The story behind Diamond Tiara?

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

So, I was wondering, what do some of you think the backstory is of Diamond Tiara? Does anyone have any theories on why she acts as she does (other than the "she's a royal b**** line)? Considering how much depth so many of the characters in the show have been given, it seems likely that there's reasons for why she's mean to everyone.

 

A theory I have is that originally, her family lived in Canterlot, and in her early days she was bullied by the children of the Unicorn nobility there, (because while she was the child of someone rich, she wasn't of noble blood) or some such, and that when they eventually moved to Ponyville, she brought along with her the memories of being bullied, and decided that rather than be bullied, she would bully others.

 

Any thoughts anybrony?

[Nah 3,182]

Nah, more like born in Ponyville in the upper class parts, and forced to go to public school (Parents too cheap to pay for private school), she takes out all her rage on classmates who aren't in her economic status.

[FruitRiver 355]

I think shes just spoiled.

[Xievie 498]

That's just her being a bully, she would also rather be "better", than the "lowly" fillies.

 

Honestly, the older ponies and her parents really need to help out with Diamond's beha-

 

WAIT. As I recall her father smacked Granny Smith with like a stick or spoon thing while Granny had a pot on her head. Wouldn't that be like a sign of disrepect?

 

I guess her parents could be just like her, too.

[pyro pie 68]

WAIT. As I recall her father smacked Granny Smith with like a stick or spoon thing while Granny had a pot on her head. Wouldn't that be like a sign of disrepect?

 

I guess her parents could be just like her, too.

 

Working from that, I figure that she just sort of grew up in a household were that kind of bullying was the norm. Classic case of she saw her parents doing it, therefore it must be the right thing to do.

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

That's just her being a bully, she would also rather be "better", than the "lowly" fillies.

 

Honestly, the older ponies and her parents really need to help out with Diamond's beha-

 

WAIT. As I recall her father smacked Granny Smith with like a stick or spoon thing while Granny had a pot on her head. Wouldn't that be like a sign of disrepect?

 

I guess her parents could be just like her, too.

 

Actually, if I recall correctly, Granny Smith asked Filthy to do that...okay, not exactly sure, to be honest. I would assume that she had asked him to do so (or he's helped in the past)

[gong crashing] Granny Smith: Uh, thank you kindly, Filthy!

 

As an aside, few people are bullies for no reason other than being a bully. Their is usually a reason to explain why someone is a bully.

 

It should also be noted, Filthy does discipline Tiara at the end of the episode by having her help with making the Zap apple jam, so he doesn't seem so bad. In fact, thinking about it...he's the owner of a big corporation of retail stores (le gasp! He's the pony version of Sam Walton o_0), which likely means he's often very busy. Depending on whether or not her mom is still around, and depending on what it is she does, she may not be around either.

 

Wonder if that could have an influence on why Tiara acts as she does....

[ponyvangelist 732]

A Diamond In The Rough

 

My take on Diamond Tiara is that she's the typical spoiled rich girl who tries to raise herself up by putting down others.

 

The reason people do this is always the same: they feel the need to raise themselves up. Their self-esteem is too weak on its own, so they seek alternatives to boost it.

 

Ultimately, most arrogant behavior (I'm looking at you, Rainbow Dash) is driven by feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. If Diamond truly considered herself worthy of admiration, she wouldn't need to belittle anyone else.

 

If we follow the spoiled rich girl trope faithfully, we can assume Diamond gets pretty much any material thing she demands, but is little more than an accessory in her parents' lives and spends much of her time alone, surrounded by opulence and starved of love.

 

She's not stupid. She knows most of her "friends" despise her and that only leaves her feeling more isolated. She knows she shouldn't be such a jerk, but she can't help herself. She's afraid of what would happen if she ever told anyone how she really felt, that she's sorry she's like that and wants to change, but she can't.

 

She's afraid they would look down on her, and that's the one thing above all she cannot allow to happen.

 

When I encounter people who act the way Diamond does in the real world, they are as transparent as glass. Despite their obnoxious behavior, I tend to sympathize with them, because they are almost always driven by desperation.

 

People who are happy are not mean. People who are mean behave that way because they are in pain. Once I figured that out, life got a lot easier. While not everyone can be reached, a surprisingly large percentage can be reasoned with once you get past the defensive bluster.

 

What Diamond needs is a friend to buy her lunch, insist on paying, and ask her honestly and sincerely how things are at home.

 

Someone willing to do that would almost certainly find a good, sweet and lonely soul behind that snarky facade, and it would almost certainly be worth the effort.

Edited July 1, 2012 by ponyvangelist

[FedoraMemes 582]

I personally think she is the typical antagonist of super girly shows. She is a spoiled little girl who thinks she can take advantage of other people.

[Magic Man 222]

Well, my explanation for Diamond Tiara is rather simplistic, but I think it is applicable for a lot of children worldwide.

 

It's that she's come from quite a rich family and so has spoiled rotten by her parents, giving her an inflated ego and sense of self-entitlement. It's the same for a lot of kids in real lif. I know the show is known for the depth it gives its characters, but for some types of character, what is there really to know? She's obviously a spoiled brat, that's pretty much all there is to it.

[Isobel 279]

I think that the way her parents raised her made her mean.

 

I think her parents treated her like she was the best, and said that anyone else wasn't worth being nice to. I think she grew up in that environment, and that's just how her mind works now.

[Radiance64 7,053]

2 theories:

1. She despises her dad's name, Filthy Rich, and takes it out on others by being a total- well, it rhymes with rich.

 

2. Silver Spoon is a changeling and is controlling Diamond Tiara and feeding off her love, which causes her to love nopony and be a jerk.

I know, they're kinda silly, but I just wanted to be different.

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

She just seeks attention.....

[Abstract 832]

I do think that she could be a genuinely good pony, but there's something in the way. It could be just how she was raised, probably given nearly everything she asked for, taught that others below her social class aren't worth her time, etc. Maybe it was like someone else suggested, that she was bullied before and now seeks revenge upon everyone else. But I think that she really just needs a good dose of reality. Perhaps she thinks that she is happy with the way things are now, but once she gets into the real world, hopefully she'll realize the mistakes she'd been making the whole time, and perhaps change her ways.

[Storm Spark 115]

She was created by discord to keep the CMC from getting their Cutie Marks.

Maybe.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Storm Spark

[Twiliscael 3,960]

She was born as a stuck up bitch and was always spoiled and learned that since she's in the upper class, she's better than everyone else. Typical snooty rich bitch story.

[NavelColt 22,881]

She exists as an antagonist for the CMC and little else. Thusly, I doubt she'll ever actually change unless it's a key point the plot of an episode. That said, I made a huge-ass post about how her dad is nothing like her, and was actually the one who forced her to take part in the 'Singing to the Water' ritual that Granny Smith had, which he did so out of gratification for Granny Smith letting him be her first customer. So, obviously, he does have points where he forces her to do the morally right thing, even if she doesn't want to. So inb4 anyone points fingers at the parents for why she's a royal bitch, it's certainly not all her parent's fault; her dad may be a little snobby, but he's far better than she is from what we've seen, and since the mother hasn't even been mentioned, she's a moot point.

 

She got the impression at an early age that she can get whatever she wants, and that she deserves everything. The universe revolves around her and her wants, and it's a result of the environment she's been in. She was born into it. But, she also let herself rot on the vine, too. She's malicious and goes out of her way to ruin the reputation of others, in an attempt to better her own, which is why I see her as a classic villain, because she chooses, at least partially, to be a bully.

[ponyvangelist 732]

An Embarrassment Of Riches

 

So inb4 anyone points fingers at the parents for why she's a royal bitch,

Too late.

 

The second paragraph of your post contradicts your first. As you said, she was born into it. That's all about her parents.

 

She didn't get to choose what to be born into, wasn't taught how to properly behave and is entirely a product of her upbringing. It affects everything about her, from her world view to how she relates to and treats others.

 

Children learn from their parents and tend to emulate them. Their personalities are heavily influenced by the personalities of their parents, who are their primary role models. Thus we can reasonably infer that Diamond Tiara is who she is because her parents are who they are.

 

Fig. 1: Filthy Rich observes Put Your Daughter To Work Day.

 

Her father pushed her into helping Granny Smith because he sells Zap Apple Jam. It's a key source of income for him. Note that he didn't put on any rabbit ears himself, and forcefully shoved her into helping out, publicly humiliating her all the while. Not good parenting. We can interpret his actions differently, but I don't think they cast him in a flattering light. He's still Diamond's father, and everything about her screams of a neglected child starved for affection.

 

Granted, all this is talk about a fictional character, but Diamond Tiara embodies a well-known trope, and it's well-known because it's so common. So ultimately our opinions are projections upon what she symbolizes rather than her as an actual person. I believe she, like all snooty characters with abundant wealth and rotten personalities, symbolizes the bitterness that comes from feeling alone and unloved.

 

Regardless of the reasons, an obnoxious brat is an obnoxious brat. Diamond undoubtedly knows she is one and knows it's wrong. She should strive to be a better person, knows it, doesn't, and probably hates herself for it. She's not blameless, and I don't presume to excuse her behavior, or the bad behavior of anyone. We are all responsible for our own behavior, whatever our reasons.

 

But given the choice, I still think it's only fair when considering someone like Diamond Tiara to recognize how she got there, and no child ends up like that when she has attentive, loving parents to guide her in a better direction.

[NavelColt 22,881]

An Embarrassment Of Riches

 

 

 

Too late.

 

The second paragraph of your post contradicts your first. As you said, she was born into it. That's all about her parents.

 

She didn't get to choose what to be born into, wasn't taught how to properly behave and is entirely a product of her upbringing. It affects everything about her, from her world view to how she relates to and treats others.

 

Foals learn from their parents and tend to emulate them. Their personalities are heavily influenced by the personalities of their parents, who are their primary role models. Thus we can reasonably infer that Diamond Tiara is who she is because her parents are who they are.

 

Fig. 1: Filthy Rich observes Put Your Daughter To Work Day.

 

Her father pushed her into helping Granny Smith because he sells Zap Apple Jam. It's a key source of income for him. Note that he didn't put on any rabbit ears himself, and forcefully shoved her into helping out, publicly humiliating her all the while. Not good parenting. We can interpret his actions differently, but I don't think they cast him in a flattering light. He's still Diamond's father, and everything about her screams of a neglected foal starved for affection.

 

Granted, all this is talk about a fictional character, but Diamond Tiara embodies a well-known trope, and it's well-known because it's so common. So ultimately our opinions are projections upon what she symbolizes rather than her as an actual pony. I believe she, like all snooty characters with abundant wealth and rotten personalities, symbolizes the bitterness that comes from feeling alone and unloved.

 

Regardless of the reasons, an obnoxious brat is an obnoxious brat. Diamond undoubtedly knows she is one and knows it's wrong. She should strive to be a better pony, knows it, doesn't, and probably hates herself for it. She's not blameless, and I don't presume to excuse her behavior, or the bad behavior of anypony. We are all responsible for our own behavior, whatever our reasons.

 

But given the choice, I still think it's only fair when considering somepony like Diamond Tiara to recognize how she got there, and no foal ends up like that when she has attentive, loving parents to guide her in a better direction.

 

Born into it means the environment. If you're born into a rich family you're gonna live around rich people :3 Nothing contradicted my anything. I know what I said.

 

Not reading all that right now </3 But I'm sure you have a lovely response.

[ponyvangelist 732]

Not reading all that right now </3 But I'm sure you have a lovely response.

If you're too busy, the tl;dr version is: it's not about the money.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,307]

Diamond Tiara is just a spoiled little daddy's filly. She may outgrow it and become a nice pony. Any "Little House on the Prairie" TV show fans? Think Nellie Oleson. When Percival dumped a bunch of eggs on her head she fell head over heels in love with him! She changed her ways and became really nice, married Percy and became a good friend of Laura Ingalls after spending years being nasty.

[HunterTSN 1,444]

Spoiled and rich, there isn't much else to say

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

*SNIPS AWESOME POST*

 

You my sir or madame, deserve a moustache.

[ponyvangelist 732]

You my sir or madame, deserve a moustache.

 

Sweet.

[Strawberry Tart 161]

well, I just think Diamond is a spoiled brat, and she's used to having everything done her own way. But what i really want to know is, what's Diamond's talent? I mean, her cutie mark is a tiara. What does that mean? She's good at wearing a tiara?

[Rainbow Sparkle 70]

well, I just think Diamond is a spoiled brat, and she's used to having everything done her own way. But what i really want to know is, what's Diamond's talent? I mean, her cutie mark is a tiara. What does that mean? She's good at wearing a tiara?

 

I've got a theory, but it revolves around what her mother theoretically does. My theory is that her mother is some sort of designer (something like rarity) only she designs jewelry. Her mother encourage her to try her hooves at it, and after some messing up, she finally produced something with her mothers help, the tiara she wears. Thinking that this meant she was supposed to be just like her mother, she tried making other pieces of jewelry...with little to no success. Tiara's and crowns however, she was good at making. So in other words, the only thing she could reliably make were tiara's/crowns.

 

Its part of where I get the idea of why she hates blank flanks. While she's stuck with just one skill, blank flanks could have almost any special talent. This theory is also applied to Silver Spoon, with the only difference being that if it weren't for DT's influence, it wouldn't really bother her.