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Why Is Applejack Reffered To As a Background Pony?


LuckyLollipop

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Sure, she isn't in many episodes, but AJ does have her own episodes, not to mention she's acknowledged in the theme, an Element of Harmony, and is a pony extremely needed and relevant to the plot. Why is she called a background pony when that's the case?

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I suppose it's due to her lacking a great amount of presence compared to the rest of the Mane Six. There are many that love her, including me, but maybe it's because she just seems like a regular resident of Ponyville instead of a powerful force (the elements).

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@@LuckyLollipop,

 

The joke was that for a long stretch of time, Applejack was a secondary character in the episodes that she did appear and had very few actual episodes focused on her. This changed in seasons 3.5/4/5, so it's an outdated meme, but you still hear it in jest from time to time. I haven't legitimately heard it as a complaint in a while.

 

Although she was replaced by... Vinyl, I think, in the Rainbow Power McDonalds toys they released a year or two ago. So there's that.

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Yeah, I've noticed that Applejack isn't featured in merchandise often. For that fact, niether is Fluttershy from what I've seen (which is very unfortunate considering she's a fan favorite and one of my personal favorites.)


AJ deserves more love. And a hat in her toy lines. 

I had a Vinyl figure of her with a hat.. But I lost the hat. :kindness:

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It's because she doesn't get a lot of character development as well as originally getting overshadowed in her own episodes. The fact people cared more about Derpy(a background character aka living prop) over a main character in Applejack's own episode speaks volumes. Luckily it doesn't seem to be the case any more.

Edited by cmarston1
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As Magos Amphrose said, it's an outdated meme where Aj had few personal episodes to herself while the rest of the mane 6 had a few more starring episodes to herself.

 

Here's an interesting thing to know as well. While I'm unable to find the time chart, it did made note that in terms of amount time total they have in the series, Aj had the highest amount while Fluttershy had the least out of the mane 6. Thus if we we're use that chart to judge, Fluttershy would be the background pony of the Mane 6 while Aj would be the main character in terms of time allotted.

Edited by Nuke87654
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Honestly, Applejack hasn't been referred as a background pony since about 2013. If you Google "Applejack is a background pony", you will now get more hits showing people defending her from this mantra, rather than spreading it. 

 

But I will admit that her episodes really aren't the best, and she does get sidelined occasionally. Nevertheless, she has still grown a lot since season 1. Next to Twilight, Applejack is easily the least replaceable of the mane six. She is a primary source of support for Twilight, and the official "second-in-command" of the mane six, as she always takes charge whenever Twilight is away. 

 

There is absolutely no conceivable way the mane six could function without her. Of course, this isn't to say that anyone else in the mane six is replaceable, but Applejack in particular is crucial to the show. 

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It's because she doesn't get a lot of character development as well as originally getting overshadowed in her own episodes. The fact people cared more about Derpy(a background character aka living prop) over a main character in Applejack's own episode speaks volumes. Luckily it doesn't seem to be the case any more.

what's thee to develop, when she, unlike the oghers, already has obtained her dream since the very beginning, she's living the life she wants, and doesn't strive for anything beyond tending the farm and being with famiky? She's got no crazy emotional issues to overcome, and as a down to earth, level headed backup leader, she's not good for comic relief. She's pretty much got herself set. What is thee to focus on?
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Throughout the second half of S2 she had noticeably less screentime(and the fact that she had a focus episode where she was absent most of the time doesn't help). Though the joke's been irrelevent since S3 onward, and most jokes about it are just old and dated now, since she still gets plenty of screentime nowadays. As @@Cleverclover said the joke/argument doesn't hold near as much water anymore

 

Though her lack of merch doesn't help the matter either  >_>

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  1. Of the Mane Seven or Mane Eight, Applejack is the most complete character. As a result, it becomes very difficult for the writers to give her an episode where she's the central figure in the conflict without risking degrading her character in any way.

Early in the series, Applejack was getting overshadowed by not just the fanbase (she and Rarity ranked near the bottom in a lot of bronies' lists), but also the show. From between The Last Roundup to the season finale, her roles decreased. In one (MMMystery), most of her role was cut entirely. That triggered the "AJ = background pony" joke, one that's outlived its use.

Some toys don't give her the best treatment. In several, her trademark hat is missing. Other times, she's not on merchandise entirely.

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I found this video to be very helpful describing why Applejack is the way she is and possibly why she has been overlooked in the past. It's a follow-up to one of Jesse Wood's other videos about Mane 6 characterization.

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I find AJ very relatable since in one of my ventures I work as a laborer and I like a female who's not afraid to be casual or get her hooves dirty. Not much for the country music scene, but I have lived on a commune in the past so I understand how the lifestyle works. When frills, flash, smoke and mirrors fail, sometimes you need someone around with a practical down-to-earth solution to problems.

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It's because she really doesn't shine in the spotlight. AJ is at her best when she is helping others, and the writers have trouble writing episodes for her alone for that reason. Applejack just doesn't do as well in the foreground, which leads to her "background pony" label.


AJ deserves more love. And a hat in her toy lines. 

So, so true. AJ is definitely one of the most important of the mane 6, even if Hasbro refuses to give her a hat.

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In a television show, conflict is interesting, be it internal or external. Applejack doesn't suffer from the different personality quirks that the other mane 6 do and she's not striving to achieve some lofty life goal.

 

Ironically, Applejack is often overlooked because she is the "best" character. Meaning she lacks major conflict. 

 

She doesn't get many toys because the folks in charge likely consider her design and color scheme too masculine for little girls. They assume the pink and purple ones will sell better.

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I think it's more the fact that she keeps getting out-shined by them. Derpy steals her spotlight, Vinyl Scratch gets a McDonalds toy instead of her. 

 

In a somewhat sadistic way, I do find it kinda hilarious. 

Edited by bluseymoe
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  • 5 years later...

What do you mean? 😥😢, why do I recently search for this? Why not a long time ago before the series was ended? I watched MLP FiM since I was a little girl. I love this series because of AJ. She is the first character of all animation series that I watched beside MLP that I love. I love all animations that taught me everything and I put MLP FiM in the first rank because there is a character that I love so much. AJ is the best, I'm so excited whenever she appears on screen. I love her ❤ I admire the series maker because they created the character that absolutely amazing like AJ and RD. I'm so sad about the opinion AJ as background pony, as I know she always appeared in a lot of episodes with great role. She is my favorite character in MLP FiM and MLP EG, even she is my best animation figure of all animation figures that I love either in Tinkerbell, Winx Club, Sailor Moon, Kung Fu Panda, etc. I still put My Little Pony on the first place because of AJ and the entire story in each episodes. 😔🤨

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(edited)

Because people are just stupid. How can you possibly think that one of the Mane Six is a background pony? AJ deserves a prize for her gorgeous voice, personality, hair and hat. :mlp_icwudt:

image.gif.a4915cb10900de11769e1153efda9c88.gif

Edited by TomDaBombMLP
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(edited)

Well 3rd rewrite(to be less blog novel like) but about the comments on the toys and such from 2016: how do you market farming to city kids, who know "Old McDonald and a farm(and then started a restaurant)" about it, especially when "lose the farm" comes up regularly, in a time when the market probably heard their parents talking about that very thing(but their house instead,  making the apples either relatable or sound like failures), then a character that isn't exactly stand out special/has troubles compared to the rest? A character who likes to work and have no nonsense? A character who likes to compete in a job based event?

I mean even us in agriculture, on farms were hoping they would take "that farm family on that horse cartoon" somewhere...as well you can watch the episode about the city critic that tried to be rural for what we're dealing with...as how do you market farming?

I'm still surprised they had her, nonetheless an entire farm family, on the show.

Edited by TheGleaner
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