Does Friendship is Magic give an unrealistic view of friendships?

[Azureth 686]

Now hear me out. While it is a great show, does it possibly have a unrealistic view of it? In the final song to season 5 there is a line that goes "everywhere you go, friendship there will grow". Now while it's nice to think that, and of course you should be open to making friends wherever you are, realistically does that make sense?

 

Pretty sure as an American I wouldn't be likely to make friends in Baghdad or Iraq. And of course they always show if you are nice enough to someone they will see the errors of their ways and change.

 

So while certainly the message is good, is it portrayed as it should be and does FiM do a good job of accurately showing how to make and maintain friendships?

Edited June 27, 2016 by Azureth

[PiratePony 8,473]

 

 

Pretty sure as an American I wouldn't be likely to make friends in Baghdad or Iraq.

 

I think that this might be of an extreme example, but most places you can make friendships or good acquaintances with people. Comparing that to Iraq might as well be "well, I don't see the Mane 6 befriending many changelings or timberwolves."  

 

Unrealistic overall? Maybe. Although from a target audience perspective, teaching about the importance of friendship and the lessons provided in the show are certainly valid for kids to acquire. Who knows - maybe a generation watching this show will create a world where creating strong friendships while being nice and respectful to others will happen.

 

 

One can hope so at least. 

[ScopeEva 38]

I think you might be surprised.  Coming from the UK which can be a bit of a melting pot there are quite a few people of such decent around or even direct immigrants and refugees.  The communities tend not to mingle too closely but making friends with them is far from outside the realm of possibility.  A similar thing can be said of things in America, though a little more spread out it's certainly a very long way from impossible.  

 

As for those still in said countries and regions it would be unlikely but hardly impossible to make friends as a foreign American there.  True there are those that hate America but there are plenty who are indifferent or even considerate.  While certainly not a universal view I'm willing to bet there are many who are grateful for some of the work done there from foreign aid or Hearts and Minds operations.  Heck, I remember a documentary about what the troops did over there and it included medical staff going as veterinarians to farms and just helping out for free. 

 

It would be a long shot.  I think the Yaks and maybe Griffonstone might have been a nod to the difficulties of cross culture friendships, but they are a long way form impossible.  Heck, as an example my Dad was such a good friend to one fellow he travelled all the way to his home in India to attend his wedding. 

Edited June 27, 2016 by ScopeEva

[cmarston1 5,952]

Well with how many villain reformations there have been in the show, I feel like it teaches the unrealistic message that literally anyone and everyone can and will become your friend and that friendship is the solution to every single problem.

[cider float 2,536]

Much of what goes around Equestria is unrealistic mostly because they are lessons to teach children to try and indoctrinate them to be good for a better generation rather than to teach people what they can salvage of what we have now.

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

I am a realist. The show is not meant to be realistic with friendship and socializing. It is an idealized world that we all secretly crave. The show has its fair share of jerks, but being a kid's show it needs to be toned down. 

[Jeric 46,835]

As someone who grew up in one of the largest cities in the US, and currently lives next to several universities that have a diverse international student population, I reject the thesis in the OP.

 

However, if you approach someone different with the mindset that their country of birth is an 'error of their ways', you are likely not going to have much success cultivating a meaningful relationship with them.

 

That's OK though, matching socks are normal I suppose.

 

The show will simplify concepts that can be applied in real world situations. I don't seem to have any problem making connections, and I've been using the show's concepts for decades.

[Goat-kun 2,500]

Friendship in general = you care for someone out of your own free will

 

Friendship in FIM = state power in disguise

 

And don’t forget to love and tolerate. The Tree is watching you.

[Red Cedar 1,407]

The show's view of friendship may be somewhat exaggerated, and of course, villains seeing the error of their ways has become cliche (although Sombra, Chrysalis and Tirek were pretty unrepentant), the show's emphasis on what makes for good friendships - Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter and Kindness - ring true no matter what. So while the mane 6 may seem like impossibly good Besties, those elements are likely to get you at least a couple real genuine friends with the possibility of lasting a lifetime.

[Flutterstep 46,611]

A lot of things in MLP:FIM use a massive amount of hyperbole - like most cartoons. There's too many factors that would go against “everywhere you go, friendship there will grow”. For instance, conflicting personalities, intrests, opinions, apperances and so on. Perhaps its impressionistic? I think the point of the quote, is to create hope. Sure, friendship may be possible in a situation, or it may be impossible; regardless, it's worth giving it a shot.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Flutterstep

[Malinter 3,064]

Unrealistic? No. Highly over-simplified? certainly yes.

 

The show is supposed to encourage viewers to at least try and be friends. The show has also covered the point that not everyone connects to each other the same way as shown by the difficultly the Mane 6 initially had with Maud.

[dekutree64 711]

Unlike present day humanity? Yes. Unrealistic? Not entirely. And that's what I really like about it. It shows how the world could be, and encourages each of us to make little changes in the way we interact with people to push society in that direction.

 

As for making friends everywhere you go, I think that's totally practical. Sure some closed-minded people who have heard bad stereotypes or associate your country's government's wrongdoings with you personally will reject you outright, but a lot will judge you on an individual basis. Especially if you read up on the customs of the place you're going so you can avoid offending people by accident. But of course that doesn't mean it's going to be without effort, since making friends in your home territory isn't always easy either.

Edited June 27, 2016 by dekutree64

[Glimmer 78]

Friendship being magic takes a literal meaning in the show, but not so much in the real world. I usually don't shoot rainbow lasers from a necklace to defeat villains with my irl friends

[twiia 1,842]

Sort of, friendship isn't the answer to everything, and not all friendships work out. And not everyone is willing to try friendship.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,348]

I don't think it matters how 'unrealistic' it represents friendship, the point is to show and remind us how important friendship is. Will friendship solves everything? No, of course not, but with a subtitle 'Friendship is Magic' it would be a tad contradicting to show friendship just flat out not working at all in Equestria. To me, it gets the message across and it is entertaining.

[SolyWack 482]

Much of what goes around Equestria is unrealistic mostly because they are lessons to teach children to try and indoctrinate them to be good for a better generation rather than to teach people what they can salvage of what we have now.

 

What a blunt way of saying it. But it's pretty much was I was gonna say. 

 

FIM tries to show kids the "idle" way friendship works, not necessarily an "unrealistic" way. Kids can figure out when they get older how it close they want to attempt to follow the idle road to friendship.

[cider float 2,536]

What a blunt way of saying it. But it's pretty much was I was gonna say. 

 

FIM tries to show kids the "idle" way friendship works, not necessarily an "unrealistic" way. Kids can figure out when they get older how it close they want to attempt to follow the idle road to friendship.

I feel like the issue will be that when kids learn about friendship in MLP and then when they're thrust into the real world and realize it isn't the same thing and there was many important lessons missing on dealing with the real world they will get upset or lose it.

[Rawzy 1,302]

Obviously this world we live in is screwed up in many ways, therefore, we cannot make friends with everyone that we meet. The show isn't supposed to display a realistic view on friendships, because that would bring the viewers too close to the real world, and I know many of us watch the show to escape reality.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

Of course. Every cartoon gives unrealistic views of various forms of relationships and personal interactions. We've all grown up with cartoons like that and none of us have been so thoroughly screwed up by unrealistic expectations because kids are also out forging relationships for better or worse everyday.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Leave a Whisper