Do the writers hate Rarity?

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

So I've read Volume #6 of the MLP comic. I won't spoil what I saw, but looking back, all I can tell you is that based on the current comic story-arc, the lack of an S3 Rarity episode, and Twilight becoming an alicorn, thus stripping Rarity of her own same-species counterpart, both the comic writers as well as the show writers really hate Rarity.

 

You might as well even say that she had the least amount of character development. Throughout the show, she remained greedy, and she was still inconsiderate to Sweetie Belle, like in "Sleepless in Ponyville," when she had her carry a heavy amount of her luggage.

 

I mean, why is Rarity receiving so much poor treatment, while Applejack, who is sometimes considered a background pony herself, is the one stealing all the spotlight?

Edited April 24, 2013 by Commander_PonyShep

[Dashabel 381]

Umm, no? Why the heck would a writer hate the character they're writing? I don't even.. I don't even know how to explain this, this is a weird question. Anyway, the answers not no, it's HECK NO, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

Umm, no? Why the heck would a writer hate the character they're writing? I don't even.. I don't even know how to explain this, this is a weird question. Anyway, the answers not no, it's HECK NO, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

Then what explains all the treatment she's been receiving, both in S3 of the show as well as the current comic-book story-arc? Even Fluttershy was more useful to the Mane Six than Rarity, and yet she's the most submissive of the six mares!

 

And, let's not forget about Power of Harmony, a fanfic by CyborgSamurai. I won't spoil it for you, but seeing Rarity's current situation in the comics almost takes me back to what happened to her in that fanfic.

 

Also, does anyone know how to cover spoilers on this message board?

Edited April 24, 2013 by Commander_PonyShep

[The Mane-iac 1,632]

She may not be focused on as much, and I agree that they seem to apply her faults even worse in the comics, but I highly doubt they hate her. I feel more like they don't know how to develop her while still keeping her fashionista personality. And I really didn't see her being inconsiderate to Sweetie Belle in Sleepless. Sweetie not once complained about pulling the wagon or fetching flowers, and they were acting very sisterly at the end of the nights, just as much so as AJ and AB.

 

Thing is, the comics have no impact on the show and are a separate entity. Honestly they may as well be fanfic IMO because they aren't as good as the show and every pony seems to be very over dramatic and a lot of 4th wall breaking and stuff. In the show each pony seems to be treated much more fairly and better rounded. And this is coming from an AJ/Rarity fan from season one.

 

To do spoilers, just do [ spoiler] stuff you want hidden

without the space inside the brackets.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Puddlejumper

[Dashabel 381]

Then what explains all the treatment she's been receiving, both in S3 of the show as well as the current comic-book story-arc? Even Fluttershy was more useful to the Mane Six than Rarity, and yet she's the most submissive of the six mares!

Coincidence?

No, seriously, it may be due to the fact that there were only 13 episodes in season three, and they just didn't get round to doing one for Rarity. I'm sure there's a point in s1 or 2 when the episode ratio is lacking a certain character for a while? There's no certain order, it was just....

 

Coincidence. I'm sticking to that.

 

As for the comics, they're not real! It doesn't have any impact on the show, does it? I really don't understand your question.. It's unanswerable... Of course the writers don't hate her.

I mean, the fact that you call it hate. It's a very strong word, and it's certainly not the right word to use.

 

Coincidence.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Meadowsong

[TheFabulousPony 102]

I should say not haha How could they hate such greatness haha
But in all seriousness, they wouldn't hate her lol. Although there is usually a character in most shows where they pick on them, but even then, I would say not.

[Ganondox 899]

I don't think it's as much as they hate her as they find her harder to work with for some reason. For example, Spike at Your Service was originally supposed to be about Rarity, but she was dropped after it was decided she was being too mean to Spike. It's a bit odd that even though she is the element of generosity she is a b*tch almost as often as Rainbow Dash. I've heard that originally she was supposed to be the element of inspiration, not generosity, which makes more sense. 

[True Rarity 1,239]

WHOA WHOA WHOA!

The writers do NOT hate Rarity.

If they HATED her, they'd take her out of the series altogether!

Who here agrees with me?

[Mars Caramel 319]

...while Applejack, who is sometimes considered a background pony herself...

 

Not trying to be mean, but I hope you understand that this is always said jokingly and is not true at all.

 

Anyway, I don't really want to think about the writers hating Rarity, but she is in desperate need of improvement.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Mars Brown

[Ganondox 899]

 Even Fluttershy was more useful to the Mane Six than Rarity, and yet she's the most submissive of the six mares!

 

You know, being submissive doesn't mean you can't be useful. It's not a strict character flaw, it can be a strength in other circumstances. 

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

I mean, why is Rarity receiving so much poor treatment, while Applejack, who is sometimes considered a background pony herself, is the one stealing all the spotlight?

 

This is pretty much always meant as a joke, albeit one that wasn't ever really funny in the first place, and overuse has made it even more facehoof-worthy.

 

 

 

Then what explains all the treatment she's been receiving, both in S3 of the show as well as the current comic-book story-arc?

 

I'm can't speak for anything that's been happening in the comic, but as for S3, she was originally supposed to have Spike at Your Service as her episode. It was rewritten to avoid portraying her in an unnecessarily negative and out-of-character manner. I personally believe that she is probably difficult for many of the writers to characterize, but I don't think that they hate her by any means. She is one of the more complex and nuanced characters in the series and there's a lot of great things they can do/have done with her, and I'm sure there will be many more in the future.

Edited April 24, 2013 by DashForever

[Tia Is Best Pony 310]

on one of the writers twitter (megan mcarthy  i think) someone asked "will we see more of rarities generosity in s4"  and she said yea. i do agree for being the element of generosity she is not always generous 

[Radiance64 7,051]

I don't think so. I mean, sure, she didn't get any episodes to herself in season 3, but she still got a lot of excellent moments if you ask me, and I'm sure she'll no doubt get an episode or two in the next season.

[Nature's Spell 526]

I have to agree with the consensus that they do not hate her, but may find I hard to use her to the best advantage. Twilight has the most depth of character and becoming a princess has just increased that, but next to her Rarity has the most potential (Fluttershy too) I think. We know what makes Rainbow Dash tick (except for her past), and the same for Applejack and Pinkie. That isn't a bad thing and they are still great characters. So no Rarity is not hated.

[Righteous Fury 344]

I doubt they hate her, I just think they've run out of ideas for her. We've already seen all that can be done with her career and her sister. And Rarity is actually a very difficult character to write, it's tough to highlight her flaws while keeping her sympathetic.

 

Pretty soon they're going to have to confront the Spike problem, but I think they're trying to phase that out. There was almost nothing in S3 about his crush on her. Spike at your Service could easily have been a Spike/Rarity episode, would've been much better IMO, but they went with Applejack instead.

 

The other main characters had clear story arcs that were developed in S3. Twilight completes her studies under Celestia. Rainbow gets one step closer to being a Wonderbolt. Applejack takes more responsibility and starts acting as the head of her family. Fluttershy goes against her friends in order to solve a problem using her unique strengths. Pinkie learns that she can't make everyone happy all of the time. Spike confronts his greed and owns up to his mistakes. It's not equal, Twilight far exceeds her friends at the end, but it's there.

 

And these moments are built off of things that have happened previously. Twilight could not have completed the spell if it wasn't for her lessons on friendship. Fluttershy could not have reformed Discord if she hadn't learned how to stand up for herself without being mean. Rainbow wouldn't have turned against Lightning Dust or befriended Scootaloo if her friends never showed her why selfishness and antipathy is dangerous. Applejack wouldn't have led her family to work together if she hadn't already learned the importance of cooperation. Pinkie could never watch paint dry unless she understood that her friends needed the real Pinkie Pie, not just her parties and goofy attitude. If it wasn't for the encouragement Spike got from the Mane 6, he wouldn't have saved the Crystal Empire or Applejack.

 

Basically, each character draws on the lessons they've learned to grow as a person. Now, the logical next step for Rarity is to either treat Spike as an equal, or have her career take off. As I said, I don't think the writers want to continue the Spike/Rarity relationship, and Sweet & Elite was basically Rarity's Wonderbolt Academy, she sacrifices her dream for her friends, and succeeds because of her integrity. There's really no place left for Rarity to go right now. It doesn't mean she's hated, it just means that she didn't need a S3 episode. I'm sure S4 will bring more changes and life lessons for the entire cast. The purpose of S3 was to bring all the characters up to a certain place, tie off all the loose threads to make room for new content. Rarity just didn't fit into that.

[Tex 88]

Of course not. Rarity has been given some of the best episodes in the show, has great characterization, and possibly the best voice in the show IMO (though that's not exactly relevant).

 

Any grief rarity gets in the show is hilarious, and surely isn't a demonstration of the writer's hatred for her. She could stand a little more love, but I doubt any of the writers hate her. Why even write for her at all if there's any hatred stewing?

[Argumedies 1,748]

I do not think for one second that the writers hate Rarity

I'm fact the oppiset is true in my opinion because she's already got three main episodes and several supporting roles in the series as a whole.

 

And I love this love/hate sibling rivalry between her and Sweety Bell. It is such a refreashing contrast against the Applejack/Applebloom sisterly togetherness.

 

And ya know something... I'd would of made her pull the cart too.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Argumedies

[Scootalove 10,684]

Not really, why would they hate a character that they write about?

 

If they hated her, they would basically stop writing about her and completely get rid of her.

 

Sure we could understand that they might have run out of ideas for Rarity but, that doesn't mean that they hate her. All characters have their pros and flaws every now and again.

 

So in conclusion, they don't hate Rarity. Sure they don't portray the sisterhood between Rarity and Sweetie Belle in Sleepless in Ponyville but in Sisterhooves Social they hit a home run of potential in both of the two sisters. The writers definitely don't hate a character that they write about.

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

I doubt they hate her, I just think they've run out of ideas for her. We've already seen all that can be done with her career and her sister. And Rarity is actually a very difficult character to write, it's tough to highlight her flaws while keeping her sympathetic.

 

Pretty soon they're going to have to confront the Spike problem, but I think they're trying to phase that out. There was almost nothing in S3 about his crush on her. Spike at your Service could easily have been a Spike/Rarity episode, would've been much better IMO, but they went with Applejack instead.

 

The other main characters had clear story arcs that were developed in S3. Twilight completes her studies under Celestia. Rainbow gets one step closer to being a Wonderbolt. Applejack takes more responsibility and starts acting as the head of her family. Fluttershy goes against her friends in order to solve a problem using her unique strengths. Pinkie learns that she can't make everyone happy all of the time. Spike confronts his greed and owns up to his mistakes. It's not equal, Twilight far exceeds her friends at the end, but it's there.

 

And these moments are built off of things that have happened previously. Twilight could not have completed the spell if it wasn't for her lessons on friendship. Fluttershy could not have reformed Discord if she hadn't learned how to stand up for herself without being mean. Rainbow wouldn't have turned against Lightning Dust or befriended Scootaloo if her friends never showed her why selfishness and antipathy is dangerous. Applejack wouldn't have led her family to work together if she hadn't already learned the importance of cooperation. Pinkie could never watch paint dry unless she understood that her friends needed the real Pinkie Pie, not just her parties and goofy attitude. If it wasn't for the encouragement Spike got from the Mane 6, he wouldn't have saved the Crystal Empire or Applejack.

 

Basically, each character draws on the lessons they've learned to grow as a person. Now, the logical next step for Rarity is to either treat Spike as an equal, or have her career take off. As I said, I don't think the writers want to continue the Spike/Rarity relationship, and Sweet & Elite was basically Rarity's Wonderbolt Academy, she sacrifices her dream for her friends, and succeeds because of her integrity. There's really no place left for Rarity to go right now. It doesn't mean she's hated, it just means that she didn't need a S3 episode. I'm sure S4 will bring more changes and life lessons for the entire cast. The purpose of S3 was to bring all the characters up to a certain place, tie off all the loose threads to make room for new content. Rarity just didn't fit into that.

(Too lazy to edit down quote on phone)

 

I don't think they want to phase out Sparity. Spike At Your Service was actually supposed to be a Rarity episode, but like you said, it's hard to balance her sympathetic and likable qualities with her more unsavory ones, which are almost as conspicuous as Dash's negative attributes.

 

I guess they felt the episode would have hurt her image, and thus changed it to AJ. So a lack of Rarity in S3, while extremely disappointing for me, is understandable. If it means stopping Rarity from becoming unlikable, I'm hip with it.

 

As for the comics, I haven't picked up Issue #6 yet, but my understanding is that the abuse she goes through in the story is supposed to the Forces of Darkness messing with her, not the writer doing a catharsis story where Rarity sucks. Hell, if I remember correctly, the writer of the first story arc and Rarity's micro issue thinks she is best pony.

Edited April 24, 2013 by CITRUS KING46

[Megas 27,070]

People said the same thing about Rainbow Dash, yet season 3 for the most part proved them wrong.

 

No I don't think they hate Rarity at all. Like many have said, Spike At Your Service was supposed to be Rarity's episode, but they thought she was too mean in that episode, and likely changed it to avoid putting her in a very negative light(which I can forgive, I'd much rather have no episodes of my favorite characters over only having episodes that make them unlikeable, especially given the high standards Rarity episodes normally have). Like with Rainbow Dash, I expect the writers to prove fans wrong by giving us a lot of high quality Rarity episodes

 

I can't speak for the comics though since I don't read them

[Stormwind 53]

Not at all, in fact i think the writers love her. Rarity has to be one of the most dynamic and memorable characters in the show. The writers often use her as an avatar to express themselves more directly within the show. Here is a youtube video which makes some interesting points about her:

[Sweet Dreams 1,893]

No way! No offense there buddy, but that just isn't right. 

One of the reasons she isn't getting as much screen time is because Spike at Your Service was meant to be her episode, but they thought she was acting mean. This means two things,

1. The writers wanted Rarity to get an episode, but had to cancel it

2. They cancelled it because they thought she was being too mean.

 

They wouldn't have re-written basically a whole episode because they didn't think Rarity was in character if they hated Rarity. 

 

Also, Applejack isn't stealing any spotlight. She is constantly referred to as a background pony due to her low screen time. If you mean on the good sister front, well of course she's a better sister. Rarity isn't good with kids; she still has a lot to learn, even after Sisterhooves Social. Applejack, however, knows a lot about being a good sibling, having lived with family her whole life and being used to that kind of thing. Naturally, she's the better sister.

 

Now, you're bringing Twilicorn into this. Of course.

Look, let's just say Pinkie Pie was a unicorn, and Rarity was an earth pony. Just hypothetically.

They wouldn't stop Twilight's transformation for Pinkie's sake, and that means the same for Rarity. Twilight was gonna become an alicorn regardless. And I'm kinda sick of people saying it's throwing off the balance of the group. The balance is fine. Does there really need to be 2 unicorns, 2 earth ponies, and 2 pegasi? Is it really that important? 

 

Also, she is often seen as greedy and a bad sister for a but of comic relief. Also, her being greedy in Secret of my Excess was kinda necessary for the storyline. I guess Spike could have given her the ruby by himself, but it doesn't really matter that much. 

 

Besides, I'm pretty sure Rarity would be a pretty hard character to write for. 

 

Then what explains all the treatment she's been receiving, both in S3 of the show as well as the current comic-book story-arc? Even Fluttershy was more useful to the Mane Six than Rarity, and yet she's the most submissive of the six mares!

And, let's not forget about Power of Harmony, a fanfic by CyborgSamurai. I won't spoil it for you, but seeing Rarity's current situation in the comics almost takes me back to what happened to her in that fanfic.

Also, does anyone know how to cover spoilers on this message board?

 

So, now you're bringing in a fan fic, to explain why the writers hate Rarity. Yeah. That makes sense.

 

Look, I haven't read the comics, so I can't speak for that, but I've seen the show, and trust me, she's not hated. She's going to get at least one episode in Season 4, it's been confirmed. 

[Edgeworth1001 648]

If the writers really, REALLY, did hate Rarity, they wouldn't have gave her a single episode in Season 2, or even have her make a single appearance after the first two pilot episodes.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Edgeworth1001

[Jupiter Skylight 19]

I don't think they hate Rarity. She has had some great episodes and moments. I also don't feel like AJ is a background pony at all and in fact I feel like they did quite a lot of the Apple family in S3 with the CMC having a lot of screen time and the episode with Big Mac and Cheerilee. I don't really feel like all of the mane 6 have had an equal number of episodes but I think that is okay if the story progresses. I feel like they need to do more with her but they haven't gotten around to it yet. I think her jealousy may pop up again with the Twilicorn thing. I would like to see her travel for her fashion design... like have a big runway show somewhere like how AJ and RD have traveled for their talents. I also want to see them give more of a history of Celestia growing up and how she came to be a princess but I don't feel like they hate her either. 

[Jokuc 8,172]

Of course they not hate her. Why would the writers ever hate on Rarity? Those things you mentioned probably has the same answer; that she has a personality that is, for the writers, hard to work with.