Different is beautiful.

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Derpy Hooves.

If you’re reading this, then we suspect that you already know who she was; but if not, let me tell you the tale of one special little pony.

Derpy was a recurring background character on the popular cartoon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. She was originally un-named, but an animation error in the second part of the series premiere left her with characteristic “Derpy” eyes. When Internet fans began posting stills from the show to point out the mistake, Derpy became an Internet sensation. And as Derpy began to draw more attention, the show’s fans gave her a name: Derpy Hooves. Afterward, the familiar derp-eyed pony began making frequent appearances in the background of many episodes.

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Fans were overjoyed when she had her first speaking role in the Season 2 episode: The Last Roundup, where she was officially referred to by other characters as “Derpy”. She was given a somewhat silly voice, and turned out to be a bit of a clutz. Still, fans were happy to have some background on the pony they made famous. Namely, Derpy was a mail-pony who loved to eat muffins.

It was a show of Internet fan-service by the producers, and fans recieved the episode very well.

In January, however, Derpy ran into trouble. Several bloggers wrote articles questioning the sensitivity of such a character. Could “Derpy” be an offensive euphamism for the mentally handicapped? Hasbro began to look into it. When the episode was released to iTunes last week, fans were dismayed to find that Hasbro had reacted by removing the mention of her name from conversation, changing Derpy’s voice and, most unforgivably, un-derping her iconic eyes.

Fans took to the Internet in protest. Petitions were signed and angry letters were sent to the show’s writers. They, for the most part, believed the revocation of “true-Derpy” due to the complaints of a minority of fans who didn’t understand the point of the character. Hasbro, however, has stood by their decision to alter Derpy. The most special little horse in all of Equestria, as a result, became much less special.

Friendship is Magic is still a wonderful programme, and I highly recommend it. With the loss of Derpy Hooves, however, the show has lost something else, as well.

Sometimes, it’s the things that a show doesn’t say or point out to its audience that mean the most. We didn’t love Derpy because she simply looked silly, or had a funny voice. We didn’t see her as something to mock, and when we made fun, we did it out of love. What Derpy showed us was that you don’t have to be perfect to be a part of the herd. She showed us that you can be different and still be beautiful. You can still be a bit odd and still be liked. That was the lesson of Derpy Hooves: Derpy’s diversity made our love stronger. In that, Derpy will be missed, but she will always be remembered.

Facebook Fans announced March 1 to be “Derpy Day” in memoriam. Derpy Day will be celebrated with delivering mail by hand, eating muffins, making Derpy-eyes in the mirror and in photos, and by wearing grey.