Applejack's Xenophobia?

[cider float 2,539]

So apart from Zecora and the fruit bats, what other signs of xenophobia has Applejack has shown?

[A Black Circle 1,586]

It isn't xenophobia, it's 1) based upon rumours and myths that everyone else provides and 2) animals that are eating her crops. You know, her life work and passion.

Edited May 27, 2015 by FlinchCat

[#1FluttershyFan 206]

It's not really xenophobia but if she does have it (which I doubt he does) there isn't enough evidence to go on since there were a lot of rumors and myths about Zecora and everyone was afraid. With the fruit bats, they were destroying her life's work. I'd be pissed too. 

[Justin_Case001 4,926]

I'd be afraid of xenomorphs, too.  Wouldn't you?

[cider float 2,539]

Applejack seems even more spooked about Zecora than Fluttershy

 

 

 

But it's possible they retconned it like they did with the other pony personalities after Season 2.

Edited May 27, 2015 by cidershield

[Singe 2,111]

Have a couple of foreign ran apple farms start popping up and threaten her family's livelihood.

 

Her biggest fears are losing family members and losing the farm.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[cuteycindyhoney 13,334]

Applejack seems even more spooked about Zecora than Fluttershy

 

 

 

But it's possible they retconned it like they did with the other pony personalities after Season 2.

The best thing about the song in "Bats" is that we learned that the ponies have the concept of SIN!

"They're big and ugly and mean as sin!"

[cider float 2,539]

That's the thing. This is one of the first times any of the ponies actually said something is downright ugly. Rarity does say it in some fancy dancy way but you would expect Applejack to be the last one to say something is ugly as sin. This episode really encroached upon Applejack's character. The only explanation is that this fear is the same kind of irrational fear she had with Zecora.

Edited May 28, 2015 by cidershield

[Unikitty 1,212]

That's the thing. This is one of the first times any of the ponies actually said something is downright ugly. Rarity does say it in some fancy dancy way but you would expect Applejack to be the last one to say something is ugly as sin. This episode really encroached upon Applejack's character. The only explanation is that this fear is the same kind of irrational fear she had with Zecora.

 

I think that explanation is as irrational as the irrational fear you claim her to have. Applejack is clearly just cautious about things, which fits her character perfectly considering how levelheaded and mature she generally is.

[Miles 2,513]

Boy howdy, never thought I'd see this question...

Think of it this way: All the rest of the Mane 6 either came from other places, or have family in other towns.  Applejack has essentially been a country resident her whole life, besides for her cutie mark story when she went to Manehattan.  

The fear isn't so irrational, then, is it?

She'd never seen a zebra before, and while the others hadn't either, Applejack is the least "diversified" pony because she's never lived in a very diverse place before.  She's had the least experience with other ponies, of any kind.

Lastly, living with Granny Smith is bound to make her somewhat "conservative," at least more than her friends.  Being taught to fear the unknown comes hand in hand with living a more traditional lifestyle.  

Was Applejack really xenophobic?  I don't think so.  Because that would necessitate that her fear was initiated irrationally.  So, her fear was rational because she reacted in a predictable manner based off her origins.  But she was being a protective older sister, at the same time.  Family is the number one value in such a traditional family as hers.

Applejack wasn't, and isn't xenophobic.  She's just been isolated by default.  It's not hard to understand that her fear was predictable and rational, when you consider the above.

~ Miles

[cider float 2,539]

Boy howdy, never thought I'd see this question...

 

Think of it this way: All the rest of the Mane 6 either came from other places, or have family in other towns.  Applejack has essentially been a country resident her whole life, besides for her cutie mark story when she went to Manehattan.  

 

The fear isn't so irrational, then, is it?

 

She'd never seen a zebra before, and while the others hadn't either, Applejack is the least "diversified" pony because she's never lived in a very diverse place before.  She's had the least experience with other ponies, of any kind.

 

Lastly, living with Granny Smith is bound to make her somewhat "conservative," at least more than her friends.  Being taught to fear the unknown comes hand in hand with living a more traditional lifestyle.  

 

Was Applejack really xenophobic?  I don't think so.  Because that would necessitate that her fear was initiated irrationally.  So, her fear was rational because she reacted in a predictable manner based off her origins.  But she was being a protective older sister, at the same time.  Family is the number one value in such a traditional family as hers.

 

Applejack wasn't, and isn't xenophobic.  She's just been isolated by default.  It's not hard to understand that her fear was predictable and rational, when you consider the above.

 

~ Miles

Yes but that still falls under the case of xenophobia. Despite what origins you come from when you don't stop to understand someone or something else without investigating it means you can be xenophobic.

[Singe 2,111]

Applejack does have xenophobia against outside the family apple based businesses like Flim Flam. She prefers to maintain a monopoly and can't stand competition. 

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[Miles 2,513]

Yes but that still falls under the case of xenophobia. Despite what origins you come from when you don't stop to understand someone or something else without investigating it means you can be xenophobic.

 

Zecora was:

 

1. Unknown.

2. Wearing a hoody (up on her head).

3. Wearing suspicious attire in general (the hoof rings included).

4. Showing no signs of either good or bad intentions.

5. Wasn't speaking.

 

Also, everyone hid.  Not just Applejack.  Everyone in the town ran inside somewhere.

 

So, either everyone (minus Applebloom, who was overly curious) was xenophobic, or nopony was at all.

 

Applejack was no more "xenophobic" than the rest.  She was just more verbal and showing of her fears.  But, she was hiding with everyone else.  

 

---

 

Applejack does have xenophobia against other apple based businesses like Flim Flam. She prefers to maintain a monopoly and can't stand competition. 

 

Um, lol, that's irrelevant and based on an incorrect assumption.  The Flim Flam Bros were ponies.  Zecora is a zebra.

 

~ Miles

[cider float 2,539]

Zecora was:

 

1. Unknown.

2. Wearing a hoody (up on her head).

3. Wearing suspicious attire in general (the hoof rings included).

4. Showing no signs of either good or bad intentions.

5. Wasn't speaking.

 

Also, everyone hid.  Not just Applejack.  Everyone in the town ran inside somewhere.

 

So, either everyone (minus Applebloom, who was overly curious) was xenophobic, or nopony was at all.

 

Applejack was no more "xenophobic" than the rest.  She was just more verbal and showing of her fears.  But, she was hiding with everyone else.  

 

---

 

 

Um, lol, that's irrelevant and based on an incorrect assumption.  The Flim Flam Bros were ponies.  Zecora is a zebra.

 

~ Miles

There's a good reason Applejack acted more scared than the rest on Zecora and that is the xenophobia I'm talking about. Isn't it usually Fluttershy who gets the most scared? I'm not saying this to badmouth her character it's an observation towards a weakness that Applejack may have and may even spur Applejack episodes because she rarely has any flaws.

[Miles 2,513]

There's a good reason Applejack acted more scared than the rest on Zecora and that is the xenophobia I'm talking about. Isn't it usually Fluttershy who gets the most scared? I'm not saying this to badmouth her character it's an observation towards a weakness that Applejack may have and may even spur Applejack episodes because she rarely has any flaws.

 

Yes there is a good reason, and it's because she was raised with the teaching to fear the unknown.  

 

But again: everypony hid.

 

AJ wasn't alone in hiding.

 

But Applejack showed more fear because she had been isolated, living in the country, and hadn't experienced many "unknowns" in her life until then.

 

~ Miles

[Singe 2,111]

 

Um, lol, that's irrelevant and based on an incorrect assumption.  The Flim Flam Bros were ponies.  Zecora is a zebra.

 

~ Miles

 

There is more than one single variation of xenophobia. Flim Flam brothers came from outside of Ponyville on a machine which was never before seen. She got hostile when they started doing business for the other ponies.

 

She's scared of business competition. ~Case closed.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[Miles 2,513]

There is more than one single variation of xenophobia. Flim Flam brothers came from outside of Ponyville on a machine which was never before seen. She got hostile when they started doing business for the other ponies.

 

She's scared of business competition. ~Case closed.

 

Pffft.  She's not scared of competition; that was HER DAMN FARM!  They TRESPASSED onto her property!  

 

Singe, you can believe whatever you want.  But know the difference between public and private property, please.

 

~ Miles

 

Edit:

 

Not only did they trespass, but they also destroyed property - they broke the fence!

Edited May 28, 2015 by Miles

[Singe 2,111]

Applejack is scared of foreigners "outsiders not from Ponyville" that come in to start a business only if it competes with her farm/business. Basis being it threatens the livelihood of her farm and family. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 established that point.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[Gearbox10mm 794]

So if you dislike / distrust someone after they roll up to your business's front door and say join us or we'll run you out of business, that makes you xenophobic?

 

Do tell.

[Red Cedar 1,408]

It's hard to single out Applejack as being xenophobic when the entire town hid from Zecora every single time she showed up.

 

As for the bats, they were animals plaguing her crops (Fluttershy's ability to communicate with them notwithstanding). Hard to call it xenophobia when it involves a pest.

[Singe 2,111]

So if you dislike / distrust someone after they roll up to your business's front door and say join us or we'll run you out of business, that makes you xenophobic?

 

Do tell.

 

In this scenario, Apple Family needs the money from their cider sales to last through winter every single year. They are unable to make enough supply to meet the demand and they were able to dominate the market this way as there was no other sources of cider. Long lines and dissatisfied thirsty customers will have them go to any competitor that offers decent cider. Any outsider that decides to open a business to compete against the Apple Family, here being the cider side business would be a threat. They don't have to be Flim and Flam as any outsider with a knack for business and sees opportunity will do.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[Gearbox10mm 794]

I'm having a hard time following your train of thought. So say someone she already knows from town decides to open up a competing apple based business, that wouldn't cause a xenophobic reaction but Flim and Flam doing the same thing would? 

 

Applejack is clearly not xenophobic. A business owner being concerned with competition has nothing to do with whether or not the competition is familiar or not. 

[Singe 2,111]

I'm having a hard time following your train of thought. So say someone she already knows from town decides to open up a competing apple based business, that wouldn't cause a xenophobic reaction but Flim and Flam doing the same thing would? 

 

Applejack is clearly not xenophobic. A business owner being concerned with competition has nothing to do with whether or not the competition is familiar or not. 

 

If the apples are supplied from outside of Ponyville there would be a foreign/outsider business involved. There is no mention of other local apple farms in Ponyville. Otherwise, one of those other local farms and business would have started their own cider given the demand for it. Flim/Flam were going to get a foreign apple supplier involved after being turned down.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe

[Miles 2,513]

If the apples are supplied from outside of Ponyville there would be a foreign/outsider business involved. There is no mention of other local apple farms in Ponyville. Otherwise, one of those other local farms and business would have started their own cider given the demand for it. Flim/Flam were going to get a foreign apple supplier involved after being turned down.

 

And we saw what the townsponies wanted didn't we?

 

Flim and Flam's cider tasted like warm piss, do pardon my french.    

 

They got beat, they left, and their business, no matter what they're selling, is unwanted in Ponyville, because they're dishonest cheapskates who sell sub-par products for twice as much as the good stuff.  

 

~ Miles

[Singe 2,111]

And we saw what the townsponies wanted didn't we?

 

Flim and Flam's cider tasted like warm piss, do pardon my french.    

 

They got beat, they left, and their business, no matter what they're selling, is unwanted in Ponyville, because they're dishonest cheapskates who sell sub-par products for twice as much as the good stuff.  

 

~ Miles

 

Flim and Flam cider was bad at that time because they disabled their own quality control to win the race and it backfired on them. The cider made during their introduction song was good enough to leave Granny speechless as their machine operated normally. Though honest foreign/outsider business competitors would be a different battle as the problems of the Apple Family cider business hasn't been resolve like the limited supply, unable to fulfill the high demand, and unhappy thirsty customers; for years.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Singe