Jump to content
Banner by ~ Kyoshi Frost Wolf
Guidelines

Kip the Dip

User
 View Profile  See their content

  • Posts

    68

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Kip the Dip

  1. Kip the Dip
    I've yet to ever write an episode review, but I've been waiting for this baby since they released the animatic at Comic-Con. So let's bounce right into it.
     
    The Melody
     




     
    Tell me you can't watch this and not feel like you're being smothered in liquid happiness? As if joy itself were a gravy, you were a mashed potato blob and this were the Thanksgiving of our content.
     
    After watching the animatic more times than I counted, the final product is a lot more fluid and bouncy than I envisioned in my head. The vividness is a shining example of times when this cartoon can be pure eye candy. This is easily one of my new favorite songs in the show's run. Although I have to give credit to Raise This Barn as the superior Applejack song, as it sounded more country and blue grass.
     
    Something I noticed was that this was the first canonical mention of pink being Pinkie Pie's favorite color, if that weren't already a given
    . G3 Pinkie Pie was absolutely obsessed with pink, to the point that it was almost her only schtick, whereas our Pinkie is more fleshed out as the fun-loving, reality-bending party pony. How is her color relevant to her eccentricity? Well, as it turns out, a few scientists are questioning whether pink "exists" in the same way the other colors 'exist'. But that's a topic for a future post. 
    The Meat




    So many reaction faces.


     
    While there were a few funny bits, Goldie Delicious stole the show. She's now my favorite new character of the season. I'm sorry Coco, you're sweet and all, but you can't hold a candle to crazy hoarder cat lady. How many of you know someone like this?
     
    I'm wondering why Pinkie's background didn't come into play. I knew Pinkie and AJ having a common ancestor named "Apple Pie" went out the window as soon as the obvious pun was used in the title, but it seemed only logical they would make some kind of the connection between the Apples' agricultural heritage and the Pies' rural rock farm. I suppose with limited time allotted, they didn't really have a chance to touch upon it. Unless they come back to it, which I hope they do, this will remain in the realm of fan fiction.
     
    It really is a missed opportunity, though. In the season 3 finale, we saw Pinkamena do terribly in Applejack's place. She was never fit for the lifestyle of an Apple anymore than she was happy pushing rocks. Yet it was through her Pinkie-ness that she managed to 'love and tolerate' the Apples, with all the ups and downs. Maybe we'll see this angle play out in the context of her own family in the future episode involving Pinkie's sister. Come on, writers! Don't squander it!
     
    And of course, everyone saw the lesson miles away. "It's doesn't matter if you're blood kin or not, family is in the heart," and all that crap. It begs the question: What was the big deal in the first place of being a "fourth cousin once removed by a fifth cousin"? If you go back far enough, we're all related. What's the cut-off? Would it have made a difference if Pinkie is their fourth cousin or twentieth cousin? (Given how relatively small Equestrian society is.)
     
    However, it's best to see this as highlighting just how much the Apples value family. Fourth cousin once removed by a fifth cousin? Heck, she was their sister. Whereas our reaction to this news would probably be, "Ah, cool," their reaction, "Yeeeeeeehaw! See y'all at the next Apple family reunion!" And given the chance that they're not related, they still consider her an honorary Apple, which is a true honor indeed.
     
    One major flaw I found in this episode was Pinkie Pie's voice. The way she exclaimed, "THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER! WHYY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HOW AMAZING THIS IS?!" and "Best..family...EVAR!!!", as a few examples. All throughout the episode, her squealing made me twitch. I've said before that the writing for Pinkie's personality is hit and miss, and this was one of those rare occasions that I find Pinkie more irritating than amusing. Which is a shame, because the reason for Pinkie squealing all over the place was that this was her most joyous experience. What is the validity of Pinkie's title of Best Pony if she annoys me at her most exuberant state?
     
    On the flip side, Pinkie was as adorable in this episode as she's ever been. After a few viewings, her squealing lost its cringe and her cuteness balanced it all out.
     



     
    Oh, Pinkie. I can't stay upset with you.
     
    The Memes
     
    Good Lord, I didn't realize how easy we had it with the fedora pony. Not since DisQord,
    and a Star Wars homage have so many in-jokes, Internet memes and pop culture references appeared in one sitting.Apple Bloom doing a -licious song, only to be cut off.
    At the end of 'Apples to the Core', Pinkie does the Soulja Boy.
    Did that Ducky on Wheels count as a ?
    Speaking of duck.
    The fact that Goldie Delicious had a literal "dusty cat". Even more incredibly subtle: the crazy cat lady herself alludes to DustyKatt's personal " " .
    Finally, Slenderman's guest appearance.





    Slendy is best background pony.


     
    Happiest episode of MLP ever? Fuck it, let's make Slenderman canon to their world! Sweet dreams, kiddos.
     
    Megan McCarthey says she had never even heard of Slenderman. Yah-huh. Now I wouldn't doubt that this were an animator's joke, but I think it's more likely that they're playing off the Slenderman mythos for the sake of some Internet fun. Which, of course, would work better if they didn't just slap us over the head with Grumpy Cat.
     
    Some have suggested that Slenderman(e) was the Pony of Shadows, the cliff-hanger from Castle Mane-ia. (Lest we forget the title of that episode itself was a play on Castlevania, while another episode cliff-hanger featured Fluttershy still having her vampire fangs.) Perhaps this is why the pages were smudged both times? It wasn't contrived at all, but a scheme, meaning that this episode isn't an isolated story after all.
     
    Looking beyond this fan theorizing, would they make an Internet meme a major plot point? God no. So many fans are pissed off as it is that they're even doing so much pandering lately. To that, I say: Lighten up on the hellup. A few Easter eggs and fan service bits here and there doesn't effect the actual stories we're watching. You know, with the exception of Derpy helping Applejack realize how mediocre she is.
     
    Say, where is Derpy anyway? We haven't seen her all season. You don't think...
     
     
     
     
     
     
     




    Nah.


     
    Family Values
     
    I'm going to end this review on a sweet, personal note. The oldest sibling and sole boy among girls, living in the South and raised by my great-grandmother, I like to see parallels between my family and the Apples. While it isn't an exact parallel, this episode couldn't have aired at a more opportune time.
     
    My oldest sister will be having a baby next month, giving me a niece. A few weeks ago, our mom held her a minor baby shower, with our grandma and little sisters attending. It was the first time we were all under the same roof together. This episode, with its emphasis on family and the addition of a family member, was a nice reflection of how I feel right now.
     
    And with that, thank y'all for reading. I hope I at least wrote a few unique things that others haven't said this week. Until the next Pinkie Pie episode...
     
     
     
     




  2. Kip the Dip
    There's no doubt in my mind that airing the season premiere of MLP on Doctor Who's 50th birthday was 100% intentional. I knew in the very core of me that it would. Of all the days this year - of all the Saturdays - they would pick November 23rd. There has to be as many bronies who are Whovians as there are furries who are bronies. The temptation to pander to that was just too overwhelming.
     
    And they nailed it. While the episode stood on its own as a magnificent kick-off to a promising season, the story did serve was a complementary appetizer to The Day of the Doctor. Overall, it was a day to remember.
     
    Now of course, I wouldn't be talking about Doctor Who on an MLP forum if I didn't have another hair-brained crossover theory in mind. And to my luck, the Internet has once again met me halfway.
     



     
    The War Doctor, the Moment and the Twilicane. Does any more need to be said? Yes, because it'll all go down in vain if we don't over analyze and milk it.
     
    It's not completely out of the question to wonder if this was intentional. There was that Easter egg of Dr. Whooves dressed as a pear, a reference that
    . 
    Let's say, hypothetically, the staff behind MLP saw the trailers for The Day of the Doctor in early November, which featured the War Doctor about to press the button. They decided to pull a South Park and quickly animated the red ruby on a golden stick known as the Twilicane, foreseeing that bronies would absolutely obsess over it, while the even more Aspergian Doctor Who subdivision of the fandom would see an allusion to the Moment. Thus proving they have fan service down to a science, thanks to research and hard work from the Ministry of Easter Eggs, or Miniegg.
     
    However, I'm probably giving the people behind Equestria Girls too much credit. It's almost certainly a coincidence. You know, like how a background pony resembling the Doctor in the first place was just a coincidence. Or how those unintentional parallels between Derpy and Clara Oswald were coincidences. No need to go down any rabbit holes of paranoia.
     
    But! For shits and giggles, let's toy with head canon. Revisiting the origin of the Twilicane:
     




     
    Discord, the reformed creature of chaos and disharmony, is mocking Twilight's supposed superiority complex and sense of self-importance. (
    ) Let's say that the golden scepter he snapped into existence was, in fact, made out of the very Galaxy Eater device that the Doctor almost used to completely burn Gallifrey. Because that helps get his point across. 
    But how would Discord even know about it? Well, we've accepted the premise that Dr. Whooves is the Doctor. We can think of him as the Tenth Doctor and pin point his crossover into Equestria as an event during the special season between series 4 and 5. Now, for an encounter with Discord, we need to incorporate another popular fan mythos behind Doctor Whooves - Discorded Whooves.
     
    The story here is that Discord had overpowered the Doctor and drained him of his personality, turning him into an evil, dickish Mr. Hyde-esque incarnation to use as a puppet. In this process, he tapped deep into the Doctor's subconscious to bring his inner darkness to fruition. It stands to reason that he stumbled onto the Doctor's greatest secret, his hidden incarnation not even worthy to be called "The Doctor".
     
    Thus, Discord was well-aware of the Moment and all it was capable of doing. This begs the greater question: How would he even get his paw and claw on it? The Moment, the Time War and Gallifrey were all 'time locked', or completely cut off from the rest of the universe. Time Lords themselves with all their advance scientific knowledge, technology and wizardry can't escape, and a Dalek who did manage to scratch his way out completely lost his mind. (Not that Discord is a beacon of sanity.) Lest we forget that the events of Doctor Who take place in another universe from Equestria altogether.
     
    While Discord is magic and has the ability to alter reality, he can't be this powerful, right? To obtain such an item for a quick, cheap joke only you yourself would get, one would have to be a near omnipotent, transdimensional being with a twisted sense of humor...
     
     
     




     
    There you have it, bronies. The golden scepter you've latched onto to the point of derangement, the creepily cute little thing you're spamming absolutely everywhere, is the sole item that finally binds My Little Pony with Doctor Who and Star Trek.
     
     



  3. Kip the Dip
    Ah, Doctor Whooves. The equine who would be the Doctor. Through some alignment of the cosmos, an inconsequential pony living in a magic fairy tale word from a little girls' cartoon became associated with an extraterrestrial who travels the spacetime continuum like a hobo in a long-running British sci-fi series. God bless the Internet.
     
    With mere weeks until the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and the coinciding season 4 premiere of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I would like to take this concept to another level with a unique spin on our beloved Derpy.




     
    A quick recap of Doctor Who series 7: In the season premiere Asylum of the Daleks, the Doctor was out to save one Oswin Oswald stranded on the Dalek's asylum planet. Long story short, she died saving him. Later in the Christmas special The Snowmen, he meets her again in 19th century London as Clara. It wasn't until she died a second time that the Doctor realized that Clara and Oswin where the same person. Thus, he made it his mission to track her down a third time and uncover the mystery of this Impossible Girl.
     
    Flash forward to the season finale The Name of the Doctor. We learn that 2013 Clara - original Clara - had jumped into the Doctor's time stream to ultimately restore his corrupted timeline. In doing so, thousands of copies of herself were scattered across his life.
     




     
    Now, let's go with the premise that Dr. Whooves is the Doctor. It would stand to reason that there would have been a copy of Clara present during the, ahem, equestrian period of his life. Perhaps in pony form? Most definitely in pony form!
     
    I submit the hypothesis through a series of subtle hints that Derpy Hooves fits the role. The pony who always resides in the background for us is one-in-this-same as the girl who was always there for the Doctor.
     
    [special thanks to KiritoHooves for inspiration. While I've put the most thought into this theory, it seems I wasn't the first to stumble upon on.]
     
    Source episodes
    Winter Wrap Up
    Season 1, episode 11 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. While not a Christmas episode, it did air Christmas Eve 2010. This episode featured the first noticeable appearance of Doctor Whooves. It's also notable for having the first direct reference to Derpy, when a pegasus mentions a directional flying blunder made by Ditzy Doo.
     

    Episode 4 of the fan-made Doctor Whooves and Assistant serial. Taking place during the events of Winter Wrap Up, it features a behind the scenes story for the Doctor and his companion Ditzy. It was uploaded on YouTube December 8, 2011. It will be animated this Christmas, so keep an eye out for that.
     
    The Snowmen
    The 2012 Christmas Day special of Doctor Who. This was the episode the Doctor first met Clara in person. Almost the entirety of my evidence will be lifted from the scene where the Doctor takes Clara into the TARDIS.
     
    Derpy Who?
    When the Doctor sees Clara's tombstone reading Clara Oswin Oswald, it is then he realizes that she was Oswin Oswald from the Dalek asylum.
     
    Similarly, Derpy is also known by two names. There's the most common one "Derpy Hooves", and then there's her beta name "Ditzy Doo". Originally, Lauren Faust had conceived of her being 'ditzy', or clumsy, rather than 'derpy'. In Doctor Whooves and Assistant, her real name is stated as Ditzy Doo. It isn't until Frostbite that the Doctor finds out her nickname is "Derpy", and decides he likes it.
     
    While not a particularly substantial parallel, what's intriguing is the fact that Clara in the form of Oswin was a supergenius, even more intelligent than the Doctor. Harkoning back to the debate over Derpy's intelligence, one can argue that if Derpy/Ditzy were Clara/Oswin, she could actually be an absent-minded genius. Twist!
     
    Eyes Not Always Front
    While the Doctor and Clara are about the climb up the stairs to the TARDIS, this exchange occurs:
     

    (Clara reaches up with the umbrella and pulls the ladder down.)
    CLARA: After you.
    DOCTOR: After you.
    CLARA: After you, I'm wearing a dress. Eyes front, soldier!
    DOCTOR: My eyes are always front!
    CLARA: Mine aren't.
    DOCTOR: Stop it.  
    While this was a gag about her staring at the Doctor's butt, if one were actively trying to make a subtle allusion to Derpy, you couldn't use a better turn of phrase.
     
    Livin' on a Cloud
    Once the reach the top of the stairs, the Doctor and Clara walk to the TARDIS, which is stationed on a cloud manufactured out of thick water vapor. Later, we learn the Doctor had the ability to move the cloud and TARDIS to his desired location.
     

    CLARA: So you can move your cloud? You can control it?
    DOCTOR: No. No one can control clouds, that would be silly. The wind, a little bit. 
    Cloud-walking and weather control are a defining traits of pegasi. The pegasi population resides in a cloud city with a factor that produces rain, rainbows, and clouds, as winged ponies are superior to Time Lords in this instance.
     
    Let Them Eat Cake
    Here we come to the tastiest parallel between Derpy and Clara: The mutual love of a specific cake. From the beginning, Clara was known as soufflé girl. Baking soufflés is her passion, and was even a clue to the Doctor that she was the same person as Oswin.
     
    And of course, our Derpy is crazy about muffins. The last Derpy saw of the Doctor in episode three was when she gave him a bag of muffins she baked. When he returned several months later in Frostbite, the still fresh muffins where his proof that he was a time-traveller.
     
    Inside the TARDIS
    At last, THE SMOKING GUN!!
     
    Here the
    for the first time, and, as it usually goes, she's astounded by its dimensionally-transcendent nature.
    DOCTOR: It's called the TARDIS. It can travel anywhere in time and space. And it's mine.
    CLARA: But it's. Look at it, it's
    DOCTOR: Go on, say it. Most people do.
    (Clara does the traditional circuit of the outside and returns.)
    CLARA: It's smaller on the outside.
    DOCTOR: Okay. That is a first.  
    Over a millennium of time-travel and Clara was the first visitor to describe it as "smaller on the outside", a complete inverse of the usual "bigger on the inside". I see what you did there, Who writers!
     
    Too bad it was already "done there" by someone else.
     
    In Frostbite, the
    for the first time, and she's, of course, astounded by its dimensionally-transcendent nature. 

    (Doors open)
    DERPY: Wuh... Whoa...
    DOCTOR: Yeees?
    DERPY: It’s... it’s...
    DOCTOR: Go on...
    DERPY: ... It’s smaller on the outside!
    DOCTOR: Hmm... Fancy that.
    DERPY: Huh?
    DOCTOR: That’s one way to put it.
    DERPY: Well what was I supposed to say?
    DOCTOR: Well, sss... I was kinda expecting something about it being bigger on the inside, BUT who am I to complain?
    DERPY: That’s just silly. Look at it; it’s like... it’s like a can of sardines, all packed in.
    DOCTOR: Well you could say... Now wait a minute, how do you know about canned sardines?
    DERPY: Canned what? Who puts fish in cans? That’s silly. You’re silly, Doctor.
    DOCTOR: Yeeeah, I’m silly... SO!... To the south?
    DERPY: To the south! 
    How about that. A silly fanfic beat the actual show to the joke by a year. They even did it funnier.
     




    "BRONIES DID IT! BRONIES DID IT!"


     
    Takes One the Snow One
    Note that both The Snowmen and Frostbite have the commone theme of winter and snow, and through Frostbite's connection to Winter Wrap Up, it has loose ties to the Christmas holiday as well.
     
    In The Snowmen, Clara and the Doctor defeat an army of evil snowmen made out of organic crystallized beings, or alien snow, bent on turning the planet into a snowy hell for a new species of icemen. They all melt when salty rain pours from above, as does the cloud that the TARDIS is stationed upon.
     
    In Frostbite, the Doctor and Derpy defeat a fralorn bent on freezing the planet for the reproduction of its species. While not made ouf snow, it actually melts when Derpy moves the clouds in order to raise the temperature.
     
    This is almost eerie. Or perhaps I'm reaching. But c'mon, is there such a thing as a stretch when deriving the personalities of background ponies?
     
    Muuufiiiiins!
     
    Conclusions and consequences
    Head canon: If Derpy is Clara Oswald, that would give an entire new angle to Doctor Whooves fan fiction. With Derpy being the mascot of the MLP fandom, this theory strengthens the relationship to Doctor Who like nothing else, giving reason for all Whovians bronies to rejoice. The entire character of Doctor Whooves is grounded on a coincidence - the unintentional resemblence to the Tenth Doctor. What better way to complement is than with the idea that bronies set up seeds of allusion to Clara Oswald within Derpy before Clara even existed? It plays into both Clara's story and MLP's overarching theme of destiny.
     
    On the other hand, many fans would find this interpretation unsavory, as it takes away Derpy's originality by merely making her a shadow of a character from another show. And let's not forget this means she's fated to die in the near future in order to save the Doctor.
     
    As if Derpy's fan fiction wasn't sad enough.
     
    Conspiracy theory: Steven Moffat enjoys My Little Pony fan fiction. You heard it here first!
     
     
     
     
     




    Evil has a soft side.


  4. Kip the Dip

    Review: Pinkie Pride

    By Kip the Dip,

    Well fillies and colts, it looks like I have a new favorite episode. Party of One has been knocked down to #2. Party of One was about Pinkie Pie's existential crises when she believes her friends have rejected her as friend and party pony. Well, this episode had that exact same basic premise, but with the schizophrenic party of inanimate objects replaced with Pinkie competing against "Weird Al" Yankovic.
     
    Let me repeat that last part with greater emphases: FUCKING WEIRD AL!!!
     
    Can we just let that sink in? "Weird Al" Yankovic....was on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. And it was a musical episode at that. The hyped Pinkie Pie musical episode. It's really is an episode plucked straight from my fondest dreams.
     




    I have the exact same dream every night. Right down to the giant rainbow turd.


     
    First of all, let me just express how much I frickin' love Weird Al. I wouldn't say I grew up on him, but he was always creeping around in the background of my youth. I caught
    as a kid while it briefly aired Saturday mornings on CBS, immediately attracted to his goofiness. During my early teen years when I was infatuated with Avril Lavigne, I heard his parody of Complicated and found no end to annoying my sister with it. In 2006, his major hit helped influence my acceptance of myself as nerdy and odd from the inside-out, when it seemed like it was just at turning point in our culture when being a "nerd" was "cool". Not something of which to be ashamed, but a title to wear as a badge of honor. I ended up buying that album Straight Outta Lynwood and I've enjoyed Weird Al's novelty music and comedy ever since. Movie recommendation: UHF. 




    Ultra High Friendship


     
    Many Weird Al fans (Al-oholics?) likely have similar stories, but even among casual people he has this inherent likeability, even if you don't find him particularly funny. Being such a lighthearted clown with strong appeal to kids really helps him fit right at home in the world of My Little Pony, while his comedic spin on popular music and his status as an OG nerd also greatly suits the "brony" title and fandom. Could this be a match made in Heaven?
     




    "If pony Weird Al did not exist, it would be necessary for us to invent him." - Voltaire


     
    Enter Cheese Sandwich. It's as if Weird Al's DNA was spliced with a pony, a smidgen of Clint Eastwood (as a cowboy, not the crazy old kook who talks to empty chairs, although he could've used that skit to further one-up Pinkie Pie), and a literal cheese sandwich. Fitting for both My Little Pony's tradition of assigning ridiculous themes to ponies, and as an allusion to Al's early obsession with food. Specifically cheese, which for some reason is considered the edible epitome of quasi-weirdness, although my pals at Illogicopedia protest this. To top it off, Cheese Sandwich is a male counterpart to Pinkie Pie, the eccentric, reality-bending party pony known to play ten polka instruments at once. Yes, this is the best possible angle they could've took to justify Weird Al on MLP.
     
    And yet, while having "Weird Al" Yankovic as a guest star is a big deal, his presence didn't steal the show. They easily could've written this exact episode around the premise of Pinkie Pie having a competing party pony. This isn't so much "the Weird Al episode" as it is "Pinkie Pie, featuring Weird Al". Cheese Sandwich may be all the rage in Ponyville, but Pinkie's struggle with the feeling of inadequacy is the true heart of the story.
     
    And what a Pinkie episode it was. In my review of Pinkie Apple Pie, I mentioned how disappointed I was with Pinkie, finding her far more annoying than amusing. In fact, this whole season has felt like an exercise in Flanderization and character regression. She started to become more mature after Baby Cakes, but now she's doodling in a coloring book and playing an organ like a child with a plastic piano. And that squealing voice! AGH!
     
    To my relief and ecstasy, this one hit all the correct notes. She was appropriately crazy, excited without piercing my ears, and she had moments of depression that evoked real emotion from me. This is the correct way to do Pinkie Pie.
     




    YAY!!


     
    We follow Pinkie suffer the most universal of griefs: Realizing someone else is superior in what makes you you. Why even try, ya know? This was the first time MLP has touched on the premise of two ponies having the exact same special talent. (All the exiled Time Lords unaddressed.) A pony's natural talent prescribes their place in the given area's division of labor. However, Cheese is a universal loner, with a life of experience spanning all over Equestria. Not so much throwing a wrench in the system, but making Pinkie Pie obsolete.
     
    When Cheese Sandwich comes to town and steal's her role as party planner for Rainbow Dash's "birth-iversary" (really Amy?), she's knocked down the second place as the quintessential party equine. To make matters worse, her friends seem to have abandoned her - again. Whereas Pinkie's state of sadness in Party of One was brief with a moment of full mane deflation followed by insanity and anger, this had a mild deflation, but more emphasis on depression and self-realization. This stallion is a professional party planner, and all you have is balloons and a piddly-ass banner. Oh, and a cannon. How adorable.
     




    "Knock knock." "Who's there?" "A BIG ASS TANK!"


     
    Even beyond the novelty of "hurr hurr ponified Weird Al", Cheese Sandwich is now one of my favorite supporting characters. He's introduced as a serious Western figure, but, c'mon, we know that's Al under there. They don't even humor us for 30 seconds before he gets his 'cheesy sense' moment and we're all, "Mmm-hmm." Later in Ponyville, he milks this "serious cowboy" schtick for his introductory monologue, going all the way with a lame bait-and-switch, "Oh, I don't think so." *GASP!* "I KNOW SO!" Only then through the power of polka could his true form be summoned.
     
    As a musical episode, this vastly exceeded Magical Mystery Cure. Putting all the controversy aside, that episode straddled the line between so-so and suck. While the first half had three good songs out the four, Alicorn Hell had absolute zilch. Fortunately, all the songs in this one worked and were perfectly distributed.
     
    This opening song '
    ' was purposely molded after 'Belle' from the opening of Beauty and the Beast, with everyone in town singing. A lot of people liked Diamond Tiara singing and throwing a scrap of approval within her brattiness. I personally liked Mr. and Mrs. Cake. 
    The second one 'The Super Duper Party Pony' where we introduce Cheese Sandwich is a polka style tailor made for Weird Al. We get to see Cheese as a colt, with a rounder mane perm and big glasses like Al's trademarked look for decades. "Hey, good looking. Want some mayonnaise?" was the one time I chuckled out loud. This party polka sets the stage for silliness, yet it ends by turning bittersweet with Pinkie asking, "But what about the super party pony named Pinkiiie?" THE FEELS!
     

    . It's the sad part. Pinkie trying to incorporate her special talent into other jobs was amusing. I wonder if the surgeon scene was a reference to Weird Al's ' '. It's also been suggested the possibility that there may have been a subtle fandom nod to the infamous gorefic "Cupcakes", seeing as Pinkie offers a Mane 6 color-striped cupcake to the head surgeon. I say split the difference and make a creepypasta of Pinkamena and Cheese Sandwich. 




    That something you don't see very often. Weird Al gore.





     
    One thing that irked me was when Pinkie used the interlude to explain the previous episodes as featured on her party wall of fame. Not only did it hurt the mood, wasn't it kind of hacky writing?
     
    Even in the context of her talking to herself, she wouldn't narrate exactly like this. It feels as if they were treating us, the audience, as if we're stupid. For the kids at home for whom this was intended, which is a bit condescending. Well, okay, children under five watch it, but still. I realize most kids are not as obsessively and religiously devoted to all the episodes and every last painful, excruciating detail of the show as we are, but they do air reruns everyday, so maybe we could've managed without this walkthrough.
     
    Be that as it may, her voice sounded very cute with this cringey narration, and I did like this trip with the Ghost of Pinkie Past.
     
    Pinkie going out on the balcony and looks over Ponyville was really beautiful, invoking more Disney. This is followed by sad Pinkie turning in VENGEFUL PINKIE!
     




    An exclusive preview clip from MisterDavey's next video.


     
    Leap frogging over THE GOOF OFF!! to Pinkie's epiphany moment when she realizes she's failed Rainbow and decides to leave town. All her friends apologize for being neglectful of her...again...and she admits her pride ruined everything. Then comes Cheese
    to being liar. 
    I swear this must be the first serious, non-humorous song I've ever heard Weird Al sing. We see filly Derpy, a quick freeze-frame shot of filly Colgate wearing braces (nice), filly Cheerile and a grown Berry Punch who apparently keeps like a fine wine. Oh hey, and now the map of Equestria is canon.
     
    Cheese and Pinkie reprise 'Pinkie the Party Planner' when they learn a lesson about working together blah blah blah PARTY TIME. Holy hell, this party is so awesome it has a Rainbow Dash Macy's balloon.
     
    The last song, '
    ', was this electro-pop thing like the ones from Equestria Girls. It's pretty nice, upbeat and short. That's really all I can say. This scene speak for itself: 



     
    I've reviewed the rest, now time for the best...
     




     
    Remember when I said 'Apples to the Core' was the cheeriest song this show has ever done? Well that song is a dead pet compared to this one. When I stand in front of the personification of Eternity, and he asks me what was the purest expression of happiness, I'll answer, "The Goof Off."
     
    I mean, everything about it makes you smile. Pinkie throwing cupcakes in Rainbow's mouth and blowing bubbles. Cheese playing accordion on a giant wheel of cheese, manipulating Rainbow's face and oh God, those are cheese shoes. The combined powers of Pinkie Pie and Weird Al are so magnificent we get a live-action dancing rubber chicken and a real world Gummy who still could not give enough of a fuck to do anything in light of this strange new dimension.
     
    The entire mitzvah escalates in exuberance until we have Pinkie singing in Spanish on top of giant birthday cake piñata. The song she sings, a traditional Mexican tune, translates to: "Hit it, hit it, hit it / Don't lose your aim / Because if you lose it / You lose the way!" This was apparently supposed to allude to Pinkie missing the mark in her mission and her following epiphany.
     
    Speaking of gleeful songs, I love when Cheese starts singing a polka cover of "Smile, Smile, Smile", the most Weird Al-esque thing of the entire episode. Congratulations, Pinkie. You've finally made it as a musician!
     
    Actually, the fact that she was pissed itself was a joke. For the sake of good faith, Weird Al always asks the artists he parodies for permission before spoofing their songs. In this instance, Cheese made her angry by downright stealing her song.
     
    Taken to a more meta level (as I always do), we could find a parallel to the conflict between Weird Al and Coolio. Due to a miscommunication, Al wrote '
    ', a parody of ' ', without permission, leaving Coolio not exactly thrilled. 
    And who have we established comes from a background that is a living parody of the Amish life?
     
    Keeping within the context of the show, we should look back to The Cutie Mark Chronicles, the episode is notable for exploring MLP's theme of destiny. We learned that Pinkie Pie became the fun-spreading party pony thanks to Rainbow Dash, and now we know Cheese Sandwich himself was influenced by Pinkie. Coming full circle, here he is throwing a party for Rainbow with the pony who inspired him. He even gave Pinkie Boneless back (now at Chili's!), which will come into play when she opens the Tree of Harmony box.
     
    On that note, there's one flaw in this episode that may or may not be considered a plot hole: Since when does Rainbow Dash live in Ponyville? Cloudsdale can easily be rationalized as a party of Ponyville, and I suppose her family moved to Cloudsdale when she was a filly. Yet, more importantly, wouldn't her birthday have always coincided with the day of this move? Why is it suddenly a big deal this year? Could it be some kind of calendar overlap, like when the first day of Hanukkah fell on Thanksgiving? Or is this overlap a consequence of counting birthdays by "horse years"? (I challenge you come up with explanations that are both satisfactory and more badass than those.) This set-up doesn't make sense to me. Couldn't they have come up with a better reason for this birthday to be extra special that doesn't make my head hurt?
     
    Then again, I've learned to accept the fact that ponies have names given to them at birth by their parents that match their cutie marks years before they earn said cutie marks. I'll simply invoke the MST3K Mantra and call it a night.
     
    On last thing I'll touch on that many viewers noticed was that Pinkie has a new sister not featured in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, supposedly to keep in line with 'Pinkie Pie And The Rockin Ponypalooza Party'. There definitely will be more light on this mystery in the upcoming episode in which Pinkie's sisters come to Ponyville, the next one I'm strongly looking forward to.
     
    As for the episode at hand, it was more than satisfactory. It was..."epiiic?" Good songs, great character work with Pinkie, the best possible guest star for this show, a rubber chicken. My new favorite episode, I'll be watching it alongside Party of One when my own birthday rolls around.
     
    I'll end this review with the Brony Polka, a testament to what can result from the collision of Weird Al and bronies. A polka medley of popular original fan songs, creating a self-referential style parody of "Weird Al" Yankovic. Because this fandom hasn't nearly reached the summit of irony and meta. We need to crank out more inspiration in this vein while we wait for Al's appearance at BronyCon. *knocks on wood*
     




     
    What can you do? Dare to be derpy!
  5. Kip the Dip

    Miss Prissy Poo

    By Kip the Dip,

    I didn't add this to my main post articulating my theory that Derpy is Clara Oswald because it didn't fit with the flow of the feng shui. However, it's amusing enough that I've given it its own brief post.
     
    In the 6th episode of the Doctor Whooves and Assistant series, the Doctor and Derpy get into a heated argument. Near the end, we get this exchange:
     

    Derpy: You know what, maybe I DON'T want to have muffins with you!
    Doctor: Oh, I see, so you only care about muffins then?!
    Derpy: No I do not! I care about your promise, you idiot!
    Doctor: No, you only want to stuff your face with your precious muffins! Well, frankly I think you could lay off the muffins for a bit.
    Derpy: Wha-- a---are you calling me fat?!
    Doctor: No, I wasn't saying you are but I'm certainly thinking it!
    Derpy: *gasp* Oh, look at you, butter butt!
    Doctor: Hah, I may have a butter butt, but at least I don't have bubbly buns of steel! No, no wait, it's beyond bubbles. Your iron rump would likely pull the moon into a new orbit if I tossed you into space!
    Derpy: That's insulting!!
    Doctor: Oh your mother was twice as insulted when she gave birth to you!
    Derpy: You leave my mother out of this!
    Doctor: Phht, just look at you, your mother would be SO proud.
    Derpy: You don't even know my mother!
    Doctor: Hah, I'm old enough to know you're mother's mother's MOTHER!
    Derpy: Okay, whatever you say, grandpa!
    Doctor: So what if I'm a grandpa? Me being a grandfather has nothing to do with this, and it's none of your business!
    Derpy: Doctor's an old crabby grandpa pants! Careful grandpa, don't break your hip!
    Doctor: Oh, don't even start miss 'prissy poo'
    Derpy: 'Prissy poo'?! Yeah, well, pretty soon everyone's going to be asking you "Doctor Whoooo?"
    Doctor: At least it's not your name, Ditzy DOOOOOO!
    Derpy: It's better than no name at all, DOCTOORRRR!
    Doctor: Lookit me, I'm Ditzy Doo, I like muffins and being stupid!
    Derpy: I'm the Doctor, I'm a big lying jerk who doesn't know how to drive because I probably stole my ship and don't know how to use it!  
    Within a span of 40 seconds, Derpy alludes to three fundamentals of Doctor Who:
    She unintentionally brings up his status as a grandfather.
    She points out that he doesn't give his name.
    She correctly deduces that he stole the TARDIS.

    Now we jump to this encounter between Clara Oswald and the First Doctor:
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXZXbBK3B6k
    Clara helped the Doctor steal the TARDIS (*ding*) with his granddaughter (*ding*) in the opening of an episode aptly titled The Name of the Doctor (*ding*).
     
    If Derpy is merely another copy of Clara, it's possible that within this long-winded argument she had a subconscious memory of actually helping the Doctor steal the TARDIS in another life.
     
    Note that these tangents of Derpy's sequence of Doctor Who references were directly after the Doctor insults her love of muffins and brings her mother into it. Remember that muffins are the substitute for soufflés in this alternate dimension incarnation of Clara. In the aforementioned Who episode, Clara reveals that her love of soufflés stems from her mother. In fact, right before she jumped into the Doctor's time stream, she invokes her mother's soufflé philosophy.
     

     
    I believe that if anything were to trigger a quasi-memory in Derpy's mind of helping the Doctor steal the TARDIS, it would be the mention of muffins and her mother.
×
×
  • Create New...