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Analysis -- Art -- Fanfiction
Speculation -- Practice -- Fandom
Episode Review
“They sang the praises of nature, of the sea, of the woods. They liked making songs about one another, and praised each other like children; they were the simplest songs, but they sprang from their hearts and went to one’s heart. And not only in their songs but in all their lives they seemed to do nothing but admire one another. It was like being in love with each other, but an all-embracing, universal feeling.”
~Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man”
(Source: en.wikiquote.org)
After drawing that picture of Pinkie Pie I was thinking a bit about how FiM handles inspiration and encouragement in general. I felt that the quote used there typifies Pinkie Pie’s methods and worldview quite well. With few exceptions, she pretty much loves everything. Consider how she happily ate Apple Bloom’s cupcakes in Call of the Cutie, for example. Pinkie Pie is very much about seeing, and celebrating, the good in everything and everypony.
But! That’s not the entire show. Rarity, for example, is absolutely nothing like that. She might be as much the opposite of that as you can get. Rarity has very precise tastes and is frequently critical of things that don’t fit those tastes. Does this mean she’s a jerk while Pinkie Pie is good? Well, sometimes. Consider Sisterhooves Social, where Rarity has to learn to be not quite so demanding towards Sweetie Belle. But it’s not JUST that Rarity shouldn’t be so demanding. In the montage at the end of the episode one of the scenes shows Sweetie Belle filling the kitchen with smoke again, but then pulling out a perfectly lovely pie for Rarity. Sweetie Belle learns something too.
Pinkie Pie would look at Sweetie Belle’s or Apple Bloom’s burned treats and gobble them up and say they did great. And that’s good. Rarity would help Sweetie Belle make something better. And that’s also good. This, I believe, is one of the core messages of the show: Good is not just one thing. There isn’t one singular ideal we must uphold, forsaking all others. If somepony feels like crap about what they do no matter what they make, they probably need Pinkie more than Rarity. If somepony offers up their work for criticism, they probably need Rarity more than Pinkie. And some people just react better to one or the other for personal reasons. Rarity and Pinkie are both good and they both have their place, and we all need a healthy dose of self-love and self-criticism in order to stay sane.
Contestant: Twilight Sparkle
Submitter: Donny’s Boy
Title: “The Interrogation”
As Twilight hurtled through the air and smashed into the side of the cave wall, it felt as though every bone in her body snapped right in two. She lay on the floor of the cave, groaning, her legs twitching in a futile effort to stand up and to run.
A dark chuckle echoed throughout the cave. “It’s as I told you, my dear Twilight,” spoke that all-too-familiar voice, full of malignant mirth. “There’s no escaping me this time. I’ve nabbed you already, and I know where the rest of your foolish little friends are and how to—”
“N-no.” Twilight’s voice was thin and reedy, barely a whisper, and yet it was enough to draw his attention and to shut him up. “Not … not all my friends …”
She could see his scowl even through the dim lighting. In a peevish tone, he snapped back, “Bah! Mere details! Fluttershy cannot escape me forever.” A flash of light, blindingly bright, and then he was directly in front of her. He was smiling again, and Twilight’s blood ran cold. “Not after you tell me where she is.”
Quiet was so underrated, Twilight mused. In a town filled with loud athletes, stubborn cowponies, young dragons, dramatic fashionistas, and….. Pinkie, plus all the thousands of disasters that seemed to plague Ponyville every week, it didn’t seem like quiet was highly valued around here. Except for one pony. She lifted her head out of her book and looked at Fluttershy, completely engrossed. Twilight smirked in triumph. I knew she’d love Biology of Windigos! Her smirk softened into a smile as she looked at her fillyfriend. How did I snag you?
How did she snag that kind, considerate, beautiful pony? Alas, to Rarity’s eternal disappointment, it wasn’t a dramatic story. In most cases, these two were not the dramatic types(cases like friendship letters and Gala animals being struck from the record and never being brought up again). There was just a mutual attraction. Twilight could not speak for Fluttershy, but on the day they met, there was a spark(not to be confused with the other spark. Maybe she needed another word to use instead? Flame? Electricity? Not the point.). All day, she had been warding off the crazy ponies of the town, from Dash’s athletic boasting to Rarity’s incessant critiquing. But when she saw Fluttershy on that quiet, beautiful road, commanding elegant birds to make wonderful song, hair flowing in the wind like some nature goddess, she did something she hadn’t done in a long time.
Oh hey, so I should get all this stuff posted.
Those of you keeping track of the competition over on Donny’s Boy’s blog probably already know that the final two to compete for Fluttershy’s heart are Twilight Sparkle and Derpy Hooves.
We’ll have the final round sometime soon, and may the best pony win!
Artistic analysis of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic for the purposes of understanding how and why it succeeds and how this can be applied to other works, as well as other thoughts about the show and the fandom surrounding it.
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