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Grey DeLisle-Griffin, the voice actor for the character of Daphne since 2003, recently took to Twitter to express her reaction towards Velma and its status as the worst-rated series in IMDb history.
Velma is now four episodes in and has received mixed responses from critics and audiences so far, with the only positive point being the vocal performances. Criticism was aimed at the writing, meta storytelling, characterization, the show's departure from established Scooby Doo lore, as well as the absence of Scooby Doo himself.
As of writing, Velma sits at an atrociously low rating of 1.3/10 on IMDb. It has a critics' score of 47% and a very low audience score of 6% on Rotten Tomatoes. On Metacritic, the show has an abysmal rating of 0.6/10.
This article will take a look at what Daphne's voice actor, Grey DeLisle-Griffin, has to say about the show's atrocious rating.
"Jeepers": Daphne voice actor Grey DeLisle-Griffin shares her thoughts on Velma's atrociously low score
Grey DeLisle-Griffin had been voicing Daphne since 2003's Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated! animated series. She took over the role from her mentor and friend, voice actor Mary Kay Bergman, who voiced the character between 1998 and 2000.
On January 22, DeLisle-Griffin took to Twitter to share her reaction to Velma's low score. She posted an image of Velma from Unilad, with the caption "Jeepers!."
For the uninitiated, "Jeepers" is an iconic word uttered by Daphne in Scooby Doo when she is either startled by something, or has a bad experience, or has found a clue regarding a mystery.
In the comments section of DeLisle's tweet, one fan had pondered whether or not there would be any sort of catfight between DeLisle and Constance Wu, who voices Daphne in Velma. The netizen wrote:
Replying to the internet user, DeLisle said that she never tears down a fellow actor.
Why has Velma come under fire?
One of the criticisms aimed at Velma was the race-swapping and characterization of Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake, and Shaggy Rogers, who is exclusively referred to by his real name, Norville, in the show.
The latest series depicts Velma is a South Asian who is very snarky and rude compared to her original depiction, where despite her snarky attitude, she had an overall kind and compassionate attitude.
In the show, Daphne is an East Asian who is very mean to the unpopular kids like Velma, in stark contrast to her original personality. Meanwhile, Norville (Shaggy) is an African-American who is ambitious and worried about being a beta male, unlike in the original cartoon where he was very relaxed and lazy.
Fred Jones, who was not race-swapped, also suffered criticism from the audience for his characterization, since he was depicted as a spoilt and insecure man, compared to his original depiction, where he was a stoic and level-headed leader of the Mystery gang.
Matthew Lillard, Shaggy's voice-actor since 2002, has extended his support towards Velma and Norville's voice actor, Sam Richardson.
The first four episodes of Velma are currently streaming on HBO Max. All episodes are released in pairs on a weekly basis, every Thursday at 3:01 am Eastern Standard Time (EST).
The fifth and sixth episodes of Velma, titled Marching Band Sleepover and The Sins of the Fathers and Some of the Mothers, respectively, are set to premiere on January 26, 2023, at 3:01 am EST on HBO Max.
As per Screenrant, Velma has been renewed for a second season.
Grey DeLisle-Griffin's other works
Besides voicing Daphne since 2003, DeLisle-Griffin has worked on a range of projects, ranging from animation to video games. Some of her notable voice roles include Azula in the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, Mandy in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Lin Beifong in The Legend of Korra, Catwoman in the Batman: Arkham and the Injustice series, and Monster Girl/Amanda in Invincible.
She is also a singer-songwriter who has produced several music albums such as Bootleger, Vol. 1 (2003), The Graceful Ghost (2004), and Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash (2007).
DeLisle has also done some modeling work. She appeared on the cover art for the Nintendo Switch game 1-2-Switch, where her nose was altered to look larger than it actually is.
