Cutie marks...

[Pinkieparty 15]

Ok so at exactly 12:26 am I'm sitting here in bed browsing the interwebz, and I'm listening to a brony song called " miles" about sung by " applebloom" (loosely because the singer is more implying that he's applejack) wonderful song you should check it out. Anyway I'm getting off topic. I'm listening to it and I start thinking, about cutie marks. About how they appear. And about what they mean. And a realization dawned on me...

WHY THE HELL DO THEY EVEN HAVE THEM!!

They serve absolutely no purpose in the show except for identification and a name could just as easily be used. And nobody ever acknowledges that it might be a little odd that a picture somehow appear without the user knowing in most cases until someone else notices that they've obtained it. And it's not as if anything changes when they get it. They're still the same filly/colt after they get it, just now they know what they're old at. I mean why does nobody question this. About why ponies are the only ones to get them. I mean other creatures we've seen in the show have special talents that make them happy( such as iron will and his goats) why don't they have cutie marks...I mean seriously. I'm starting to think that cutie marks were added just so that the cutie mark crusaders could exist, and give the show some extra content as the lack of cutie marks wouldn't have changed the show that drastically...seriously can anyone help me with this?

[Huntress 94]

Actually it would really change the show a lot. A cutie mark tells you what you are good at, what you do for the rest of your life. I would love a cutie mark, so I know if what I'm doing is the right thing. It's like a stamp with your name and what you do. I think a lot of the content would be lost if they got rid of cutie marks. 

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Cutie marks have been a staple part of the mythology of My Little Pony since the beginning of Generation 1. So it's impossible for them to have been added in order to have the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

 

As for why, since the franchise is mostly about selling toys, having cutie marks was a marketing decision.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Megatron

[Nulln 755]

Not having cutie marks would change the show.  We wouldn't have the cutie mark crusaders! D:

And yeah, they're important in that they show the ponies what they are the very best at.  It's kind of like their right of passage.

[Scootalove 10,689]

A cutie mark defines not what you do, who you are, but what your going to do in your near future. Cutie marks have been around since the 1st generation of the show, and it wouldn't make sense to get rid of cutie marks completely. It would not only ignore the generations that came before Generation Four but, it would also have no purpose of talents in the show and no Cutie Mark Crusaders.

[Melior 52]

Actually it would really change the show a lot. A cutie mark tells you what you are good at, what you do for the rest of your life. I would love a cutie mark, so I know if what I'm doing is the right thing. It's like a stamp with your name and what you do. I think a lot of the content would be lost if they got rid of cutie marks. 

 

 

A cutie mark defines not what you do, but what your going to do in your near future.

 

Okay, first of all it's lame to bail out and say "it because of the previous generations". In the world of MLP cutie marks appear when you realize yourself your special talent. Your cutie mark doesn't tell you your talent, or what you should do with your future. A cutie mark is just a picture zapped on your flank to display to the world your special talent. It's up to the pony to find their talent, get their cutie mark, look at the mark and think "yeah that makes sense," then they'll go on doing what they love doing.

 

On the note how, and why only ponies get cutie marks. Twilight in "Call of the Cutie" temporarily gave Apple Bloom some cutie marks. We've seen the moments when the mane six got their cutie marks, which showed that a flash of light appears on their flank and then the cutie mark appears. From this we can conclude that cutie marks appear with magic that is triggered from realizing one's purpose in life is. Ponies themselves exhibit magic so we can assume that this magical mark is just another form of magic that ponies possess which explains why not-so magical creatures don't have them. Other beings with magic such as Changelings just didn't evolve/were created with cutie marks. I say created because possible some god created the world of Equestria, or maybe not.

[myzz7 73]

The only problem I have with cutie marks is the ponies being named eerily close to them before they ever get them. Who seriously would name their kid, Filthy Rich? Or how about Snails?

 

This is the biggest drawback to cutie marks in my understanding, because it draws upon absurd destiny being foreshadowed in names that aren't really names, but labels and descriptions of a particular trait or characteristic.

 

Actual names that represent the pony is very few and far inbetween. Off the top of my head, only Trixie is a proper name in the sense it has nothing to do with her cutie mark. Cadance too now that I think about it.

[GhostPony750 959]

 

 

The only problem I have with cutie marks is the ponies being named eerily close to them before they ever get them.

Exactly what I was about to say.

Almost all the ponies names fit with their special talent or cutie mark. Could the ponies foresee their fillie's talent?

[Thorns 55]

Exactly what I was about to say.

Almost all the ponies names fit with their special talent or cutie mark. Could the ponies foresee their fillie's talent?

 

That brings up a lot of interesting questions. I too am curious as to how mares and stallions seemingly have some preemptive knowledge of their children's special talents, though there are some names I can understand.

 

Makes me wonder what would happen if a parent names their filly something like . . . Chilly Breeze for lack of better name. And they end up having a cutie mark in welding. It's definitely food for thought. Now I'm wondering if Pound Cake will grow up to be a body building baker and if Pumpkin Cake grows into .. somethin' pumpkin related that's for sure.

 

And then . . . what would this mean for the Cutie Mark Crusaders? It's weird stuff, I tell ya.

[Nature's Spell 526]

Not to be a downer, but you'll never find the real answers because the writers are very random. It's very much "that be cool" or "I need a pony to do this". I'm all for world building, but I also know that because of the way the writers write we build on quicksand.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Nature Spell

[Guest]

 

 

They serve absolutely no purpose in the show except for identification

Not true. The purpose of the cutie mark is to mark pony maturity as well as help mold them as a character, they appear because of magic. They also serve an anectodal purpose; their special talent, it's a way of making each character in the show unique.