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Wind Chaser

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  1. Wind Chaser
    I don't think that's likely to happen, nor did I think the article stated it. The good is that MLP made an intelligent, discussion-provoking episode, and it got attention on a site in a community where most wouldn't even think to see MLP mentioned. In fact, many people state in the comments, in between all the political debates, that their opinion of the show has changed because of this episode. The bad part about MLP making anything resembling a political statement is now every side of the political spectrum is going to claim the episode and MLP as their own and divide people even further. So, they've burned a bridge as far as being "pure and innocent" or "apolitical" goes, but maybe that was a bridge worth burning.
  2. Wind Chaser
    It is a very interesting read, and the allegory fits. I'm glad MLP is getting more attention in places where it would normally be ignored or ridiculed, but I still stand by the fact that this episode, despite all the political references and people repeating words like "Communism" and "Marxism" and "Stalinism", can stand for any totalitarian regime in history or any doctrine which destroys individuality. MLP isn't leftist or rightist. It just stands up for what's right.
  3. Wind Chaser
    This is a tough one because of the lack of backstory. My best theories are that either some of them spent their entire lives in that town, they were there long enough to forget their lives outside of it, or they were purely convinced that Starlight Glimmer was right. All of these suggest how foreign the idea of harmony through diversity was to them and why they were so shocked to see how well they liked it. At the same time, I can say that Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle were so sure that ignorance was bliss. You could hear it in how enthusiastically they spoke of both the Mane 6's cutie marks and the equal signs. At the time, they didn't know what to believe, and thus didn't really hate the equal sign cutie marks until Starlight was exposed as a fraud at the end. That's when their realization turned from the illusion that the equal sign cutie marks were their own expression of harmony to the truth of it being a form of control.
  4. Wind Chaser
    I doubt it. They didn't actually show any of it. If they do, I'll be convinced.
  5. Wind Chaser

    I met Brian Vickers this weekend! :)

    1. Show previous comments  3 more
    2. NothingIsEverything

      NothingIsEverything

      Awesome! I bet he has some free time now since he's been sidelined by that blood colt (again) :/

    3. Wind Chaser

      Wind Chaser

      Yeah, that sucks. :c If they would have had the time I would have asked him about how he's helping Moffitt transition to that team.

    4. NothingIsEverything

      NothingIsEverything

      Yeah, I was really surprised with his 8th place finish at Atlana. C:

  6. Wind Chaser
    Hasbro tends to change generations every ten years, so MLP still isn't due until the 2020s. Every change is a risk, so naturally, no matter how good or bad it is, there will be some pushback. Just like there was at the end of Season 3 when Twilight became an alicorn, and just like at the end of Season 4 when the adventure elements of the show got bigger. Withholding judgement until the actual product comes out, the simple answer is that it's not possible to keep all of the fans. Change to the show causes change to the fanbase. However, just how much gain or loss there is in transitioning from this generation to the next one depends entirely on how good the product itself is. Hasbro has pretty good incentive on upholding many of the themes that made G4 great because of the fact that it is the most commercially successful iteration of this franchise, and the feedback this fandom gives may be enough to get Hasbro to realize what made G4 successful and what to apply to G5. I will definitely take a look at G5, if/when it does come out, just to see how much of G4's themes would be upheld, what would be improved upon, and what could be, to see if it will continue G4's success.
  7. Wind Chaser

    A discussion on a minor, but very interesting point of the season premiere: http://mlpforums.com/topic/125840-was-writing-spike-out-of-the-cutie-map-a-good-idea/

  8. Wind Chaser
    Besides the points that made up the plot of the episode itself, two noticeable character omissions have become an interesting topic of conversation; Princess Celestia, who did not appear at all for the first time in a two-parter, and Spike, who was written out of the episode after appearing in the establishing scenes. I've been hearing arguments to both sides as to whether or not Spike should have been written out of the plot, and most of them use the same common point: Spike had nothing to lose in comparison to the others. Being a non-pony without a cutie mark, Spike would never have had anything to lose except possibly being locked up with the rest of the Mane 6. This could either have been an advantage used to bail the Mane 6 out of a conflict at one time or another, or a disadvantage, in that there would be nothing he could do except to be an added weight on the Mane 6's backs or reduced to a damsel in distress for Starlight to use. I see that Spike being written out probably worked to the episode's benefit. His presence would have detracted from the lessons the Mane 6 themselves learned from the adventure through their own work, as well as through the villagers. Also, it calls into question how Spike would have been written had he been in the episode; as comic relief or moral support. Seeing as how the writers have been trending towards the former for him (a role which was occupied by Pinkie Pie in this episode), it was probably for the best that they didn't include him. For the one character who is the most desperately in need of character development, I see this more as a situation in which they saved him from more possible regression or poor writing in order to protect the episode's integrity as well as that of the character, rather than one where they squandered his development potential on a missed opportunity. It's a long season. That means there are 24 remaining potential chances for Spike to be written as a better character, and many of them would be without the risk of stealing anypony else's thunder. But, with all things considered, I'd like to see how you all saw Spike's omission from this season premiere. Was it a good idea or a bad one? How would he have best been handled, or most realistically been handled, had he been left in the remainder of the episode?
  9. Wind Chaser

    I rarely ever hear complaints when Pinkie Pie or Cheese Sandwich comedically break logic, so why should Party Favor be any different?

    1. Show previous comments  12 more
    2. Mesme Rize

      Mesme Rize

      I am also a fan of other media. I don't have the perception as Digi and Tom have. I take the show for what it is and not for it's not. If i watch MLP, i watch MLP. If i watch Gravity Falls, i watch Gravity Falls. etc.

       

      And yes, the show is different. But i really liked the changes that came with it. It obviously takes risks and i love that. I would rather have a show that takes risks and makes a few bad episodes here and there, then a show that plays it safe.

    3. Wind Chaser

      Wind Chaser

      That's all a matter of personal restraint. I assume people like Oliver, Digibro, and Mr Enter seem to hold one singular standard for all shows, while much better critics see each piece for what it is and rate it on how well it stood up to a combination of expectations and intentions.

    4. Nuke87654

      Nuke87654

      Aye, that's what seems to be their problem as they wanted this show to turn out in this direction but it isn't, so thus they're angry about it. Other critics such as us here have taken the direction what the show has done and judged based on how it executes what it wants to do rather then wish it to be something else all together because whose to say it be judged because our notions for how the show should go would be in it's best interest or even allowed.

  10. Wind Chaser

    Congrats on your review making Equestria Daily!

    1. LZRD WZRD

      LZRD WZRD

      Oh wow it did! I guess I'm famous now. Thanks :D

  11. Wind Chaser

    NIGHT GLIDER...a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a mare who does not exist... (brohoof if you get the reference)

  12. Wind Chaser
    https://derpibooru.org/869182
    1. Show previous comments  3 more
    2. Steelstallion

      Steelstallion

      Alright maybe I over reacted a little. But it is funny. :P

    3. Cwanky

      Cwanky

      I get that reference!

       

    4. Wind Chaser

      Wind Chaser

      Cwanky -> http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbvchoaaSR1qj63jg.gif

  13. Wind Chaser

    Nice avatar! Did you design that yourself?

    1. Delzepp

      Delzepp

      thank you, yes I did

       

      it was my creation for that poniverse logo competition, but it obviously went nowhere

  14. Wind Chaser
    Mine is about 121 but most of my knowledge has no practical application and has had no bearing on my chances for employment, so I'm inclined to believe that it doesn't really matter all that much.
  15. Wind Chaser
    Auto racing, no support from family or friends, geographical location, too expensive, not enough time. Flying, too expensive, not enough time. Model railroading, too expensive. 3D modeling and printing, too expensive. Animation, not enough time. Art and writing, just trying to squeeze into my time. I don't really have any hobbies, which is why I'm so desperate to get back to work, so I can have money and time.
  16. Wind Chaser

    DAT FACE.

    1. duidamasterXD

      duidamasterXD

      she's happy to see you :3

       

      But yes, freaky >_<

  17. Wind Chaser
    This is going to be one of those things that maybe they will do, maybe they won't, maybe depending on what Twilight does, where the story goes, what side of the bed MA Larson woke up on this morning, or how heavy traffic in Burbank is. MLP is very lean and practical in its purpose. It never tells much more than it needs to in its stories, explaining why so many things are left to interpretation. Sometimes, this approach is taken a bit too far, like avoiding explaining Scootaloo's family situation for such a long time, but if it does become necessary in a story to reveal the items and their importance, they will do it. This is something that you can't necessarily predict, however.
  18. Wind Chaser
    If they didn't have their special talents, sick as this sounds, I'd probably relate to some of them better, being probably the biggest Mr. Gloom and Doom on this forum and among my friends. However, for them personally, it would make most of them depressed and much worse off as far as they are in life, if they never had that epiphany moment with the original Sonic Rainboom in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles". The degree to which their personality and their special talent are intertwined varies depending on who it is. In the case of Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack, taking away their special talent is to take away a part of them, but there are still strong, admirable traits to those three personalities (confidence and leadership skills, kindness, and integrity and sensibility respectively) that are not directly related to their talents. However, for Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, their emotions are directly connected to their talents. If neither of them can do what they do best, they are completely lost. Rarity can't be generous because there's nothing to give. Pinkie Pie can't make other ponies happy because she can't make herself happy. Rainbow Dash cannot enjoy winning or striving to be the best because she can't compete, and her loyalty would mean little because she would have no skills to offer. Such a loss of a "special talent" depends on how many talents and admirable traits each character factually has in their personality aside from their defining traits. One thing I questioned early on in my viewings of the episode was how Twilight still had her confidence and leadership skills under the spell while Pinkie Pie's confidence was artificially crushed by the spell. That goes onto defining what their special talents are. Pinkie Pie's emotions are directly connected to her special talent, and they had to be neutralized in order to keep her from using her special talent, whereas Twilight's confidence and leadership abilities are admirable traits in addition to her special talent, but are not part of her special talent, which is magic. In the end, such a situation would require the characters to develop a number of admirable traits outside of their defining ones, not putting all the eggs in one basket as it were, and the ones that already have would be the ones who would weather this reality better.
  19. Wind Chaser

    1984 confirmed official! http://www.equestriadaily.com/2015/04/mlp-facebook-celebrates-starlight.html

  20. Wind Chaser
    I saw this and the XJ-9 on your DeviantArt and I already added them to my favorites. I have to say you did a really nice job with perspective, color, lighting, and evoking the art styles of those two shows with a great amount of detail. Nice work!
  21. Wind Chaser
    I have to go with the visual metaphor of Rainbow Dash seeing herself as that character also. When "Daring Don't" made the character and her adventures real, it pretty much broke the illusion of Rainbow Dash living through this (believed to be) fictional character, so them actually looking alike can't really be explained other than the fact that this probably wasn't the intended direction for her when "Read It and Weep" was written.
  22. Wind Chaser

    It's amazing how much dystopian fiction is in vogue right now. MLP managed to show off their amazing skill at catching trends and exploiting them to their storytelling advantage.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. Wind Chaser

      Wind Chaser

      The Hunger Games is one contributor, and there have been a lot of movies like that too. I think it has to do with how much technological advancements and surveillance culture have been in the news lately, so much so that it has created so many possible dystopian situations in the minds of many people. Even Taco Bell has cashed in on the dystopian trend, characterizing McDonald's as the repressive dictators of breakfast. It was the subject of a DeviantArt feature today.

    3. Nuke87654

      Nuke87654

      Those helped as well and may in fact be the cause for why such fictional stories are popular.

    4. Fhaolan

      Fhaolan

      Dystopian fiction seems to peak about every 15-20 years or so, as far as I can tell. I know I've been through another two other peaks back in the 90's with the cyberpunk sub-genre, one in the mid 70's with a lot of surviving the seemingly inevitable WWIII, and there was one in the 60's with Logan's Run, Clockwork Orange, Planet of the Apes, the story Blade Runner was based on, etc.

  23. Wind Chaser

    I've heard "In Our Town" compared to WWII propaganda marches and "This is Halloween", but now I also compare it to one other thing: it sounds like a twisted, corrupted version of a piece from a Rankin-Bass Christmas special.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. Fhaolan

      Fhaolan

      That's valid.

    3. Mesme Rize

      Mesme Rize

      Good god. The horror. :o

    4. Wind Chaser

      Wind Chaser

      If you really think about it, it sounds just like their style of music, only totally emotionally corrupted. To say it really works would be an understatement. ;)

  24. Wind Chaser
    A lot of the stuff said is true. Forcing one's belief system upon others is a major driver of wars and repression in the world and is, according to Cicero, one of the "six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century". I think the biggest message is not only to tolerate differing opinions and viewpoints, but also in the fact that keeping people from their true talents, interests, and identities is dangerous. After all, the world does not thrive on all people having the same skill set. This is a lesson more aimed at people who aspire to be leaders or have some sort of influence over others. I personally can relate this to the school system, which seems increasingly more focused on a generalized core academic curriculum that all kinds of vocational and training programs aiming at different skill sets are being stripped out. In short, to paraphrase education expert Sir Ken Robinson, taking people who are smart and good at things and making them believe they aren't. In essence, an extension of the moral of "Testing Testing 123" that not everypony can learn the same way, it is shown in "The Cutie Map" that not everypony can live the same way. From a meta perspective, as a prospective writer, "The Cutie Map" proves that having fleeting Orwellian/dystopian and historical references is a very instant and effective way to supercharge the intellectual appeal of your work (kidding, of course, the story still has to use them effectively ). A couple of things I think writers and analysts could take notice about are that this episode proves the fact that a villain with a valid and relatable motivation and one who uses psychological weaponry is very, very effective for a story's intellectual appeal given the sheer amount of things that can be talked about with Starlight Glimmer alone, and that introducing the show's young audience to such adult themes should be justified given that they will be more engaged in such discussion later on in life because of the fact that My Little Pony referenced those themes and introduced them at such an age whether consciously or not.
  25. Wind Chaser
    Starlight Glimmer is probably the most effective user of psychological weapons in the show, effectively combining Discord's manipulation and King Sombra's fear. She also has that added skill of foresight through her plan, which was implied to have been effective for quite some time (though exactly how long is not clear, as time in this show usually is). That really puts her up there as far as these villains go. She really was the whole package as far as effective villains go.
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