spoiler (Warning:Spoilers) Is Applejack becoming a jerk?

[SteveMorison 404]

Since and including the episode Hearthbreakers there have been 9 episodes where Applejack has had a focal role. In 3 of these episodes she has displayed some very obvious asshole behaviour. In Hearthbreakers she was invited into another family's home for Hearthswarming where traditions and practises are very different from her own family's. Whilst the other family members were able to understand and accept this Applejack insensitively tried to change the Pie family's traditions and acted as her traditions were superior to the Pie family's, causing a falling out between the 2 families. Then in The Cart Before The Ponies all 3 of Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity were very badly characterised in this episode, but out of all of those I think Applejack had the least justification, yet was also the most aggressive of the 3. Whilst the other 2 just acted ignorant throughout the episode Apple Bloom explained to her sister she didn't want a traditional cart, and Applejack responded by yelling at her and questioning if she was an apple. Then we get to the episode most recently aired, where Applejack is asked to judge for Rarity's fashion show, but she spends a large portion of the episode insulting other ponies hard work, even destroying the work in one instance, under the guise of "practicality". I don't buy that she was just being honest, at this stage of the series Applejack should know when she's being hurtful and it's behaviour that goes beyond what we've seen from her before, heck she's often the one telling off Rainbow Dash for tactless behaviour. She also was being aggressive to Strawberry Sunrise. You could argue there is another 2 episodes where she displays asshole behaviour as well, Buckball Season where she pressurises Pinkie Pie to the extent that Buckball was no longer fun (RD did the same thing to Fluttershy but people see her as an asshole anyway), and Viva Las Pegasus where for a large portion of the episode she refused to do what the map called her for and help the Flim Flam brothers who were fighting. A lot of this behaviour will probably be attributed to her stubbornness but I think I expect more from a pony who is usually very helpful and a voice of reason in her secondary appearances.

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

I don't really think AJ is an asshole and rather that her hotheadness can lead her to some problems.

Now, i will say that i really didn't like cart before the ponies and hearthbreakers i found meh, but i actually liked the recent episode, because, while i admit that some of AJs reaction was kinda rude, it really played well into her stubborness and it also shows perfectly how honesty can be very hurtful. It dosen't benefit to lie to someone just so he can feel better, otherwise that person will never improve. Also, i can understand AJ. I also have zero understanding of fashion and i have no idea why people need to wear certain over the top dresses. I just need cloths to keep me warm and to be a civilized human being. (except for going to a job interview, so you look a bit more professional) And in the end, AJ learns her lesson, but still stays by her standards and i like that message.

 

In short, while AJ was kinda rude, i can understand her reason and i can see why this episode went the way it went.

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

I would rather say that the writers are having some difficulty on creating believeable  conflict situations that fit her character accordingly while also staying understandable to the shows primary younger audience and in some cases it seems that they take the easy way out and exaggerate some of her qualities and thus making her choices in the given situation quite irregular as far as her character is concerned.

[Will Guide 21,325]

1 hour ago, Mesme Rize said:

Also, i can understand AJ. I also have zero understanding of fashion and i have no idea why people need to wear certain over the top dresses. I just need cloths to keep me warm and to be a civilized human being. (except for going to a job interview, so you look a bit more professional) And in the end, AJ learns her lesson, but still stays by her standards and i like that message.

You and me both, buddy! 

[LeafFerret 3,382]

I rather see her be honest about something than sugar coat and not really telling the truth about it, I wish she did the same thing in the second episode when it was obvious that none of the Remane 5 had any interest of the activity, speaking of which, I've never seen any pony questioning Twilight's leadership or anything like that so it was good to see an episode like this with her being honest than being a typical response in the show.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,152]

@SteveMorison

Just letting you know that as profanity is not allowed in topic titles the offending word was removed and replaced.

Thanks.

[cmarston1 5,952]

Meh, it's not like there's a lot for the writers to work with in order to give Applejack character development in the restraints of being a TV Y cartoon, so I guess this is what they have to work with.

Edited May 16, 2017 by cmarston1

[Megas 27,068]

I disagree about Hearthbreakers mainly because the entire time she meant well. I still agree with the other two that she was kind of out of line.

Honest Apple in particular felt like 28 Pranks Later levels of "what the fuck is wrong with you", and really feels like the writer deliberately shitting on her whereas, in S6 it just felt like she had a bad season

[KatonRyu 1,026]

My headcanon is that she's always been that way and is very slow at changing her ways. She's a stubborn pony to begin with, probably exacerbated by the fact that her family places enormous value on tradition and 'the old ways' and stuff like that. Even in real life, people from those environments would sooner try to change the ways of others than accept their views might be wrong. I do believe she's trying to mend her ways, I just think she has a hard time doing it because she's grown up in the old ways, and still lives in them.

[Ironic Nickname 31]

Applejack is fairly prejudiced, in many ways, and tends to be quick to make up her mind on things. Once she's done that she's fairly unwilling to change her believes. To her credit, she usually comes around at the end of the episode, but until then she can be fairly rude, yes. I don't think this is something new though, she has had these traits since Season 1.

[Jeric 46,835]

Taking in her entire body of work, she isn't really more judgemental than Rarity and more opinionated than Rainbow. She can be somewhat intractable at times, which is part of who she has always been. 

With two adjustments (one in dialog and one in action) AJ would have been fine in the new episode. I sort of have a similar take to it that Silver Quill had, AJ is hard to write and it's easier to fall in the trap of making her unlikable in a scene. I still had fun with the episode (including some of AJ's scenes) in spite of some bad characterization and poor understanding of how she is best used. 

But I don't thing she's an asshole in general, absolutely not. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Beside some recent episodes like Cart or Honest, AJ is fine.