What Creeped You Out the Most about The Cutie Map?

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

The music, and not just the song, the background music played a lot into establishing the tone of the work 

[Ginger Tea 13]

Now that I think about it, realistic brainwashing is surprisingly dark. I'm always glad when cartoons don't pull their punches too much, though.

 

I didn't see Starlight Glimmer as evil, even though her actions were that of a villain. To me the way she talked about her choices more than the choices themselves suggested deep personal wounds that were being taken out on the world around her, where she could build and control things as she wanted after failing to do so elsewhere. Those friends weren't just for each other, they were for her. Every time she started ranting I just thought, "Were you snubbed one too many times or something?"

[The Second Opinion 270]

Probably the brain washing. Starlight Glimmer turning out to be more of a narcissist than a misguided idealist also got my attention, but "creeped out" is probably the wrong word for that.

Honestly though, it's not the creepiest thing I've ever seen. They way they used these familiar dystopian devices, while something new for this series, ultimately played like just a new way to challenge the main characters, rather than something that undermines their very foundation. At the end of part 1, it drops the moral ambiguity and makes it a clear case of heroes and a villain. From that point, it's mostly just another chess game against just another bad guy, without any major inner conflicts (or any at all, outside of Fluttershy and a couple side characters). But still, nothing wrong with a good story like that. And there might still be hope, if Starlight Glimmer is really coming back this season.

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

The brainwashing of the ponies and their creepy smiles and just unnerving nature, seeing the cutie marks removed from Twilight and her friends, and Starlight Glimmer appearing nice and caring, and then turning into a manipulative witch.

[Wardaddy 470]

I took the liberty of drawing up a list of things in this episode that scares me, seeing as if I were in a totalitarian state at this time, I would probably be killed for writing this. Anyway, here we go.

 

1. The village and the villagers

 

Being the history nerd I am, the village and it's people reeked of a likeness to a Nazi concentration camp, minus the barbed wire fences, brutality, starvation, cruel and unusual punishment and gassing. The village's simple design reminded me very much of the barracks that concentration camp inmates were made to live in. They lacked any color or vibrancy, denying the villagers even the tiniest glimpse of energy or difference, as per Glimmer's regime. However, the villagers seemed different. Rather than miserable, they were happy. They were content, which didn't sit right with me at all. If I lived in a village like that I'd go nuts within a week. Then there was the village anthem "In Our Town". 

 

"Doesn't this feel a bit Nazi-ish to you?" I wondered to myself. The marching in perfect step and order, the proud and rousing lyrics that Glimmer and her inmates villagers sang, the particular words that would arouse suspicion woven into the lyrics, all this culminated to give me a feeling of *this place is a trap that Twilight and friends should really be more careful in*. Oh, and the villager's smiles were downright creepy. 

 

2. Starlight Glimmer

 

Finally, after months of waiting I got to see what kind of a character Starlight was. Considering I knew about her already from the preview, it didn't take much for me to see through Glimmer's friendly and open facade. I knew she was the villain, but what I didn't predict was the level of villainy she would reach as the episode progressed. At first, when Glimmer removed the Mane 6's cutie marks and threw them in prison (with free brainwashing) I both hated and feared her. Feared because she wasn't a Changeling, nor a draconequus, nor a centaur, not even a minion of the Nightmare forces. She was a regular pony, like we had always wanted, and she was the bad guy.

 

While I could see that she wasn't inherently evil, the way in which she was ruling her cult and assimilating others regardless of choice wasn't on. However, I also hated her because of this, but not nearly as much as when she revealed her true colors after Fluttershy exposed her cutie mark. Glimmer never believed in her own philosophy. It was just a front to gain the cutie mark of one of Equestria's princesses, which if advertised to the rest of the country would gain a huge victory for Glimmer. I believe that's why she tried to run off with the Mane 6's cutie marks, so she could show the rest of Equestria what had become of their heroes. There's no questioning that she'll return, but therein lies the danger that currently surrounds her. She is a talented unicorn, good with magic, but mentally unstable with nothing to lose. That can only mean bad news, but the question remains; what will happen next? God only knows, but I'll be watching, and I'll be waiting.

 

3. Starlight Glimmer (continued)

 

I'm making this separate section for Starlight because of how dangerous she is, and the kind of threat she represents that the Mane 6 and Equestria now face. As I have already said, Starlight is much like Twilight. Intelligent, magically gifted, powerful, charismatic, but misguided. However, despite being defeated she stubbornly hangs on to her belief that she brought the villagers true friendship and harmony under the banner of equality, and having evaded capture she is now effectively a loose cannon on a mission. Personally, I fear that because I am terrified of Starlight, then she truly does represent a grave and dangerous threat to Equestria, and the harmony that holds its ponies together. I have never feared villains like Chrysalis or Tirek, because they were villains that were already well known and quickly dealt with, minimizing their fear factor. However, Starlight is a regular pony who believes she is doing Equestria justice by making everypony equal, however her motives, intentions and background are largely unknown. Personally, I believe she was bullied as a filly and made to feel inferior to her peers, leading to a severe case of malignant narcissism, but that is mere headcanon. Why she is doing this will probably not be known for a while, and even her next move is a mystery. All I can say is may the Creator preserve the Mane 6 and Equestria, because this is a test they will struggle to overcome.

[FlutterDash4072 189]

What gets me isn't just the brainwashing, but the depth of the brainwashing. Imagine a lone pony wandering into this village. The pony notices how odd things seem in the village, but is confused by how the ponies can seem so happy despite something definitely being off in the village's atmosphere. A villager lets Starlight know about their visitor, and she has the pony brought to her. Immediately she begins the first phase of her brainwashing by introducing the pony to her vision of how the village works. Unlike the rest of the village, Starlight is charismatic and is able to make her happiness seem more genuine. As she spends time with the pony, the initial uneasiness either fades or vanishes depending on how guilible the pony is. Eventually, the pony begins to believe Starlight's lies, and agrees to join the village.

 

However, once they get to the cave, the pony's initial unease returns. As the pony is walked through the cutie mark removal process, and as other villagers join Starlight, the unnease is replaced with terror. Even a pony as naive as Fluttershy can tell something is very wrong here. But it's too late to escape. The spell is cast, and the experience is traumatizing. Thoughts begin to race through the pony's mind: Have I made a mistake? Is this going to hurt? Is it too late to go back? How did I get myself into this? Was Starlight lying to me?

 

Even if the spell wasn't as painful as the episode made it look, the pony is left in a mentally frail state, where Starlight's final phase begins. The more naive ponies would want to believe the things they hear in the intercom, and the process is successful. Others break after a few days, and the strongest realize the only way they can get out of the shack is too play along, fully aware of the mistake they made and the lies Starlight tells, but unable to get their cutie marks back and afraid that if they tried to gather support for an attempt to overthrow Starlight they could accidentally confide in a pony that essentially spying for her. And if that happened, the pony is fully aware that they could be thrown back into the shack, or, if Starlight decided that they were enough of a threat, that she could hand down a much crueler punishment. After all, if Starlight is willing to go to such lengths to gain "new friends", how far would she go to ensure that she doesn't lose power over the ones she has?

[Stellafera 3,836]

I was watching the episode with my sister on Saturday; it's always been the case for me that watching shows with others in the room mutes my negative emotional responses. I'm less likely to be saddened, angered, or, yes, creeped out by things when I'm in a social setting. I'm guessing it's because it reduces my immersion.

 

But when those loudspeakers came on, I yelped.

 

Bear in mind that this was the first loudspeaker message, coming right on the heels of the theme song:

 

In sameness, there is peace. Exceptionalism is a lie.

 

It wasn't just the vocal distortion from the speaker, though that helped. It was the unexpected leap in diction, too. I was not expecting the word "expectionalism" in my MLP, and the coolly sophisticated language just pricked the hairs on my spine. And it continues:

 

...Choose equality as your special talent. Difference is frustration. To excel is to fail. Be your best by never being your best. Conformity will set you free. Accept your limitations, and happiness will follow. You're no better than your friends. 

 

Along with the formal style, the paradoxical statements like "To excel is to fail" all feel very brainwash-y. I never read 1984 myself, but it seems in the style of quotes from that book. All in all, this was rhetorically designed to creep viewers the heck out and succeeded masterfully. Good sound work was just a bonus.

 

(And of course, when I tried to look up the scene, my computer crashed in the middle of the episode with a sudden splay of glitching colors. THANKS FOR SCARING ME AGAIN, CUTIE MAP.)

Edited April 7, 2015 by Stellafera

[A Black Circle 1,586]

That line.

 

From the song.

 

It's the most intregingly creepy thing I have ever heard in my lifetime.

 

It used to be the common belief that FiM was a kid's show that adults can enjoy.

I think it may have flipped.

Also, it seemed to imply that Starlight was imploying some sort of torture to keep the ponies in town.

 

*shivers*

 

This episode is just too fracking creepy.

[A Joe in the Bush 255]

There are too many things to count;

 

1.

Pinkie Pie: Something's rotten in... whatever the name of this village is that we're in right now! 

 

      The town isn't named. Nothing is named other than the ponies. The lack of a name points to a lack of individuality, where everything is the same. This was further enforced by that song, especially this line:

 

We never have to look around

To know that we're all here

 

They don't need to, since every pony is one and the same. They're all forced to be identical to the others, including hairstyle and length.

 

2. The Bakery Scene. Sugar Belle tries to act un-suspicious while telling the Mane 6 to meet her in the basement. That implies that the citizens know there are 'secret police' in the town. They know that they will be punished if they act different, and they're fine with it. Then they go inside the bakery, and Party favor mentions he wants to see his cutie mark, but feel guilty about it. The town has made the ponies believe fullheartedly that cutie marks are bad, so the ponies are all at war with themselves.

 

3. Guilting Rainbow Dash: From the song:

 

In our town, in our town

We dare not compete

Winning only breeds the worst

Ego-filled conceit

 They make Rainbow dash super self conscious about her love of winning. Why did they target Rainbow with that? Somehow they knew that rainbow loved winning, implying that they knew about the Mane 6, and had prepared for their arrival. I heard that part of the song and honestly thought that there would be something like it for everypony.

 

And making ponies feel guilty about what they love just makes it easier to brainwash them.

 

 

EDIT:

4. The Villain Escaped! This was actually huge for me, as in every other opener and finale, the Villain either was banished, reformed, destroyed or otherwise defeated, but Starlight escaped, and is still free to wreak havoc over Equestria. And since she'll want vengeance on the Mane 6, i can see her doing some foolish things, such as freeing Tirek or searching out Mother Chrysalis.

Edited April 7, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Adorkable 2,737]

Out of the entire episode, probably cutie marks being removable. I mean, I know Tirek done it in Twilight's Kingdom, but when Starlight Glimmer just kind of ripped off Twi's without much trouble. Just makes me wonder who is this pony? I mean, Twilight is an alicorn princess and a master of magic. Just doesn't seem too likely her special cutie mark can just be simply removed like a normal pony.

[Odyssey 5,716]

Starlight Glimmer herself is the most creepy thing about The Cutie Map. Her brainwashing tactics and her high-level of magic show that she has the power to cripple even the most powerful of ponies. Not just that, but she also escapes, which very much means that she might have something else planned in mind. I cannot wait to see what else she has to offer in the next few episodes, though.

[sweetolebob18 728]

The writers have obviously read Orwell's 1984.  But, instead of Big Brother, we've got Starlight Glimmer.

[Mesme Rize 15,683]

“In sameness there is peace.”

“Exceptionalism is a lie”

“Free yourself from your cutie mark”

“Choose equality as your special talent.”

“Difference is frustration”

“To excel is to fail”

“Be your best by never being your best”

“Conformity will set you free"

“Accept your limitations and happiness will follow”

“You’re no better than your friends.”

 

These cultish messages really freaked me out. You know what people say about doctrination "if a lie is told you long enough, the lie becomes the truth." Just like 1+1=3. If the Mane 6 have remained longer in there, their spirits would've been broken.

 

Also, one part of the song really disturbed me. "You don't have a nightmare, if you never dream." .....Yeah, i don't think i want to be part of this town.

[Woodie Pecker 46]

I think the thing that creeped me out the most, was the fact that I too had a creepy smile on my face, throughout the whole introduction of the town up to the cutie mark vault.

[The Awesome One 1,315]

All that shows that Glimmer was a genius communist who had an entire town under her control with a little brainwashing and no real use of force. They should have given all the ponies in the town russian accents.

[Tao 7,623]

I think the creepy part is a show for little to young kids now

has cult themes.  Simple and right to the point..

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

Out of the entire episode, probably cutie marks being removable. I mean, I know Tirek done it in Twilight's Kingdom, but when Starlight Glimmer just kind of ripped off Twi's without much trouble. Just makes me wonder who is this pony? I mean, Twilight is an alicorn princess and a master of magic. Just doesn't seem too likely her special cutie mark can just be simply removed like a normal pony.

Plus seeing them in pain when the cutie marks were removed, was terrifying. I mean the marks are practically being ripped from their bodies and that is just horrifying.

[Batbrony 16,053]

Your turn. If you found it creepy like I do, what elements from The Cutie Map spooked you the most? Please describe your answers.

 

All the elements you described creeped me out, but I guess if there's anything new to add, it's the fact that we didn't have to see how Starlight brought all these ponies together to believe that she could.  We got bits of backstory here and there, but that was all tinted with utopian-fluff to make it sound better than it really was.  Yet, despite having no real backstory on this town, no flashbacks or anything, Starlight putting it together still felt disturbingly real and possible.  One just has to look at either entire nation-states like North Korea, or even more disturbing, albeit, smaller examples in say Jim Jones and Jonestown or David Koresh and the Branch Davidian Cult to believe that, yeah, Starlight Glimmer could bring all these ponies together, even if we don't know how she did it.  That sense of being genuinely possible even in the real world made the entire set-up just so much creepier and disturbing on so many levels!

[Fender 1,283]

Here is what I said on a separate thread...

 

 

I just have to say- In my opinion, the episode is not about Communism. There are hints of certain communist, and socialist ideals, but Starlight Glimmer is more comparable to Hitler...in little instances anyway.

 

One of the ponies say: "We gave up everything to help you, because we thought you were our friend."

 

Which in my opinion is reminiscent of the opinion Germany would have had of Hitler at the turning point of the second world war:

 

"We elected you to lead us, because we thought you would save Germany."

 

While I acknowledge it is an odd outlook, I must say it seems more right to me than "Communism, obviously." Think about it a bit; the episode is definitely about several things -

1. Your talents are some of the things that make you special.

2. Coexistence is possible without destroying the things that make you special.

3. Starlight Glimmer is an ass.

4. And blind conformity is bad.

 

The Nazis had very opposing ideals in these instances.

1. Your background and the things that separate you from us make you inferior - (Jews, Russians, Gypsies, Gays, etc.)

2. Coexistence is only possible through the race of perfect, specific people.

3. (Not opposing) Hitler was definitely an ass.

4. Listen to your Fuhrer, he will take care of you.

 

Anyone else seeing the correlation here? I mean, it's obscure, but I'm convinced.

[LongGoneGr 1,305]

 

Brainwash Face here was creepy. Hilarious, but creepy.

[Guest]

The way that the villagers stared and smiled.

Came here to say this, I was constantly creeped out by those stares and smiles. *shivers just thinking about them*

[Music Chart Fan 819]

One aspect of these episodes that I found horrifying, other than what's already been mentioned here, is that, in addition to the villagers having their cutie marks - and thus their special talents and skills - taken away, it seems like they are magically prevented from gaining any skills or talents above mediocrity.

 

As an example, Sugar Belle's special talent was baking, and she knows that the muffins she makes are disgusting, yet she also seems resigned to making terrible muffins. We might think that, even if her special talent in baking was taken away, she might gain some skill at baking just from repetition and experience, yet that doesn't seem to be the case. Even though it's not stated directly in the episode, it's not too hard to imagine that the equality cutie marks Starlight gave the villagers magically prevent them from gaining any skill or talent above anyone else, since, after all, that would make the villagers unequal and (supposedly) lead to bitterness and strife.

 

For one thing, I think it would be horrifying and very frustrating to be doomed never to gain any skill at anything you do, regardless of how often you do it, how hard you work at it, how much you try to learn about it, etc. And another horrifying aspect of this, as I discussed in the topic I made here, is that the villagers are depending on their skills for their very survival, and yet, they seem to be magically prevented from developing those skills, which would limit their standard of living, maybe to the point of malnutrition, vulnerability to disease, and even starvation and death.

[Adorkable 2,737]

Plus seeing them in pain when the cutie marks were removed, was terrifying. I mean the marks are practically being ripped from their bodies and that is just horrifying.

 

It's like ripping off a tattoo. Think about it, eh?

[Pastel 7,630]

That guy:

 

Seriously, this episode wasn't creepy, but that scene, omg.

[Thunderlane 550]

The thing which creeped me out most was a line in the song.

 

"You can't have a nightmare,

If you never dream"

 

I don't know why but it just made me feel... strange... and kinda creeped out xD