Ganondox

1. I complained about something similar in Saddle Row review, and someone else pointed out that Rarity has already had a problem with being less prepared than she ought to be with her job. I found this episode to be one of Rarity's stronger characterizations in the series recently, given she isn't just reduced to her typical federalization which overly-dramatic at best, histrionic at worst. 

2. I found Star Streak to be fine (we didn't really have time to flesh out his character beyond his design approach). Lily Lace was unbearable though, which is a shame because I liked both her design and her designs. That stereotype needs to be buried 6 feet under. 

3. Agreed, but it was such a minor part of the episode I didn't mind much. The point about it somehow being a costume or something also didn't make any sense. 

4. A lot of Applejack's criticism could have been saved with a bit more elaboration on why she found them to be impractical. Actually destroying the hat was going too far, regardless of the reasons. Still, Applejack NEEDED to be tactless for the moral to work, and without the moral there wouldn't even be an episode, so one way or another they needed to force Applejack (or some other pony, Rainbow Dash is more naturally tactless, but Applejack was chosen specifically to drive in the point that it's not merely being honest, and having her be a fashion judge would be even more forced, at least Applejack wears a hat) to be tactless. I think they could have implemented the descent of Applejack to Assholejack better so it's clear as the result of Applejack misunderstanding her role as judge rather than just suddenly losing tact, but I think it works for the most part. (And you can still respect your friends and aid in their work even if you think it's ridiculous, you'd just avoid saying so to their face.) Important thing to remember about people and thus characterization is that people don't learn lessons just once, they slip up from time to time and repetition is key, and that the way people depends as much on the situation as on their personality.  

Thanks for mentioning me, though that's not exactly what I meant. Sunrise might not have been implying Applejack is a malicious farmer, but is still a bad one. Maybe not trying to rip her off so much as lacks the quality control to not sell wormy apples. She's still a bitch though, and that was the whole point. Rarity was showing Applejack what not to do, and I say it's better to have another character who is bitch introduced than Rarity reduced to spite (and Applejack isn't a bitch like Sunrise was, she was just being tactless). You say Rarity was being spiteful, but I don't really see it that way, she was teaching Applejack a lesson, and she was obviously very distraught at the time and reasonably pissed off at Applejack for singlehandedly ruining her contest, I don't think her trying to lecture Applejack on how it made her feel would have really worked (even ignoring the in-universe practicality, it wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining). As for children, they can tell Sunrise is a bitch and not to emulate her, the show has always had jerkass characters. 

Also, you aren't missing anything by not seeing The Games Ponies Play, it was the only episode worse than the pet one. 

Other complaints I have:

Fluttershy seemed to be very out of character, I could see Rarity or Rainbow doing something like that, but Fluttershy is the last pony I would see being manipulative like that for multiple reasons. The only reason I see Fluttershy being given that role was because Angel needed to be set up there.

World inconsistencies. The value of gems makes no sense whatsoever, even worse economics than in Super Apple Squeezy 6000 here, and the duration of the train ride made little sense.