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