Why doesn't Applejack get any love?

[Scootalove 10,689]

I don't really see why people don't like Applejack that much. Some say, she is sometimes stubborn. But, I think she needs more love even if she is being overshadowed by the other five.

[Sks_Burns 730]

My thoughts: the writers of the show made the other 5 to have stand out talents and skills, the abilities that define the characters. seems like they left poor Applejack without a defining ability, or atleast one thats not immedately apparent to alot of us. She has good qualities, such as being a hard worker and being honest, but they didnt give her that one talent that helps define her character. you could say shes good at sports, but so is RBD, or that shes a hard worker, but so is Twilight (when it comes to studying), or that shes honest, but Fluttershy is honest as well. i think it sucks that shes so under appreciated by alot of other ponies, as shes a solid character and deserves the love. 

 

I personally like her character though, as she would be the one to pass the moonshine next to a bonfire, and thats a good time. 

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

Here we go again, expect a topic merger in 3...2...1...

 

I'll let others continue to think whatever they want about the ponies. AJ and Rarity are easily my favorites and we all can like whoever we want the most. I just wish Hasbro would stop neglecting them in the merchandise world and stop making everything be Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie only. I have the awesome Rainbow Dash belt buckle because there is not, and probably never will be, another choice, but an AJ one would be at least 20% cooler to me. That's just one example of how things need to be evened out, I mean there are six main characters.

[Faceless 101]

I'm currently working on a fan fiction which is aimed at bringing out her attributes on an amesometacular adventure with Braeburn 

 

THe problem is, she seems mainstream when she isn't. Who is the first pony Twilight met in Ponyville? Besides Pinkie's weird half-meet? Exactly

[HushedWren 33]

Of course we all love Applejack, she's the honest, most reliable pony around. Though I believe the true question is whether she is among our perceived 'favorites', as you mentioned. 

 

Applejack, in all honesty, has been pretty much turned into a background pony by the show. She's only had one song, her episodes are usually paired with another pony and/or have an event that will show her up, and she's usually portrayed as a stereotype. I, personally, have mass amounts love and feels for AJ, even though she isn't my favorite. She's a great character who really does need to be given some of the spotlight. 

[NavelColt 22,880]

I like Applejack for one, though when I ask other bronies who's pony they love most they almost always say Applejack as their least or second to last favorite. Then I ask them why and they just shrug. Applejack needs more love

She's a caring, honest (<--- Derp) and has a cool accent. Why don't people seem to like her that much?

Your topic, 'Applejack love' has been merged with 'Why doesn't Applejack get any love?', as they both talk about Applejack's lack of popularity, and why that is.

[A Talking Dragon 257]

 . . . I don't think she has much persontality, and that's pretty much why I hate Applejack. She's boring.

 

^ Umm . . .

 

 

Season 1:

 

ep.2: Stopped the accusations on the new pony. The only one without wings to save herself, and saved Twilight from falling to her death.  Bare-back rode a manticore.

 

ep.3: Her reason to go to the gala was to help her family and less personal. Was the first to give up her ticket.

 

ep.4: Saved the entire town from rampaging cows, honored as a local hero, stretch herself passed her limits to help her friends despite being tired from bucking most of Sweet Apple Acres for her injured brother.

 

ep.6: Rope tricks with just her tail.

 

ep.7: Took the time to escort Fluttershy up the mountain, and was the most patient with her. Saved Twilight from falling boulders.Used apples as weapon.

 

ep.8: Stopped the top half of a tree from falling onto someone's house.  Took the step in apologizing to Rarity while teaching her a lesson.

 

ep.9: Poison joke made her the weakest, yet she rode an out of control pegasus and tried to wrestled a giant (that was seen as an evil enchantress) to save her little sister.

 

ep.10: Her plan of herding got nearly all the parasprites out of town.

 

ep.12: Offered all the apples in her cart to make up for her sister offending someone.  Tried to confront Applebloom about her fears.

 

ep.13: Won many sport's events fairly. Believed in R.D when R.D didn't believe in her and held off on cheating.

 

ep.14: "One of only two (besides Fluttershy) to insist on keeping her original dress." (another source)

 

ep.15: Insisted on making sure Fluttershy was ok. Saved Pinkie from falling off a cliff.

 

ep.18: Offered up her old clubhouse to the CMCs.

 

ep.19 Co-lead the gang with Spike in an effort to save Rarity.  The diamond dogs never got their hand on her to trip her up, and her plan got the hounddogs off their backs, literally.

 

ep.21: Played mother for a tree and got it it's own "private sleeping car". Lead part of the gang in an effort to save the others.

 

ep 23: Was learned that as a filly she traveled to a large scale city to start a new life.

 

ep.25 Held Pinkie's party at her farm, played gate keeper to prevent the ruining of the surprise.

 

ep.26: Gave free food to a friend and her company despite really needing the money. One of two whose actions did not destroy the gala. 

 

 

Season 2:

 

ep.1-2: The most time was spent on her corruption and return. Got the her own flashback mono-tosh.  Roped an out of control discorded Rainbow in the sky, from a top a balloon.

 

ep.4: The only one aside from Twilight to make an effort with Luna and be friendly.

 

ep.5: Acted as SweetieBelle's temporary big sister, advised Rarity on being a better sister and helped her win Sweetie back.

 

ep.6: Acts motherly to Applebloom.  Did everything she could to help her sister.

 

ep.8: Saved a carriage full of ponies from falling off a cliff.

 

ep.10 Was the first turned to, in order to stop Spike.

 

ep.11: Acted in one of the three most important roles in a classical play.

 

ep.12: It was learned that her family helped found Ponyvile. Family history is uncovered.

 

ep 14: Intended to give her winning to fix the town. Praised by Derpy. Gave up her entire life and cut herself off from what she cared for to keep a promise. Outraced a train. Placed in several events at the national level rodeo.

 

ep 15: Has one of the most successful products ever.  Kept her word, though she was going to lose her home. Stuck by her principles and had it paid off.  Trolled Celestia.

 

ep.24: The only suspect not to eat the cake of her friend.

 

ep.25: The only one to comfort Twilight about her her brother issues early on.

 

ep.26: Only one to apologize to Twilight for not believing in her. (another source)

 

 

Season 3: (my post from another topic)

 

Ep. 1-2: Took command of the others while Twilight was gone, kept the ponies away from the biggest attraction for the fair, and acted as spokesmare for the other 4 (and even for Twilight at the library) before then.

 

Ep. 3: One of three friends that Pinkie had tried to spend her time with.  However, scenes were only spend on her and Rainbow, Fluttershy was forgotten along with Rarity.  Also, rounded up most of the Pinkie Pies.

 

Ep. 4: Was the go-to-pony for the episode (was the preferred one by Sweetiebelle over her own sister) and supervised the CMCs.  Provided infomation on the new character and helped teach the lesson.

 

Ep. 6: Served as the example sister, and her style of camping with Applebloom was made to be compared to Rarity's style with her sister

 

Ep. 7: Outside of Rainbow, her presences was second only to Pinkie of the mane 6.  There was a scene that her and Pinkie Pie shared where she tried to comfort Pinkie (a role usually reserved for Twilight).

 

Ep. 8: Nuff said.  Pretty much got the sole song of the season.  Was learned that it's likely she grew up without parents.

 

Ep. 9: Played Hero twice, and was the mare that the focus character looked up to.

 

 

^ Soooo . . . yeah.

[Le Kvlt Dawn 2,364]

I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for this but, I think Applejack is way better than Pinkie Pie. Yea I said it, now deal with it. *puts on sunglasses*

[Harmony And Rarity 195]

Good Morning everypony, before I go to school. I thought it would be a good idea if I let you guys have a little debate on whether or not Applejack got love when it comes to having a decent amount of episodes, or lack of dialogue or appearance in the show. I for one feel that Applejack needs a few more episodes.

 

If you are interested in this subject, I would advise you to watch this youtube video of Tommy Oliver explaining. 

[Jokuc 8,173]

Just stop it. Applejack gets a lot of love. She, along with the Apple family, gets very much screen time and they have gotten a couple of episodes for themselves. And we'll get even more in season four. I don't see what you mean.

[~SadisticFluttershy~ 779]

Seen it.

 

She has gotten plenty of screen time for herself and with the rest of the mane 6. We'll see her more in Season 4, okay mate?

 

Some points in that video was made I will agree on. But it's just how Hasbro is. Some characters get more show time than others, that's how a cartoon is.

[Scootalove 10,689]

The points made in the video, I can agree with. Some people say that Applejack doesn't get enough screen time or that the writers do not like her, but in reality Hasbro tries to balance screen time between the ponies but it usually isn't possible because of the fans asking them to give their favorite pony screen time. We should be happy now that our favorite ponies get screen time when needed.

[Shanks 10,816]

It is no much that Applejack dosen't get enough screen time it is that she often gets overshadowed by the others, this didn't happen in season 3 though if anything Applejack had more love there than ever before. As a long time Applejack fan I was very pleased to see this and hope they keep it up, Applejack has far more potential as a character than alot of people realize.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

Another thing about Applejack that (IMO) tends to put her in the "best background pony" slot is that she's the only M6 character with a family that isn't sidelined.  All of the others are "on their own," enabling them to stand out.  Rarity's shop is Rarity's; she has Sweetie Belle as a kind of sidekick from time to time, but she's clearly in charge.  Her parents have no part in it.  Twilight runs the Library as her personal wizard-tower.  Her parents and brother appear only in cameos.  Fluttershy's family: nonexistent.  Rainbow Dash: it's her friends who come to see her perform the Sonic Rainboom and visit her at the Wonderbolts Academy.  Pinkie Pie: she's the polar opposite of her family, and they're only briefly seen so far.  In short, they're all set apart from family, individuated in high relief.

 

In contrast, Applejack is wholly defined by her family.  Her name and talent emerge from her role in the family business.  Her cutie mark story is about her turning away from the idea of achieving her own self-actualization apart from them, and accepting membership in their collective as her core trait.  Compare with the others: Twilight discovers her unique magical potential; her parents cheer her on, but her primary relationship is with a regally-distant Celestia.  Fluttershy discovers that her place isn't with other pegasi (presumably including her family), but on the ground caring for the animals.  Pinkie is released from the bonds of family and conformity to their simple farming life, where she was miserable: the opposite of Applejack's arc.  Rainbow's cutie mark comes from winning a competition in the most dramatic possible way, the epitome of standing out.  Rarity is already apparently on her own and pursuing her dream of high fashion and Fabulosity even before she gets her cutie mark.  Even more than Pinkie, she has defined herself in opposition/contrast to her family.  For Pinkie, it comes as a synchronicity when she sees the Rainboom.  Rarity has already adopted a high-class accent, fashion sense, and career ambition as a blank-flank filly; deliberate choices she's made to define herself on her own terms.  She's not even defined by her cutie mark (gem prospecting); she's truly a self-made mare.

 

Unlike the rest of the M6, Applejack is primarily defined as a member of a group of background ponies.  She's the only one with elders (Granny Smith and Big Macintosh) who can overshadow her in her primary occupation.  It's difficult, if not impossible, for Applejack to have a plot centered on her vocation that doesn't involve them as equals, if not superiors.  A Rarity-centered episode can focus on her efforts to make dresses for an important event, a Twilight episode on her attempts to master difficult magic, a Dashie episode on a flying competition or the Wonderbolts, a Pinkie episode on her being Pinkie, a Fluttershy episode on domesticating Discord, and each gets the lion's share of the spotlight.  That can't really happen with AJ without the writers making some kind of extra effort to remove the Apples from the picture somehow.  Even so, the nature of AJ's character means she'll be striving to restore the status quo of sharing farm life with the rest of the Apple Family.

 

Thus, it's much harder to have a true "Applejack episode" that's about her as an individual.  Instead, you get an "Apple Family episode," where family relationships and/or traditions have center stage.  Applejack embodies a conservative value system that places family and tradition ahead of the individual.  So, it's not necessarily that AJ "gets no love," it's that she doesn't value having the spotlight ("love") to herself in the first place.

[Aerodynas 439]

As stated in the video, Applejack doesn't entirely get what you call 'love' by the screen writers because of her almost perfect character that lacks the common character's 'fatal flaw'. It isn't as easily assessed as the other characters in the show. Not to say this is a bad thing by any means. In fact, this is what Applejack fans love most about her. In many episodes where we see her, she is the cunning friend who is almost always supportive, encouraging, and loyal. She has in fact got her own episodes which were great! They showed minor flaws that make Applejack, in my opinion, on of the closest ponies that can be related to what most humans want to become (not counting the apple farming part haha). The only flaws I've seen are actually almost the exact same as Rainbow Dash's but on a much less exaggerated level: stubborn, competitive, and an enormous dislike of 'girly' things. I can't wait to see how they use her in the next season. There is actually a lot to work with.

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

Applejack is one of the fairly least interesting characters due to the fact she has no exploitable flaw besides being a workaholic.

 

That doesn't mean she's a Mary Sue or anything it just means that she can't get that much development of her internal character. She doesn't have goals like Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity all do.

 

The writers should give Applejack more external conflicts like the Flim Flam brothers.

[Dusknight Haze 161]

Hm... First off I'd like to say that you guys zombied a dead topic, just so you know.

 

I can see and do agree with the allegation that both Applejack's family and lack of a fatal flaw can make her seem a weaker character, but I still think she's very well written. Out of the episodes that I have seen, only one has focused on Applejack failing as a pony and as a friend; Applebuck Season. That's the fourth episode ever. But does this mean she's a bad character, or a weak one at least?

 

In a vacuum, and without context, yes. She doesn't have the ever-present conflicts that the other characters are constantly being subjected to, both internally and at times externally. 

 

But I urge you to take her in context as part of the quintessential mane 6. To me, Applejack is the spine of the group. She is the most stable, with the least problems plaguing her, she has a loving family she's an important part of, feels honor and duty-bound to her work and her farm, and is always there for her friends, with the only conflict ever being present is a slight disdain of Rarity that momentarily gets overblown and then is quickly made up for.

 

I think that if she had some sort of flaw; insecurity, sadness, lack of belonging to a group other than her family, she may herself be a better character but I think the mane 6 would suffer as a group of characters that has a dynamic essentially based around their problems in life, if all of the characters always had problems with no exception.

 

So yes, Applejack is a bit boring, she's a bit traditional, but I think in some ways, she's the most important pony out of the 6, just because she's the glue that holds them together with her honorable ways. That makes her my absolute favorite. (not to mention that I'm from the south, even if her accident is a bit ridiculous.)

 

The only gripe I have with her character is that her element is portrayed completely wrongly. Almost never has her element come into play in the same way it has for others, and on many occasions she has outright voided the very nature of it. But that's a small price to pay for being the rock that holds up the structure of the Friendship.

[Magpie 623]

Enough. Applejack got more screen time than Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. There's constantly people saying Applejack gets no attention, yet I see tons of threads about her needing more. (Meaning she does get love.)

[Dusknight Haze 161]

Enough. Applejack got more screen time than Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. There's constantly people saying Applejack gets no attention, yet I see tons of threads about her needing more. (Meaning she does get love.)

 

While I can't say exactly, I am pretty sure this discussion is talking about why the fandom doesn't like AJ, not whether or not she gets enough screen time. We all know the writers don't like Rarity and Fluttershy. I would argue that the writers are probably more kind to AJ than everyone except Twilight. That doesn't mean the fandom likes her, because she's consistently rated as the weakest and least favorite of the mane 6 in most polls and votings.

[Shanks 10,816]

In contrast, Applejack is wholly defined by her family.  Her name and talent emerge from her role in the family business.  Her cutie mark story is about her turning away from the idea of achieving her own self-actualization apart from them, and accepting membership in their collective as her core trait. 

While it is fair to say that much of Applejack's character is defined by her family, but it is a bit unfair to say that she dosen't stand out because of that. Her family adds a great to her character instead of retracting much like the spice in a good apple cider, each of them have their own unique personalities which complement each other nicely. Big Mac is quiet, reserved and I believe has a great deal of hidden wisdom, Granny Smith is alot like how I would imagine Applejack 50 years from now and Applebloom is a somewhat immature, impatient single minded yet very cute filly.

 

In Applejacks cutie mark story you could say that she stayed in the family business, but it was her choice to do that. When she was staying in Manehatten she wasn't being true to herself because she had to pretend to be somepony else in order to fit in. The message I get out of her cutie mark story is that no matter what you choose to do in life you have to stay true to yourself, it was only when she realized this that she got her cutie mark.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

 

 

While it is fair to say that much of Applejack's character is defined by her family, but it is a bit unfair to say that she dosen't stand out because of that. Her family adds a great to her character instead of retracting much like the spice in a good apple cider, each of them have their own unique personalities which complement each other nicely.

 

I didn't mean to imply that her family is "bad" in any way as characters.  They're all quite likeable.  I think of it as being like the difference between Nikola Tesla and CERN.  Tesla worked alone, with a lot of individual style and panache, at the end of an age when science was more of an individual affair.  As a result, he's got a whole mythology built up around him.  He stands out as a character.

 

The people at CERN do better science (apart from AC and radio, a lot of Tesla's ideas didn't pan out), and the Large Hadron Collider is a much bigger, more powerful and impressive scientific device than any of Tesla's.  But who, aside from serious physics geeks, can name any of the people who run it?  However great their personalities might be, they tend to disappear (as far as the public eye is concerned) into a faceless institution.  It's the same way for science in general.  Instead of a Darwin or a Mendel, we have university biology departments and national institutes.  Individual scientists can get famous (e.g. Stephen Hawking or Richard Dawkins) by presenting themselves as spokespersons for science, but the actual work of science is done by teams and institutions.

 

In a similar way, the Apples make Applejack part of a "they" in a way that the other M6 characters aren't.  This isn't a criticism of their characters, or saying that they don't add to the show.  They just make it so that often when the spotlight does fall on Applejack, she has to share it with others. sometimes including Apples other than the "main" ones, as in the family reunion and the "cowboys-and-Indians" episode.  This creates a "fade-into-the-background" effect.  But that's exactly the way Applejack wants it.  She doesn't want to be the belle of the ball like Rarity, or a famous competitor or hero like Rainbow, or a noted wizard and alicorn princess like Twilight.  (Aside: she probably should have gotten Loyalty, and Rainbow Honesty, since loyalty to others plays a much bigger part in her character)  A lot could be said in favor of AJ's viewpoint.  But, in drama/story terms, it does make a character stand out less.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

And here comes the overused Applejack as favorite background pony. But anyway I hope Season four will give more flashback episodes of how AJ was as a filly and how she met her friends.

[Spikey-Wikey 378]

Applejack's haters make her underrated.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

I love Applejack, she is like PERFECT shipping fodder, looks great with everypony 

 

 

Seriously, everyone

 

 

 

No but seriously Applejack is one of my favorites, I fail to see what anyone could dislike about her. 

[Anneal 2,197]

Applejack's haters make her underrated.

>necro

 

Either way it's safe to say that the situation is completely flipped now - all of the Mane 6 get about the same amount of love. Season 4 and 5 did a lot to develop on their individual personalities, and the same goes for various other supporting characters.