spoiler I'm not a fan of Treehugger

[Phoenix Flair 332]

I love her design, but I do wish she had been less of a stereotype.  If I'd written her character, I would have made her more earnest and fresh-faced.  A driven environmentalist.

[Cwanky 17,442]

Tree Hugger was stereotypical sure. But she wasn't a flat and boring character. Anything but. She saves the day and makes friends with Fluttershy and this is the thanks she gets? Chill out folks.

 

Although when it comes to stoners, no one beats Maud.

 

[RavenholmZombie 1,329]

Tree Hugger seems sort of out-of-place as a character for me. You'd think that a civilization that's as centred around Nature and keeping it safe as Equestria is wouldn't have a need for people like Tree Hugger.

 

But, her personality (despite the overused and annoying Hippie and Stoner stereotypes) was quite refreshing.

[manic 121]

That weird noise thing she made was cool, but as a character she seemed really contrived. Not liking her much.

[Pastel 7,627]

She's one of the best new characters, can't wait to see her again.

I can understand why some fans don't like her, especially because of the way she talks.

[Pineapple Bloom 511]

I love her so much The things she says crack me up, like when she said "In another life maybe?" when Discord said she'd met him before. But I fully respect your opinion

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,673]

*Shrugs* Personally Treehugger doesn't appeal to me; might be because of being hippie which doesn't interest me. Wouldn't say I hate her though.

[HeroSparks 232]

No sir, I didn't like it.

I really don't like hippies and I've given a few a chance so I can't say I haven't at least tried. In my experience the hippie stereotypes exist for a reason, and they hit that character perfect with all of them. Everything about the character was exactly what I find so annoying and bothersome about actual hippies

[Sommar 1,289]

When I first saw Treehugger, I thought she was cool, but now not so much. She's just a stereotypical hippy the media portrays as "one with nature" and "relaxed". I don't hate her or anything; it's just I don't like her design and personality at all.

[mars 4,861]

She's alright, I guess. I like her strong eyebrow game but I cringed a lot when she made those calming noises (especially rewatching it with the family).

[Lexamena 391]

I felt that Treehugger was supposed to be likeable, yet distasteful for a completely different reason, at the same time. It takes that duality to really bring out the jealousy which was obviously the bigger picture. You were supposed to not like her, but not for any real reason...so you could relate on Discord's level. The audience thinks 'I hate her but I don't know why, must be the stereotyping.' Well played. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

I felt that Treehugger was supposed to be likeable, yet distasteful for a completely different reason, at the same time. It takes that duality to really bring out the jealousy which was obviously the bigger picture. You were supposed to not like her, but not for any real reason...so you could relate on Discord's level. The audience thinks 'I hate her but I don't know why, must be the stereotyping.' Well played. 

That doesn't make it okay, though. This show has proven you can transcend tropes of making a character two-dimensional with the intent of the audience not liking him/her; Starlight Glimmer's the best example this season. When you have a character who's plain and stereotypical like Treehugger, it turns her into a plot device.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[Tom Snyder 4,111]

Doesn't make a bit of difference to me how they portray a character, anyone can say they hate a specific character; but in the end others like them for the better reasons. To me she has that mellow nature that i do; i wouldn't exactly call it "hippie". Its great to see the branching out and trying different things. Everyone will have their love/hate of a character.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Candy Star

[Lexamena 391]

That doesn't make it okay, though. This show has proven you can transcend tropes of making a character two-dimensional with the intent of the audience not liking him/her; Starlight Glimmer's the best example this season. When you have a character who's plain and stereotypical like Treehugger, it turns her into a plot device.

I can see that. Maybe that was all she was meant for. I think one reason they went with the hippie/treehugger  gimmick was to provide a realistic commonality with Fluttershy, otherwise they could have put any pony in that role. 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

Personally, I'm a big fan of Tree Hugger. While I wouldn't call her the most memorable or the most developed of side characters, there is just something that is so likeable about her; from my standpoint. She just seems so at peace that...she just seems happy.

 

Happy ponies. <3

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

I wont make no bones about it, i didnt care for her either, this was the most contrived characters this show has ever created. They could used the space to fleash out any number of known background characters and it would have worked just as well

I'm not a huge fan of her myself. A hippie pony with depth would work just fine on MLP, but Tree Hugger didn't have much of that. She was sort of a caricature who was just there to make Discord jealous. Smooze, in his own way, was actually a better-developed character than TH because we saw different sides of his "personality," even though he can't talk.

[cider float 2,535]

I'm not a huge fan of her myself. A hippie pony with depth would work just fine on MLP, but Tree Hugger didn't have much of that. She was sort of a caricature who was just there to make Discord jealous. Smooze, in his own way, was actually a better-developed character than TH because we saw different sides of his "personality," even though he can't talk.

Yeah she seemed a bit of a stock character to begin with. The popularity she gets from fans though might make her more of a reoccurring character like Maud Pie though.

 

Smooze was a bit disappointing in that his appearance was anti-climactic. I watched that G1 movie on the Smooze once and I thought the Smooze should be like a big threat like Tirek level not just make a side show appearance.

Edited June 8, 2015 by cider float

[simba86 1,541]

I think she is like totally righteous . I love her and she is a interesting character

[Buck Testa 5,503]

I just hate the fact that the stereotype exists in the first place, and that's pretty much all people are seeing/ willing to see about her character.

Completely agree with you, tree hugger is just a sign of a bigger problem. 

 

People don't seem to understand that if they are not enjoying the show or the characters that inhabit it, than they don't have to watch it and find something they DO enjoy. Seeing people rail on and on about "how this character is lame" or "this one is out of character and a mary sue and M.A Larson ruins the fandom" , whining on and on like they are actually entitled to have things go their way. Its annoying and childish.

 

Tree hugger, for those who are willing to see the character for what she is and not some stereotype that is forced upon her, was a fantastic character and one I am more than a little excited to see return. However if this fandom keeps MOANING and whining on and on just because they just didn't GET the character hasbro might hide her for 90 something episodes like what happened to Gilda. Its despicable. 

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

I wouldn't say I'm a "fan" of Treehugger either. The character was harmless - I harbor no hatred for her, but I don't think she really contributed anything substantial to what was one mediocre episode all around. She did provide a few bits of humor here and there, but for the most part I couldn't get past her being such a blatant hippie stereotype. MLP has a track record of stereotypical, one-note minor characters, so this isn't surprising or disappointing in the slightest, but as far as minor characters go, Treehugger is one of the less memorable.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

I think the reason people are focusing more on the stereotypical hippie stuff is that Tree Hugger wasn't given much else to do or say. We're just used to seeing a little more inspiration in our side characters, that's all.

 

I'm sure it won't stop the fandom from doing some good things with her and improving on a weak start. (There were some stories about her on FIMfiction when I looked her up yesterday. Hell, I might write something about her.)

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Tree hugger, for those who are willing to see the character for what she is and not some stereotype that is forced upon her, was a fantastic character and one I am more than a little excited to see return.

No. Part of her problem is how rather than being a legitimate character, she takes the common traits of hippies and creates a caricature of them. Stereotypes are a terrible asset in any form of media because they paint a very false representation of a culture, movement, or society. Sure, she's a rather inoffensive stereotype compared to Sunset Shimmer acting as the high-school bully from EQG, the dragon bullies from DQ, or Snips & Snails.

 

But that doesn't make it okay.

 

This show has proven to be above and beyond these types of traps. With Fluttershy, the issues with her character are masked because of their dynamic with Discord, especially Tree Hugger. But judging TH on her own, she's the typical hippie trapped in one bloated pop culture reference.

 

Unlike TH, the Micro-Series does a much better job creating a more authentic hippie archetype. Rather than relying on stereotypes, Flax Seed and Wheat Grass are very relatable characters because they're way beyond merely operating on the hippie subculture's surface. They're hard-working, want to start a business, cooperate with others, open themselves up, get into arguments, have very unique designs, and so on. WG and Flax aren't trapped in the typical hippie archetype despite being hippies; they branch out and feel like very authentic characters. They create a very dynamic friendship with Rarity, and all three grow as you read through. You could really get them, because they behave like three-dimensional, unique beings rather than contrived plot devices. And if they are, the contrivance is much better hidden compared to Tree Hugger.

 

Seeing people rail on and on about "how this character is lame" or "this one is out of character and a mary sue and M.A Larson ruins the fandom" , whining on and on like they are actually entitled to have things go their way.

Strawman arguments don't help establish credibility in your opinion. People are entitled to like the show, but they're also entitled to see the show perform much, much better. FIM's writers are more than capable of taking worn-out tropes and making them unique and fresh, such as Starlight Glimmer in The Cutie Map and Discord in Return of Harmony. TH is a plot device to help accentuate Discord's jealousy, as proven by how we all see the episode in his point of view and he set himself up for schadenfreude because his jealousy clouds his actions. You've debated elsewhere that Tree Hugger also exists to prove FS's character growth, and that's a fair point. Considering how Levinger also wrote It Ain't Easy Being Breezies, the moral 'Shy learned there is given some validity here. Unfortunately, it's unconvincing because the audience is told about their friendship. TH is supposed to be a very important character to Fluttershy, and we should see that beyond snippets. Show us how important she is. Show us where it came from and how it evolved. Don't confine it to exposition or smaller pieces. Discord's jealousy initially had some validity because to him, he was kept in the dark and felt overshadowed. But when he tried to banish TH, Fluttershy had every reason to call him out for it.

 

However if this fandom keeps MOANING and whining on and on just because they just didn't GET the character hasbro might hide her for 90 something episodes like what happened to Gilda.

How can the fandom "get" a character when his or her current personality is weak? You can't. You have to rely on a lot of headcanon to help flesh them beyond their canonical presentation, which the fandom shouldn't need to do. Wheat Grass and Flax Seed are hippies, but better executed.

 

Secondly, Gilda was disliked because she was a flat bully confined to a '90's stereotype. She used very archaic jargon and had little dimensionality in her character despite her backstory. Halfway, the episode degraded her into a one-dimensional bully. However, the fandom knew her story wasn't finished; they wanted her back to resolve the problem and make her feel real. Lost Treasure paints a much better portrayal of Gilda by not sticking with the lousily executed "I'm-too-cool-for-you" 90's stereotype that plagued several cartoons back then and giving her a fuller personality. Lost Treasure saved her character.

 

Completely agree with you, tree hugger is just a sign of a bigger problem.

Correction. The problem you claim is out there in the fandom is less with them and more with how the show sometimes gets a little too happy with cookie cutters.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[Buck Testa 5,503]

No. Part of her problem is how rather than being a legitimate character, she takes the common traits of hippies and creates a caricature of them. Stereotypes are a terrible asset in any form of media because they paint a very false representation of a culture, movement, or society. Sure, she's a rather inoffensive stereotype compared to Sunset Shimmer acting as the high-school bully from EQG, the dragon bullies from DQ, or Snips & Snails.

 

But that doesn't make it okay.

 

This show has proven to be above and beyond these types of traps. With Fluttershy, the issues with her character are masked because of their dynamic with Discord, especially Tree Hugger. But judging TH on her own, she's the typical hippie trapped in one bloated pop culture reference.

 

Unlike TH, the Micro-Series does a much better job creating a more authentic hippie archetype. Rather than relying on stereotypes, Flax Seed and Wheat Grass are very relatable characters because they're way beyond merely operating on the hippie subculture's surface. They're hard-working, want to start a business, cooperate with others, open themselves up, get into arguments, have very unique designs, and so on. WG and Flax aren't trapped in the typical hippie archetype despite being hippies; they branch out and feel like very authentic characters. They create a very dynamic friendship with Rarity, and all three grow as you read through. You could really get them, because they behave like three-dimensional, unique beings rather than contrived plot devices. And if they are, the contrivance is much better hidden compared to Tree Hugger.

 

Strawman arguments don't help establish credibility in your opinion. People are entitled to like the show, but they're also entitled to see the show perform much, much better. FIM's writers are more than capable of taking worn-out tropes and making them unique and fresh, such as Starlight Glimmer in The Cutie Map and Discord in Return of Harmony. TH is a plot device to help accentuate Discord's jealousy, as proven by how we all see the episode in his point of view and he set himself up for schadenfreude because his jealousy clouds his actions. You've debated elsewhere that Tree Hugger also exists to prove FS's character growth, and that's a fair point. Considering how Levinger also wrote It Ain't Easy Being Breezies, the moral 'Shy learned there is given some validity here. Unfortunately, it's unconvincing because the audience is told about their friendship. TH is supposed to be a very important character to Fluttershy, and we should see that beyond snippets. Show us how important she is. Show us where it came from and how it evolved. Don't confine it to exposition or smaller pieces. Discord's jealousy initially had some validity because to him, he was kept in the dark and felt overshadowed. But when he tried to banish TH, Fluttershy had every reason to call him out for it.

 

How can the fandom "get" a character when his or her current personality is weak? You can't. You have to rely on a lot of headcanon to help flesh them beyond their canonical presentation, which the fandom shouldn't need to do. Wheat Grass and Flax Seed are hippies, but better executed.

 

Secondly, Gilda was disliked because she was a flat bully confined to a '90's stereotype. She used very archaic jargon and had little dimensionality in her character despite her backstory. Halfway, the episode degraded her into a one-dimensional bully. However, the fandom knew her story wasn't finished; they wanted her back to resolve the problem and make her feel real. Lost Treasure paints a much better portrayal of Gilda by not sticking with the lousily executed "I'm-too-cool-for-you" 90's stereotype that plagued several cartoons back then and giving her a fuller personality. Lost Treasure saved her character.

 

Correction. The problem you claim is out there in the fandom is less with them and more with how the show sometimes gets a little too happy with cookie cutters.

Tree hugger ultimately exists to strengthen Fluttershy's character, and it is through that dynamic that we will be able to see more of her personality as long as the fandom doesn't boo her out of existence before she even gets a chance to breathe. You have 22 minutes in a densely populated episode to establish such a character to begin with, and establish her they did. 

 

I am absolutely against torching a character before they even have a chance to tell their story, which has happened on numerous occasions in this fandom, even with the likes of the mane six. How many lampooned Fluttershy for Putting your Hoof Down when it was an absolutely nessesary episode to show her struggling with finding that balance in how she deals with others, and it is shown in this episode that she is well on her way to finding that balance thanks to believable character progression. How many flipped their sh*t over twilight getting wings when it did nothing but strengthen her character? 

 

I see Treehuggers potential, both in the exploration of fluttershy's character and the episodes that could revolve around th herself to flesh her out in the eyes of the viewers. That has been a long standing pattern in the show, introduce character one episode, flesh them out in another one; Trixie Sunset and Gilda all would be examples of that. I also see that potential being squashed by people who haven't even let the story teller finish the tale. These episodes and characters are not conceived in a vacuum, you are not seeing the whole picture or what they intend to do with it. Its the ultimate folly of judging the show episode to episode instead of as a whole season, because they were all conceived together and not one at a time. 

 

It all boils down to this; Do you trust the people telling the story and know where its going, or the people who are just reacting to it as its being told with no knowledge of how it ends. Given all the drama mongering this fandom likes to pull out on a regular basis I'll let the professionals tell their side of the story. I love the creative side of this fandom (fanfics, animations, readings, audio plays), but when it comes to the knee jerk reactions, sorry, "Analysis", I'm not quite so fond of it. 

 

Also, Visual short hand for comedic effect =/= cookie cutter. 

[VinylWubs 1,249]

I have to agree. I thought that tree hugger was the villain and discord was the star in the episode but since lots of people saw her, they have been putting her into artwork about stuff that isn't safe for kids! I mean seriously! That ain't nice!

Edited June 10, 2015 by VinylWubs

[Soldier Surplus 232]

Everyone is talking about the comic. May i have a link to this comic that everyone is referring to? I've never seen it.