Velma, the new show by HBO Max, has recently released its first two episodes and has garnered a lot of backlash related to its stances on socio-political factors, the deviation from the Scooby-Doo IP, and general quality of the show. The show is having an incredibly tough time justifying its existence to audiences.
SPOILER WARNING This post contains minor spoilers for the first two episodes of Velma.
The first issue that many individuals had with the show was its politically charged stance. Velma is Indian now, Daphne is vaguely labeled as Asian, and Norville (aka Shaggy) is African American. Fred is hinted at being potentially gay/queer-questioning, while Velma and Daphne share a kiss at the end of these two episodes after having a moment of connection during a hand-hold.
Woke Social Propaganda: Understanding the Backlash Surrounding HBO’s Velma
This led to a paradoxical backlash from both the conservative and liberal groups. Many conservatives considered her to be the epitome of what they consider to be “Woke social propaganda.” On the other hand, many left-leaning individuals felt like Velma catered too heavily on the “diversity train” to the point of being needless stereotypes and hurting the progressive cause. There were some who were saying the show is trying too hard to the point of parody and the show is profiting off of negative stereotypes of minority groups the show is trying to represent.
Deviation from the Source Material: Is it Justified?
Another camp of individuals are those who think Velma, for better or worse, has deviated so far from the source material to be worthy of the question “why even bother?” There are people who couldn’t care less about the changes to skin-tone and the more diverse cast, but are confused as to why the Scooby-Doo brand was even used in the first place. Velma is a prequel to the original Scooby-Doo with reimagined characters, but there is no titular lovable dog/mascot. There is no episodic mysteries to solve, opting for a more serial-type murder mystery. There is little to no character dynamic carried over from the original.
This has led to a lot of confusion and backlash from both the audiences and critics. Many are questioning the show’s existence and its deviation from the source material. The show’s creator has also been under fire on social media for their tweets and statements that some people find controversial.
Related: Who is Velma ?
FAQs about Velma
Q: What is Velma?
A: Velma is a new show by HBO Max which recently released its first two episodes.
Q: Why is Velma receiving backlash?
A: Velma is receiving backlash for its socio-political factors, deviation from the Scooby-Doo IP, and general quality of the show.
Q: What are the issues with Velma’s politically charged stance?
A: Velma’s politically charged stance has led to a paradoxical backlash from both the conservative and liberal groups. Many conservatives considered her to be the epitome of “Woke social propaganda,” while many left-leaning individuals felt like Velma catered too heavily on the “diversity train” to the point of being needless stereotypes and hurting the progressive cause.
Q: Why are people confused about Velma’s deviation from the source material?
A: Velma is a prequel to the original Scooby-Doo with reimagined characters, but there is no titular lovable dog/mascot. There is no episodic mysteries to solve, opting for a more serial-type murder mystery. There is little to no character dynamic carried over from the original.
