Did Starlight turn ponies into zombies? Losing your cutie mark?

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

There are only two conclusions to draw from Starlight removing the cutie marks off ponies 

 

A.) Removing a cutie mark will eventually turn you into a perpetually cartoonish smiling slave

 

B.) The over happiness was a result of a placebo effect and losing your cutie mark doesn't turn you into a drone.

 

The Mane 6 didn't have any of those symptoms. I know the writers didn't intend to make it that way, just makes me curious. Like would have the Mane 6 eventually lost their minds?

[Katze 198]

Maybe, but I don't think Starlight forced the other pony's to part with their cutie marks, they gave them willingly. While the mane six had them taken by force, because Starlight thought that if Twilight and her friends embraced her way, a lot of pony's would too.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Miamorea Cadenza

[ElectronicGamerBrony 18]

I don't believe that ponies losing their cutie marks makes them automatically behave that way, sure they'll have to adjust to no longer having their special talent, but in this case its Starlight Glimmer that's pulling the strings. It was her plan to convince and fool others into giving up what makes them special, so they become more of an image of what she thinks the world should be. What we have seen of this situation that was taking place is just a small frame of time compared to how long she's been taking her plan into action. I doubt everypony there all at once agreed to just give up their cutie marks, she took her time and thought it out so that one by one they'd willingly give it up only to regret it later on. It's not that they became zombies, they still had some free will in them left to become what they was before, but Starlight brainwashed and controlled them so they would follow her rules and ideas.

 

The Mane 6 were sent to undo what Starlight has done, and already knew there was a problem right from the start when they arrived. Starlight overconfident in her abilities figured she could just force the Mane 6 into becoming what she calls equal. She stole their cutie marks and expected things to go smoothly, thinking if they joined her then she would be unstoppable and even more would follow her. The Mane 6 knew better and that they didn't need their cutie marks to know what she was doing was wrong.

 

Everything going on with the ponies smiling strangely and them acting like zombies was all Starlight's fault, she made them behave that way. If the Mane 6 couldn't figure out a solution and were stuck there I doubt they would fully become like that, but they'd have to deal with it until they got their cutie marks back.

[Phanact 333]

There are only two conclusions to draw from Starlight removing the cutie marks off ponies 

 

A.) Removing a cutie mark will eventually turn you into a perpetually cartoonish smiling slave

 

B.) The over happiness was a result of a placebo effect and losing your cutie mark doesn't turn you into a drone.

 

The Mane 6 didn't have any of those symptoms. I know the writers didn't intend to make it that way, just makes me curious. Like would have the Mane 6 eventually lost their minds?

 

I believe she was supposed to be hitler 

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

Funny, I watched those episodes last night. 

 

I would guess that Starlight found ponies when they were feeling down about life and exploited their emotional difficulties. If somepony were suffering from self-doubt (remember how more predisposed towards the concept Fluttershy was) then the idea of everyone being the same could be quite appealing. Throw in a spot of brainwashing (presumably more subtle for the initial inductees, which is far more effective in any case) and encourage groupthink and you have yourself a nice little cult of ponies that believe that they are living the best possible life. Lacking this indoctrination, the Mane 6 did not act in the same way upon the loss of their cutie-marks.

 

 

 

I believe she was supposed to be hitler 

 

 

I think the Animal Farm references make her a bit closer to Lenin or Stalin.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Once In A Blue Moon

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

Funny, I watched those episodes last night. 

 

I would guess that Starlight found ponies when they were feeling down about life and exploited their emotional difficulties. If somepony were suffering from self-doubt (remember how more predisposed towards the concept Fluttershy was) then the idea of everyone being the same could be quite appealing. Throw in a spot of brainwashing (presumably more subtle for the initial inductees, which is far more effective in any case) and encourage groupthink and you have yourself a nice little cult of ponies that believe that they are living the best possible life. Lacking this indoctrination, the Mane 6 did not act in the same way upon the loss of their cutie-marks.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the Animal Farm references make her a bit closer to Lenin or Stalin.

Someone wrote a good FiM fiction on how Starlight broke Fluttershy since in the episode she was possibly down with an equal society.

[weesh 690]

There was clearly a non-magical component to the brainwashing, because when it was revealed, the other ponies revolted, and were appalled.  

 

I think having your cutie mark removed may have an impact on your talent, and on your psyche, but it wouldn't turn you into a zombie by itself.  

 

Even among those ponies, there was a lot of dissatisfaction, worry, and an inability to publicly express themselves without fear.  

This seems like the logical response to a confused and thinking populace, not of one that has been lobotomized. 

 

---

 

Also, what to zombie ponies want?  GRAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNSSSSS

Edited April 5, 2016 by weesh

[cmarston1 5,962]

Well with that and the whole brainwashing chamber, Starlight turned ponies into empty shells, devoid of their personalities, hopes, dreams, ambitions, and anything that made them special or a person.

And replaced them with dried up husks.

So basically she did turn them into zombies.

[PiratePony 8,486]

Well, considering the equal pony townsfolks eventually overcame Starlight of their own accord and got their cutie marks back shows they weren't particularly zombies, but either ponies thinking their way was right, alongside ponies living in fear. Because who wants to be put in the brainwash hut if you question Chairmare Starlight's ways?

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

The horses in FiM are exceptionally stupid, and they generally go along with whatever they're told to feel and think. I doubt it took much.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

There are only two conclusions to draw from Starlight removing the cutie marks off ponies 

 

A.) Removing a cutie mark will eventually turn you into a perpetually cartoonish smiling slave

 

B.) The over happiness was a result of a placebo effect and losing your cutie mark doesn't turn you into a drone.

 

The Mane 6 didn't have any of those symptoms. I know the writers didn't intend to make it that way, just makes me curious. Like would have the Mane 6 eventually lost their minds?

 

The cutie marks she gave them have personality dampening abilities. If you watch the episodes again, they glow black and make a little sound every time one of the mane six did something unique to their character. Its a behavioral control mechanism.

 

Regular cutie marks are rather similar, however they encourage ponies to be harmonious and follow their special talents and what makes them unique, while the equal sign cutie marks encourages conformity and behaving the same along with Starlight's teachings. One encourages you to be a productive and useful member of society, the other encourages you to be one in the same with every pony else. You CAN go against the cutie mark, both the regular and equal versions, but that has unpleasant side effects.