Who is the best role model for the kids?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Who do you think is the best role model for the kids watching the show, especially female role models because it's the target audience? (male is possible too)

Edited May 9, 2020 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Pentium100 2,249]

I think that all of the Mane 6 are more or less, since not all girls would want to work in a farm or design fashion etc, so you can choose to be like <insert_character_here>.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,570]

Honestly they all do represent what a child may look up to, so in they are all role-models.

But overall, I would say Cheerilee or Fluteershy would be the best role models

[Lucky Bolt 35,097]

Rainbow Dash! Because she loves broccoli. Broccoli is good for you, kids! 

 

 

 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,744]

I'd say all of them are good rolemodels the mane six all grow as characters. Though if I had to choose one of them which is kind of difficult to be honest I would say Twilight I don't think I need to explain it much pretty self explanatory. While Fluttershy would teach a lesson of her own standing up for yourself and being kind Twilight I often feel like could be easily relatable. She is a student and she is learning from the others, learning from doing and learning from seeing others do. Not to mention she does share many traits of the other mane six, so I would say Twilight. 

She learns friendship is magic but she learns a lot more then that being with her friends. In a sense they are her rolemodels while she is ours.

[Lord Valtasar 12,704]

that would depend on each individual kid's character, but the good thing about life lessons is, you don't have to take them all from one person, you can take bits and pieces here and there, especially since they did the reverse thing when they made the mane 6, and gave each one an aspect of friendship to focus on, if i had to choose just one, i think Applejack would be it, she seems to be more levelheaded than the rest

[TotallyNotNyx 15,570]

57 minutes ago, Lucky Bolt said:

Rainbow Dash! Because she loves broccoli. Broccoli is good for you, kids! 

 

 

 

I remember as a kid, I used to think broccoli were cool cause it looked like little trees loool. Can't believe I was that stupid back then

[Lucky Bolt 35,097]

Just now, Princess of Hearts 💛🧡 said:

I remember as a kid, I used to think broccoli were cool cause it looked like little trees loool. Can't believe I was that stupid back then

I used to think that too. 

[Pentium100 2,249]

58 minutes ago, Fluttershyfan94 said:

She learns friendship is magic but she learns a lot more then that being with her friends. In a sense they are her rolemodels while she is ours.

Honestly, while I like Twilight, I think that what the show has done with (to) her is a bit disappointing. While you could interpret her story as "even a bookworm can learn to become a leader", at the same time it is possible to interpret it as "being a bookworm is bad, you have to get a career that involves interacting with lots of people and no longer have time for books".

It kind-of becomes a "normalization"-type story (I am sure there is a proper name for that, but I do not know it), something that obviously goes against the moral of "be yourself". I do not know if this is off-topic here or not though.

 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,744]

@Pentium100 I get what you mean but as we live in a society where it is expected to be extroverted although introverted myself. Personally I wouldn't have mind if she had simply stayed as her librarian self and who knows had her own library which she already did. Though I think of it more like you can't explore the world through your books rather go out there and see it for yourself.

Though I get what you mean Twilight mostly wanting to be a librarian suddenly a leader that has lot of social interaction. Yet that is just what's expected of people, normalization or not. Yet then again Twilight was always meant to be Celestias and Lunas successor so she was being trained to be a leader.

[Pentium100 2,249]

Just now, Fluttershyfan94 said:

Yet that is just what's expected of people, normalization or not. Yet then again Twilight was always meant to be Celestias and Lunas successor so she was being trained to be a leader.

No, you can choose to not be a leader. In fact, very few people are leaders (either politicians or in various management positions in companies). You can be an engineer, scientist etc, someone who works mainly on his own or with a small team. There are many jobs that involve interacting with fewer people compared to politics. But I guess being a manager is the "standard" dream and I do read/hear complaints that company xyz has too few women in management positions, but nobody is complaining that there are very few women electricians or programmers.

It is also sad to me that Twilight is the only one of the mane 6 who did not get what she wanted (while I do not remember her expressing her goals and dreams, I am pretty sure "being a politician" was nowhere near the top of her list). Celestia just exploited Twilight's fear of being a disappointment and stuck her with a bad job.

And it was't a choice between a librarian and a politician. With her love of studying, Twilight could have become a scientist etc.

Come to think of it, the show does not have a scientist/STEM character (maybe season 1 Twilight). We have a politician, a baker, an athlete, a farmer, a fashion designer and a vet/nurse (close enough), who are also part-time soldiers. Well, I guess EG Twilight would fit that role, but there is no pony equivalent.

I do not really like the normalization-type stories.

[Treeglow Flicker 13,955]

I went with Starlight Glimmer as a role model.

I might be a little biased in terms that I find her relatable. It's just that things like her reformation carry a pretty strong message for me. If one falls and loses their way, and makes a few bad decisions, then there is always a chance for them to learn and change. To pick themselves back up and find their way again. And from that harsh and much needed lesson, go on to make a difference, even if there are times where they don't feel like they are ready.

To me a good role model isn't somepony/someone who is perfect in absolutely every way. To me a good role model is one that has flaws that they overcome. One that demonstrates the strength to be able to change for the better, no matter how far they may have fallen. What better lesson for kids than one that teaches them that it is okay to fail and get things wrong, just as long as they learn from their mistakes and grow stronger. And if they find themselves on a dark path, there's always a way back or a route off it.

[Splashee 28,577]

Not from the list...

Apple Bloom. The way she grows in each episode. She's the best for the kids. Slow and steady learning curve. Very smart, but chooses to do things odd or wrong in order to teach the audience. And a great voice actor, interesting voice, engaging.

All the other ponies still have issues to go through. None are perfect.

[Latecomer 440]

5 hours ago, Princess of Hearts 💛🧡 said:

I remember as a kid, I used to think broccoli were cool cause it looked like little trees loool. Can't believe I was that stupid back then

Broccoli is literallu the only vegetable I eat.

now more on topic...

5 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

No, you can choose to not be a leader. In fact, very few people are leaders (either politicians or in various management positions in companies). You can be an engineer, scientist etc, someone who works mainly on his own or with a small team. There are many jobs that involve interacting with fewer people compared to politics. But I guess being a manager is the "standard" dream and I do read/hear complaints that company xyz has too few women in management positions, but nobody is complaining that there are very few women electricians or programmers.

It is also sad to me that Twilight is the only one of the mane 6 who did not get what she wanted (while I do not remember her expressing her goals and dreams, I am pretty sure "being a politician" was nowhere near the top of her list). Celestia just exploited Twilight's fear of being a disappointment and stuck her with a bad job.

And it was't a choice between a librarian and a politician. With her love of studying, Twilight could have become a scientist etc.

 

What would uou think of her remaining in her role as of Season 8?

[Justin_Case001 4,907]

I'mma say... SUNSET!!  I dunno why.  Just cuz.  She seems... real.

[Splashee 28,577]

30 minutes ago, Justin_Case001 said:

I'mma say... SUNSET!!  I dunno why.  Just cuz.  She seems... real.

She is real. A real sweetheart

 

Except in the first Movie, she was the worst role model

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Of course Spike's not on the list. Why does it not surprise me? Then again, I don't see a single male character on here for some odd reason.

This poll name shoulda been, Who's the Best Role Model for Girls, THEN this poll would make sense!

I'll go with the CMCs - they seem more relatable towards the children who watch this!

Edited May 9, 2020 by FlareGun45

[Pentium100 2,249]

1 hour ago, Latecomer said:

What would uou think of her remaining in her role as of Season 8?

That would have been better. Twilight chose to create and run the school of her own free will (at least it appeared so), even if that was out of some sort of looking for purpose etc.

I find it rather easy to identify with Twilight, but at the same time it is too easy to just put myself in her place and think how much it would suck (for me) to be there and how much I would resist such "destiny". As if serving as Equestria's Spetsnaz wasn't enough. Then again, unlike Twilight, I am not obsessed with external validation.

But we are talking role models here and there is no good role model for a girl interested in technology. Looking at Twilight (who is the closest analog), it kind-of sends the wrong message of "your love for technology is a phase and it will pass, you will become a CEO or the President one day and will no longer need to pick up the soldering iron ever again". One, it creates unreasonable expectations (there are fewer CEOs and Presidents than there are programmers and engineers) and two, it discounts the love of technology as some kind of a phase that you need to get over.

And yet, for a girl who likes technology, being a programmer is probably one of the best career options right now - good programmers make a lot of money and a company would be more likely to hire a girl programmer because of the wish to appear "diverse". And no, she would not likely become a CEO or the President. The skill set required for being a good manager or businessman has nothing to do with the skill set required to be a good programmer.

In comparison with Twilight's friends:

Rarity is an artist and has some business sense, from the first episodes we know that she dreams of being famous and have a successful business. By the end of the series she is famous and has multiple stores in multiple cities. 
Applejack is a farmer and looks like only concerned with business, she pretty much wants to have enough money. By the end of the series, she still has her farm and does not seem to be short on cash (even though she is probably not very rich). Pretty much nothing changed for her.
Pinkie Pie is a baker and an event planner, looks like she cares more about making her customers happy than having lots of money and by the end of the series she is pretty much in the same place as she began, but she is happy there.
Rainbow Dash is an athlete and wants to be the best of the best and join an elite team of performers. By the end of the series, she has achieved her dream.
Fluttershy cares for animals and, while I do not remember her saying explicitly that her dream is to help as many animals as possible, at least it looks that way. By the end of the series, she has a much bigger animal sanctuary and probably is extremely happy to be able to help all those animals.

What do all of them have in common? Their chosen dreams/hobbies/careers were in line with what is "expected" of girls. Twilight, on the other hand, had the "wrong" hobbies, but no worries, she could still reach the goal everyone should dream about - becoming a politician (and the head of state no less). So, Molly - it's OK to like programming, it you work hard enough, you will become a President one day. Or choose a better suited career like your friend Jane did and become a nurse.

[Latecomer 440]

13 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

That would have been better. Twilight chose to create and run the school of her own free will (at least it appeared so), even if that was out of some sort of looking for purpose etc.

I find it rather easy to identify with Twilight, but at the same time it is too easy to just put myself in her place and think how much it would suck (for me) to be there and how much I would resist such "destiny". As if serving as Equestria's Spetsnaz wasn't enough. Then again, unlike Twilight, I am not obsessed with external validation.

But we are talking role models here and there is no good role model for a girl interested in technology. Looking at Twilight (who is the closest analog), it kind-of sends the wrong message of "your love for technology is a phase and it will pass, you will become a CEO or the President one day and will no longer need to pick up the soldering iron ever again". One, it creates unreasonable expectations (there are fewer CEOs and Presidents than there are programmers and engineers) and two, it discounts the love of technology as some kind of a phase that you need to get over.

And yet, for a girl who likes technology, being a programmer is probably one of the best career options right now - good programmers make a lot of money and a company would be more likely to hire a girl programmer because of the wish to appear "diverse". And no, she would not likely become a CEO or the President. The skill set required for being a good manager or businessman has nothing to do with the skill set required to be a good programmer.

 

Given the settigs, Equestria Girls might be better for promoting technical careers. Twilight was a scholar and a scientist, but I don't really see her as the engineering tipe. Perhaps an archetupe to bear in mind for G5...

[Pentium100 2,249]

3 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Given the settigs, Equestria Girls might be better for promoting technical careers. Twilight was a scholar and a scientist, but I don't really see her as the engineering tipe.

Yes, EG Twilight could be that role model, I mean, at least it looks like she is in no danger of becoming a politician. I also agree that Pony Twilight is more of a scientist, but that is also a non-standard option for girls, especially for tech-related subjects. I would say that researching magic and creating new spells in Equestria has to be the equivalent of researching physics, chemistry, creating new materials etc in real world.

Then again, the whole "friendship is magic" concept kind-of got weird in the later seasons - no wonder Cozy Glow was confused. I would be confused as well (though I would not try to take over the world - while taking over the world can be easy with the right magical artifact, being Der Fuhrer is a lot of work, so, thank you, but no).

Edited May 9, 2020 by Pentium100

[Latecomer 440]

3 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

Yes, EG Twilight could be that role model, I mean, at least it looks like she is in no danger of becoming a politician. I also agree that Pony Twilight is more of a scientist, but that is also a non-standard option for girls, especially for tech-related subjects. I would say that researching magic and creating new spells in Equestria has to be the equivalent of researching physics, chemistry, creating new materials etc in real world.

Then again, the whole "friendship is magic" concept kind-of got weird in the later seasons - no wonder Cozy Glow was confused. I would be confused as well (though I would not try to take over the world - while taking over the world can be easy with the right magical artifact, being Der Fuhrer is a lot of work, so, thank you, but no).

I'd say that as Princess of Friendship, Twilight's job was to do with building bonds between individuals and societies. So quite feminine, I suppose, and not the most obvios for her own talents - but she might be betver at it for not being a natural, because it means she has to rely on her friends instead of truing to do it all herself. It is a pitu this pushed her more scientific side into a hobby, though. 

[Pentium100 2,249]

19 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

I'd say that as Princess of Friendship, Twilight's job was to do with building bonds between individuals and societies. So quite feminine, I suppose, and not the most obvios for her own talents - but she might be betver at it for not being a natural, because it means she has to rely on her friends instead of truing to do it all herself.

And what happens later? She becomes the main Princess, with Spike, but without her friends to help her.

Also, you know what? Twilight is a perfectionist and is really afraid of being seen as a failure. Well, no matter what she does as the main Princess, some ponies will see her as a failure, a crappy version of Celestia and such. It is impossible for a politician to please everyone because people have incompatible opinions. 

So, I could interpret Twilight's story as this moral "Do not try too hard to please everyone, especially your managers or other superiors. Otherwise you may be 'promoted' into a much worse position that may look desirable for others but would be a nightmare for you. If you try too hard to fulfill the expectations people have for you, they will just raise their expectations for you until you can no longer meet them." Well, I guess, this is a valid moral (and one that I may agree with), but I do not think that the writers intended for it.

And yeah - you want to be a scientist? Wrong, we'll find you a job where you won't be able to do it by yourself and will have to rely on others and say that it's better for you to rely on others. Your own passion? Well, maybe you'll find an hour for it every month or so.

[Latecomer 440]

18 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

And what happens later? She becomes the main Princess, with Spike, but without her friends to help her.

Also, you know what? Twilight is a perfectionist and is really afraid of being seen as a failure. Well, no matter what she does as the main Princess, some ponies will see her as a failure, a crappy version of Celestia and such. It is impossible for a politician to please everyone because people have incompatible opinions. 

So, I could interpret Twilight's story as this moral "Do not try too hard to please everyone, especially your managers or other superiors. Otherwise you may be 'promoted' into a much worse position that may look desirable for others but would be a nightmare for you. If you try too hard to fulfill the expectations people have for you, they will just raise their expectations for you until you can no longer meet them." Well, I guess, this is a valid moral (and one that I may agree with), but I do not think that the writers intended for it.

And yeah - you want to be a scientist? Wrong, we'll find you a job where you won't be able to do it by yourself and will have to rely on others and say that it's better for you to rely on others. Your own passion? Well, maybe you'll find an hour for it every month or so.

I do think that she could well have grown into a suitable ruler over time - she's certainlu a gifted organinser and coordinator. But as it was, it was just her being forced into a mold.

Some of the shifts were almost unavoidable once the show shifted from being about  experincing friendship to promoting it, but there were ways in which we could still have seen more of Twilight's scientifc side in later seasons. It just so happened that such ideas didn't occur to the writers, like mani ovher ones.

[Pentium100 2,249]

7 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

I do think that she could well have grown into a suitable ruler over time - she's certainlu a gifted organinser and coordinator. But as it was, it was just her being forced into a mold.

Being competent at something does not mean enjoying it or wanting to do it. Again, this is something everyone needs to be careful about. 

And yes, this turned into a "normalization" story (I am pretty sure the trope has a proper name). I really dislike those type of stories. Especially if at some point someone is told "just be yourself". Oh, but not you, xyz, we have this nice mold ready for you.

[Latecomer 440]

1 minute ago, Pentium100 said:

Being competent at something does not mean enjoying it or wanting to do it. Again, this is something everyone needs to be careful about. 

And yes, this turned into a "normalization" story (I am pretty sure the trope has a proper name). I really dislike those type of stories. Especially if at some point someone is told "just be yourself". Oh, but not you, xyz, we have this nice mold ready for you.

Indeed, like was the moral in Scare Master.

It was kind of a normalisation storu from the beginning, (friends are good for everyone!),  but the nature did change over time in perhpas preventable ways.