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Whatevs

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  1. Whatevs
    Well, yes she is in my opinion. Taking a break from what I planned and doing a fluffier piece after seeing an argument on /mlp/ about this. While I planned on this just being a fluff piece I think it is the longest blog I have done.
     
    In support of this are the following: Faust made her character with that in mind (and since departing nothing has gone against that), official material supports this, and various in show elements exist to further support it.
    But it is not weird to see the contrary argued.
    In order to be clear, I am not saying the arguments are stupid or worthless in any way. I simply think they are flawed and heavily influenced by tunnel vision, often missing the point or easily supporting an alternate conclusion when viewed in the right context. By this I mean a few things: for one they take a lot for granted, are based highly on inference and as such can be interpreted differently, and lastly the interpretations drawn by the other camp are largely inconsistent with the show and characters as a whole. The last point being the major sticking point for this blog post.
     
    Before beginning with the specific arguments one should put forth the evidence in favor of Rarity being the prettiest. As I mentioned earlier it is supported by the show's creator. A weak example could be her interview with Ms. Magazine where she describes all the traits each pony is meant to convey, Rarity's being "artistic and beautiful". A better example is seen when Faust answered twitter questions and explained the reason she originally thought of Spike's crush was to convey that Rarity was exceptionally beautiful. Which is also an in show method of conveying this quality, not just Word of God. Both are linked below.
    Additionally, I pointed out that official material supports her beauty. Examples can be seen here, http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Rarity#Other_depictions, where one can see that in nearly every single entry she is described as beautiful and the other 5 are not because it is not a trait they are known for. Not to say that they are ugly in any way but simply that she is known for her beauty.
     
    Most importantly, male characters are frequently attracted to her, usually only her (and men do decide what is attractive for a woman let's be real), and even males of other species or high station showing that her allure transcends various boundaries. Notable examples include Blueblood, the stallions before the Grand Galloping Gala, Hayseed from the comics, the spider on one of the variant covers for the first arc was offering her a flower, the Dragon in Dragonshy, the nerd stallion in Putting Your Hoof Down, the Diamond Dogs in the Rainbow Rocks short, and Spike of course.
     
    As can be seen this is consistent with all representations of her, from the show to the comics to Equestria Girls. This consistency is important because it is what the arguments to the contrary need to be checked against.
    And as a brief aside I do lump all three together when discussing her character. Because while they may not be the same individual, or are in different continuities, they are all meant to represent her character in each instance and in terms of characterization are the same character simply reacting to different situations like in the comics or in a different station like in EQG. For example EQG Rarity would have been prom queen over Sunset if it were not for underhanded tactics on the part of Sunset, so one can infer that being a social butterfly is consistently shown as a trait to her character and use that as evidence. Like a restaurant franchise there may be minor differences but still essentially the same menu and corporate culture, and can be used to make judgments on the company as a whole when aggregated. I suspect lots of people may not like this attitude of mine but it never extends beyond using evidence from all three sources to support arguments.
     
     
    The arguments to the contrary of my opinion typically fall under these two camps: Rarity relies on cosmetics and therefore is not naturally pretty, and In Green Isn't Your Color it is confirmed that Fluttershy is the prettiest.
    Generally these arguments are used together, usually the former being used to support the latter. I say this because it is rarely seen on its own whereas the latter often is. The latter being the more important argument in my mind so we will focus on that first.
     
    In regards to Photo Finish picking Fluttershy as a model, I do think it was made abundantly clear by both Rarity and Photo Finish herself that Fluttershy's talents as a model are related more to her performance than her looks. Rarity compliments Fluttershy on her grace and poise when she asked Fluttershy to model for her at the episode's beginning, and Photo Finish never states Fluttershy's allure is her beauty. Instead she uses vague allusions to something not physical, such as "de magicks" or "graceful." For a similar example, it's like Trenderhoof preferring Applejack. In no way is it presented that this is for any other reason than Trenderhoof's preference. Again this is not to say that Applejack doesn't have admirable qualities, she has them in spades, just that Trenderhoof was only looking at one specific dimension to who she is.
    The lack of direct confirmation does not refute this possibility but when weighed against the evidence in Rarity's favor it is lacking.
    And potentially on a meta level, Fluttershy being picked to be a model and becoming famous due to Photo Finish always struck me as a dig at "appealing to authority." After all, at the end Rarity is able to convince the crowd to support Fluttershy. They went along with Rarity because a mare pointed out that because Rarity had good fashion sense she "must know a lot about fashion." And while this is true, there was no way those people would have known that and furthermore Rarity was making what she said up for the benefit of Fluttershy. As such they simply saw her as an authority and went along with her words. Moreover, they thought Rarity's fashion was excellent whereas Photo Finish did not. So it's not too hard to see this as an instance where an authority mistakenly dismissed someone with promise and elevated another who did not want the attention. Making Rarity overlooked (which happened in the scene with BonBon) and Fluttershy overexposed (which was made very apparent during the episode in its entirety). Which anyone using this episode as an argument for Fluttershy being prettier could also be seen as being guilty of.
    However that is possible sophistry on my part and not necessary for this post. Just a thought that I will not labor further.
     
    The second argument, that Rarity's beauty comes from skillful cosmetics use, is on its own is very weak since the obvious retort is to point out that there's no reason to assume anyone else in the Mane 6 is prettier. But when paired with the above argument it becomes much more convincing. Maybe Photo Finish saw that Fluttershy was a natural beauty hidden behind her shyness and brought it out, whereas Rarity is not as naturally pretty and needs cosmetics more.
    In addition to supplying the above point in regards to Photo Finish and Fluttershy I will also offer this observation. As best as I can remember, even when dolled up as a model Fluttershy didn't have any male suitors or interest. While not my whole argument on this front it is worth pointing out that Rarity still has that in her favor. Not to be outdone, the hypothetical proponent of this may point out that at the beginning of Green Isn't Your Color, Fluttershy did not want to have a lot of green goop put on her face. The implication presumably being that Fluttershy doesn't need it. This is incorrect. Fluttershy did not want as much of the green goop, yes, but she also wanted less work done on herself in general. Work that was not actually related to her physical appearance. This makes sense, Fluttershy is shy and would feel self conscious about being pampered and given so much attention. A microcosm of her feelings for the entirety of that episode.
     
    However to deal with the argument that Rarity needs cosmetics to be pretty on its own I point out that there is no good evidence that she is not naturally pretty. After all, all high class and fashionable ponies wear makeup and often have styled manes. So Rarity doing the same could simply be her putting a lot of effort into her appearance as is appropriate for her role as the pretty and proper character in the Mane 6. As well as Rarity being persnickety about looking good and a perfectionist who would put forth the maximum effort. So it can be seen as justified by her role and characterization. This being what was meant by many of these arguments being susceptible to different interpretations.
     
    Moreover, in Sisterhooves Social Rarity is seen playing in the mud with Sweetie Belle while it is raining. This would no doubt be disastrous for her appearance if she did need cosmetics so much but in fact she looked very good with her hair wet and normal style ruined. This is called Unkempt Beauty and nearly always indicates a natural beauty in media/fiction. A similar thing is seen in Simple Ways where Rarity purposely dresses poorly and stops taking care of herself and she looks much the same. Although to a much lesser extent.
    On the other side of the spectrum there have been scenarios where every mare would be wearing makeup and Rarity still received male attention. Instances like the Grand Galloping Gala. Being a classy event, one could reasonably expect all the female attendees to be looking their best. Especially since even Twilight Sparkle is seen powdering her face at the start and as I earlier pointed out high class mares almost always have visible makeup on, most of the mares at the Gala probably being high class.
    And of course, during this episode Prince Blueblood approached Rarity. And he probably did it because of her looks, there being no other reason to from his perspective.
    Truthfully this is inference but it is what the writers of the show chose to communicate to us, just as they made subtle suggestions towards Fluttershy's ability as a model being for something beyond appearance.
     
    For some minor analysis into Rarity and her looks while all of that has been said, they do play an important role in her character. Not just as a requirement for her role as the fashionista but deeper than that. Rarity can get what she wants using her looks. She's used it before to do just that but for the benefit of her friends. She even managed to seduce a Prince so Rarity would not have a problem being a trophy wife if she wanted to. But she still runs her boutique, even starting her work on fashion before she received her cutie mark. This is important for her character since it sets her apart from the stereotype characters like her usually are, for obvious reasons.
    Furthermore her vanity also reinforces her preference for form over function and her naivety when it comes to high society where she seems drawn in by the glitz and glamour from time to time despite the personalities of the Elites.
    And as some final food for thought with no real conclusion, Rarity is inspired by Audrey Hepburn more than anyone else. This is probably in reference to her idealism and charity but it is possible that she looks something like Audrey in the sense that she's not a standard beauty queen but has her own unique appearance. This could say something about her character as well but I personally don't think any answer I have is supported enough.
    But the overall message is clear: beauty is integral to Rarity's character.
     
    Before closing this out it is worth pointing out that while my evidence is also based on inference to some extent it does check out with the evidence in Rarity's favor at the start of this blog. Whereas the interpretations of the other side are largely inconsistent with that evidence. In my opinion, that is the difference.
     
    Faust's rebuttal to Ms. Magazine: http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/12/24/my-little-non-homophobic-non-racist-non-smart-shaming-pony-a-rebuttal/
    Faust twitter questions: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/05/lauren-fausts-twitter-questions-and.html
    Faust saying Rarity was most inspired by Audrey Hepburn: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2013/05/lauren-faust-answers-bunch-of-questions.html
  2. Whatevs

    Manehattan, a prelude

    By Whatevs,

    I have been meaning to do a blog on Manehattan for a while. This won't be the proper analysis although I will touch on it, this is more my general thoughts on the episode. The reason for doing this prelude is that I believe it makes the actual analysis easier by clearing up some issues and potential baggage. Some analysis and hints of analysis is present so if you like analysis you will get your fix.
     
    The first is that while I like this episode and think it is pretty good, it does suffer from being bloated. The most salient and most far reaching example is the inclusion of the main cast.
    The only purpose they serve is to change the conflict from Rarity having her work stolen to Rarity being mean as a backlash to this fact.
    I understand the writers wanted the ponies' elements to be challenged but they could have done that without the rest of the main cast. Perhaps have the tension be from Rarity trying to rectify Suri's theft alone in an unfamiliar city, causing her to compromise but realize her mistake and then be assisted by the various people she was generous with in the song Generosity. Such a format would be similar the Rarity' previous episodes where the conflict gradually emerges from her character being placed in a relatively simple situation. I fault nobody with taking issue with this as it is my only real gripe with this episode, even though I did enjoy the episode.
     
    Mentioning Generosity brings me to the issue of generosity in this episode (quite a leap I know) and the focus of this blog post. It is common for allegedly clever (hopefully this statement will not be proven ironic) to remark that Rarity was not being generous because of the expectations of favors or reciprocation.
    If this was the case, then yes they would have a point.
    But it is not. Rarity says, "the best thing about Manehattan is that when you do something nice for somebody, and you never know when they will do something nice for you." This is not entitlement and here's why: For one, when Rarity remarks that Manehattanites (?) repay good deeds done to them she is not expressing expectation or entitlement. She is describing them as possessing this positive quality, and maybe even expressing faith in this quality's existence. This being a rather charitable outlook on people, and not at all inconsistent with the Element of Generosity I might add. Rarity also includes the line "you never know when they will turn around and do something nice for you," which suggests too vague a concept of when she would be repaid and how she will be repaid to support the theory she is doing it out of self interest. In summation, she is not really expecting favors in any practical way but simply feels safe being generous with the Manehattanites because they reciprocate good deeds. The difference between this and expecting favors is that here Rarity is TRUSTING the Manehattanites rather than trying to manipulate them in any way. Trust is the key.
    Really, this should be argument enough but more is probably required.
     
    For one the song's lyrics themselves make it very clear that Rarity enjoys being generous for its own sake. Such as the following: "Oh, Manehattan, what you do to me Such a huge bustling community And there's always opportunity To do the friendly thing." This shows that Rarity is motivated by doing good for its own sake, as does, "If some are grouchy, pay no mind Surprise instead with something kind Lo and behold, you may just find A smile is what you bring."
    "Generosity, I'm here to show all that I can give Generosity, I'm here to set the bar Just sit back and watch how I live" A little aggrandizing to be fair but still confirms the sincerity of why she enjoys being generous. Remember she believes the Manehattanites are generous themselves so she is not convinced she is better than them. While she is the one setting the bar over the course of this song, they will meet it. Moreover it is an "I Am" song, it's going to be on the nose because it is by design about whatever qualities she possesses.
    "Some may say, "Rarity, Don't be so big-hearted and bold Treating strangers like they're friends This town's too big and cold" But this is how I play my cards I'm not about to fold Where I see a frown, I go to town Call me the smile patrol" Same as the first two parts.
    And lastly, "Generosity, I'm here to show all that I can do Generosity, you are the key Manehattan, I'm here just for you Just for you," This shows a commitment to service unto others.
     
    Furthermore, if Rarity were simply trying to garner favors, why would she further repay the generosity done in reciprocation with more generosity on her part?
    She begins by getting Spike a hotdog, repayment for his labor. This was minor but worth pointing out. Then she over-tips the bellhop for his helpful attitude. This causes the bellhop to help her out whenever she needs it, either by delivering her dresses or telling her where her friends went. And in each instance she tips him again, despite his eagerness to help her being in response to her earlier generosity. If Rarity truly saw this as nothing but an economic strategy, it would dictate that she should probably not bother tipping the bellhop again.
    Maybe, one could argue that tipping him again is simply to ensure more favors but that is a stretch and in disharmony with the aforementioned points about her motivation. But even disregarding all of that let us ask ourselves, "which is more likely?" That she is a clever and conniving emotional con-jobber with rather far reaching vision to be able to predict that she will need the help of others, and spreads token gifts thereby making them indebted to her socially to ensure that they do? Or that she's being as generous as she can but not saying no to their own instances of reciprocation?
    The latter is the most reasonable. There is more to this pattern but that will be touched upon later.
     
    My last major point over this issue is regarding a fair counterargument, one I don't hear as often as I would have thought,is that later in the episode Rarity DOES expect her friends to help her out because of her earlier generosity which lends credence to the entitlement argument. This is an accurate description of her later actions, and I will get more into this in the proper analysis, but if one recalls this was presented as a heel-turn on Rarity's part. Her words, "It was in this magnificent metropolis that I learned that while there are ponies who will take advantage of your generosity, you should never, ever let that cause you to abandon your generous spirit. Nothing feels worse than taking advantage of the giving nature of your friends." It is made clear that by the moral that this is not a way she commonly acts and was brought on by being taken advantage of herself. As such her realization that this was what she had become is presented as a return to form with the moral making it clear that the lesson was to be vigilant against this mentality. The lesson was not that the mentality itself is wrong, as Rarity already knew this but simply failed to see the behavior in herself. Furthermore, this statement reinforces the notion of trust. When Rarity was being generous earlier it was out of trust. When her trust was betrayed she became distrusting and began to use her earlier altruism as a way of manipulating favors from her friends. But then Rarity remembered the value of their contributions and all was restored. Trust being the linchpin between manipulation and a healthy self respect is very apparent here.
     
    As a segue to the final item, it is important for Rarity to believe others will repay her generosity in their own way. It is also important that she accepts this repayment from them. Not only because it displays a charitable faith in the general goodness of others which resonates strongly with her element, but also because to not accept their help is rather rude and egocentric in its own right. Largely because it presupposes that only her generosity and good will matters. Bear this in mind.
     
    To be fair to those who criticize this episode's conception of generosity; while it is true that while Rarity herself is not be guilty of perceiving Generosity as favors, is is possible that the episode itself still may. And it does, but this is hardly a negative. As I stated earlier, the concept of reciprocal altruism is not inconsistent with the Element of Generosity.
    In fact, it is a realistic and compelling method of expressing what Generosity means.
    I say this because Reciprocal Altruism is a concept in human/animal interactions where one will decrease their personal fitness (meaning literally how fit to survive they are in this context) to increase the fitness of another within their pack/tribe. This is done because of the pack mentality and concept of reciprocation social creatures possess. The one giving knows that if they need it the other is likely to assist them, as well as being a way to demonstrate loyalty to the pack as a whole and build social trust (as mentioned early on in this post). And while Rarity did not expect favors, she still fostered this kind of mentality through her actions. Both sides were getting what they liked through mutual generosity. It is not an instance of feeling entitled to favors. Rarity did not expect favors in any practical sense, and the Manehattanites certainly did not expect her to give anything to them. In short everyone is taking the best possible actions for one another, achieving the definition of a harmonious relationship. Which, as I understand it, is the idea behind these Elements and the show itself. In fact it is possibly the best expression of the Element of Generosity since it shows that generosity can be contagious and inspiring to others.
     
    Furthermore the idea of community is good depth for her Element and character as it allows her to repudiate the negative sides to not only her character but the also to the concept of nobility while embracing the positives, which is the concept of service unto others in both cases. The Elites from S&E largely exhibited service unto themselves to varying degrees and so does Rarity when she is misbehaving. Whereas Rarity when she is being good and Fancy Pants both exhibit service unto others, particularly those less fortunate. This is called Noblesse Oblige and as such this episode has great thematic importance to Rarity since it is the entire basis for her character's good traits.
    This is primarily what the analysis is going to be regarding as one can probably tell.
     
    Link: https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Reciprocal_altruism.html
  3. Whatevs
    IDW's second arc in its MLP:FIM series features Rarity being abducted by Nightmare Forces who then turn her into Nightmare Rarity, like Nightmare Moon with Luna.
     
    What is interesting is why they pick Rarity. The Nightmare Leader is clear that Rarity was picked for two connected reasons: she had self esteem issues, and with those they could manipulate her Generosity.
    And fortunately the comic provides insight into what those self esteem issues are. Rarity fears (or maybe feared if she got over it) being replaced, rejected, forgotten, unwanted by those around her.
     
    This is interesting, beyond being thematically consistent with a character who makes art to be appraised and gives things away for free, because of how it develops her desire to join High Society and the steps she has taken to achieve it.
     
    Reinventing who she is from the ground up and trying to fit in to High Society is clearly a search for identity on her part, and can even be a search for a sense of belonging.
    After all, Becoming Popular graces us with the line "not just another Jane Doe." A clear exclamation of having achieved a position of relative fame and prestige. The rest of the song goes into this as well but this particular lyric resonates greater in comparison to the Nightmare Rarity arc as they both capitalize on the same emotion. A fear of being unknown and unwanted.
    Without Nightmare Rarity, the Jane Doe line could have simply been a turn of a phrase. However I don't think it is now. After all, the author of Nightmare Rarity probably got the idea from somewhere, and did state that they felt it made up for Rarity's absence in Season 3. Meaning that, on the perspective of the author, it contributes something to Rarity as a character.
     
    Beyond simply adding an issue of identity and standing to her character, the Nightmare Rarity arc (as I touched on here http://mlpforums.com/blog/1599/entry-12489-an-addendum-to-the-freudian-thing/) also shows that Rarity's desire to be popular and important is part of her instinct to also be generous. When she is generous she is ingratiating herself to others and gaining social connections while doing so, whether she intends to or not. Rarity Takes Manehattan took advantage of this with the recipients of her generosity helping her later in the episode.
    But also when she is raising her own status she displays an understanding of Noblesse Oblige (that nobility set the example of behavior and are charitable), as evidenced by her general behavior but more specifically her actions in two episodes.
    In Sweet & Elite, during Becoming Popular specifically, she is the only member of the Elites to support the paintings at the gallery, and bid on initially unwanted items at the charity auction. Each time this not only causes the other Elites to do as she does, but it also displays a less snooty and more charitable character on her part. Particularly when she went to those events to placate the same Elites who hosted them, as they histrionically threatened cancelling the events if she did not come. Simply put, Rarity understood being a good guest by being acquiescent to those in 'need', not being so flippantly stuck up as to turn her nose up at the unappreciated works of others; and being a Star of High Society by acting as a tastemaker when appropriate.
     
    In addition to Sweet & Elite, Rarity takes Manehattan also displayed this concept. Although to a lesser and more visible extent. Rarity used her social connections with important people in the play to do nice things for her friends. Initially just getting them the tickets, later a private showing as contrition for her poor behavior, and lastly giving her job to the talented but previously unsung Coco Pommel.
     
    These episodes display not only her modelling behavior as befits a noble but also sharing the fruits of her achievements with others. Even if done unknowingly, or rather without any direct expressed intent, this is what one can take away from her actions. In fact, her acting this way so casually and without forethought in many of these instances strengthens this as a part of who she is as it casts this behavior as autonomous or default rather than something unique and fleeting. It also displays how her desire to be important and her desire to be generous are linked, she satisfies both at the same time.
     
    Hopefully, the concept of Noblesse Oblige will be explored further with Rarity as it provides a compelling avenue down which to develop her character further.
    But that is another blog.
  4. Whatevs
    I neglected to mention an important dynamic to Rarity's character that revolves around two of her songs in my earlier analysis. Link for posterity: http://mlpforums.com/blog/1599/entry-12196-freudian-psych-and-rarity-pretentiousness-intensifies/
     
    In that analysis I used her songs as the primary source of my analysis. Here I will do the same but between two of the songs like I had meant to do in the earlier post.
    Becoming Popular, the "I Want" song, and Generosity, the "I Am" song. These songs display traits that are often at odds, and this cuts right to the core of rarity as a character. The "I Want" song is clearly the Id, and "I Am" the Superego as a recap.
    In BP, she both expresses a desire to be popular but also charts her rise to popularity (which is why I find it truly baffling how people argue she was not actually good at socializing with the Elites when this song shows her charming them but that is another blog).
    This is generally seen as a bad or neutral trait, caring about one's own elevation in such a petty manner.
     
    Certainly it is almost always at odds with the ideas presented in Generosity (another blog post) where she enjoys being generous out of altruism.
     
    However, this is not as hard to understand through the lens of my earlier Freudian analysis. I said her Id is simply after social acceptance and belonging (popularity), which while true ignores the role the superego plays.
    As the Nightmare Arc showed, she values not simply being popular but being accepted and valued. A reasonable position for a character whose profession and virtue revolves around giving or selling things which are then appraised and deemed valuable or not.
    Hence me referencing the Id and Superego as being two sides to the same coin in my earlier post. By being generous she is satisfying her Id as she garners validation.
    Which is representative of what Rarity as a character has always been: popular alpha girl with a heart of gold.
     
    Some of the mentally subnormal may take this opportunity to claim that "if she is getting validation then she is not genuinely generous!" This concept is so laughable that the show FRIENDS made fun of it, which was brought to my attention by Roboshi of Derpibooru. The fact is that feeling good and enjoying the care of others for being a good person does not invalidate generosity. Only a generous person would feel good by being generous or value others enough to be validated by helping them. A truly selfish person would not do these things.
     
    But back to the substance of this post. Unnoticed aspects to Sweet & Elite and Rarity Takes Manehattan help bring this idea together. In Sweet & Elite Rarity goes to the parties partly because she would like to and would enjoy them but what really pushes her is the Elites guilting her into doing so. They make obvious allusions to the idea that her not coming would mean the events might as well be cancelled and that they would be personally distraught by this. Rarity echoes this idea in the next scene. An example of how these two motivations are blended. As she valued being accepted by the Elites and chose to satisfy this by putting their "needs" before her own (as she wanted to work on Twilight's dress. And while this didn't work out it is more an issue of not knowing who to trust and be loyal to which the lesson of the episode addressed).
     
    But more important are her actions during the song. At the art gallery she is the first to like the artwork, which causes the other Elites to like it as well, whereas the other Elites were indifferent. Later at the charity auction she bids on a piece no one else cares for (and probably did not care for based on their half-lidded expressions), causing them to all bid on it. Whether this was intentional on her part or not doesn't matter. It still shows a far less snooty and more charitable way of life than the Elites. Demonstrating a willingness to share the spoils of her social attainment with others as she chose to be supportive of the efforts of others.
    An aspect present in her character in other areas. She did it in Green Isn't Your Color when she turned the crowd to Fluttershy's side and it is analogous to her using her fashion skills to make others look good. In both instances she uses her advantages to help those who could use it.
     
    However Rarity Takes Manehattan showed it even more. She was freely generous, and through this garnered social connections which she then used to be more generous. At the beginning of the episode she shares a "thank you gift" from her fashion peer with her friends.
    And with the bellhop pony, who helps her at every opportunity he can, she repays with more gems as an additional thank you. Not to mention the ending where she gets a private show and Coco a job. All due to social connections.
     
    So both of these seemingly competing interests are in fact compatible with Rarity as a character.
     
    This also shows what separates Rarity, and her episodes, from the other ponies. Her episodes taken as a whole are widely seen as the best of the mane 6 and this fact is corroborated by IMDB.
    Personally I attribute this to the fact that her depth of character allows her to use similar motifs and plot points as a jumping off point for completely different stories, an example of which is shown above.
     
    The following gif is one I just find funny.
  5. Whatevs
    No way around this. Every blog has been about Rarity. Why? Truthfully I did not plan this but it's what I have the most thoughts about.
    The thing with Rarity is, imo, she's simply Best Pony. Even though there are many things I think could improve the character if they were changed she still scores high on the main 3 areas I think most people judge characters on: depth, development and likability. She's not the highest on all 3, except depth as I think she sinks everyone else (huehue), but she does overall the best.
     
    And I often find her underrated in the fandom, and underrepresented in the analysis community (take that with a grain of salt, I am by no means a connoisseur). Sometimes with good reason admittedly, even if I disagree I can see where those who underrate her are coming from, but sometimes not.
     
    So I want to use this hiatus to get my overall impression and analyses out there. Because I have something big coming up which will radically change my life. While I doubt it will end my involvement in the fandom it will hamper it. So I want to make a good end while I can.
    My biggest hurdles are motivation and motivation.
    Two different issues with motivation. I am distract-able and often leave blog unfinished, adding to them over a few weeks. Not the worst thing ever but I am used to writing papers out in one go from school and almost never had to proofread (while still getting high marks in high level classes; don't worry, I am stopping now). As you can tell, that was a long while ago but the bad habits remain as they so often do. As such my posts tend to be poorly structured and disjointed. Hence why I often edit them after releasing them. The posts about Rarity's Flaw and Freudian Psyche being heavily revised.
    But this issue is something for me to fix, it's simply worth letting people know.
     
    My second issue with motivation is what I would like help on. With the exception of the next two topics or so, I don't know what to write. The root of this issue is my method of recording my ideas and hooks for my analyses has been to simply write them down as they come with no organization, and now I obviously want to organize them. However I've reached the point where the material to be organized is rather massive in scope.
    So any organizational tips would be greatly appreciated.
     
    The next blog will address what I've found to be a weakness in my analyses, addressing the right audience.
    My first blogs about Rarity were written about things that occurred to me, a rarifan, and other rarifans enjoyed. But to a non-rarifan it may seem weak without proper schema. I need to start from the ground-up and not top-down.
     
    Kindly leave your thoughts below as per usual.
  6. Whatevs
    Saw this old copypasta I made a long while ago posted on /mlp/ recently. It got me thinking.

     
    I suppose the first thing to do is talk about what I would change.
     
    Mainly I would develop the three sides to her personality better. Using Freudian psychology is fun even if it is not accepted in modern psychology. It's simply a good way of ordering her personality. And as I mentioned in the above copy image, they all correspond with a particular area of interest or facet to her identity. Naturally, this is a character analysis and not a genuine psychological insight. Everything is too simple for that.
     
    Naturally, one may argue that this is an arbitrary and/or contrived way of analyzing Rarity. I disagree, because she does lend herself to it very easily. Not just because of how the three levels of the psyche correspond with different sides to her character, but also because it is an idea clearly shown in her songs. The songs being very strong insights into the character in question after all.
    Really though, none of the other ponies have anything like this and it is my contention that Rarity is the deepest (meaning being composed of the most complex emotions and motivations) and this is a good way to get to the heart of why I think that is the case.
     
    Operational definitions are needed naturally.
    Id - primary motivations of a person, unconscious desires.
     
    Superego- conscience essentially, learned cultural norms and morals. Often acts in opposition to the id
     
    Ego - reconciliation of the Id in accordance with what can be practically achieved. It is also responsible for satisfying the Super Ego as it (the Ego) is the dominant part of the psyche, although it does not directly control the Super Ego. It simply has to take into account what it wants.
     
    As mentioned before, each one of her songs illustrates one of these terms.
     
    Becoming Popular is her Id, she wants acceptance. It also shows her primal fear, rejection and being overlooked. As shown by the line "not just another Jane Doe" and used to greater effect in the Nightmare Rarity arc.
    This side to her could be called the Artist, she wants to shine and hates rejection. Consistent with how artists operate. This is a base desire of hers, it is her core motivation as a character.
    Becoming Popular does also show off her Ego, so it is not a pure look into her Id. This is because being a socialite is a realistic way of satisfying the Id. Perhaps not the most moral way, but such concerns are the demesne of the Superego. The Nightmare Arc is the best example of a deeper look into Rarity's Id, but Becoming Popular came first and shows both the happy and sad sides to the Id, the hope and the fear.
     
    Rarity's Season 4 song, Generosity, is clearly the superego. Showing her social graces and moral leanings.
    The superego is her as a Lady. Ladylike charm and grace is a learned social expectation which is consistent with what the superego governs. Not to mention being a lady means, in some form or another, being generous.
    It is also responsible for judging one's behavior and striving for perfection. Another aspect to Rarity's character as she is nearly always the first to judge her own misbehavior and always elects to do better. Sonic Rainboom, Green Isn't Your Color, Sisterhooves Social, Sweet & Elite and Rarity Takes Manehattan all employ this aspect of her. And in every case she, in essence, strives to be more appropriately ladylike.
    Moreover, the back and forth between the Id and Superego is not only apparent in her flaws, as they are almost invariably a conflict between these two sides of her character, but is also responsible for another aspect of her character.
    As stated previously, Rarity wants to shine and receive positive attention. However another side to her personality is her desire to have others shine and, more precisely, look beautiful. In fact, one could ague she wants to make the world beautiful when she can. Which is the result of the interplay between these two sides to her, she sees such a thing as being fulfilling for her and wants to share it in accordance with her ethical principles. This is not the exclusive way she shows her generosity, but it is the most prominent.
    In this way, the Superego shows its influence over the Ego and consequently the Id. This is shown by Art of the Dress since she wants her friends to shine but is also what the Inspiration Manifestation book took advantage of with its magic, as Rarity believed she was helping others and also wanted praise and accolades for doing it. It is very easy to see this as her Ego (the side devoted to taking things realistically) being removed from the equation and leaving the Id and Superego to satisfy each other without regard for the reality of what she was doing. Which makes Spike telling her the truth fairly meaningful, as it removed her ability to not see what was happening and broke the book's spell. It can even be seen in Magical Mystery Cure wherein she wanted to improve the weather through artsy designs but only made people dislike her, which in turn made her sad for disappointing them.
    Furthermore, the Nightmare Rarity shows the interplay between her desire to be accepted and her generosity as two sides to the same coin. The Nightmare even goes so far as to state her generosity and her insecurity are how they were able to turn her.
     
    Lastly, Art of the Dress is her Ego as she is reconciling her Id's desire to shine in a constructive way. Where she makes use of her talents and interests to further this end.
    Here she also is attempting to satisfy the Superego by acquiescing to her friends' demands. After all, another task of the Ego's is to avoid upsetting the Super Ego.
    And the Ego could be called the Fashionista. As it is the ego's job to reconcile the id, and her fashion is her using her traditionally feminine interests to express her artistry. Artistry being the Id, and her feminine sensibilities being the Lady (Super Ego).
    Fashionista may not be the best term, other acceptable labels may be Entrepreneur or Socialite, however I find Fashionista to be better as it is directly reconciling the feminine interests at the core of who she is into something concrete and real for the purpose of making her mark on the world. Which is what the ego does, reconcile the psychology of a person in accordance with reality. Socialite can arguably be better since it is clearly a feminine term and more clearly shows what Rarity is after, social acceptance. Entrepreneur, on the other hand, is a term I found to be lacking as it fails to capture the same dynamic the other two do.
    Truthfully, the Ego is present more or less throughout her entire personality (since it can be represented by her job, and the Ego is the strongest part in a stable person). This song is just the first and most obvious time we see it.
    Moreover, Art of the Dress more prominently shows the interplay between all three sides to who she is. It shows how she satisfies her id in a realistic manner, but also shows how the superego influences the id to more moral goals rather than a purely practical one, as evidenced by her allowing her friends to make their alterations to her dresses.
     
    I would add more but I think I can make more blogs out of them and give them more spotlight that way. One such subject would be what being based off of Audrey Hepburn means for her character exactly, not to mention giving the Nightmare Rarity arc the exposure it requires since it is the most intimate look into her personality in the entire franchise. They can, of course, be done together.
  7. Whatevs
    This is an episode I go back and forth on. Be warned, this is off the cuff. But, as always leave any thoughts below.
     
    Getting right into the episode, on the one hand I disliked the way Rarity is portrayed. She was largely just a fangirl chasing a Trend...erhoof. This being a slight problem as Faust said in her rebuttal to Ms. Magazine,Rarity was always meant to be someone who makes her own way with fashion rather than aping trends. And in many ways this is in the same spirit as that.
    To me this was a far cry from the Rarity of Best Night Ever, who did fangirl over Blueblood but did so with (relative) restraint. This time around Rarity had to carry the idiot ball. This is my issue, generally speaking. I had a hard time looking past this.
     
    On the other I at least understand the episode had a deliberately unserious tone. The beginning has that other group of contestants wearing absurd outfits, Pinkie Pie getting a big head, Rarity getting roses for simply being chosen as if it were an Academy Award, the awkward scene with Trend staring at AJ, his bad limericks, Rarity's cowgirl get up and AJ laughing at Rarity going full on hick.
     
    But let us talk about other pitfalls and potential pitfalls and tie this all around as well as talk about some overlooked aspects to the episode.
    My biggest obstacle to liking the episode was my belief that Rarity was motivated by jealousy and as a result was stealing Trenderhoof from AJ (as she would not have known AJ did not care). Naturally this would be vastly uncharacteristic of the Rarity from Green Isn't Your Color.
    However, I now believe this to be an erroneous concern. There really is nothing to suggest Rarity thought AJ liked Trenderhoof, in fact the episode functions as if she did not. She shows up when AJ tries to get rid of Trenderhoof and she is not at all surprised whenever AJ tries to distance herself from Trenderhoof.
     
    And while she does later think AJ is trying to be with Trenderhoof, she uses the term "steal" which to me suggests Rarity mistakenly believed AJ wanted him for herself despite not loving him sincerely.
     
    But ultimately the fact that is AJ's lack of affection for Trenderhoof is never questioned by Rarity (which one would think she would be surprised by if she were trying to steal him away) so I do not believe we as the audience are supposed to believe she was trying to steal Trenderhoof from AJ.
     
     
    A large bone of contention for many people with this episode was the idea that Rarity had latent disdain for AJ which was reflected by her hick impression. This is a valid concern, but again I believe Rarihick was put in purely for comedic purposes.
    In fact at the beginning Rarity tells Trenderhoof that Sweet Apple Acres is the core of Ponyville, and at the end she remarks that AJ looks great and was a great friend to her. So I do not believe Rarity has any real disdain for AJ. And Trade Ya agrees.
     
    So I do like a lot about the way Rarity is portrayed. She was not being invidious in any way.
     
    One aspect of this episode that I do not see talked about is how this episode does emphasize Rarity's generosity, even if it was misdirected. After all, what does it say about her devotion if she was willing to change for Trenderhoof?
    The answer is it says a lot. But it is not without its problems as well. Namely this makes Rarity seem insincere (because she was being insincere even if she sincerely cared about pleasing Trenderhoof).
    And, there really is no good answer for that. One could point out that her change of heart at the end was brought about suddenly by a fairly mundane thing indicates that her true self would show through without much provocation (another reason I doubt this episode was meant to be taken seriously in any way).
    But even so it does get into the main issue with the episode. Rarity was not Rarity. As a character Rarity's best qualities are not her generosity or class (especially not the latter as this is a cartoon) but it is her sincerity in being who she is. This is not to say that Rarity is super-independent-woman-who-dont-care-what-you-think, as a generous and tactful lady does care what other people think, but she does not debase herself like this.
     
    I understand the idea that Rarity had been crushed by this but even so, the primary reason the episode took the route it did was for comedy in my estimation.
    Rarity's dramatics have nearly always been done more as a comedic character trait rather than genuine heartbreak. Even when something serious does cause these responses, Tabitha goes so over the top with her performances to take them as anything more than cartoony exuberance. So to base a large part of an episode around a breakdown could only seem comical to me. Perhaps this is wrong on my part.
    Had the episode primarily dealt with the idea that Rarity had been emotionally crushed and felt the need to change who she was for Trenderhoof, it could have been a very interesting look at Rarity's character but I suspect it would have had a more sympathetic tone rather than a comical one. This is where the idiot balling came in, in my opinion.
     
    However, this has always been a convention which has dogged Rarity's footsteps as a character. She often has the positive qualities of her character subverted for humor. Season 4 did a good job avoiding this which is why I believe her popularity rose this season by so much and this episode only erred a little. Rarity was acting like a goofball but she was not being mean in any way. Had she been it would have been a real step backwards.
     
    Hopefully Season 5 will understand that Rarity doesn't need to stretched and twisted to fit an episode or scene. She is a naturally funny character, and a naturally engaging character. An episode about her whining was a big hit after all, and her focus episode are still all extremely good. Let Rarity be Rarity.
    Ultimately, I have to come down on the negative side of this episode but I can understand liking the episode's humor. It ultimately just did not land for me.
  8. Whatevs
    So I've watched Digibrony's analyses on Pinkie and something sticks out to me.
     
    The crux of this argument is that Pinkie has a fractured psyche and reverts to a depressed state whenever what she believes to be true about herself is shattered.
    But she is also the one to bring herself out (usually, as with all of the episodes this part fluctuates).
     
    Slight issue. Is this not true of all the Mane 6? Whenever their calling in life (represented by their CM) is challenged they fall back and behave bizarrely.
    I mean this whole image was based on that.
     

     
    Rarity had a whole comic about it.
    Fluttershy has had multiple episodes about it.
    They all have. It's not special when Pinkie does it.
  9. Whatevs
    At the risk of prematurely establishing a pattern I'd like to devote my next blog post to an issue that has bugged me for a long while.
    I disagree that Rarity's flaw is "selfishness".
    A desire to make a blog post on this resurfaced after watching Digi's analyses of Rarity's episodes as he seems to have taken this idea much further. In Manehattan he asserts that the desire to be generous is in a certain way also a selfish desire.
    I understand it was a theme in Manehattan, emphasized when she expected her friends to help her solve her problem, however that was in no way a lasting part to her character. Yes, when she was having her freakout she did take on the 'egoist generosity' idea but she moved past that. The whole point of the resolution (by running out of the competition, not caring that she lost, getting a private showing and giving the job to Coco) was that she had forsaken this notion and sought to do good out of contrition and for its own sake.
     
    This was presented as a return to form, as the whole Generosity song was about this worldview, that good begets good. Yes it would be easy to say that by believing people would repay her in their own way she was still adhering to the idea that being generous would ultimately benefit her, but her vague idea in social karma is simply not enough to justify that. Particularly when her way of using the proceeds from her generosity was to be more generous; this is evidenced by her constantly tipping the bellhop for helping her even when his help was to repay her earlier generosity.
     
    This is important as it serves as a microcosm of her behavior. Being an episode about her outlook on the world, it should.
     
     
    Whenever the subject of Rarity's flaws comes up it always tend to devolve into "she's selfish."
    Admittedly rarifans have also contributed to this as well in an attempt to have a blanket descriptor of her faults. However I still find this label to be erroneous and misleading.
    The accusation that she's simply selfish never made much sense to me as she is very giving, cares about being a good friend and her instances of self-centeredness were always fleeting.
    Moreover, she's never motivated by selfishness and she always does what she can to make amends for her misbehavior (which is the antithesis of selfishness). Perfectly encapsulated by Manehattan.
     
    I would argue that a simpler explanation of Rarity's overarching flaw exists.
    Really I think her flaw is just that she's a drama queen prone to getting caught up in the moment.
    But proper examples first and an operational definition of selfishness.
     
    Selfishness: caring only (or excessively) for ones out own betterment, lacking concern for others.
     
    Sonic Rainboom. Yes, she did care about her aggrandizing. However she was oblivious to the effect this had on Rainbow Dash and was ashamed of herself for her behavior. Not to mention that it was she who wanted to cheer on Dash. The most selfish I would say, despite such not being her motives she still forgot her purpose.
     
    Sisterhooves Social. Again, she was unfair to Sweetie but also changed for Sweetie and her bad behavior was caused by frustration.
     
    Sweet & Elite. This was actually the least selfish of them all. She feared not going to the Garden Party would ruin her dream and lied to her friends to avoid disappointing them. So she handled a situation poorly, but in a very human way.
     
    Manehattan. Her motivation was obvious here, she was angry and lashed out unfairly at her friends. Followed again by contrition.
     
    Simple Ways. Again, simple. Her obsession with Trenderhoof and being passed up by him sent her into a comical frenzy.
     
    These are fairly heterogeneous save for one commonality. They are all examples of overreaction. Something Rarity does plenty of as Inspiration Manifestation showed. None of them are motivated by selfishness in any way. The closest would be Sonic Rainboom as self aggrandizement is rather close to selfishness. But even then, Rarity's generosity was still present even if she was careless.
     
     
    The counterargument I can currently see as having the most weight is that being caught up in the moment is still selfish as she is being caught up in what is relevant to her to the exclusion of others.
     
    A good point to be sure, however, I would argue such a critique could be leveled at all of the Mane 6. The majority of conflicts involve one or two members of the Mane 6 getting worked up over something important to them and creating unintended consequences.
    To put it another way, that criticism would hold a lot of merit in real life but not so much in a show where characters trying to assert their desires and getting carried away is the formula.
     
    Moreover, even despite all that, she still would not be motivated by selfishness so to say it is her personal failing is still erroneous as it still implies she is cognizant of her selfishness in some way. Because it simply does not describe accurately her actions as a character.

  10. Whatevs
    I've been haphazardly working on other blog entries but this occurred to me and is not worth a forum thread.
     
    Rarity has really only had 1 episode. Yes, there have been three episodes where she stars (not counting Sweetie Toils for this) but neither Simple Ways nor Inspiration Manifestation actually focused on her as a character.
     
    Simple Ways simply flanderized her personality for its sitcom plot and IM had her bewitched.
     
    Meanwhile AJ had 5 episodes I believe. Yea, they weren't always about her directly but still....
     
    Just putting it out there for the sake of discussion.
  11. Whatevs
    Hey. I've decided to make one of these blogs just to get my perspective out there and see if people like it.
    Being the first entry any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. I have not written anything like this in a long while and sadly I waited too long to do it so many of the ways I wanted to present these ideas were forgotten so any advice would be welcome.
     
    At this point I don't think reviewing the episode traditionally is at all necessary. Many other people have done that, and better than I could.
    The pacing was perfect, the visuals were great and the episode was able to pull off being lighthearted or serious whenever it needed to be either.
     
    Instead I am going to focus on one aspect of the episode that I feel could be expanded upon: how this episode developed and explored both Sweetie Belle's and Rarity's characters. Fair warning: this is off the cuff.
     
    Let's start with Sweetie.
     
     
    The obvious is that it added a new facet to her character, jealousy towards her sister and anger towards feeling overshadowed.
    The main pitfalls of an episode like this are: having this flaw come across as contrived and making the character unsympathetic.
    Polsky avoided both through the 5th birthday Subplot. Wherein Sweetie wants to make a grand entrance like the "belle at the ball." Wait... I've heard that line before.
     
    Showing Sweetie's desire to shine here helped the episode immensely. The indirect rejection made the audience feel sorry for her, and the existence of the subplot made the conflict seem more organic to her character.
     
    With both pitfalls avoided one could appreciate how the episode played out.
    But rather than focus on that (as other reviewers have) let's look at how this affects Sweetie's character retroactively, particularly how she responds to her sister.
    It makes her desire to help Rarity into a desire to have a hand in her sister's success and catch her radiant glory as well as casting a new dimension on her... loose conception of personal property. I am referring to a few moments in Season 1 when Sweetie would "borrow" supplies from Rarity. Again, not unreasonable to assume she's trying to shine here.
     
    However, the episode is not just about Sweetie. It is about her relationship with Rarity. And this is where the episode truly shined in my opinion. Through this, it was able to develop not just Sweetie Belle but Rarity as well.
     
    Referencing the "Belle of the Ball" earlier, this was of course, a line from the song Becoming Popular. Sung by Rarity.
    This suggests parallelism between Rarity's and Sweetie's desires to shine and be noticed.
    Both are innocent desires to be adored and appreciated by others for who they are and what they can do.
    This, after all, was what Becoming Popular was about. Rarity finally makes it into the circle she always wanted and revels in the attention lavished on her.
    Some have confused this as some kind of egomania or narcissism on her part. But I will leave that for another blog where I go into more depth about Sweet & Elite in general as I have seen many people misunderstand what Rarity was doing in that episode. And as a result, disparage either her or the episode itself.
     
    In addition to this, there is the obvious character development for Rarity as we are shown her being a conscientious sister (which makes sense as her takes a sisterly role with many of her friends, particularly Fluttershy and Twilight) but also she is far more patient with Sweetie in this episode that in Sisterhooves.
     
    Some may argue that she is too saintly in this episode (presumably to discredit her or the episode). I disagree. Even though Rarity is more patient with Sweetie Belle, she is not an infinitely understanding saint. At the end Rarity still becomes frustrated by Sweetie. Not to mention that Rarity seems out of her depth when confronted by Sweetie's admittedly petty concerns. I enjoyed this a lot as well as their relationship still has the same realistic depth to it as before. They're never perfect but also never dysfunctional (aside from that lame gag in Sleepless, which was temporary as they were very close in that episode as well).
    So there's no cause for alarm there.
     
    But really, this is what always made Sweetie and Rarity's relationship resonate with me more than Applejack and Applebloom's. They have this kind chemistry and a deeper relationship. Despite being different people, they mirror one another in a way that siblings often do. Which makes their relationship a lot more interesting, and more touching in my opinion.
     
    Kindly leave your thoughts below, I would love to hear them.
  12. Whatevs
    Don't worry. Nothing about EVA in here, in fact it exists as a good example of what this will NOT be about. I just saw it scrolling for an image and it gave me the idea to do this followup to my Nightmare Rarity blog post, as it occurred to me that saying Rarity has the kind of insecurity I argued she has can be a double edged sword for different people. Link: http://mlpforums.com/blog/1599/entry-12974-nightmare-rarity-and-how-it-affects-raritys-character-on-the-whole/
     
    After all, people like her confidence. And seeing her as an insecure little girl can turn them off. But don't worry. It's not that simple.
     
    Firstly it is worth mentioning that all of the Mane 6 have some kind of angst that people find endearing and argue makes them deeper characters. And I happen to agree. Moreover, the idea that Rarity has insecurities is not new. In fact it is rather unavoidable as it crops in her various episodes.
     
    While taken to humorous exaggeration, it first showed up in "Suited For Success" when her fashion show fails. It also helps explain why Rarity would have been so acquiescent to her friends. Yes, Generosity and all that but remember in my last blog (and the one before) I pointed out that being insecure about pleasing people goes hand in hand with her generosity.
     
    It also shows up in episodes like "Sweet & Elite" and "Rarity Takes Manehattan" beyond the ways I mentioned. In "Sweet & Elite", Rarity's motivation for going to the Garden Party was a directly stated fear that not going would ruin her chances in high society.
    And in "Manehattan" when she fears having caused her friends to run out on her she walks around the rainy streets of Manehattan, clearly forlorn and distraught over this.
     
    Even her role in MMC is consistent with this characterization. By the end Rarity was in tears over how horribly her mismatched role has gone for her. She can't make art to inspire people (a large motivation as a pony) without making the weather awful and making other ponies hate her (being a people pleaser is her other big motivation as a character).
     
    Ultimately, Nightmare Rarity just crystallized the concept. And while perhaps the comics are not canon, the characters are still the same characters just being exposed to different events in a different continuity if that is the case.
    So I don't think Nightmare Rarity can be rejected. Nor should it be since the comics have done quite a bit for Rarity's character.
     
    But let us tackle what i think the main issue at the heart of this is: does Rarity's insecurity ruin her confident and determined nature?
    Well, quite simply no. Part of being a determined person is moving forward despite your own insecurities and fears. It is not having no insecurities or fears.
    And this is exactly what Rarity has done. She uses her goals and achievements to assuage her insecurity.
    This is why she goes after admiration and adoration as shown in Becoming Popular. It is why she made her own business and affected high class mannerisms. This is dealing with her insecurity, not running from it or wallowing in it. If anything, it makes these efforts on her part more interesting and admirable.
     
    That last part more than anything, it does not ruin her as a character rather it adds depth to her character. Yet more depth.
     
    I realize this blog may not get to the heart of the issue so feel free to voice any concerns or problems, as this was not as well thought out and considerably more 'spur of the moment'.
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