Downfall of Episode

Now, we all know how they responded to our feedback of “…In My Bed!!!”. They think the story is a parody, and they are fully supporting it.

This isn’t the first time they broke their guidelines.

Not to mention how they handled racism on this platform before. (hit that block button fam :triumph::muscle:)

Now onto questions,

  1. Do you think Episode is failing as a company?
  2. How should they handle things such as racism?
  3. What should happen to ISWAB and IMB?
  4. What would you do if you worked for Episode?

Let the tea begin. :frog::tea:

tea

14 Likes

1. I think that Episode is kind of failing as a company. They have a mobile visual storytelling app that I’m guessing has thousands, maybe even, millions of users. People already love visual stories (comics, movies, TV) and having access to it on our phones. Awesome! But they are failing us. If a story is featured, I expect it to be well-written and entertaining to read (‘Haute as Hell’ is one of my most favorite stories). With the most recent stories, it’s not the case. Also, they’re breaking their OWN guidelines. Some people with minor offenses have been punished majorly while more popular authors (including themselves) get away with everything.

2. Racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. just makes my blood boil. People NEED to be punished for being racist. Depending on the severity/number of times they’ve said something racist. As a biracial person, I have dealt with so much low-key racism. People asking if my hair was real/weave (b/c my mother is black). People asking if I’m adopted/if my dad is really my dad. People assuming that my parents, myself, and my brother aren’t together as a group (because interracial families don’t exist). People just STARING. People are always STARING (and I live in a pretty diverse city too). My mom has told me experiences on how her and my aunt were followed around a store (while a white woman in a wheelchair was stealing shit yet they didn’t “notice”). Episode needs to PUNISH people who are racist. It shouldn’t just be “just block the user lol”.

3. Those stories need to be removed. That’s it. I think we have listed the issues with both these stories and featured stories alike on MULTIPLE threads.

4. I’m going to just say this. Not only does Episode need to do this, but other companies need to. HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY. When people love what they’re doing, they put their whole heart and soul into it. An example is how good featured stories by authors who aren’t part of the Episode team. Another example is in superhero movies. If they hired more comic writers/comic fans to work on their movies: costumes would be better, storylines would be better, everything would be better because that is what they love (and I’m throwing shade at both major comic book studios too).

And that’s ALL the tea I have to spill. :frog::tea:

21 Likes

I have already read their answer about that topic.
(PS: Everything below is just my honest opinion)

  1. I think episode did a mistake by uploading the last story “…in my bed!”, however I believe everyone deserves a second chance you know? Who has never made a mistake? Probably they were trying just to create a story for 17+ age, I’m not saying what they did was correct (bc I don’t think so) however I believe Episode isn’t failing as a company just because of what I see as a mistake because they have been able to give so many people a chance of writing which they had never imagine and a chance of making new friends. :thinking:

  2. I believe they should just treat everyone the same you know? That way there is no racism. And to make a few stories with diversity mains without changing drastically the way they write! Being equal! Showing everyone is equal and deserves the same things :slight_smile:

  3. I believe ISWAB won’t be changed and it will stay the same since even if there are a few things there more matures it didn’t cause way too much problems and it’s already in the season finale. About IMB right now I believe it will be removed from the platform.

4, If I worked for episode I would do an update where I would request for the date of birth of the episodian (Year, month, and day) and I would create a limit age for stories . In which there would be an option of 13+ or 17+ ,writers could also use, and depending of what was chosen readers with 14 y.o (for example) wouldn’t be able to enter in stories of 17+ (and episode could control that bc of the date of birth previously asked for)

:slight_smile: I don’t know if you agree with me, this is just an opinion :wink:

What’s your opinion ?
:sparkling_heart:

6 Likes

Do you think Episode is failing as a company?

As a company with the intent to make money? No. They know what they’re doing. But I get it, they gotta eat, too.

As a company that has to follow guidelines because they have to stay legal, and, like, I guess because they have to care about diversity too? Nah, they failing.

How should they handle things such as racism?

They really just need to keep educating themselves like responsible human beings and actually apply what they learn with a critical lense. They could read the wonderful user stories that do justice to diversity to see how to do it. They could have less tolerance for the isms and hate speech that fly around the community. They can start doing and stop saying.

What should happen to ISWAB and IMB?

Remove them. They’re just embarrassing themselves at this point. There’s enough problematic trash in he world already. We don’t need more.

What would you do if you worked for Episode?

Eat all their food, steal all their pens, then fire myself.

14 Likes

I agree with you a lot on here, they never suspend/ban the users who commit racism, but they love banning users who get help from banned users. :frog: :tea:

I agree with you a lot, especially this one.

Mature stuff isn’t just sex. It’s also murder, swearing etc. If they are gonna do it, we should also be allowed to do it. I don’t have a problem with swearing once there’s a warning in the story. We reaally need an age limit if they want to continue these stories.

4 Likes

I agree with this a lot. :no_mouth:

4 Likes

1. Do you think Episode is failing as a company?
No, as a company they’re quite successful. They’re just failing their community.

2. How should they handle things such as racism?
I’m not sure if you’re referring to on the app or the forums. I haven’t seen any for myself on the app, but on the forums I have and it needs to be stopped. It’s 2018. People should be banned, or at least suspended.

3. What should happen to ISWAB and IMB?
In my opinion, they could earn back some of my respect if they admitted they made a mistake and took it down. I know this won’t happen, but they should be taken off the app.

4. What would you do if you worked for Episode?
I feel like we all do. even if we’re not in the payments program, we’re still making content for them. Majority of stories are user stories. We are the app basically. So to answer your question, I’d write better stories, ones where the lesson to be learnt isn’t inappropriate preferably.

10 Likes

Leave and go work for Choices?
I’m kidding. Kinda.

10 Likes

Mood.

3 Likes
  1. Oh yes, definitely. I’m not sure what triggered it, but ever since MTMG, things have gone… Downhill. People love using this app and writing stories for others to read. We’re a community. But that does not mean Episode should promote toxic relationships. And they’re being money hungry hypocrites.
  2. Any type of ignorance, prejudice, or bias against a group of people needs to be handled seriously. People who are racist, sexist, homophobic, etc MUST be punished. I’ve experienced some sort of ignorance before. People thinking that because I use proper grammar and write well, and the fact that I’m black, means I’m “white”. People thinking that because I’m Muslim that means I’m a terrorist. I’ve told a few friends that I’m bisexual, and I know a lot of people hate the LGBTQ+ community. Episode should swiftly and strictly punish people who are being prejudiced.
  3. I don’t know why Episode isn’t listening to us. Remove the fucking stories from the app. Plain and simple.
  4. Well, I’d definitely write something everyone loves. You know, fix up the clichés… Anyways, I’d improve Episode by setting an age limit. I’d also implement age ratings, too. I would request ideas from people here on the forums, and then turn into something better. I’d work hard, and write stories with life lessons to remember.

And that’s all the tea I have to spill today. Thanks, bro. :frog::croissant::tea::pie:

9 Likes
  1. Do you think Episode is failing as a company?

I don’t know if I would consider Episode Failing money wise, but image wise, yes. As mentioned by many people on the forums, Episode has become a bit of a secret-app you keep from others because of it’s poor image of it’s user and featured stories. But most people know (that give the app a chance) know there are great stories.

  1. How should they handle things such as racism?

I don’t know what this question is referring to.

  1. What should happen to ISWAB and IMB?

For in my Bed, I do wish they it was more clear that it was a parody. I haven’t read the story, thus I feel bias going off of screen shots. (Maybe make it a comedy story . . . ?) As for It Started with a Bra, I have seen both sides of the story and I don’t mind this story on the app. Again, I haven’t read this story and feel bias if I don’t get the information myself.

  1. What would you do if you worked for Episode?

Ohhh boy, let’s see. As everyone as probably said above, I would write better stories for them.

4 Likes

There was racism a few months ago. A story was making fun of skin and lip colors. The author still continues their journey on the app.

1 Like

Do you think Episode is failing as a company?
As a corporation? I bet they’re doing just fine. As a storytelling platform that aims to produce interesting, unique, engaging, high-quality content? Failing.

How should they handle things such as racism?
Racism, homophobia, discrimination, bigotry… any and all types of harmful prejudice should never be tolerated. This should not be a controversial statement.

What should happen to ISWAB and IMB?
If it were up to me, they wouldn’t have been on the app in the first place.

What would you do if you worked for Episode?
I have conflicted feelings on what the Episode team should do. I don’t know how the company is structured, nor am I aware of the nuanced power dynamics at play. As a Marxist, I don’t like to blame the workers as they’re already being exploited by the higher-ups of a corporation, but I can’t help but think that all parties involved are complicit in allowing the app to devolve into what it is today. If workers in lower-level positions feel that they are too vulnerable or expendable to address these issues, then someone of a higher rank NEEDS to step up and do something about it.

4 Likes

I’m going to be very honest and blunt on here. Yes, I do think Episode is failing a bit as a company. It wasn’t like it was years ago when the platform first came to an existence. A lot of things has changed, and as a result of that many people throughout the Episode community do like it. I, for one, don’t like some of the changes the Episode platform has made or is making.

Racism is a very controversial topic. Not everybody can handle such a topic like that without causing drama and arguments. I don’t think they should address this topic on their platform, but I do think they should take drastic measures if someone is making racist comments, jokes, etc. In reality, we all don’t want to address this topic because it’s HIGHLY debatable and controversial.

ISWAB AND IMB are stories that should NOT have been written because of how straight forward their plots are. Let’s be real here, we don’t know what Episode’s employees do throughout the platform, so we can’t really stop them from making a story. However, I do feel like they should be consciously aware of what stories they are releasing to the app. I don’t think they are fully thinking about the consequences and the backlash that they’ll receive from the Episode community. I personally haven’t read these stories because I don’t like their plots and the direction that they are going in. “In My Bed.” That title is pretty much straight forward, and you basically know what the plot is to the story. The Episode platform SHOULD NOT have released that story, or yet wrote it.

If I worked for Episode, I would make sure that people of all ages and nationalities were appealed to. Yes, I know a person has to be 13+ to read stories on the app and download the app, but let’s be real here; kids these days do not follow any rules or regulations. To be on the safe side, if a kid that was under 13 were to download the Episode app and read stories on there, I would try to be on the safe side. Meaning that I would lock stories that they are unable to read until they reach 13 years old. That’s how I would do it if I worked for the Episode platform.

4 Likes

What story? I need tea :smiley:

2 Likes
  1. Partly, yes.
  2. Like the users above me said, racism and any other forms of discrimination should be punished. However, I can’t recall reading any stories that promoted racism. Can you give an example?
  3. Remove them. Plain and simple. These two stories have no business being in this app. AT ALL!
  4. Again, like most of the users stated, I would use a rating for each story. If there is a story that is meant for the users 18+, no one 17 and younger would have access to it.
2 Likes

Burn them, order Arby’s, and just DIE AND SUFFER

I’d be fake and see if I can be the boss. So I can fire the writers who wrote ISWAB and IMB and the people who reviewed it.

2 Likes

I can’t give out that racist story bc it’s removed but Ima keep the author a secret. I can’t deal with fan girls now. :frog::coffee:

It’s truly disgusting. They’re so much more lenient with the featured stories than the community stories and it promotes completely unhealthy relationships! No, it should never be entertaining for being a virgin to brand you as a loser or a prude. It shouldn’t be cool to lose your virginity in a bet.

@ChaoticDeluge

8 Likes