Is "Nightmare Night" Cruel?

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I mean, think about it: it basically flanderized Luna into a monster that eats children, when all Nightmare Moon wanted was eternal night and the adoration her sister had. Her sins were Envy, Wrath, and Sloth (Apathy, as in not caring for the consequences of an eternal night), not Gluttony.

Luna would be right to feel hurt about such a holiday. Even if it was in good fun, they still basically vilified her for their entertainment.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Wyllow

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I don't think that it's cruel.

Luna seems to be okay with it (as far as we know, anyway)

The fact that Luna would be ok with it doesnt make the act less cruel. Luna just learned to cope with it.

[BlinkZ 1,151]

I dont' know how nighmare moon became a legend anyway. I mean the conflict (a leas from wha we saw in the season 3 opener) made i seem like tha conflic ok place in few minutes. I have yet to read he comics so maybe 'm mistaken.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I dont' know how nighmare moon became a legend anyway. I mean the conflict (a leas from wha we saw in the season 3 opener) made i seem like tha conflic ok place in few minutes. I have yet to read he comics so maybe 'm mistaken.

The comics are considered secondary canon, meaning that if nothing refutes it its canon, but anything in the comic that is in conflict with the show, the show is canon. As far as i know, the "battle" only last a few minutes.

[ConcorDisparate 385]

Come on, don't think things in such a dark way..

 

A millenium passed, it has become a feast which brings happiness to ponies. Ponies wouldn't care about whether it is about Nightmare moon or not, they just appreciate what the feast offers : candies, costumes, candies, and candies. And fear, but it's part of the fun.

 

She wanted to turn it into something beautiful which would more or less glorify her. But she understood this feast has something special. She accepted this role, to play the villain.

But she never accepted to be rejected, she accepted to play a role. Because none of the ponies legitimately hate her, it's just old tales.

 

It would be cruel if she accepted the rejection of others, like she wanted to, at some point. But in the end of the episode, she clearly understands something more.

She didn't :

 

Luna just learned to cope with it.

Otherwise the whole episode never happened.

 

 

Okay, I just want to add something more. I understand it's hard not to empathize with the characters, to try to understand the way they feel, etc. But if you really want to let your feelings get the best of you, don't let your personnal experience taint these feelings. Just because you wouldn't feel right about it doesn't mean the character wouldn't. You may have a different approach of things. Take the time to really understand how they would feel, not how you would in their situation.

Don't forget it's fiction . You don't have to relate it to the human world. If that makes you happy, do so . But if that makes you sad and brings such dark ideas about the show, please, don't do it, for your own good . Don't bring sadness to your life when it isn't supposed to be.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

Come on, don't think things in such a dark way..

 

A millenium passed, it has become a feast which brings happiness to ponies. Ponies wouldn't care about whether it is about Nightmare moon or not, they just appreciate what the feast offers : candies, costumes, candies, and candies. And fear, but it's part of the fun.

 

She wanted to turn it into something beautiful which would more or less glorify her. But she understood this feast has something special. She accepted this role, to play the villain.

But she never accepted to be rejected, she accepted to play a role. Because none of the ponies legitimately hate her, it's just old tales.

 

It would be cruel if she accepted the rejection of others, like she wanted to, at some point. But in the end of the episode, she clearly understands something more.

She didn't :

 

Otherwise the whole episode never happened.

 

 

Okay, I just want to add something more. I understand it's hard not to empathize with the characters, to try to understand the way they feel, etc. But if you really want to let your feelings get the best of you, don't let your personnal experience taint these feelings. Just because you wouldn't feel right about it doesn't mean the character wouldn't. You may have a different approach of things. Take the time to really understand how they would feel, not how you would in their situation.

Don't forget it's fiction . You don't have to relate it to the human world. If that makes you happy, do so . But if that makes you sad and brings such dark ideas about the show, please, don't do it, for your own good . Don't bring sadness to your life when it isn't supposed to be.

Of course its no longer a cruel holiday. But whoever invented it....it was very cruel of them. 

[Koukatsu 5,899]

I don't feel Nightmare Night is cruel. Luna herself fully embraced the holiday in Luna Eclipsed, no? c:

 

Before that, it was still not cruel. It's not against Luna, but the evil Nightmare Moon, and the fear she created. :comeatus:

[prfan93 123]

...In my opinion, no. It's just Equestria's version of Halloween.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

...In my opinion, no. It's just Equestria's version of Halloween.

Halloween was never a defamation of someone.

[prfan93 123]

Halloween was never a defamation of someone.

 

Still, you can see the similarities.

[ggg-2 3,553]

No, it is, as everyone else said, the Equestrian version of Halloween and a holiday that makes relative light of what is essentially the Equestria version of the Boogeyman, albeit a Boogeyman that actually existed.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I hope people at least see where im coming from.

[prfan93 123]

I do. And you have a very nice avatar, BTW.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I do. And you have a very nice avatar, BTW.

Thanks! I didnt  draw it, but the person who made it left this site, so I wasnt able to credit them

[prfan93 123]

I wasn't implying that jjst because she is okay with it, makes it any less cruel.

...Even though I personally don't find it cruel.

 

Exactly. Some people might.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I guess I feel this way because

I nearly committed suicide because of wrongful defamation on another site

 

Edited October 2, 2015 by Wyllow

[Daring_Do 552]

I dont' know how nighmare moon became a legend anyway. I mean the conflict (a leas from wha we saw in the season 3 opener) made i seem like tha conflic ok place in few minutes. I have yet to read he comics so maybe 'm mistaken.

Funny thing is it's a retcon; The S1 premiere seems to show no one has any idea who Nightmare Moon is (and when Twilight does, Rainbow Dash demands to know how she knows and accuses her of being a spy). Then in Luna Eclipsed it turns out they have a major holiday about her...?

Edited October 2, 2015 by Daring_Do

[WriteCodes46 178]

It's defamatory, but since Celestia still allows it, it either isn't too bad, or she still doesn't care about Luna's feelings and public image.

 

Actually the later is a rather dark possibility...

[Megas 27,957]

Yeah, I really doubt Celestia allows the holiday to happen because she has a throbbing hate boner for Luna

 

Besides, Luna seems to enjoy it herself, so what's the harm?

[Grtxkkyz 389]

Well, it pretty much focuses on Luna's demonic alter ego, and brings happiness and fun to the ponies, but I do admit the way most ponies acted toward Luna in Luna Eclipsed was kinda cruel, all of them promptly mistaking her for Nightmare Moon. Pinkie did not help matters.

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

I don't think Nightmare Night is cruel, it's Equestria's way of celebrating a holiday that focuses on Nightmare Moon, plus Luna loves it lol.

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I think some people are missing my point. Yes, Luna likes it now

My problem is WHY it exists.

[Not Yellow Diamond 925]

First, ask yourself, is Halloween cruel? Because it is literally the same Holiday and altered for ponies. 

 

As for Luna... 

 

"Hey Luna, you know how this is the only day for you, like, ever? You know, the one day people bask in your night. Yeah, this suck to you? No... Didn't really think so." 

 

 

I think some people are missing my point. Yes, Luna likes it now My problem is WHY it exists.

 

Here's your answer, because, it's child's TV show. And Halloween is a pursuit that children and teens participate in every year. So, in order to reference with kids they make a mirror of the holiday, something they're familiar with.

 

If you're going to ask this then ask why there is Applebuck Season/The harvest. Hearth's warming eve/Christmas. Dragon migration/Animal Migration. Yes, the last being a bit a stray but if you look at it. They're just providing connections. It'd be much easier for myself, as a nine year old child to picture Nightmare Night, a reflection of Halloween, then have to bring in a brand new event/holiday.

The reasons their is NMN in short, is it's relatable. Simple as that. You ask a question a deep, plot busting question about a kid's show. Hardly few children will ever care about why they have Nightmare Night for Luna if this and this and she feels that.

The reason is for the target audience, (I'm aware, I'm rambling but still)

In one sentence or TL;DR. There doesn't have to be a deep, world altering reason in a kids show. it's a relatable, fathomable concept that is used to connect or draw children into the show... Just, laying that out there... 

Edited October 2, 2015 by Tacoma

[deadprofile 1,123]

Halloween was never a defamation of someone.

 

Halloween at its roots historically is about honoring the dead. If you look objectively (without religious bias) at Halloween, there is nothing inherantly wrong with it.  However, how halloween is portrayed today, it defames history, peoples, and cultures. Witches are one of the most popular costumes, and this specific supernatural creature came out of history where many people where killed over simple, stupid things (this is a gross simplification; just look up the history on witches). Native Americans, Romani, and political topics revolving around peoples and cultures are offensive no matter how "benign" it seems, (about as benign as calling your school the "fighting Indians"). That's flanderizing on real people and cultures. Not to mention the offensiveness of lewd costumes that are available for women and girls...now there's a real problem......and all of this is attributed to the culture we have today (which is the bigger problem)

 

With that said, Halloween's history is similar to how Luna\Nightmare moon's history played out. Think about it, no one today knows the history of halloween unless they do extra research. No pony but Twilight Sparkle knew who Nightmare Moon even was in the first two episodes of the show. If all the ponies know are legends and lore, then you get a celebration similar to how Halloween evolved in the early to mid 20th century to what we have today. That is not flanderization, that is legend and history evolving with time. With how Luna is, and how much guilt she harbors towards herself, I am sure she is happy that Nightmare Night exists because it seperates her form the monster she was in the public's eye. And as far as the show has presented, the general population doesn't even know she WAS Nightmare Moon. .

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

First, ask yourself, is Halloween cruel? Because it is literally the same Holiday and altered for ponies. 

 

As for Luna... 

 

"Hey Luna, you know how this is the only day for you, like, ever? You know, the one day people bask in your night. Yeah, this suck to you? No... Didn't really think so." 

 

 

 

Here's your answer, because, it's child's TV show. And Halloween is a pursuit that children and teens participate in every year. So, in order to reference with kids they make a mirror of the holiday, something they're familiar with.

 

If you're going to ask this then ask why there is Applebuck Season/The harvest. Hearth's warming eve/Christmas. Dragon migration/Animal Migration. Yes, the last being a bit a stray but if you look at it. They're just providing connections. It'd be much easier for myself, as a nine year old child to picture Nightmare Night, a reflection of Halloween, then have to bring in a brand new event/holiday.

 

The reasons their is NMN in short, is it's relatable. Simple as that. You ask a question a deep, plot busting question about a kid's show. Hardly few children will ever care about why they have Nightmare Night for Luna if this and this and she feels that.

 

The reason is for the target audience, (I'm aware, I'm rambling but still)

 

In one sentence or TL;DR. There doesn't have to be a deep, world altering reason in a kids show. it's a relatable, fathomable concept that is used to connect or draw children into the show... Just, laying that out there... 

Wow, people are clearly missing my point. Its not THAT it exists, its WHY it was made in the first place. Who the buck thought it would be a good idea to make a holiday out of one of the darkest few minutes of Celestia and Luna's life. Celestia probably didn't say anything because she didn't want to be a tyrant.

 

And im sorry, Pinkie Pie is smart, and should have realized that her actions were distressing Luna.

 

If Nightmare Night had no backstory and was basically just a replacement for Halloween, i wouldnt be worrying about it. But they DID tell us its backstory.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Wyllow