level of nuance is few and far between. I haven't seen Velma and I likely never will, but I appreciated hearing such a fresh perspective on this show and the circumstances surrounding it.

[@MD0Hatter]

It definitely got better as it went, as someone who kept watching it hoping it would be good. I actually was looking forward to some of the episodes in the last half of the season. It did have a rough start. Really appreciated hearing your opinion and how it appealed to you, great video!

[@actualchrisreid]

This video took a lot of bravery to make. Thanks tor sharing your perspective. I wish our society wasn't so quick to make assumptions about topics like this.

[@MustacheDuctTape]

My brain has been rattled and my emotions struck. [/positive] It's so EASY to forget that characters are allowed to be flawed, especially when you're shown where their flaws stem from. On top of that, holy shit wow, it's insane how far cartoons have to go in terms of representation, and I hope to god they keep rolling on it. We've got too many firsts to cover, and even more stories to be told. This was awesome, and honestly I might give Velma a shot in the future now given your perspective.

[@sadpanini]

Thank you for your perspective! I appreciate your honesty

[@Hack_Man_VII]

Gave this show a fair chance, and have the following sum up. I can't support a series if the so called protagonist(s) happens to be a terrible person(people). You can't like whats unlikeable

[@skibot9974]

Protagonist just means main character it has nothing to do with morality

[@Hack_Man_VII]

@@skibot9974 irrelevant. The point is the main character is a piece of shit.

[@adeptdamage3669]

The problem with Velms is not she's a bad person the problem is that she's badly written.@@skibot9974

[@NoOneAskedNOA]

When I saw the amount of backlash Velma received, I decided to watch the whole thing, so I could form my own opinion. While (imo) the show isn’t *good*, I did find enough redeeming qualities that I’m willing to give season 2 a shot 🤷🏽‍♀️ There’s A LOT to criticize Velma for. But I agree that the backlash was over blown. Every couple of years there are cartoons that get dogpiled on, and they almost always consist of main characters that are poc, women, and/or queer. Before Velma, it was Queer Force. Before that, it was High Guardian Spice. Before that, it was Magical Girl Friendship Squad. Etc etc Like, yes. These may be objectively bad shows, that are worthy of criticism. But the amount of vitriol they receive, compared to other bad media, is so calculated. Anyway. Great video lol

[@adeptdamage3669]

Nah Velma had very little to redeem.

[@Kassiopeia_Kat]

Holy CRAPPP this is such an amazing video. You are amazing at explaining so many different topics here. Thank you so much for putting so much work into your videos

[@offbeatkiki]

I appreciate it. This was a very satisfying video to make. I'm looking for more topics I can tackle with this amount of serious matter but it's harder to find within the animation sphere. Thank you for watching :)

[@zorrobuenaonda440]

Eh, i still think kind of sucks, another celebrity driven cartoon, i prefer when they are created by people with actual interest in the medium

[@hushthecipher]

I think the main issue is that it's a Scooby Doo show. If this was a completely original adult animated show i think people would be much less harsh, but because the characters are established legacy characters people are critical of perceived deviations. I don't think the average person has an issue with a Woman of Colour who acts the way Velma does in the show, i think the issue is that it's out of character. People wouldn't have an issue with her personality if she was like that in every other adaption. But as is it feels like a self insert character and when you're portraying legacy characters you have to make sure you don't deviate too much otherwise what's even the point of them being that character. If you put Velma in different clothes no one would guess that it's Velma based on her personality, and that's the main issue. I definitely agree that racism did play a role in the backlash tho. I just don't think it was the majority.

[@patrickcox675]

AY I KNOW MY BOY SPAZKIDHD's MASTER PIECE SONICHU THE ANIMATED SERIES AINT LOW ON THAT TIERLIST. Good video tho! While i gave up on the show after 3 eps, I do think the hate on its art style especially was overblown.

[@offbeatkiki]

hahaha. the art style was lovely.

[@AlisterKael]

So I have seen you as a guest on Tariq's channel for ages and always thought, "Oh I should eventually watch one of her videos." And finally sitting down. This was moving, I had largely written off the show on grounds of already having too much media to watch anyway, and the public outcry. Overall I fell in line out of habit model minority grabage had been shoved down my throat for years as a POC growing up in a predominantly White suburb, I catered to their hurt feelings once again. Thank you for making this video, I may actually give the show a watch now, not because I expect it to be a masterpiece but because frankly its an actual creative take on the Scooby Gang and maybe I can see the same kind of things that you saw.

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for hopping on over! tariq is one of my favorite people on the planet and i love making videos with him. i'm glad i was able to help you think about it a little differently! cheers :)

[@g.u.959]

Here’s hoping the next season is better!!

[@lvn4229]

tbh the show does have its good moments like a few jumpscares, couple of jokes, and the mystery got me engaged and itching for the next episode. fred's mom being the culprit was unexpected, and her reason got me cracking up. i feel bad for fred throughout the whole series though. 12:26 i just submitted a paper yesterday about the model minority myth coincidentally since im an asian american

[@offbeatkiki]

i liked the mystery and agree haha the actual reason behind it all was so ridiculous. fred was surprisingly sympathetic for how they set him up, i think it was great! he ended up being my favorite

[@lvn4229]

@@offbeatkiki fred my favorite too

[@arionmiitoons]

Hey Kiki! I just have to say thank you so much for boldly going where the vast majority would choose not to with this. You're being true to yourself & the experiences of brown-skinned women and that will ALWAYS hold further value than anything... EVER!! I just want to thank you for standing your ground in the face of the typical internet vitriol that ( Let's be real, often says more about the individual viewing the media than it does about you or the media itself. ) As a viewer of yours starting last year, I just felt the need to tell you that your nuanced takes on the topics you cover is always refreshing & uniquely " You " & you should always cherish that! 👏👏👏

[@mollystonespear9325]

Thanks for making this❤ I didn't read any reviews until after I watched the show. I was telling a friend about it and she said it was awful but she had only watched 5 min. I do agree alot of the jokes didn't really land for me but I thought it was a clever take on the characters and I really appreciated the bisexual representation. I saw the 1 star reviews and thought that was pretty harsh. It was entertaining and the representation didn't make me uncomfortable which is what I have come to expect. When we were in our teens the only gay representation was tragic or porn. Bisexual representation was pretty much nonexistent. I truly connected to what you had to say and am glad I am not alone in my feelings on the subject.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Nah the characters in Velma were awful.

[@valeriarossini543]

thank you for this video, it's great to see someone so passionate about a topic not afraid to speak up even when their opinion is "controversial" (I put it in quotes because, well, it is really just a cartoon at the end of the day, everybody is entitled to think what they want). Personally, I didn't like the show, but you gave me a whole new perspective on it and I'm grateful for that

[@jimmyz2684]

I watched the show because I saw you were making this video and I honestly really enjoyed it lol. I like how different it is from other Scooby Doo shows

[@MCPhatman]

The show to me felt like a satire on series like Riverdale. It should have leaned more into that angle but while the show was bad it was nowhere near as bad as people made it out to be.

[@kazvt]

thank you for making this video

[@stingerzz]

i want too agree i really do but this show and never was going to be good and was just bad all around if anyone wants a better explanation just reply under this

[@JoseG904]

One of my favorite videos from your channel fr, I was always kinda afraid to just say I thought the show was alright due to how crazy the internet got about it so thank you for the video 🙏🏽

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks so much for watching :))

[@bryrerehm3680]

As someone who never watched the show, but saw a lot of videos hating on the series, this was a refreshing change of pace that offered a new perspective that I had never considered. I'll definitely be sticking around to see more of what you create, your videos are wonderful.

[@offbeatkiki]

thank you so much for checking my channel out!! :))

[@mathieuleader8601]

Velma's artstyle seems to be a more detailed version of the artstyle used in Be Cool Scooby Doo!

[@lewa3910]

The most important re-examining of a show! Also the way you feel about this show is how I felt about a shorter original series, 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad'. It definitely didn't get the same amount of vitriol being a new unknown show, but it did get similar calibur of criticism from racists seeing a new animated show with a dark black woman lead similarly to Velma being a darkskin indian lead. Neither show is perfect but they weren't even given credit for the positive aspects they Did have which always get overlooked just because their the hot new thing to pick on

[@offbeatkiki]

Oh yeah people were awful to that show too. Similar sentiments of "worst thing ever" lol

[@adeptdamage3669]

Velma had very little positive aspects

[@StealthyPumpkin]

YOU KNOW WHAT!!!! I can respect that. I still hate the show for a multitude of reasons primarily because of the fact that fact that the show left me feeling like I wasted my time. Having said that, I'm glad to know that someone was able to enjoy the show. I hope you don't get harassed to much for your opinion. Sorry for the ones who do attack you for liking something that some people don't. Best of luck on your Chanel and everything else you atemp in the future.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Hope you review season 2 velma. I like your nuanced take

[@snbsixteen6stars201]

This explenation gives me some much needed information that gives me a lot to think about (and we should be thinking about early angst in ways that shaped us like this for better and worse) Honestly i really liked the trailers and the very bold flashy stylish artstyle and the way they portray stress indused halusinations I hope that they can surprise us by pulling this series up to quality in season 2

[@offbeatkiki]

i like the art style too! thanks for watching!!

[@myth_tr3327]

thank you so much for making this video! i'll check out the show

[@simariocrossing]

I really appreciate that you went for a really controversial thesis! I find that you really illuminate elements of this show that can really benefit representation in our media. I hope that we can find ourselves more accepting towards different forms of culture and personalities.

[@offbeatkiki]

thank you! it's not perfect but there's certainly more merit than people gave it credit for...

[@somecomposingfudsa]

A lot of media produced by PoC is subject to much more intense scrutiny than media produced by white people, at least in the US. Oftentimes there are incredibly high and sometimes damn near impossible standards for them, and in the event it fails to live up to the standards, the creators are criticized even more harshly than their white dude contemporaries; while a white dude creator would still get criticized, a PoC or other underrepresented creator would have to deal with both the genuine criticism of their product and the bigoted comments that use their creation's critical reception as an excuse to be a bigot. PoC and other underrepresented creators should be able to not just get the opportunity to create media reflecting their own life and experiences, but they should be able to have the privilege of being able to fail and get right back up and try again. Oftentimes when their media project ends up failing, they aren't given chances to improve; and they're not given the grace that white dude creators are often given, and are just brushed off. Someone's first project isn't always going to be good, but they have the potential to improve. And underrepresented creators often are not given the opportunity to improve if they fail.

[@offbeatkiki]

PRIVILEGE TO FAIL is huge. great comment.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Expect Velma really isn't PoC produced.

[@eduardoaguero1220]

I've been debating with myself what to say on this because I also have a negative perception of Velma, the show's Main VA and Producer Mindy Kailing herself has done stuff I think is awful, and I disagreed somewhat on your points towards how it affects Scooby Doo, mainy that they couldn't include Scooby, because they did, 1 time as a mention, the other as a sight gag, so either it was a lie of they broke a rule and suffered no consequence. Aside from that I adore your reading of Velma, I would love a series like that about a Girl just being herself while just happening to be a different race and the struggles that could come with that, It's an important thing to say, it's just the way Velma went about it I think botched it a little. Like you know how early one Fred is blamed by Velma for everything, after saving her life from a paper guillotine, she blames him, why? The color of his skin, yes he's white but that's still fricked up and kinda kills Velma, People grew to love the OG Velma not just for her aesthetic but just because she was a charming and kind member of the group. So in short I really liked this video and your more positive outlook even if I disagree a little, thank you so much have a great day!

[@WeasleyDodds]

Great video Kiki! You are really brave for putting this up, knowing that people will came and spread hate. I liked the show too, it has great jokes tough sometimes try too hard to be abrasive. But definitely the internet had their 3 minutes of hate with this show. Also thanks for the book recommendation. Is something I look forward to read.

[@melsthetrashlord4108]

I can understand your points and also you stance on how this show made you feel as well too As someone who had been mistaken for a long time as a white kid for most his earlier school life, even tho I am actually Puerto Rican, I can sympathize with you on how people saw and treated me With that said I didn’t like this show tho as it just wasn’t what I was looking for, but opinions vary from person to person I am glad you seem to have at least enjoyment from it and obvs I have no ill will on the people who made this show! I just really think the writing, pacing, and over all character depictions were very cringy and forced at some points in the show, yet I can say the animation style I do still like Here hoping everything is going better for ya tho! And I did like your take on the show to see a different perspective on it

[@heyitsnovaa]

I appreciate this video so much. You hit it on the head. There were times when I related to Velma in this show. The show to me is relatable. It’s a show that exists and I like it. Thank you

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for your support as always nova!

[@amesstarline5482]

Very well-made, Kiki, very neat. Thank you for acknowledging the "false Season 2" content a n d I like this more nuanced, as many commenters put it, take on Velma. A nuance based on personal ties. The entire "racebending complaint" seems extra confusing because this isn't even the first time Velma's depicted as more than her default identity- Scoob! gave us hispanic Velma. Hailey Kyoko played Velma once. Mystery Inc teased a Velma romance with Marcy, and she more explicitly crushed on a one-off villain in 2022. If anything, Velma's the designated "one to change" in most media- so credit to Velma'23. Making the cast casually more than what is expected with an adaptation. (Justice for Inside Job and Owl House, also having nuanced rather than model minorities. Justice for Close Enough, removed from the platform it could only be accessed by.)

[@militrization]

thanks this was a pefect summation of what i couldnt put my finger on it was just mid and had so much potential

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for watching!

[@furonguy42]

I've been looking forward to this video since you said in the community notes months ago that you wanted to make it - I wanted to watch "Velma", but haven't been able to as its not legally available in my country yet as far as I can tell, but nonetheless, the negative voices on this series were so stifling that I was really interested to hear your more positive take. This is a beautiful and important video about representation and the double-standards people have and was well worth the wait. I've gone from "yeah, I'll _probably_ watch Velma at some point when its available", to "I _will_ give Velma a chance once its available here".

[@EnbyGaemer2005]

I really liked this video. You're an amazing essayist and I love your content. You have convinced me to give the series a watch, but alas I will have to renew my subscription to CraveTV. 🇨🇦

[@offbeatkiki]

never heard of crave before! thanks for watching my videos!

[@SketchytheChangeling]

I absolutely relate to your fear that you mentioned towards the end. I have a video on The Proud Family's "colorism" episode that I STILL havent dropped because I don't know if i have the emotional bandwith. I've done the work to innoculate my community against such behavior but the weirdos will eventually find it, especially once season 3 drops and TPF starts gaining traction in discussions again. Long story short, I've been there and I see you. As for Velma, i didn’t finish the show because while I like meta humor, the early episodes felt like they were just making the jokes without having much to say about the topics they're bringing up, like commenting on the sexualization of teenage girls in showers, while playing that scene almost completely straight, but i am willing to revisit the show because while my initial verdict upon watching that it wasn't something I wanted to finish, the reaction to the show was so OD, imo

[@adeptdamage3669]

Its not worth revisiting

[@SketchytheChangeling]

@@adeptdamage3669 I'll be the judge of that.

[@adeptdamage3669]

@@SketchytheChangeling Whatever your time?

[@MariAnimates]

I was very excited for this show. The art looked beautiful, I liked the way the characters looked, the plot seemed very fun. But then trailers came out annnnd all my hope was dead. I really hated the humor, the rudeness of all the characters, the way they hate each other, how selfish Velma is. I was hoping they'd be kinder and actually try to solve mysteries. I thought they'd discover how much they liked solving mysteries and each other. I think they did TOO much on the hatefulness. I don't mind bad people being protagonist, I don't mind terrible people *BUT* it was too much for me It's not a bad show at all, but when I watched it it was just too much for me. It reflected something I didn't want to see. But it's not a bad show

[@hiroramos2819]

this is one of the best takes on this show and media as a whole. Thank you for this kiki!!

[@imdankarlin]

I love this, Kiki. Between this and your Ginger and Last Wish videos: your level of vulnerability is legit inspiring. I wish I had better words of encouragement here, but you’ve got this. Keep up the amazing work.

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks so much for your support

[@PkKirby]

A great video with a strong message, it was really cool to hear your perspective among the deluge of hate content. As for myself, I’ll be honest in saying I don’t wanna watch the show for the basic reasons . It’s a Scooby show without Scooby, and companies should be promoting these projects as new ideas rather than re-hashing franchises from the 60s. But you’ve highlighted how the hate was overblown and I think you are correct in your assessment.

[@Randomlad.0737]

To bring up an example, when Bojack Horsemen first (few episodes) came out, people hated it and called it a lame Family guy clone (how the times have changed). I'm not saying that the second season of Velma will be a Masterpiece it anything, but the writers are getting use to writing these characters and most first seasons of any show (like South Park, King of the Hill and The Simpsons) are going to be rough around the edges. Don't worry, you voiced your opinion well and made many good points (which most KZbinrs can't even do that).

[@otakuwannbe4387]

I didn't watch the show because I knew it wasn't for me after I saw trailer, from the way it was promoted I just looked at it as another adult cartoon. The typical mean-spirited with crude and cynical humor, and that's the issue. I want diversity in adult animation, not just in representation (I would like it done it right instead of feeling soulless and pandering) but in ideas I'm tired of every Adult cartoon being mean-spirited, cynical, and shocking, I'm tired of every character being an asshole, I'm tried of the sitcom suburban family. I want creativity, I want feel good stories, unforgettable adventures with relatable and likeable characters. I want adult cartoons to be as fun as the cartoons I grew up with as a kid

[@thedoodlefox5640]

Really good video, thank you so much for sharing!!!

[@lotl813]

Great video, thank you for your perspective! It's very different from any other review I've seen of Velma

[@redpanda7914]

I agree with what you're saying but I don't think there really is saving the show and given what we know,I don't think there is any saving the show. I personally don't like the show but I think it's good that you like it

[@ultima1033]

Props kiki. I personally don't care for the show and wouldn't mind not seeing it again. But i'm glad you found not one, but several positive points about the show to enjoy.

[@offbeatkiki]

thanks for your support as always!!

[@Enigmaessence]

I watched the whole series and the story was so interesting. The mystery at the core had me wanting to know what was coming next. The humor was just so bad most of the time. The majority of the jokes were just "Look how much we're not like the original Scooby Doo" and it made it seem like they were simultaneously spitting on the series it came from while relying on it for its popularity and original hype. When they actually wrote jokes based in their own world or social critiques the jokes were usually good. Honestly, the show would've been better if it was divorced from the Scooby Doo brand entirely. That being said, I'm glad it made people feel represented. And fuck racists.

[@NerdKirby]

Loved this video, felt like a breath of fresh air to hear this perspective in the incredibly negative videos about this show around this website.

[@ChuckyChickenCartoons]

Gonna admit; I’m an animation truist and wrote off Velma; after watching this video…I’m gonna give it another chance. I’m not the biggest fan of adult animation but…hey, we’ll see how this goes. Kudos for sticking to your guns and being brave enough to post them online. We need more honest folk like you

[@ryanribbity5982]

fantastic video, i didn't watch like any coverage of this show when it first dropped because i tend to find a lot of videos made in that "reactionary" era of when a hot topic show like this drops lack a lot of nuance, so i'm glad to finally see a really interesting on the show. The notion of the scooby gang only being one specific thing has always been silly to me when it came to discussion with this show because for years and years they've been playing with those characters in terms of design and depiction, it's even incredibly popular online to draw up different takes on the gang, if anything i do think it's interesting this show offers a very very extreme and different take on these characters even if it doesn't always 100% stick the landing, speaking as a casual scoob-head