My Little Pony

[evilsoup]

Apple Jack only claims to be Apple Bloom's big sister. But really its a shocking filly-pregnancy scandal.

You are not the first to think this, in fact there is a substantial amount of fan-art on the subject, ranging from funny to sweet to OH G-D WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THAT.

There is also a lot of stuff with Rarity actually being Sweetie Belle's neglectful/abusive mother. The reason you never see Sweetie Belle around Rarity's house? It's because she spends most of the day locked in the crawl-space under the stairs.

And this is without getting started on the Scootabuse (so prevalent that it spawned it's own portmanteau).

TL;DR the Internet ruins everything, as always.

For all we know, Ponies don't need a biological father

Lauren Faust (creator of this incarnation of MLP) confirmed that the ponies reproduce the 'normal' way.

The school teacher is related to Scootaloo.

No she isn't. In one of the previous incarnations of MLP, Cheerilee (the name of the teacher) and Scootaloo were sisters; but there is no connection beyond the names between those characters and the ones from FiM. There's no reason to think that 'our' Cheerilee and Scootaloo are related in any way.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Not sure if y'all got to see this, but...

[evilsoup]

A fan of princess Molestia, I see.

[Skgoa]

Is that a joke at the expense of Moonbase Alpha?

Thanks for activating my trap card!

*snip video*

...What the hell IS that?
I just clicked the link to show what it's taken from, and I still have no freaking clue. Fun with Astronauts and robovoice?

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/moonbase-alpha

For all we know, Ponies don't need a biological father

In the flashback for when Twilight got her mark, wasn't her mother and father their? Twilight did refer to them has her parents.

And Pinkie Pie lived with her family an their rock farm... that might not be the hardest of evidences, though.


@evilsoup: Why shouldn't it count, if it's not directly contradicted in higher canon? I am still waiting for the games Scootaloo will show us and if "Art of the Dress" has proven anything, then it's that Rainbow Dash always dresses in style.

[lordofchange13]

Not sure if y'all got to see this, but...

Now that you have submitted it, it is now canon!

[evilsoup]

Holy crap, an article about bronies on the front page of the Wallstreet Journal.

Text of the article here - it's one of the best (by which I mean most neutral) articles on the fandom I've read.

[Skgoa]

Oh wow, Lauren reacted to US! And so fast...

e/ Great, it's one of those Spoiler

"the protagonist is being an unreallistically obnoxious idiot, but we are supposed to feel sorry for them"

-plots. Also: Doggie Doo? Seriously, america?

[Skgoa]

ghetto edit: M. Knight Shamalamadingdong called, he wants his third act asspull plot twist back!

[Starglider]

I think a signficant reason for FIM's popularity, beyond the high production values, is that it is a utopian piece of escapism coming at a time when so many people need cheering up. It reminds me of TNG in the sense that while there is danger and challenge, generally everything is bright and friendly and a place you'd genuinely like to be (or at least, visit). The characters are flawed but still people you'd like to have as friends. Even the fan deconstructions of how Equestria must be a whitewashed dictatorship remind me of the early rants on this site about how the Federation must actually be a dysfunctional communist tyranny etc. Right now the news is full of fear and anger, and the prevailing tone of TV shows seems to be gritty grimdark murder crime reality depression fest, so something like MLP is a welcome break.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Did anyone else notice the talking sheep?
Which means... Sheep kept in pens, SLAVERY!!!

[lordofchange13]

Does any one got a you tube link for the episode?

[Zixinus]

Here, while it's still up:


Well, now we know who's Rarity's and Sweety Belle's parents are. That, and that they are indeed sisters, rather than Sweetie Belle being the illegitimate daughter of Rarity. Thank God that we can put another disturbing theory out of our minds.

Also, why does Rarity need to find more of those blue gems? They're just stuck to paper with glue. At worst, you can rip them off and clean them up. Hell, you could burn them off and wash off the sooth. I am not a jeweller, but I am reasonably certain that most gemstones can handle a little fire or some brushing.

Did anyone else notice the talking sheep?
Which means... Sheep kept in pens, SLAVERY!!!

Greater question is: what in the hell do they use them for? The wool perhaps? They mentioned a wool sweater.

How does that work? Is there a pony out there with a pair of shears and a sly Casanova-esque voice that s/he uses on the sheep?

More seriously, I would think that it's a one-off joke that when asked, will be explained as a compromise of some sort and chasing them in is just better than begging them in.

[lordofchange13]

Here, while it's still up

*Bro-hoof*!!

[RogueIce]

Does any one got a you tube link for the episode?

And 1080p to boot!

Hmmm... I thought it was a decent episode. I can understand Sweetie Belle more than I do Rarity; you'd think "Look Before You Sleep" would have taught her a bit about not fussing over everything? But then, she was getting a little frustrated with her little sister in "The Stare Master" so I guess it can be different with family. That and there was no third party in the form of Twilight Sparkle she had to 'get it together' for.

Incidently, no sign of the purple unicorn at all in this episode. That's a first for the series. Spike shows up at the end to take the letter to Celestia, though. Hmm, wonder if "Lesson Zero" was indeed a setup for allowing Twilight-less episodes? I also liked how Spike managed to play peacekeeper at the end.

Oh yeah, and "With Celestia as my witness!" was hilarious to me.

And of course, we see Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents, along with the confirmation that they are indeed Sweetie Belle's primary caretakers. And it seems Rarity is quite a bit different from them, sort of...then again, they also seem to be among the few ponies who wear actual clothes, so there is that. I wonder what their mom's Cutie Mark is, though...

I liked how Rarity and Applejack worked together at the end, though. I think we see they still have their differences, but they also seem to have come quite a ways.

Still Rarity's character did seem off. Eh, well, she is pretty used to living alone, and having to deal with her little sister has annoyed her before. But still, probably could have been done a little better. I was thinking that most of the episode would be centered around the Sisterhooves Social itself (instead of it only showing up at the end) and Rarity's refusal to get in the spirit, which would have made more sense to me. But I still liked it, even if they've done better.

Also, evilsoup, you get more confirmation that AJ is, indeed, perfect.

More seriously, I would think that it's a one-off joke that when asked, will be explained as a compromise of some sort and chasing them in is just better than begging them in.

I did find it an amusing gag that when the one sheep said, "You could have just asked," AJ slammed the gate shut on her.

And who knows, maybe it is? The cows in "Applebuck Season" could talk, yet were still prone to stampedes and had to be 'wrangled up' to stop them. So...I guess there is some precedent for it.

[lordofchange13]

Why do the Pony's even have live stock? their vegetarians, the sheep make sense, the cows not so much.
I am a little confused about the shows living arrangement's: does sweety belle live with rarity or with the mismatched stereotype parents?

[Bright]

Well, now we know who's Rarity's and Sweety Belle's parents are. That, and that they are indeed sisters, rather than Sweetie Belle being the illegitimate daughter of Rarity. Thank God that we can put another disturbing theory out of our minds.

Not necessarily! Rarity's parents could still be raising her as a cover.

Just playing devil's advocate here... I kind of like that theory, even if I don't believe in it.

[RogueIce]

Why do the Pony's even have live stock? their vegetarians, the sheep make sense, the cows not so much.

Cows make milk. Ponies drink milk, or at least use it for cooking and stuff. Twilight Sparkle even used her magic to speed-milk a bunch of cows in "Boast Busters" to deal with the Ursa Minor.

I am a little confused about the shows living arrangement's: does sweety belle live with rarity or with the mismatched stereotype parents?

That's...not really confusing. Sweetie Belle lives with her parents. Which is why she is only staying with Rarity for the one week while their parents are off on a trip.

Well, now we know who's Rarity's and Sweety Belle's parents are. That, and that they are indeed sisters, rather than Sweetie Belle being the illegitimate daughter of Rarity. Thank God that we can put another disturbing theory out of our minds.

Not necessarily! Rarity's parents could still be raising her as a cover.

Just playing devil's advocate here... I kind of like that theory, even if I don't believe in it.

But...why? I mean, it pretty much goes against the whole tone of the show. That's the sort of thing you expect from Days of Our Lives, not My Little Pony.

[lordofchange13]

Why do the Pony's even have live stock? their vegetarians, the sheep make sense, the cows not so much.

Cows make milk. Ponies drink milk, or at least use it for cooking and stuff. Twilight Sparkle even used her magic to speed-milk a bunch of cows in "Boast Busters" to deal with the Ursa Minor.
sorry forgot about that, but what about pigs?

I am a little confused about the shows living arrangement's: does sweety belle live with rarity or with the mismatched stereotype parents?

That's...not really confusing. Sweetie Belle lives with her parents. Which is why she is only staying with Rarity for the one week while their parents are off on a trip.

i just seemed to remember that sweety belle was living with rarity form an older episode.

I have now finished this episode and find it somewhat funny, but the plot seemed a little weak. The idea of rarity switching places with applejack to do a contest with her sister, that belle wanted to do anyway, just is a wie-bit flawed, but all in all an enjoyable episode.

"With Celestia as my witness!:-proof Celestia is indeed God!

[RogueIce]

sorry forgot about that, but what about pigs?

...

Yeah, I got nothin' on that.

i just seemed to remember that sweety belle was living with rarity form an older episode.

That could have been "Stare Master" which is the closest I can think of, when Rarity was going to host the CMC's sleepover. But that could just be a case where her parents were off on vacation again, we just didn't see it. Or maybe Rarity was just guilted into doing it or something.

I have now finished this episode and find it somewhat funny, but the plot seemed a little weak. The idea of rarity switching places with applejack to do a contest with her sister, that belle wanted to do anyway, just is a wie-bit flawed, but all in all an enjoyable episode.

I dunno. It kinda makes some sense. Rarity might have worried that, even if she did ask Sweetie Belle, she'd get rejected. So they planned it that way.

Something somebody on Ponygoons noticed that I missed was when Rarity saw SB's picture, when it flashed to her POV shot the image was all blurred from her tearing up! That's really a very, very nice little detail, and I love how the show puts them in. Even if I don't always notice them until later.

Also, I fear greatly what the Internet will do with the implication that Applejack can apparently hold her breath for quite some time...

[Crazedwraith]

Apparently everything Applejack can do, Rarity can do? Another strike on the 'being an earth pony sucks' tally?

And no Scootaloo

Also, why does Rarity need to find more of those blue gems? They're just stuck to paper with glue. At worst, you can rip them off and clean them up. Hell, you could burn them off and wash off the sooth. I am not a jeweller, but I am reasonably certain that most gemstones can handle a little fire or some brushing.

I just assumed Rarity wasn't enough of an asshole to destroy her little sister's gift no matter how mad she was.

[Zixinus]

Am I the only one that found Granny's performance both amusing yet incomprehensible in what she actually says most of the time?

Also, I fear greatly what the Internet will do with the implication that Applejack can apparently hold her breath for quite some time...

What implication? She could have just poked her nose out, none would have noticed that. She could have slowly raised her enough to see and breath too, observing the race.

Hmmm... I thought it was a decent episode. I can understand Sweetie Belle more than I do Rarity; you'd think "Look Before You Sleep" would have taught her a bit about not fussing over everything? But then, she was getting a little frustrated with her little sister in "The Stare Master" so I guess it can be different with family. That and there was no third party in the form of Twilight Sparkle she had to 'get it together' for.

Actually, it is still consistent (as far as I see it anyway). The stuff SB ruins is in her own home, rather than someplace else. It's a lot more personal to have something ruined in your own home than accept that you have to get your hooves dirty sometimes in the outside world.

Still Rarity's character did seem off. Eh, well, she is pretty used to living alone, and having to deal with her little sister has annoyed her before. But still, probably could have been done a little better.

Actually, I thought that Rarity would have had the sense to agree on some "house rules" with her by now.

sorry forgot about that, but what about pigs?

Extra fertilizer supplies and organic waste disposal.

Plus, maybe, using them to hunt down those special mushrooms you have to dig out of the ground.

I just assumed Rarity wasn't enough of an asshole to destroy her little sister's gift no matter how mad she was.

Then they could have used some anti-glue or heat it enough to be able to remove them by hand.

No matter how I try to cut it, I still figure that removing them would have been still less work than going out and searching for them again.

Furthermore, since when do you decorate your pictures with gems anyway? SB is clumsy and terrible at almost any chore she does, true, but she should have had enough sense to not use her sister's work resources (even assuming that Rarity did have more in her workroom) for something as frivolous.
It would have not been nice, but this one wasn't just being clumsy or ruining something personal: this was work.

[Zixinus]

Oh, damn, edit time limit expired.

In honor of the episode, I'll share with you lot this one:



Yes, it's humanized and it has Rarity again in stuff-my-grandma-would-wear fashion, but I still think it's a sweet image.

[evilsoup]

Also, evilsoup, you get more confirmation that AJ is, indeed, perfect.

As if I needed any. At this rate we're never going to get an Applejack episode, but she was so fantastic in this one that I almost don't mind. Almost.

One. Day.

I'm still trying to figure out how they're going to bring in the Apple parents, or if they're going to go for a 'lol they dead' episode (they should totally do that).

what about pigs?

I really like this episode. We get some interesting insight into Rarity's character - compare her accent to her parents', and her fascination with Canterlot in Ticket Master (and her gold-digging attempt with that dragon) and you can see she's a real social climber. Also, the fact that Sweetie Belle sounds a lot more like her big sister than her parents is really ... sweet, like she's trying to emulate Rarity.

I think the race would have been better if they'd come about fifth. They could have clued any perceptive audience members in with Rarity-as-Applejack not performing as well as you'd expect AJ to, and like Sweetie said at the end of the race, it doesn't matter that they didn't win. As it was, it was a little ridiculous for Rarity to come so close to winning ... but then, I suppose it actually mattered to her, whereas everypony else was just having fun.

I was kind of disappointed by the ending. I mean, a letter about sisterhood - I was expecting the shot to fade to one of Celestia and Luna reading the letter together. Ah well.

Furthermore, since when do you decorate your pictures with gems anyway? SB is clumsy and terrible at almost any chore she does, true, but she should have had enough sense to not use her sister's work resources (even assuming that Rarity did have more in her workroom) for something as frivolous.

I figure she just got carried away. Remember, she is supposed to be eight or so. But yeah, that was the only thing I can really understand Rarity getting pissed off about.

[RogueIce]

I just assumed Rarity wasn't enough of an asshole to destroy her little sister's gift no matter how mad she was.

That is possible, though she was apparently going to take one gem off when she had finished up her dress and needed one more, though of course stopped when she actually saw what the picture was.

I was kind of disappointed by the ending. I mean, a letter about sisterhood - I was expecting the shot to fade to one of Celestia and Luna reading the letter together. Ah well.

The only thing that bummed me about that was that it started off sounding quite a bit like the one at the end of "Return of Harmony II" with the "sisterhood is hard and you have to work at it" though to their credit they ended the scene on an original note.

[Rossum]

Regarding the pigs, it could be that they eat all the bruised apples and stuff that ponies don't like eating. Why clutter up the farm with all the spoiled food or unsellable food when you can feed it to the pigs who'll eat it anyway? Also Lauren Faust mentioned something about pigs using their keen sense of smell to sniff out truffles, and I'm sure an intelligent pig could do all sorts of work like carrying things if they want to.

Not sure how intelligent the average pig is in relation to ponies. We see that ponies are the dominant species in Equestria with cows and sheep being at least capable of speech. Philomena and Owlowicious seem pretty intelligent even if they can't speak, but I haven't seen anything suggesting that Winona is anymore intelligent than a terrestrial dog. I'm guessing that the pigs are basically normal pigs and the ponies feed them whatever garbage the pigs will eat and maybe train them to hunt for truffles or whatever.

But even if the ponies don't eat the pigs, there are other intelligent creatures in Equestria like diamond dogs, griffins, and dragons. If you want to get evil grimdark theories then maybe the Apple family raise the pigs and sell them to carnivorous races. Why would the griffins try eating ponies when the ponies could maintain all the pig farms?


As for the episode, I liked it. Introducing Rarity's parents gave me a few theories on why she's so obsessed with looking prim and proper and her dream of marrying into nobility (shown in Ticket Master and Best Night Ever). Plus, her interactions with her sister does show a counter to her element of generosity. Its nice because it shows that the mane six aren't one-note characters dominated entirely by their elements.

Gave a bit of screen time to Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, who I really like. I think I like the whole Apple family because they are a family and run a business. My own theory is that earth ponies make up for their lack of horns and wings by banding together and watching each-others backs and so far the apple family hasn't discouraged this theory. They've got their farm, their various cousins and relatives (who have reuniions, possibly all on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration), and here it shows they host games like the Sisterhooves Social that encourage teamwork and family.

Its kind of neat because considering teamwork is more or less the winning strategy that humans used to become the dominant species on earth. All our language, art, and culture are a result or byproduct of an intelligent species trying to work together. Considering Earth Ponies have to deal with monsters like manticores and ursa minors and are sort of competing with pegasai and unicorns then it makes sense that they would encourage friendship, teamwork, and social conciousness to keep themselves in the game. Even if the average earth pony is no stronger than a pegasus or unicorn, a whole mess of them working together can accomplish more than they could seperatly. Unicorns have magic, pegasai have flight, earth ponies can gang together... and I guess they control the food supply and run the factories and stuff. Even if some unicorns went all Nazi and started claiming that earth ponies are 'weak' and 'ungifted' then their social bonds should be strong enough nip those kinds of movements in the bud.

Weird, would that mean that earth ponies have Heart as a superpower? I know there are earth ponies who don't use super strength or plant powers in their jobs. Stuff like superstrength, flight, and magic seem awesome for an individual to have (if their job could make use of those powers) but having a whole race of people with those powers runs the risk of bad apples causing trouble. A race who's "superpower" is getting along with eachother might stand a chance even without all the fancy powers.