What Creeped You Out the Most about The Cutie Map?

[rjrgmc28 130]

As mentioned in the episode thread and also on the recap post on my blog, the one scene that creeped me out was the cutie unmarking scene. I couldn't even watch it without being physically sick and almost "losing my dinner" to put in a G-rated way.

 

That particular scene also tested my PTSD, anxiety and stress disorders as well. While I won't go into full details, I had to turn away from my monitor and the audio of the episode was the only thing I was relying on and even that didn’t stop me from almost losing it.

 

I can't figure out for the life of me why I almost got sick as I never felt that way before when I watched the show. The only other time this happened was when the Sweetie Belle episode aired last year and I couldn't even watch the dream sequence without having to turn away or mute the volume on my headphones.

[Nightfall Gloam 18,258]

What creeped me out the most about The Cutie Map would probably have to be Starlight Glimmer and how far she was willing to go with her little cult/ideology, just the fact that a remote town that is obviously inspired by the likes of Jonestown, North Korea and possibly even Nazi Germany, the scene where Twilight and the Mane Six had their cutie marks removed, the propaganda/persuasion tactics used by Starlight and (to a lesser extent) the smiles of the residents of this unnamed town. I guess "In Our Town" could be considered creepy, too.

 

tl;dr: This entire episode.

 

P.S. I think this is the first time a kids show has managed to scare/intimidate me, and this is coming from someone who has seen Courage the Cowardly Dog.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

The creepiest is the voice repeated through the loudspeakers... I'd go crazy listening to that. She was literally trying to brainwash them.

 

This. It is so much like modern brainwashing techniques, it's scary. O_o

 

Also, the desaturation of the ponies' coats. The ponies in the village were all dull, with greyish coats and manes; they had obviously been without their cutie marks for some time. Even the Mane Six were greyish after losing their cutie marks so it obviously has an effect on ponies. I would also hazard a guess that losing one's cutie mark shortens one's lifespan. The exception was Starlight Glimmer; when you go back and watch the episode again, the fact that Starlight Glimmer has a bright coat and mane would be a clue to the fact that she is the only pony there to retain her cutie mark.

 

The forced smiles. The way the villagers bravely said that they loved their home and they were happy to be equal and no better than anypony else. Kinda like living in Soviet Russia, where any criticism of the regime could have you disappear from your home in the night, with no-one asking any questions about where you went, for fear that the same thing would happen to them. Imagine living in a place where you don't know who is listening in, and that there are spies everywhere who will report to the leader anything you say. It's no surprise that Pinkie saw immediately that the ponies' smiles weren't natural.

 

Finally, this:

 

The entire song, with its creepy lyrics and the marching, the forced smiles, the way that Starlight Glimmer enforces her despotic message... it's terrifying. O_O

[Blackened 512]

 

*insert Ao Oni music here*

[KatonRyu 1,033]

For me, like with other people here, the clear nazi/communist undertones the village had. Constant surveillance, brainwashing techniques that don't rely on magic but that are actually used in the real world, a leader who is both powerful and smart enough to use the power... Worst of all, she escaped. We'll be seeing more of her, I'll wager.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@KatonRyu, Maybe in the season finale? That would definitely be a show stopper.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Those disgusting muffins.  Look at them.  LOOK AT THEM!!1!

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

One of the creepiest aspects of the show is just how much influence one charismatic pony can have over a group of either gullible or misfortunate ponies. It pretty much shows that you don't have to be an over-powered overlord to gain influence.

 

Of course the way those ponies smiled was creepy, and that song...that was just powerfully creepy; and to see MLP pull that off is amazing.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

"So nopony sees see what happens next!"

 

That could have taken a much more...graphic turn.

This was the part that creeped me out the most, actually. For a moment I didn't know what was going to happen down there. 

 

Starlight Glimmer and her society intrigued me at first, then surprised and unsettled me. I didn't see the twist coming at all, and I was expecting something like magical mind control. Instead I saw an Orwellian cult society that brought back memories of reading 1984 and Brave New World in high school. Doublethink is everywhere: they're all equal, but Starlight is the leader. It's a utopia, but they're in near-poverty. Cutie marks and special talents are evil, but I need mine to run this town. (Though this is not a perfect example of doublethink in Starlight's case because she was aware of the contradiction and reacted with pent-up rage when it was pointed out, as if she'd spent many sleepless nights agonizing over that very problem.)

 

But as for being genuinely creeped out, it wasn't the society itself that did that. Even "you can't have a nightmare if you never dream" didn't bother me much. Perhaps it's a subconscious reaction to my fear of nightmares that now, I no longer recall any of my dreams--though I assume I still have them.

 

What creeped me out was the basement scene, the Mane Six's pain and helplessness when their marks were removed, and afterwards the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about Starlight Glimmer for so long after the episode. I'm still thinking about her, actually.

[Time Shield 402]

I mentioned this in another thread, but for me it was something very subtle and easily missed.  After the mane 6 got their cutie marks back, in the scene right after that, Starlight Glimmer cast a very dangerous-looking spell at the other ponies that would undoubtedly have destroyed them, were it not for Twilight shielding them just in time.  Just think about that for a moment: Starlight had both the means and the intent to kill, and didn't hesitate to attempt it against ponies she had been living with for who knows how long before that.  Despite everything she had said and done during the episode up to that point, it was that moment that really made me realize how dangerous and psychopathic she actually is.  If she was willing to do that, she's capable of anything.

 

It's too bad this fact got overlooked by Twilight, otherwise there's no way she would have let Starlight escape.  She should have immediately tried to restrain her instead of standing there explaining the benefits of friendship.  Not that I'm really blaming Twilight, since as I said before, the implications of Starlight's assault were actually very subtle.  I think if I was Twilight and had missed those implications, I would have probably tried to convince her to give up as well.

[Fractured 2,684]

The fact that, after the Mane Six left, it's entire possible that Starlight Glimmer came back and took the whole town over again anyway, only with force this time.

I mentioned this in another thread, but for me it was something very subtle and easily missed.  After the mane 6 got their cutie marks back, in the scene right after that, Starlight Glimmer cast a very dangerous-looking spell at the other ponies that would undoubtedly have destroyed them, were it not for Twilight shielding them just in time.  Just think about that for a moment: Starlight had both the means and the intent to kill, and didn't hesitate to attempt it against ponies she had been living with for who knows how long before that.  Despite everything she had said and done during the episode up to that point, it was that moment that really made me realize how dangerous and psychopathic she actually is.  If she was willing to do that, she's capable of anything.

 

It's too bad this fact got overlooked by Twilight, otherwise there's no way she would have let Starlight escape.  She should have immediately tried to restrain her instead of standing there explaining the benefits of friendship.  Not that I'm really blaming Twilight, since as I said before, the implications of Starlight's assault were actually very subtle.  I think if I was Twilight and had missed those implications, I would have probably tried to convince her to give up as well.

She was also ready to fire on the townsponies earlier, only to be stopped by Twilight's friend speech. It's obvious Starlight Glimmer is also mentally unbalanced, which makes the fact that she escaped a nightmare.

[Time Shield 402]

The fact that, after the Mane Six left, it's entire possible that Starlight Glimmer came back and took the whole town over again anyway, only with force this time.

She was also ready to fire on the townsponies earlier, only to be stopped by Twilight's friend speech. It's obvious Starlight Glimmer is also mentally unbalanced, which makes the fact that she escaped a nightmare.

 

Yeah, like I said before, I understand why Twilight tried to reason with her instead of just capture her when she had the chance, but still... Twilight, you done goofed.

 

That said, I'm sure she wouldn't try to take the town by force.  First of all, she'd have to contend with all of the ponies in town instead of just four.  Dangerous spell-casting aside, those four managed to beat her by themselves, so imagine how difficult it would be for her to defeat a whole town's worth, especially considering they'd probably be prepared for her this time.  Second of all, I think the town was just a means to an end, so I doubt she has any interest remaining in that place; her ambitions were set a lot higher.  This unfortunately means her next target will likely be a town that isn't prepared for her.

[King Sejong 859]

   Starlight Glimmer herself, she is cunning and manipulative, for she used her imperative vocabulary, and warped it into a declarative subliminal message, Starlight Glimmer's subterfuge was powerful enough to suede Fluttershy, who has a manipulative side too, proof that the most completing villains in stories, are not the brutish tyrants, but the voluptuous, well spoken commoner. Like Amon from the Legend of Korra, Starlight Glimmer genuinely believes she is bringing equality and peace, by eliminating individuality and achievement, she can not distinguish vanity from exult, the impetus of exemplary initiative, is what made Equestria into a formidable paradise, yet Starlight can not see past her prejudice, so with her skills she made a town in her own image, hoping it would be example for the rest of Equestria to emulate. I can imagine Rod Serling writing a villain like Starlight Glimmer in an episode of the Twilight Zone, the opening narration would go like this: "Portrait of an attractive unicorn named Starlight Glimmer, a sparse little pony who feeds off her own self delusions and finds herself perpetually hungry for want of greatness in her diet. And like some human predecessors, she searches for something to explain her hunger, and to rationalise why a world passes her by without saluting. That something she looks for and finds in a sewer. In her own twisted and distorted lexicon she calls it equality, harmony, unity." Starlight Glimmer is a reminder to us that villains can come from us, from our towns, and can look like an ordinary non threatening figure.

[AmberDust 1,118]

One of the creepiest aspects of the show is just how much influence one charismatic pony can have over a group of either gullible or misfortunate ponies. It pretty much shows that you don't have to be an over-powered overlord to gain influence.

When you say "creepiest aspects of the show", of course you also mean "creepiest aspects of real life"? This episode was all too real. I'm just grateful it has something of a happy ending, unlike real-life situations similar to this one.

Cults, man...they make me so angry. Destructive religions that promise the world and just extort money and energy to their already spiritually/energy-deprived members...I don't know if I can think of anything worse. It's literally a form of hypnotism. Basically hypno-slavery, really, plus the bonus of constant fear and emotional turmoil.

I just hate it.

 

Rant over. Sorry, I just needed to get that out there.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

When you say "creepiest aspects of the show", of course you also mean "creepiest aspects of real life"? This episode was all too real. I'm just grateful it has something of a happy ending, unlike real-life situations similar to this one.

Cults, man...they make me so angry. Destructive religions that promise the world and just extort money and energy to their already spiritually/energy-deprived members...I don't know if I can think of anything worse. It's literally a form of hypnotism. Basically hypno-slavery, really, plus the bonus of constant fear and emotional turmoil.

I just hate it.

 

Rant over. Sorry, I just needed to get that out there.

 

No need to apologize. You said it all quite well; mentioning something that I failed to mention. Yes; it is indeed reminiscent of real life in exactly how you described it.

 

Again; well said.

[AmberDust 1,118]

On a lighter note, Starlight Glimmer brings this to mind: