Silverrida

What is with all of these opinions regarding the bronies being immature and insecure when they want people to like MLP too? That is not what I get from their fervent devotion as well. I think the Jehovah's witnesses comment captures exactly what is happening, personally. They even act similarly. Jehovah's witnesses aren't incredibly insecure nor immature. Most of the time they want to help. I think fervent bronies want that too. I feel like the massive hatred for bronies on the Internet almost stemmed entirely from this back in he days of /b/ and /co/. Finding the show has helped a great number of bronies, especially the "first" group of bronies coming from 4chan where people are notoriously stereotyped as cynical and hurt among other things. I think there is some truth to that stereotype that shined through which is sort of how the show took off in the first place. The show brought a happiness to many people who had lost it. It certainly did to me and several of the people I spoke to when it first took off. Now, before everyone pointed out the zealousness as an issue, what would you do if you found something that was practically an emotional panacea? You would share it with everyone! You would push it all over the place because it's really difficult to articulate "Hey, I was in a rough place, and this show about ponies helped me through a lot of it." Even worse, if that is articulated properly you just seem insane. So the end result is a bunch of bronies putting it everywhere, immersing their lives in it, showing it to their friends. And because bronies had difficultly commenting properly on why they were doing it, and because we were so overbearing with it, it quickly became hated everywhere. I find it a bit tragic, honestly. I don't think the bronies doing this still are bad, or demand everyone to be like them, or feel unsafe if people judge them. I think they are still doing this because the show touched them and they want it to work its magic on the world. But the world isn't full of the same people. It doesn't work for everyone. Hell it doesn't work for the majority. And the result is Internet hatred for bronies (Though I think it's dying down.)

Since finding MLP I've realized, concerning the dark type of stuff, why I love it more than other things with dark themes. MLP is a slice of life story that takes place in a world that can be incredibly dangerous. It can be pretty dark out there, yet all the characters are still as bright as usual. That is the appeal of the darkness in MLP: It show us that things can be pretty terrible at times but that doesn't mean we need to succumb to it. I think the show going a bit darker would help highlight that contrast even more, but it has the chance of making the characters stupidly optimistic instead of just being strong in the face of adversity and loss. I like where they are but I would not mind seeing some darker things develop, or even things with dark implications (Eternal night is pretty much death for the majority of the world usually).

I am a fan of most things Trixie so her coming back and not being ruined would be nice. But I feel trying to add a character to the group would just flop catastrophically. And if one were to be added there could be no added element. Might make an interesting moral concerning the lack of a need of flashy powers when they go on one of the adventure arcs but I think I'd still feel cheated. That animation, though. Somehow never noticed that. That's actually a pretty significant thing to mess up so severely if they did. However it could refer to Discord and foreshadowing for the end of Season 4.

Human in Equestria. I don't even need the assumption people have here that I'd be able to meet any part of the Mane 6. Hell I don't need to meet anyone famous. Their world is lovely and chaotic enough as it is for me.

Swearing has always been canon if something as benign as dreck constitutes swearing to you. Horsefeathers seems to be a legitimate swear in Equestria and is certainly treated as a swear. Their swear words are just different from ours and I would say dreck doesn't constitutes as one of our. Crap isn't really a swear.

I find Twilicorn to be one of the few proper paths of development for her character since her appearance in episode one and I don't understand why something that was so often depicted and predicted early on has become the centerpiece for the fandom's hatred.

"Everyone prays so badly for heaven Knowing every day might be the day that you die But maybe life on Earth could be heaven Doesn't just the thought of it make it worth a try." This sentiment has been expressed on the last page alone already, and I admit that I didn't read through the whole thread, but seeing everyone on the first page discuss the ideals of Equestria as though they just aren't a thing that can be real is something I think severely needs addressing. I want to start off by noting that I, too, wish badly for Equestria to be a real place. People discuss the sorts of fantasy lands they would go to if they had a chance and I think that I would take Equestria every time for nearly anything. It is a utopian society in my view. However, just because it is a cartoon does not mean it is not to be replicated. We can never have Equestria. That is just a fact. But you know what we do have? We have Earth. And it's not that great right now. It actually has a ton of problems. It isn't Equestria. But that does not mean it cannot be. It may be difficult to believe that Earth could change enough to allow for Equestrian ideology. Many people scoff at the idea that mankind is even inherently good much less genuinely altruistic and caring. The issue is that this lack of belief in mankinds ability perpetuates a cynical cycle that is inescapable. You are unable to change other people directly. And that's not a bad thing! People get to be individuals. But that can certainly dampen the belief that you can make the world like Equestria. But what YOU have control over are YOUR actions. And the way to get people to change is to show them that your actions are beneficial and good. Unfortunately, this requires a sacrifice. If you want the world to be more like Equestrian then start acting like our favorite characters act. People will label you naive. People may take advantage of you. People will do the very things that forced them to be cynical themselves. Do not let it change your drive. Do not let it change you from being what you want out of the world. People label you as naive? Explain to them that you understand the risks and the realities but you want the world to be different. People take advantage of you? They probably had been taught they had to do that; try not to hold it against them. In my experience, people want the world to be like Equestria. The issue is that if anyone acts like Equestrians they are mocked. Stand up to that. Be the example. Be the one who does not mock. Be the one to initiate sincerity. Ask questions, love others, care about them. Be open, be generous, always share, remind yourself that the feeling you get from sharing will outweigh the result you get from keeping. Be kind, remember that everyone is fighting a battle. Be honest, but be tactful. Learn how to be true to who you are and not hurt others by doing so. Be funny. Keep people happy; they'll like you even more. Be loyal. When everyone who is cynical turns their head the bronies will have their back. We can change the world. All you have to do is be magical. And if the show has taught me anything it's that we can all be magical if we choose to be.

I usually have found this behavior odd but never really found fault with it. Thanks to some of the responses in this thread it actually doesn't seem all that odd, primarily when it's compared with Japanese culture. I am not a huge Japan buff but I think I've seen that 2D romance sims and girlfriends are popular there in place of actual relationships, which is related to the whole statistics concerning their lack of desire for interpersonal intimacy. That could be what is happening here, and they should hardly be faulted for it. It could be any number of things really even if it isn't because of the above reasoning. It's pretty irrelevant why some bronies do it even if it is an interesting course of action. Few things I know of are so benign. As long as it doesn't hurt others or themselves it's fine in my mind.

Ahh, but there's a big thing in there. "For its own ends." If we concede that being dragged was intrinsically linked to her cutie mark, which it seems to have been, then we are simply in the place we started I feel. The mark was involved in the manipulation but it was not forced despite it appearing so in the conventional sense. The discovery that occurred as a result of whatever happened that involved the mark simply furthered what was already established as Rarity's own individual desires; to make the outfits fabulous! There is no doubt that cutie marks at least symbolize an augmentation in a pony's magical capabilities in the area that is related to their mark. Perhaps this was a case of that occurring and it was still based on what Rarity wanted more than the mark acting individually. She is better at magic that relates to finding gemstones and getting fabulous results not because the mark is defining her individuality but instead matching it. Which is what we're told the marks do in the first place. (Even though it definitely always should >.>)

Sorry, I misrepresented my position. It's not that your hypothesis concerning cutie marks wouldn't exacerbate the problem. It definitely would. It's that the problems you cite as evidence for your hypothesis on how the cutie marks behave can be explained by other, less extreme phenomenon. Basically, I'd need evidence outside of the mental breakdowns because as it is there is no way to show that those can be or cannot be attributed to their cutie marks, in my opinion, and if there isn't conclusive evidence I feel it is more reasonable to be skeptical about your hypothesis than accept it. Regardless, it's all in good fun and I don't mean any disrespect. And I am interested in the idea and think it's a cool headcanon. I just don't know that it is supported by canonical evidence.

The only thing that could stop NMM were the Elements of Harmony which is the first thing she went to check on when she was released. She slowed down the Mane 6, got there before they did, and effectively destroyed them. Why would she kill Twilight and co. any more than she would kill anyone else? Her whole shtick was jealousy; difficult to have ponies appreciate the night when they're dead. I actually think she was pretty smart to go after her literal only weakness. Most villains don't even care to guard their MacGuffin. She just pulled a Discord; she severely underestimate the ability they had. This is also most humorously and clearly manifested in the single line: "You're kidding? You're kidding, right?"

The CMC song is a wonderful parody and homage to hair metal in its entirety, a genre with which I am familiar and sometimes enjoy. The guitar work is actually pretty excellent and the singing, while purposely not traditionally good, still hit many notes and fit the parody theme it was going for. Spike's anthem felt like cringe-worthy filler that I couldn't even sit through because even he knew he was embarrassing himself. The joke went on too long where it didn't do that in the CMC song because the CMC song was actually a song and there were other visual gags to go with it. They also weren't aware they were making fools of themselves. I actually like the CMC song. I greatly dislike Spike's attempt at the anthem. Spike's attempt gets the vote for me.

I think that other factors contributing to the breakdowns does take away from the influence the cutie mark has on a pony. It seems the idea that it has a huge effect primarily concerns the breakdowns that occur when the marks are not being fulfilled. If the breakdowns are occurring for some reason other than the marks then it brings the influence of the marks into question. It's not exactly possible to rule out the marks have influence. You can't prove something false after all. I just feel like we don't have enough of a reason to believe it canonically. I think it is a cool and interesting headcanon though and can easily be sold as a plausible outcome. Again, nothing points at it being false so much as I don't think there is enough to consider it true. I would be interested in fics surrounding the concept. Especially since in Equestria individuality seems to be so encouraged. What happens when the individual's will is taken away by a messed up cutie mark? Could be pretty dark and interesting!

My personal list has changed many times so it's difficult to keep track. I think it stands as follows: 1. Fluttershy 2. Twilight Sparkle 3. Pinkie Pie 4. Rarity 5. Rainbow Dash I have favorite BG ponies as well, and favorite CMC, and favorite supporting characters, but I find it difficult to place any of them above any of our beloved Mane 6.

I feel like the assumption that not performing your cutie mark forces it to manipulate you into a breakdown is a far too brazen assumption with far too little evidence behind it. Specifically, concerning the other possibilities for a mental breakdown occurring. Your cutie mark is supposed to represent your talent. However, I think it's fair to say the interpretation of a cutie mark and an ideographic basis is nebulous at best. A trio of lightning bolts made of rainbows means lightning fast and loving racing but also excellent control over the weather. A series of smiling flowers represents children as they bloom. There are many ways a cutie mark can appear one way but mean something completely different. And the way you get to define it, much as Cheerilee has, is sort of what instills it with meaning. You make the meaning. Sure, it'd be difficult for Cheese Sandwich to justify his cutie mark as an indicator that he is great at quantum physics but many possibilities are still open. Though the mark may come with a specific meaning the individual's interpretation is important as well. When Rarity gets RD's cutie mark which is ostensibly representative of racing she immediately goes to work messing with the weather. And she's terrible at it! But why does the cutie mark for Rarity mean weather manipulation when for RD it means racing? Because there is individual input on the impact of the cutie mark. All of this leads to an alternative reason for the mental breakdowns of the characters. Imagine you identify with something you are really good at. Hell, I'll use my own career path and desires as a base. I want to be a psychologist. I love helping people get through heir mental diseases and blocks. But one day I go into work and every client who comes in basically leaves within 10 minutes saying I'm just not helping them. What will happen to me? I'd probably have a mental breakdown! This has been my calling, I've been doing it all my life, and I just can't do it at all? That is easily a jarring enough experience for a mental breakdown, in my opinion. Basically, there's no need to attribute the mental breakdowns to the supernatural force of the cutie marks. They've all already identified with their talents enough that if they just stopped being able to do it that would easily justify a breakdown.