Velma might not be the series uniting fans of Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. for an exciting new adventure, but it is drawing together unlikely groups of wouldn’t-be audiences to have the series removed from television.
A quick google search of the term Velma brings up a range of articles with headlines attempting to explain why the series is drawing so much negativity to a piece flat-out calling the series mean – and social media reactions aren’t much different. Satan himself even weighed in on the series, saying it is going straight to — well, his home.
That brings us to the fact that audiences who’ve seen enough of Velma to last a lifetime are finding unlikely allies in a group who are outspoken about several pop culture favorites, from shows on the Disney channel to ads for Turbo Tax; One Million Moms doesn’t shy away from taking aim at anything they find unsuitable in line with their values and the American Family Association.
The petition to cancel Velma by 1MM summarizes their motivation for shutting down Velma in several parts, one being that it’s not a family series that long-time fans of Scooby-Doo are familiar with.
“Onemillionmoms.com (1MM) suspects there will be a lot of shocked moms and dads when they discover that the animated series Velma is not for family viewing but for adults only. It appears that no subject is off-limits. Velma features lots of nudity, violence, and gore, including an oozing corpse. The new show targets a mature audience and addresses subjects unsuitable for anyone, much less for children.”
1MM continues by calling Velma a “mature spinoff” and pointing out that Scooby isn’t even involved in the series because Warner Bros. Animation wouldn’t allow it. It’s important to note that, as expected, several of the complaints 1MM lists as reasons to cancel the series are inclusive in nature. The organization doesn’t appreciate the sexuality shown by Velma, and they can have that argument for themselves. Inclusive characters in television are essential, and that isn’t where fans of Scooby find fault; they just don’t care for the series. The inclusivity of different sexual orientations shown in the series was something fans were initially happy about, in addition to characters of various ethnicities.
While some fans are finding a silver lining while continuing to give Velma a chance, others have thrown in the towel and are happy to see it canned by HBO Max soon. There’s just not a lot here for fans of Scooby, and the camaraderie that fans have always loved is gone.
Of course, the petition by 1MM has garnered some pop culture enthusiasts to check it out because they want to give a nod to anything the organization stands against, but this isn’t the first controversial cloud around the series. Some fans have been against Velma since the beginning, citing several things Mindy Kaling has said as reasons to skip it entirely. Several “jokes,” conversations, and actions by Velma are downright hard to watch — and rooted in an almost sinister nature.
It’s safe to say that if you’re missing Scooby-Doo and the rest of Mystery Inc., you’d be better off living in nostalgia than giving Velma a shot, and if you’re inspired to watch more films and television led by South-Asian characters, we’ve got a list for you here. If you’re looking for shows with more inclusivity with sexual orientations, you can also check out some of the highly-anticipated releases for 2023.
