A pony conspiracy?

[Static Electricity 729]

So I was googling some stuff and fell upon this article: http://www.overthinkingit.com/2011/02/24/my-little-pony-political-economy/

 

What the article is basically saying is that the whole "friendship" thing is a sham being used to keep the earth ponies in their place. This article starts to appear more and more factual when combined the "Trollestia" speculation by many (inculding myself) in the community.

 

 

So, what are your thoughts? Does appear accurate enough to be considered for at least head canon?

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

So, what are your thoughts?

I think its another guy on the internet, who doesn't understand how creating a thesis works.

Couple of faulty examples:

-Twilight can hardly be considered as a standard for unicorns

-Gilda attacked Pinkie, because she was intruding on her and Dash, not because she couldn't stand an earth pony flying

-There are several earthponies shown in governmental positions (Mayor Mare, Silverstar...)

-Printing and typing machines exists, so no information monopoly for unicorns

-electricity clearly exists (Cider Squeezer), so there is an alternative to magic for industry

Edited June 28, 2013 by Silverwisp the Bard

[Curry Pinch 34]

I think its another guy on the internet, who doesn't understand who creating a thesis works.

Couple of faulty exaamples:

-Twilight can hardly be considered as a standard for unicorns

-Gilda attacked Pinkie, because she was intruding on her and Dash, not because she couldn't stand an earth pony flying

-There are several earthponies shown in governmental positions (Mayor Mare, Silverstar...)

-Printing and typing machines exists, so no information monopoly for unicorns

-electricity clearly exists (Cider Squeezer), so tere is an alternative to magic for industry

Well, Super Speedy Cider Squeezy was run by Flims and Flams magic (In the deal they tried to make with the Apples, they clearly said ''And we will throw in magic to operate the machine'') just to be particulary picky.

 

Didn't read the article though, have been procrasinurbating for way too long! Gotta hand in reports tomorrow...

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

This guy seems to be riddled with flaws

I see that mostly in the fact economical activities have nothing to do with friends.

And also it is not based off of a false ideal. The ideal  is fairly true, and easily applicable to modern society.

[Orablanco Account 3,707]

That was made a few months after the show debuted, not recently, where we have a little bit more world building and general knowledge to work with. Excuse this man, he knows not what he wrote.

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

 

 

Well, Super Speedy Cider Squeezy was run by Flims and Flams magic (In the deal they tried to make with the Apples, they clearly said ''And we will throw in magic to operate the machine'') just to be particulary picky.

Whoops, got me there, but there are still several examples (lightbulbs, Twilight basement laboratory, Vinyl's turntable and speakers, Rarity's runway) operated withoutapparent magic.

[Daniel40k 103]

I think it's kinda weird that they would write a whole article on this, but the funniest part that I agree with this is that only Alicorns are the rulers... I mean wtf?

[TasteTheRainboom 82]

While i do think unicorns by the show are considered the superior race, and earth ponies the least popular one simply because they get no benefits like wings or magic. It's Alicorns that tic me off the most... I find it ok that Celestia and Luna are rulers since in the begging they were considered god tier. By the end of season 2 they lost their god factor and other alicorns came (Twilight and Candance) Who are just a bit more powerfull then unicorns and have wings... I really think the show needs equality and races, since Alicorns seem to be growing in numbers i can see them making an army and taking over the world

[John 793]

Kind of unrelated.. but

I used to have this theory that at the very end of the show;  Celestia would go insane and tell twilight that she was using her for her own selfish needs.  It would reveal her true tyrannical self and be the main obstacle for a show finale.  She would end up telling twilight that friendship isn't really real and its just a ploy but twilight and her friends would somehow have to defeat her using it.

 

I actually got a good deal of people to believe in this conspiracy.  Around 8 or 9.

Edited June 27, 2013 by John

[Symph 103]

Things like this seem so....  I try to put myself in the mind of someone who would think in this manner.  To me it seems so cynical and overly analytical to even be thinking of a show like MLP on such terms.  It's like when I see people who can see a well made comedy sketch with tons of hilarious elements to it, and at the end they say "why weren't there any minorities in this sketch"  Or things of that nature like...  granted the article is on a site called "overthinking it"  But at the same time that's not different than saying "I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm going to".  If you probably shouldn't say it, then why say it?  If you're over thinking it, why are you posting it?  

 

I don't think for a second that Lauren Faust and the creators of the show have any kind of agenda with picking the unicorn ponies as better than other ponies, any kind of race/class agenda in mind whatsoever at all.  A story requires elements, they simply came up with fun fantastical elements to tell their stories of friendship and kindness.  If one were to try to analyze their own story to the degree this writer is analyzing MLP, they'd never finish the story.  Because they would look at all angles of what subconscious messages could be being sent, to the point they'd drive themselves crazy.  

 

You could take a story that a 5 year old wrote and analyze it to the same degree and prove it bigoted in some way, but in reality it is this kind of thinking that is what makes people afraid to call things by the names that truly apply to them.  You might live close to mexico, be trying to make a point about different races and say "we have caucasians and african americans and mexic... oh... I mean latino people...  But this is silly, people should be free to say what they mean and their INTENT, not every WORD should be what it's judged by.  In the world of fiction you can't try to bring the same amount of reality to the table that you can with real life events, that's why we call it fiction.  Writers of television shows are not mad geniuses who are putting subliminal messages everywhere they can, you may argue that disney put subliminal messages in their movies but the thing is, they weren't tied in in some diabolically brilliant way to the stories, they were thrown into the animations, thrown in in audio snippets, that's the kind of ability humans actually have.  To write sex in the clouds or say "good teenagers take off your clothes" when trying to tell kids something secretly, they don't have the time, nor the resources to spend the kind of time it would take to send these messages with every detail of how the story is written.  

 

If Lauren were to try to dot every I and cross every T so that no criticisms like these could ever be made, we'd be getting a new MLP episode every 3 months.  I just... think this person needs to join a website that is a better use of his time, and probably stop "over thinking it".  This is of course just my opinion, and anyone who disagrees may have valid reasoning to, and I'm open to any and all ideas on this article, but to summarize my thoughts?  I personally find the existence of this article just silly.  

[Static Electricity 729]

----snip----

That's why this is so funny, it's ridiculous that anyone would analyse MLP to this point and take it seriously (I doubt the author of the article does). But it's fun to speculate, nonetheless.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Static Electricity

[Scootalove 10,689]

There is definitely no conspiracy at all, going on here. Unless Celestia planted a tracking device on everypony, and decided not to reveal what she is actually hiding from them. But overall, no conspiracy at all.

[Symph 103]

That's why this is so funny, it's ridiculous that anyone would analyse MLP to this point and take it seriously (I doubt the author of the article does). But it's fun to speculate, nonetheless.

I didn't even consider the fact that the whole article could have been a farce just for the sake of humor.  God I hope so... but I wouldn't put it passed people to be capable of taking such a thing seriously lol.  I mean... PETA... need I say more?  POKEMON PROMOTES ANIMAL CRUELTY WAH!!!!

[Party Cannon 876]

Wow. Everyone else, especially @Silverwisp the Bard, gave very good rebuttals to this strange thesis. I think this guy was watching Hearth's Warming Eve with a pen and paper! Earth ponies, though they can't fly or do magic, can be likened to "the race of man" in The Lord and the Rings. They are still very capable of handling themselves in situations.

[RrVPfX9cPtw59FpC 1,304]

Well, if there was no value in friendship, why do the elements of harmony work so well? Unless the friendship thing is a lie and the magic is in the necklaces and crown, but they didn't work against discord when nopony was friends.

[IronPonyApplejack 318]

Well, for one, that's a fairly old article. A lot of the examples we're giving to counter it happened after it was written.

 

Second, I never put stock into the argument of anyone who writes like that. And by "like that", I mean "likes to use excessively large words to sound smart, when the point can be just as easily made with simple English."