S05:E17 - Brotherhooves Social

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

If it was inclusive then why did Big Mac have to wear a dress? Why aren't there other colts competing?

It is the Sisterhooves Social, after all. So the idea is that sister teams compete. It's just that their definition of "sister" is just expansive enough that they don't make an issue of it if a team is non-related, (as in ScootaDash) or one of the "sisters" just happens to be a "brother in drag". It's somewhat implied that Big Mac didn't actually NEED to wear the dress, since it's not the reason for his disqualification when it fell apart on him. Other colts aren't competing because that isn't the point of the Sisterhooves Social, but it seems they aren't technically barred from it.

[Foliha 395]

As I said, the animators were lazy back then. Even with females, they would use the same pony model again and again which is why there was a shot with 5 Trixie models together and another with two Diamond Tiara models in the same scene. There were more males when the plot demanded it like "Hearts and Hooves day" then they would magically appear out of nowhere. But it implies that there are more than we see in the show.

 

 

I think it's a mistake to characterize the animators of a show as lazy for not designing scads of different background ponies.  Animators don't set the budget, nor do they make creative decisions.  When the show netted a wider fan-base the sales of merchandise went up.  More distinct characters means more after-market sales of plushies, figures, etc.  And the enthusiasm of adult collectors of pony merch made lots of detail in animation and characters lucrative. 

 

You can rank out Hasbro all you want.  But they created the show to make money.  Support the show by buying licensed merchandise and DVDs/ Blu Rays (when they come - and they will) and the show will reflect that support.  Hasbro has shown that they are sensitive to the likes and sensibilities of adult fans of MLP FIM.  The show is getting better and better.  Put your money where your mouth is and that will continue to be the case.

[Guest]

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Edited December 7, 2023 by redacted01241243

[Ziltoid the Omniscient 286]

Hadn't laughed that hard at ponies since...well, last season probably. Good show.

 

 

Big Mac got style. 

[Foliha 395]

I want to see Bic Macintosh do Tina Turner.  He's got the singing voice and when he's performing he loves to strut!  Can you see him doing "What's Love Got to Do with It?"

 

 

You could do a pony version of this music video - shot for shot - in Manehatten.  There's even a sweet little spot for Zecora near the end.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Foliha

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

Regarding all the transgender talk around the fandom:

 

Big Mac is a male who truthfully identifies as male, who was wearing an ostentatious dress and doing an over the top southern belle impression. In essence, all he is, is a male in a dress, doing an impression. To say that a dude in a dress doing an impression is somehow comparable or a critique on transgenderism, is to demean what it is to be transgendered down to something so superficial. If someone is going to find offense in this episode, they need to objectively reflect on what Big Mac simply was and who the transgendered genuinely are. 

[LHfunk 422]

Of all the episodes to make me tear up, it's a Big Mac episode. A BIG MAC EPISODE. AS IN THE BIG RED PONY THAT SAYS TWO THINGS. For most of the epaiode I was cringing and smiling, but that ending, man that was a good ending. Nothing at all like what I expected.

[Makasu 27]

But that dirty old stallion tho

[Cloud Strife 928]

As I said, the animators were lazy back then. Even with females, they would use the same pony model again and again which is why there was a shot with 5 Trixie models together and another with two Diamond Tiara models in the same scene. There were more males when the plot demanded it like "Hearts and Hooves day" then they would magically appear out of nowhere. But it implies that there are more than we see in the show.

 

I just don't believe that Equestria would allow such attitudes to flourish. It's against the principles of Princess Celestia and twilight Sparkle. Alicorns are somewhat higher beings, aren't they? I think only females can hold that power which makes it a certainty that they would control power on such a broad scale. To have cultural antagonistic beliefs makes sense only if Equestria wasn't the superior society that it is.

 

If it was inclusive then why did Big Mac have to wear a dress? Why aren't there other colts competing?

 

I doubt that it was a case of laziness. Male pony models are easy to do - they can just recolor Big Mac's. That's pretty much exactly what they did with the female pony models. I would say it's more likely they didn't do it because they weren't mandated to.

 

We know absolutely nothing about the principles of gender politics within Equestria, though; this is still a level of assumption on your part. Ultimately, the showrunners know more about this world than you do, and you need to keep that in mind. Also, Equestria isn't "superior" - there are many episodes to suggest there are plenty of assholes within the towns and cities. Putting Your Hoof Down is an example of one, Hurricane Fluttershy has symptoms of it too, Cloudsdale clearly has a bullying problem as it's referenced in multiple episodes; it isn't this perfect world that you seem to think it is, and many of the issues that we have, it has as well.

 

 

There's a very simple answer to that question: no male pony attempted to participate in it before. It is inclusive, this is canon, considering the fact that Big Mac was not disqualified right out the gate even though it was obvious to every pony there that he was a stallion. He was disqualified because he ended up breaking the equipment and cheating within the race. This isn't a matter of interpretation. What is, though, is the fact it doesn't have a gender inclusive name, so that's why I'm guessing it's simply a matter of tradition that it was called that. It's exactly the same concept as the term for 'bronies'; it was designating a particular demographic and stuck even when others of different demographics joined. It's strange that you're objecting to the title in reference to Big Mac when he was not the only, nor even the first, to go against the title of the Sisterhooves Social; in the episode it was introduced, Sweetie Belle paired up with a mare that was not related to her at all. Yes, it turned out to be Rarity in disguise, but neither Sweetie Belle, nor the judges, were likely in tune to that. Also, within this very same episode Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were participating despite the fact that although Rainbow is Scoots's honorary big sister, she is not biologically related to her. Granny Smith also referenced cousins being entered instead of siblings.

 

There's no inconsistency here. The simple matter is that Big Mac, and most others really, assumed that stallions weren't allowed, and never checked in to ask. But they always were allowed.

Edited October 10, 2015 by Lady Bow

[Voiceman 6]

The ending of this episode gave me feels i wasn't ready for.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

 

 

He was disqualified because he ended up breaking the equipment and cheating within the race.

That can easily result in the ponies deciding that males shouldn't participate in the social afterwards since the one and only male that entered cheated.

[Cloud Strife 928]

That can easily result in the ponies deciding that males shouldn't participate in the social afterwards since the one and only male that entered cheated.

 

It certainly could, but will it? I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that. Not that it won't happen, I don't know, I'm not part of the team, but rather that playing "what ifs" doesn't really have any bearing on canon until they say it does. For the time being, the Sisterhooves Social is inclusive, not exclusive, as it detailed at the end of the episode. If that changes? Well, it certainly would make for an interesting future episode, were that to be the case.

[Dynamo Pad 11,306]

I found this episode to be really enjoyable. It was really great to see Big Mac get his very own episode and it was great seeing him talking throughout the episode. I actually thought we would hear his thoughts when he was talking like in the comics. Big Mac being Orchard Blossom was pretty funny and great to watch as well. It was also great to see more events from the social since we only saw one event when the social was first introduced. My favorite moments were the song and the race. I also really liked the conversation Big Mac and Applebloom had at the end and it was pretty good developement for both characters. All in all I really liked this episode and I hope that there will be more episodes that help develop Big Mac's character more. 

[reece123 297]

when i saw this episode i cringed at big mac but at the same time i could not stop laughing 

[paradoxical 1,735]

Big Mac in a dress: Kind of cringe worth here with it but it's not really all that offensive, at least to me but the joke did not take, though I did like how everyone pretty much knew and were cool with it.

Was it actually a joke?  To me, it seemed like a set up for a lot of jokes, which I thought went well, or was it that you didn't like the jokes that they did have [tripping over his bloomers, the asides, and the deep "sisterhood!"]

[PittyPaws 118]

The could have easily gone with the whole "OMG he's a stallion in a dress!" cliche, but they didn't. I like the fact everyone  knew it was Big Macintosh and they didn't end up insulting 

the audience by making a bunch of characters blind to something so obvious. Instead they had one of the judges say "The Social has always had a lose policy when it comes to what counts as a sister."   Also it's cool that Big Macintosh got his own episode as well. 

[Looking Glass 197]

LMAO Big Mac in drag, this episode is going to be hilarious. I am really looking forward to the inevitable fandom cross dressing jokes.

 

Funny thing is, I've seen some fan fics featuring big mac in drag. Some funny, some drama, and some, well.....

 

The idea of big mac being a secret crossdresser seems to be already fanon.

 

But I agree we will see a lot more of it now!

I swear, so many Things in season 5 seem to come almost directly from fanon. Cross dressing big mac, rainbow dash accused of a crime she didn't do, diamond tiara wanting to change, (,although tragic/and or reforming villans is par for the show) , even button mash! (He is one of the students now)

 

There are other things I recognized, but I can't think of them at the moment

I couldn't stop laughing, especially with big mac in drag! This is definitely one to watch again.

Are you sure about that? We've seen way more mares than stallions. You can go through the background pony list and see how many of them are mares.

 

Them having equal rights doesn't necessarily mean they aren't looked down upon. There are groups even in real life who have privileges above other groups, and yet are seen negatively by society anyway.

 

But they would inherently have less power no matter what position they take up because of the sisters. The sisters are the absolute rulers - which means, by default, they have the most power, and both of them are female. Not to mention every alicorn we have seen so far has been female. Twilight Sparkle? Cadance? That's quite a bit of evidence right there to suggest that females hold the seat of power within Equestria.

 

It makes quite a bit of sense, then, that they would revere one gender over another.

 

 

Also, I was talking about the name of the tradition. It was obviously an annual event considering everyone talks about it, and it's likely when it was first established it had that name, and there's no reason to shake it at this point.

 

As far as the "mares in power" thing, this was done as a parallel to the behavior of real horses, where the alpha of the herd is a mare, one of the many things ms. Faust placed in there, along with nuzzling, and holding things in their mouth.

 

She wanted them to be a bit more "realistic" than in past gens.

 

 

Still, that doesn't imply that stallions are considered any less important.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Looking Glass

[Pastel 7,630]

Great episode but a bit odd too o_o, loved the last moment between Applebloom and Big Mac.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Blobulle

[Cadance of Love 1,118]

the whole moral of the story made up for the ridiculousness of Big Mac dressing up as a female. The conversation at the hill made me sympathize with Big Mac and more development on how the relationship was with Applebloom and Big Mac before and after the events of AJ helping save the world..

[poniesrfun 469]

Awww big Mac is lovely. His a big softy loveable pony . and cute

[They call me Loyalty 1,948]

Well, that was cute... but awkward to watch. I had to do it in small doses.

Applebloom's devotion was a little bit too much, stretched out till making me feel uncomfortable. We got it, already! Even overacted, at times.

Overall, it succeeded in weirding me out. Yeap...

[Chaton 3,765]

Kind of a weird episode. A little to cheesy for me, though it was very interesting to see how far Big Mac would go for his family

[NeonFlash1 19]

Lady Mac!!!!, odd is he actually looks good in drag

[Chaton 3,765]

Lady Mac!!!!, odd is he actually looks good in drag

Every person to themselves I suppose.

 

>.>

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

Eeyup! I loved it. More Sisterhooves after years.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Ulrik Raben