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S07:E14 - Fame and Misfortune


PinkiePie97

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  1. 1. Share your thoughts!

    • "Are you kidding me?! This episode should've stayed dead and buried like Twilicorn!" (Hate it!)
      12
    • "Typical. Just like the Mane 6's characters, they've slipped backwards again." (Dislike it)
      4
    • "Meh. I'd put it onto the 'maybe' pile of good ideas. (So-so)
      11
    • "There are things we like, and there are things we dislike, but I certainly liked this episode! :D" (Like)
      32
    • "I love the Mane 6, and I love this episode!! <3" (Love!)
      86
    • ...Wait, where the heck was Spike?! :V (???)
      23


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25 minutes ago, azbat said:

I love that this episode was released the same weekend as BronyCon. I am certain that was intentional. An extra layer of meta-ness.

How were the reactions at BronyCon?

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I'm quoting myself, here, because I want to make a follow-up.

On 8/13/2017 at 1:43 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

Something about this just makes me feel....sick to my stomach.

Okay, so...as DWK would say, it's so meta I think I'm gonna have a psychotic break.  What have we become?  We made this.  We, every single one of us, created this.  And I...just don't like it.  And I really hate myself for being critical of the episode, because I'm being exactly what Hasbro was making fun of the entire time.....*SIGH*.  Should I stop reviewing?  Should I stop analyzing?  Maybe that's the moral, here.

I loved Slice of Life.  I was an avid defender of SoL.  But....but this?  Here's the problem for me: when I watch the show, I want to escape into a fantasy world that's cute and colorful with interesting, dynamic, relatable characters that manage to teach some good lessons along the way.  But now, there's no escape into another world, anymore.  The entire pony world has become us.  We're them.  The townsponies are the brony fandom.  For the duration of the episode, I'm just here.  Right here.  Like, completely LITERALLY, right here on the forums.  The episode was basically like just reading forum posts for 22 minutes.  I mean, it's like they just grabbed the forums in its entirety and smashed it onto the screen.  Now, I enjoy the forums.  Really, I do.  But I don't want to read the forums while I'm watching the show.  I generally like a little fan service, and a little meta fun-poking at the fandom, but this is so beyond meta that it's become some weird, deranged, Frankenstein-esque merging of the show and the internet into one freakish, ultra-meta, cronenberg abomination that will be crushed under its own weight, and it kind of makes my brain want to vomit.  Once again, f*ck me for over-analyzing, thus making myself a cancerous appendage jutting out of the cronenberg monster.

Really, when you compare this with Perfect Pear, it's just two different shows: one that takes place in the FIM universe, and another that takes place in a parallel universe where our universe has merged with theirs.  I do have to hand it to the writers, though, they have us down, pat.  I mean, they have our flippin' number, dude.

I absolutely cannot f*cking WAIT to see DWK's Totally Legit Recap of this episode.  Like....omg....he's soooo gonna totally flip his sh*t.  It's gonna be great!  :D

So....it seems the reception to this episode is far better than I expected, especially considering the loss of sh*t that happened in the wake of SoL.  I've been trying to see all sides, here, because I kind of feel like I've pulled a 180, since I loved SoL, and I wanted to examine and understand exactly why I had this shift.  I typically love fandom references and meta-fun-pokes, (like Rainbow and Quibble's canon debate), but for me, the line in the sand is when characters behave in ways that they would absolutely never behave in-universe.  The townsponies were complete f*cking a**holes that just kept sh*tting on friends that they have known for years.  That's the real kicker, here.  The townsponies have known the mane 6 for years.  Albeit they're not all close friends, but it's a close-knit community, and they've all known the mane 6 for years.  Some, like the Apples, they've known for their whole lives.  And yet, the townsponies acted like they were fictional characters that cheated them.  I could have let it slide if they came around after the song, but no, they just doubled down and kept yelling.  F*ck, dude.  Really?  And then there was Pinkie's moral: if there's a sh*tstorm on social media, and everyone's mad at you, just wait until they get bored and lose interest.  I'm sorry, but I'd rather not have the show feel that close to the real world.  I just can't condone this episode when the townsponies acted like a torch & pitchfork mob that is so far from the way they'd really behave.  For me, it stops being a fun reference/parody at that point.

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3 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

And then there was Pinkie's moral: if there's a sh*tstorm on social media, and everyone's mad at you, just wait until they get bored and lose interest.  I'm sorry, but I'd rather not have the show feel that close to the real world.  I just can't condone this episode when the townsponies acted like a torch & pitchfork mob that is so far from the way they'd really behave.  For me, it stops being a fun reference/parody at that point.

Except that's not entirely what the mob was there for. If you look at each pony there are actually sides of each character fan in that mob. It was less "we want to hunt down the Mane 6 and force our opinions on them" and more "we want to show the Mane 6 we have something worthwhile to hear more than those that are against our opinions." As such after the song you notice they don't get angry at the Mane 6 and start crowding them again (they nonchalantly walk back the castle) they start yelling at each other. They missed the point of the journal and they missed the point of the song, but that's it. They are focusing too intensely on either the negatives or the positives of each pony.  That's why after learning to be happy when at least somepony gets the point of the journal they know they did good and can ignore those that have taken sides because just like in real life (again something you may not like parallel to) people will learn to agree to disagree.

3 hours ago, Justin_Case001 said:

I typically love fandom references and meta-fun-pokes, (like Rainbow and Quibble's canon debate), but for me, the line in the sand is when characters behave in ways that they would absolutely never behave in-universe.  The townsponies were complete f*cking a**holes that just kept sh*tting on friends that they have known for yearsThat's the real kicker, here.  The townsponies have known the mane 6 for years.  Albeit they're not all close friends, but it's a close-knit community, and they've all known the mane 6 for years.  Some, like the Apples, they've known for their whole lives.  And yet, the townsponies acted like they were fictional characters that cheated them.  I could have let it slide if they came around after the song, but no, they just doubled down and kept yelling.  F*ck, dude.  Really?

Now I've talked about this issue before and compared it to a fandom parallel but that would only enhance the out of universe feel. So I'm going to tackle each of the reactions in universe (similar to how one not familiar with the brony fandom would.)

Okay let's get the easy ones out of the way:

Twilight: Gets asked for autographs. Pretty believable this is their princess who just wrote them a book. I'd feel pretty honored to have something this close to a princess in my home. It's just unbelievable....almost like I can't believe everything written about one of our illustrious princesses like could she really do something like that what if it's a conspiracy-hence we get the reporter and that is just one guy anyway.

Rainbow Dash: She's always had a fan club of foals but now that stories have come out about even more awesome adventures they've never heard of, of course they're going to go crazy because they want to know everything when they learned they've been this out of the loop.

Now for negatively affected ones: 

Both Rarity and Fluttershy actually had a very small very manageable size of critics to deal with. Fluttershy's seemed to have come from esle where (at least I've never seen those characters around Ponyville) so it's believable they would only know her from saving Equestria a couple times. Yet that's the thing is this pony in the book really the same one who did all those things. All it takes is for one pony to voice that one opinion louder to get other ponies to start thinking. That's the thing for Rarity are these ponies are thinking but just very shallowly about her. (It is interesting to note most people could not see the fandom parallels to Rarity's problem) She has always presented herself to Ponyville as a lady of more high class than they are but still dancing around being too arrogant about that one living in Ponyville could never draw that conclusion. This is a pony who goes to the spa, always wears big fancy hats, and sells dresses, very different from the usual residents of Ponyville; there must be something we don't know about her. And what do you know it according to this book there really is nothing we don't know. Since Rarity purposely wrote her entries in her elegant way it just adds more to the thought process that even out of the public eye she still thinks better of herself. It's an unforeseen consequence but not an unbelievable one considering what a small part of Ponyville probably would think of Rarity and this isn't the first time getting the short end of the stick due to putting herself out there (Green Isn't Your Color, Canterlot Boutique). And the thing is both of them in the end still have admirers as seen in the crowd.

Finally for the overly-positively affected ones (I will admit these are the harder ones just because I think they are created for the exaggeration):

Could it really be hard to believe Applejack has had fans across Equestria. All it took was for Applejack to accept one group to doom her. Because now they feel compelled to create their own community centered around their favorite pony who's not going say no, who wouldn't take advantage of that? Just like Twilight they can feel closer to her but with the added bonus of knowing they won't be turned away. As for Pinkie.....I couldn't tell you however I think that is on purpose to give Pinkie a comepletely unbelievable reaction with the payoff of having her call it out (a twist in logic for the logic breaker).

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6 minutes ago, KH7672 said:

Except that's not entirely what the mob was there for. If you look at each pony there are actually sides of each character fan in that mob. It was less "we want to hunt down the Mane 6 and force our opinions on them" and more "we want to show the Mane 6 we have something worthwhile to hear more than those that are against our opinions." As such after the song you notice they don't get angry at the Mane 6 and start crowding them again (they nonchalantly walk back the castle) they start yelling at each other. They missed the point of the journal and they missed the point of the song, but that's it. They are focusing too intensely on either the negatives or the positives of each pony.  That's why after learning to be happy when at least somepony gets the point of the journal they know they did good and can ignore those that have taken sides because just like in real life (again something you may not like parallel to) people will learn to agree to disagree.

I am just assuming the ponies here are playing roles, just as they do in (for example) A Hearth's Warming Tail  - although some comments may be applicable to the characters we know too.

By that viewpoint, almost all of this is metaphor; the book isn't just the friendship journal, but represents MLP itself; Twi (and the entire mane 6) represent the writers, and how they feel/are affected by/interact with the fan base.  Toola and Coconut then aren't JUST two random fillies, but are the original intended target audience of MLP, who the writers hoped would be positively effected by the friendship lessons and role models of MLP. The whole point of publishing the "journal" then is to put those friendship lessons into the hooves of fillies that need them (ok, so we know that isn't true; it's to push the toy line, but hey, its not like we aren't already in a fantasy world here - although I love the irony of Twi exclaiming that it "isn't supposed to be about marketing" after the conversation with the CMC) :)

So, putting aside how we are shown the fandom are hurting the writers in various exaggerated ways, lets make this personal - how do they feel about us? I think for that we need to look at the Apples. AJ is looking harried, overworked, and overwhelmed. She is, in her own words, "popular, and I don't like it". ponies have descended en masse upon sweet apple acres; Big Mac is carrying luggage, Granny cooking, and Belle dispensing cider. AJ we first see coming to get blankets for them though, and as Twi looks agast at how many wannabe "apples" there are, each with a paper cutie mark attached to their flanks, she asks not unreasonably if AJ couldn't just kick them out, and AJ reacts in horror - how could she kick out her own family?

So much of this is a message to the fandom - they are overwhelming, some elements of them are deliberately hurtful, some elements demand change while others demand things to stay as they always were, but the writers get it - this is bigger than just a tv show and toy line, there is a fan movement, crossing international and generational barriers, that wants to be a part of this world any way they can, and while the writers aren't perfect, they are trying their best.  There is so much packed into this season ALREADY that the fanbase have been crying out for, for years - we got a celestia/luna episode ( and omg Daybreaker...), we got perfect pear (and omg so much the feels) and FlutterCord and SugarMac and RD's parents and....

So yeah. Maybe cut them a bit more slack; they are trying, and they are listening, and they are coming to cons and reading forums and doing ALL that while trying to produce more MLP for us all.... but at the end of the day, in order to be true to itself, MLP needs to be about its core - and that is what Starlight brings us back to, two little fillies that WERE fighting, but have been inspired by what they have learned, and that is the most important thing.

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@Justin_Case001 Whatever issue one could take with the episode, I think the song made it all worth it. =)

BTW among all this drama it is peculiar how little people seem to be talking about Toola Roola, first pony in the show with different mane and tail colors. (Unless it's just dyed, but still.) I found that to be metaphorically nice considering such typical fandom OC playfulness is found on the ponies who heed the lesson of the episode.)

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Edited by Dowlphin
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11 hours ago, Dowlphin said:

@Justin_Case001 Whatever issue one could take with the episode, I think the song made it all worth. =)

BTW among all this drama it is peculiar how little people seem to be talking about Toola Roola, first pony in the show with different mane and tail colors. (Unless it's just dyed, but still.) I found that to be metaphorically nice considering such typical fandom OC playfulness is found on the ponies who heed the lesson of the episode.)

Well, first: Many colors, but they don't clash and are still tasteful. Good things that many colors can be done without looking ugly (hard, but possible), and they don't give you extra skills. Second: Why give her new colors since she had them since G3 :dash: ?

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9 hours ago, Ragland Tiger said:

Fame and Misfortune: A Tough But Needed Lesson

 

This is pretty much what I thought. That part with the entertainers hit me, because in the reaction of raritydash where heshows his face, almost every comment is about that he is ugly. :okiedokieloki:

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(edited)

I rewatched the ending while waiting for Triple Threat to start and I noticed something that I feel like some people complaining about how the staff feels about the fandom may have overlooked. When Toola Roola and Coconut Cream told the mane 6 how the friendship journal helped them, they told them how much it meant to them. I think that makes it pretty evident that the staff doesn't hate the entire fandom and that they appreciate the support they do get.

Edited by PinkiePie97
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I really liked this episode a lot. It was nice to hear a callback lesson from Twilight in the beginning of the episode. It was also a surprise to see the journal make return, but I'm surprise on how worn it was. It was about three seasons since we last saw the friendship journal. I would have thought the journal would have been in a good/decent condition. I could guess it was damaged from the season 4 finale, but I can't be too sure. It was pretty cool how Starlight was able to make multiple copies for the mane 6 and the ponies of Equestria. I do wonder what it was that she needed to use the duplication spell in the past. I liked how there was some backlash from the journals being released to the public. I like how the crusaders were planning to start a cutie mark summer camp. It was a pretty good foreshadow to the future episode. Seeing how distraught the mane 6 were was pretty shocking. I did like how Fluttershy was able to defend herself on the lessons she learned. I'm glad she was able to stand up for herself. I love how Starlight was able to help defend her friends against the other ponies. I found it hilarious when other ponies were making references from past episodes. I found it funny and cool that Twilight got the ponies attention with the royal canterlot voice. I enjoyed the song and the meaning of what it was trying to get across. I like how Starlight was able to get the fillies and help the mane 6. One thing I was a little disappointed about was that Spike was nowhere to be seen in the episode. He learned lessons here and there throughout the years and wrote in the journal as well. I would have expected him to show up and get a journal himself. However, he was absent throughout the entire episode. Regardless, it was still a good episode and it almost felt similar to the episode "Stranger than Fanfiction." All in all, I loved this episode and I look forward to seeing what's coming up next in this season. :) 

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1 hour ago, Dynamo Pad said:

I do wonder what it was that she needed to use the duplication spell in the past.

Come on. ;-) She said "manifesto". What kind of uncomfortable past does she have? ;-)

Edited by Dowlphin
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12 minutes ago, Dowlphin said:

Come on. ;-) She said "manifesto". What kind of past does she have? ;-)

I think I get what you mean. If the spell she used is the same spell that gave the ponies the same cutie mark back in season 5. I guess I confused myself and didn't realize :lol:. When she said "manifesto," I thought she was learning about new spells. That, in turn, we would get more about her backstory. Other than what we know of her past at the current moment. :) 

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53 minutes ago, Dynamo Pad said:

I think I get what you mean. If the spell she used is the same spell that gave the ponies the same cutie mark back in season 5. I guess I confused myself and didn't realize :lol:. When she said "manifesto," I thought she was learning about new spells. That, in turn, we would get more about her backstory. Other than what we know of her past at the current moment. :) 

Ah, I get it. "Manifesto" sounds a bit like a conjuration spell from Harry Potter.

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Late but I do not seem to have missed too much with the episode contrary to what I expected seeing the 'heated discussion' this thread generated in number of pages. The episode is written by M.A. Larson that is from the best writers of the show, more experienced than the many newer writers lately. She seems to be good in slice of life eps and if this is the purpose of the episode, goal achieved.

However, the episode did not grab me as some super interesting episode. I was not expecting to be like Royal Problem an episode where the Mane 6 and SG save Equestria (from my favorite type of eps) or some other adventure episode but I expected something happening that breaks the friendship of the Mane 6 and I mean bigger and different that Twi has to fix, perhaps making them learn what the two fillies mentioned in the end - that friendship goes through trouble and this is needed to stabilize or something like that was the lesson.

Why wasn't this the problem in the episode that had to be learnt rather than given readily?  

 

The episode seemed like a revision of why Friendship is magic and is on topic for the very point of the show. It was showing how the Mane 6 went through trouble to build that friendship (even so I expected some flashbacks or more concise pieces of story that would remind us why the Mane 6 are who they are, that was rather poorly demonstrated).

Some of the parts of the episode was too unrealistic (laughing to every Pinkie word), except for the crowd of crazy fans for AJ and Rainbow Dash, the problems the others found in the journal for each of the Mane 6 felt unrealistic. Rarity's burst into tears was typical of her character but some things felt overdone just to show that meme look of her?

 

And there one thing I disagree with:

Friendship is forever - WRONG, no need to tell the youngs that the world is only pink and with hearts.

 I think friendship can be built for a long time and be very hard to keep it up and yet easily break apart like a pyramid of cards with removed few cards after all the effort.

 

So this time I won't be like 'hurr durr no matter what happens 5/5', and just because it reminded of Season 1 that for me was less interesting than Se2 or other seasons, does not automatically make it great. It was a totally so-so 3/5,

(I have not read other comments yet so I have yet to see if others have the same ideas)

Edited by ImpctR
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@ImpctR Yeah, there definitely were some extremes and distortions. Not just the "friendship is forever" unless that was meant in an idealistic way, but also the outright glorification of character flaws. Those are not like some powerful glue that created relationships, but they are challenges that strong characters can deal with in order to dig up the gold, so to speak. Flaws don't make a character strong, but a strong character becomes accepting of flaws (including own), and acceptance is a precondition for actually changing someone for the better. Acceptance comes from empathy and understanding, and understanding can come from own suffering or from being influenced by the stories of suffering of other strong characters in your social environment.

Edited by Dowlphin
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5 hours ago, Dowlphin said:

Ah, I get it. "Manifesto" sounds a bit like a conjuration spell from Harry Potter.

I can believe that. It does sound like something from Harry Potter when you think about it. :D We normally see spells being performed on the show. We normally don't ever get spell names, or something along those lines. The names sound complex at times, but they're pretty cool. 

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This was a great episode! I managed to double up today and watch 14 and 15. Really loved that this episode nailed the principle of people still working out the kinks in their personality. It really makes a Christian like me think about how God is continuously working in me. 

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OK, I watch the show episodes, except for the best that I may repeat a few times, I do not re-watch all. I am certainly not spending more time on MLP outside watching and seeing comments here(idk why im doing the latter) as I have MUCH better things to do. So I do not understand these fandom wars and therefore I'm seeing now that the critique ponies in the episode mirrored the fandom. Well, it didn't work on me and the episode was clearly meant to be seen by those who go really deep into the show, else I would have noticed it is about the fandom (thanks goodness I do not watch spoilers or read comments, makes me have an entirely own opinion not influenced by anyone). I was seeing the ponies as nothing more than an Equestrian crowd of fans/critics, not the fandom.

On the NA continent do people sink so deeply in a show they watch they forget about reality? I can name some comparisons with reality and the critics about episodes because 'it is not like how we do it IRL'. Why would one react so emotionally? I remember the 'Hard to say anything' comments... Sorry to say it but some of the reviews here are of totally absorbed people.Guess they are right when they say people get zombified by television.

Either way, I do not feel hurt by the episode since I am not like any of these critics. And even so, it does not change my mind that the episode was done poorly and yes some realizations that were said in the episode were plain wrong.

On 8/13/2017 at 6:09 PM, Lambdadelta said:

Everything can be solved by a song, NOPE

Yes this reminds me, I dont mind songs, I don't dislike them but the episode is running when suddenly a 'SONG' and I still didn't get what they were singing or telling the crowd of angry fans here particularly, another thing not clear and not made well.

Edited by ImpctR
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Actually, this was really great. I really love how this was a demonstrative episode towards the fandom as it describes all the damn drama pretty well, especially those who say that MLP is ruined and whatnot. 

How the characters are flawed and stuff... all that was adressed and they expressed the character flaws pretty explicitly as the critiques said that they don't like Twilights character. Back to the character flaws the show has, in the episode, they said, that ponies have flaws because they are imperfect, what is implied by that is that the writers can't write the characters perfect and characters just have flaws and that that's natural.

 

And i completely see what the writers were going for. That flaws in something are normal and while it is important to speak out ones critique, you should always remember just that. 

So, the rest, the jokes in there or references to the fandom drama were ON POINT.

The song was awesome.

And it didn't end in a all-is-solved ending, which i find great.

 

1 (because a/a = a)

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They didn't even mention Trixie and some of the Mane 6 negative interaction from Boast Busters. I was expecting at least have one instance where a pony challenges the Mane 6 for being in the right.

I ignore the whole fandom meaning, this can simply come off as the Mane 6 live in a bubble or their own world to me.

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So, I recently watched this episode and wrote a long Youtube comment about my issues with it so I thought I'd clean it up and put it here.

Kinda wish this episode had more of a conclusion. To me, it felt like it was basically saying "it's fine when fans go overboard just don't let it affect you" when the lesson should have been that this kind of behavior in communities is not okay and is extremely disrespectful to the artist having to deal with it. Yes I get there will always be those kinds of people and it's worth it for the fact your work will positively affect others, but after all we've seen I can't really think that the main six would just be able to shrug it off, especially with it affecting Rarity's job, making Apple Jack and her family be slaves for supposed fans and the fact it seems like people are going to be harassing Flutter Shy from now on. Again, I get it, there will always be those people but there's a difference between people screaming on the internet and people literally going to your home or work to harras you because of it. I can understand the conversation Rarity overheard being something she needs to learn to live with, but having people storm your house and publicly harras you? I'm sorry but even as a public figure you should be allowed to ask for personal space and make bounders between you and your viewers/readers/etc. There's a reason "celebrities" usually only talk to fans at events. That's their career, other things are done on their personal time. It's not anything personal, they just can't take dealing with fans all the time and they shouldn't have to. I mean no disrespect to the writers but I'm tired of them constantly making the "just shrug it off episodes." There are certain behaviors that are not okay and need to be addressed, not shrugged off.

For example, those ponies storming Twilight's castle and Apple Jack's farm are technically on private property, they can get in trouble for that and they should get in trouble for that. It may be hard but if this is what the main six are going to have to deal with from now on they need to stop being overly friendly and start putting up boundaries. They also need to realize there's nothing wrong with this and sometimes you need to be aggressive with fans and, while yes you still want to be kind to them, distance themselves a bit. Sure fans will be disappointed but they shouldn't have to deal with being constantly harassed just because they don't want to upset any pony. That's being way too nice and the message "well sure people publicly harras me and won't give me any personal space but that's okay because I'm famous now and that should be expected" is a damaging one at that. Instead, the show should have shown this is what can happen when you put your work out there and then shown the audience the appropriate way to deal with it and taught the lesson it's okay to ask for personal space, you don't have to please others all the time. However, instead, they took the "shrug it off" approach. Yes, there are things you're going to need to brush off when you put your work out there but, again, there's a difference between someone crap talking about your work and someone going around harassing you at your home or work place and not giving you any personal space. One is something that can't be helped and should be expected, the other is something that could lead to dangerous situations and needs to be put to a stop.

In short, I didn't like this episode because it was the equivalent of watching your favorite character get tortured and then see them shrug it off in the end and say, "it's all good. This is my life now." It feels wrong and heartbreaking and it feels like some better resolution was needed. So, how can they fix this. Well, here's one of my ideas. Instead of Twilight saying to ignore she should have said that, yes they have to ignore it, but also they need to start putting up boundaries for their own well beings. The lesson should have been that yes, you do need to ignore some things and should expect this kind of reaction when you put your work out there, but it should have also taught you don't need to be a people pleaser all the time and it's fine to do what you have to do to get some personal space. However, instead the show basically taught to just ignore these behaviors all together despite the fact they were being given no personal space and constantly being harassed. I understand this show was supposed to be about the hate they get and how they deal with it, but by the way it was presented it seemed more like public harassment that needed to be dealt with and not shrugged off. To erase this issue all together they could have simply had these things said to the main six through hate mail (basically the mlp equivalent of comments) showing that while they do get hate, no physical or public harassment is involved. This would have made the "shrug it off" kind of message actually work because it's just hate mail and they need to learn to shrug those kinds of things off and rather take in constructive criticism and realize they are emotionally touching others even if it seems like many people don't like their work. Personally, I'd prefer the first as it develops more on the flawed message and the fact creators are people too, which is a great message to go alongside an episode about some of the toxic fans they have to deal with. They aren't perfect and they need their space. It would have taught a great message basically telling people "there will always be people that don't like your work but you can't please everyone. Along with that you're a person too and you don't need to give all your time to fans and you definitely do not have to cater to their every whim just to make them happy. You can have personal space and time too." This is the message I needed when I was young and started creating things and it would have been a great message to send to the younger audience.

So, in conclusion, the big issue I had with this episode is what the ponies were going through was more public harassment that simply "haters being haters." Because of this the whole "shrug it off" message just seemed wrong and it didn't feel like a good message. I get what they were aiming at, but this episode was purely put together and should have had a lot more thought put into it. I can't enjoy an episode full of ponies being completely brutal to the main six and the message being to just shrug it off when, again, public harassment was obviously involved. My advice would have been to either change their approach or change the message/what Twilight said to her friends at the end. It makes me sad just a few simple added lines to the end could have made this episode perfect but instead, the message was blurred and felt a bit rushed. This isn't me hating on the writers, this is just my sharing my thoughts and criticisms on this episode.

However, I do understand and enjoy the message and I'm glad Hasbro spoke up about it and used a bad situation to inspire them and others. That is something to be admired and as someone who is trying to get my own work out there, I can relate to the message. So, no, not all of the episode was bad, I was just terribly concerned for the main six afterward and the fact the ending didn't even hint at them doing something to try to prevent the public harassment they had to deal with concerned me. The episode left a sour taste in my mouth because the main six might have to constantly deal with this harassment from now on, but we don't really know, and I wished that had been addressed. However, again, not all of the episode was bad and hopefully, this issue is discussed in other episodes. If it isn't then I will definitely still have an issue with the fact this issue was not addressed or incooperated in the message. It'd be interesting to see them try to adjust to their new life and find ways to avoid being publicly harassed, so I'd love to see the topic have its own episode but for me just simple details here and there showing they are doing something about the situation would make this episode a stand out episode for me because the issue wasn't ignored. However, for now it is and it's still a big issue for me as far as this episode goes.

Edited by ButterQuilt
My reviews usually tend to focus on the negative side and give off the wrong impression, so I wanted to edit it to show I don't only see bad things in the episode and I understand the message, this one part just really rubbed me the wrong way.
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Wouldn't posts like this post and @Ranky64's from earlier be best suited to the episode discussion thread itself? I'm not sure additional threads are necessary. 

As for your opinion: If the writers meant the episode to be a metaphor for their own experiences, I really don't think this was the best way to go about it, as I don't think the public harassment by everyone the mane six meets is a good metaphor for online harassment and the occasional (though clearly very harmful) group of jerks at a con, or that the journal is a good metaphor for a fictional television program.

So I agree that this episode feels too extreme for what it's seemingly trying to say, but I don't really think having the mane six bite back further would have made me enjoy the episode much more, because I generally think it's kinda murky and simplistic in its representation of fandom, and that'd make its mocking repetition of common criticisms of the show feel even more mean-spirited to me. 

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On 8/18/2017 at 10:29 AM, Dowlphin said:

BTW among all this drama it is peculiar how little people seem to be talking about Toola Roola, first pony in the show with different mane and tail colors. (Unless it's just dyed, but still.) I found that to be metaphorically nice considering such typical fandom OC playfulness is found on the ponies who heed the lesson of the episode.)

Holy crap.  I didn't even notice that.  That's pretty cool.

Also, I was definitely right about one thing: DWK's recap was definitely pretty spectacular.  Kinda made it all worth it for me.  I've also definitely concluded that the show now takes place in two different universes--the real FIM universe, and the Donnie Darko tangent universe that has collided with ours.  Each episode can be thought of as simultaneously existing in the real universe and the tangent universe, and only by watching the episode will we know which it is.  I'm characterizing this phenomenon as Schdrodinger's Pony.

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