Gabby Gums: True or False?

[Superstars111 79]

In the episode Ponyville Confidential, the CMC spread rumors regarding various ponies. Some were false, some were exagerated, and at least one was true. I'm listing here the various rumors, the evidence for/against each within the episode (that I saw), and then I'd like to discuss them to see if we can reach a verdict. True, false, or exagerated. I'll be skipping the first article (about Snips and Snails) and the last article (about Rarity's diary).

 

1. The Great and Powerful Trixie's Secrets Revealed - Verdict: Undecided

 

2. Celestia Just Like Us - Verdict: Undecided

A picture of Celestia is shown with her face covered in cake.

 

3. Mayor: Not Naturally Gray- The Mayor in a Mane-dying Scandal - Verdict: True

A picture of the Mayor is shown, seemingly dying her mane. Later, she peeks her head out the door to get her paper. Her mane is partially gray and partially pink.

 

4. Applejack: Asleep on the Job - Verdict: Undecided

A picture is shown of Applejack sleeping against a tree. Applejack reacts in an upset manner, but doesn't say whether it's a lie or a secret truth.

 

5. Big Macintosh: What's He Hiding? - Verdict: Undecided

A picture is shown of Big Mac holding the doll that he got from Twilight in Lesson Zero. Applejack is upset, but doesn't say whether anything is true or not.

 

6. Twilight Sparkle: I was a Canterlot Snob - Verdict: Undecided

"A well-placed scaly sourse close to the prissy pony says, "Twilight Sparkle thinks Ponyville is nothing but muddy roads and low-class roofs.""

Twilight asks Spike how he could say such a thing. Spike insists that he didn't, and Gabby Gums made it up. Twilight later says that what Gabby Gums prints is all lies, presumably referring to this particular article, since another article hadn't yet been refferenced after this one.

 

7. Fluttershy Has Tail Extensions - Verdict: Undecided

A picture of Fluttershy from behind is shown with red arrows pointing to her tail. Fluttershy gets wide eyes and sinks out of view, saying nothing.

 

8. Pinkie Pie is an Out-of-control Party Animal - Verdict: True

A picture is shown of Pinkie Pie wearing a lamp shade and dancing in a punch bowl. Pinkie Pie takes the paper, exclaiming, "What?!" Reading the story, she breaks down into exagerated tears, wailing, "It's true! I do have a problem!"

 

9. "Oh, look! According to this one, the Cakes are breaking up!" - Verdict: Undecided

The Cakes burst into the room in surprise, Mrs. Cake asking, "We are??"

 

10. Rainbow Dash: Speed Demon or Super Softie? - Verdict: Undecided

A picture is shown of Rainbow Dash about to get a hooficure. Presumably, this is from earlier in the episode, when she was about to give in and get one because of her friends' insistance. However, unlike earlier in the episode, Rainbow Dash is smiling in the picture.

 

I think some of them are rather obvious, but I'd still like to see what you all think about them. Which do you think are true, which do you think are false, which do you think are exaggerated, and why?

Edited May 26, 2015 by Superstars111

[J.R. 3,182]

1. N/A No info given. :/

2. True AND exaggerated. She was shown wanting the cake in MMMystery on Friendship Express. So it's likely she posed for that on purpose.

3. True. We see the mare with her hair dyed later in the episode. 

4. Exaggerated. She was probably resting with a break.

5. True. We saw him with the doll in Lesson Zero, so yeah.

6. False. Twilight's nothing like that.

7. I honestly have no clue here. :/ Could go either way, her tail IS long.

8. True. Pinkie is, but that's not a bad thing.

9. False. By the Cake's reaction, they had no clue.

10. False! RD's too awesome for that.

[A Joe in the Bush 255]

I pretty much agree with Ice Blizzard.

 

The only Thing I would add is on Fluttershy's tail extensions, she reacted by hiding, and she does care abut beauty, regularly going to the Spa with Rarity, so I wouldn't be surprised if her Tail is extended.

[The Awesome One 1,314]

I think Fluttershy does have tail extension and Celestia probably goes on eating sprees from time to time. What they wrote about Rainbow Dash doesn't make any sense. Yes she is tomboyish but she is still a mare, no? What is wrong with getting hooficure. I bet Rarity probably talked her into getting one anyway.

[sweetolebob18 724]

# 4 AJ asleep on the job is possibly from Apple Buck Season (Season1).  She was falling asleep from overwork everywhere else, so likely yes

# 6 Twilight's comments on Ponyville.  Maybe.  If so, it was probably during episode 1 season 1 when she found out she was being sent to Ponyville when she wanted to research Nightmare Moon.  In episode 2, she asked to stay, so she has changed her mind.

# 8 Party Pinkie.  Pinkie admits she has a problem, so IMO yes

# 9 Cake Break Up.  Probably from neither Pound Cake nor Pumpkin being Earth Ponies.  According to Cakes, false

# 10 Dash did have spa treatment, but so what?  I'll go w exagerated

Celestia likes cake?  The horror, the horror!

[dekutree64 711]

1. N/A No info given. :/

2. True AND exaggerated. She was shown wanting the cake in MMMystery on Friendship Express. So it's likely she posed for that on purpose.

3. True. We see the mare with her hair dyed later in the episode. 

4. Exaggerated. She was probably resting with a break.

5. True. We saw him with the doll in Lesson Zero, so yeah.

6. False. Twilight's nothing like that.

7. I honestly have no clue here. :/ Could go either way, her tail IS long.

8. True. Pinkie is, but that's not a bad thing.

9. False. By the Cake's reaction, they had no clue.

10. False! RD's too awesome for that.

I pretty much agree, except I think Fluttershy's reaction was confirmation on the tail extensions, and Rainbow actually has gone soft, as I complained about in the Griffonstone thread

[Grepper 3,192]

1. No evidence given.

I'm sure Celestia makes everyday mistakes like all the other ponies.

That sounds like it's true. (Why would you dye your hair gray, anyway?)

Hard to tell.

It sounds like he likes Smarty Pants, but any "What's He Hiding?" article would be highly speculative.

It sounds like it's false.

It could be either way. Fluttershy is sensitive to attention from strangers, whether or not the speculation is true.

I think it's true. Just watch any Pinkie Pie episode.

Definitely false.

Why can't she be both?

Edited May 25, 2015 by Greppertas

[Shanks 10,811]

What made Gammy Gums so damaging to the citizens is that many of the stories had elements of truth to them even if some of those things were grossly exaggerated or taken out of context. The "Celestia just like us" story is a good example of that, of course Celestia is "just like us" she is long lived but is still a pony with actual thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams like any other and that is a good thing. What that story did though was to twist it with a negative spin to make Celestia look like she is incompetent. The mayor not being naturally grey is also true but sensationalized a completely inconsequential issue. Whether or not the mayor decides to dye her mane is irrelevant to her policies as mayor and at worst is simply something to try to boost her perceived credibility rather than the Ponyville equivalent of Watergate.

 

Applejack being asleep is probably also true and taken out of context does look pretty bad but that picture could easily have been Applejack taking a nap after a hard days work, or maybe Applejack takes afternoon naps to recharge herself to be able to power through the rest of the day. Or she could have just been a bit extra sleepy that day. "Big Macintosh what is he hiding?" reminds me of all the accusations against bronies being pedophiles and overgrown manchildren and while they probably didn't so far as to suggest pedophilia likely did suggest that he was an overgrown man child and as they know that doll once belonged to Twilight could easily have added some unproven speculation that Big Mac has a crush on Twilight.

 

Twilight having a snobbish attitude was a bit more accurate during the series premier but is still a huge exaggeration build upon taking statements from Twilight and Spike out of context. If I had to single out one thing that was the biggest lie it would probably be this one. Fluttershy having tail extensions is also confirmed though like Mayor Mare's mane dying is inconsequential. The Pinkie Pie party animal one has the most amount of truth to it as we have seen Pinkie Pie has sometimes had problems with personal space and getting a tad carried away though I am sure it had some exaggerations in it as well. 

 

The Cakes breaking up is probably not true but I could easily see them taking an argument they had and blowing it out of proportion that made it looks like they were on the road to splitsville. The Rainbow Dash story relied on what is called a Hobson's Choice Fallacy or false dilema by suggesting that because she has a softer side that she can't be tough or strong which is ridiculous. I honestly point to people that would seriously make this argument to samurai. They were eltie warriors but many of them were also great artists and poets.