Why was Big Mac 'stupidfied' following his first normal speaking part?

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

Now, simple characters are fine. If he only said eeyup and nope from the beginning it wouldn't be that strange. However, his first speaking role has him having a discussion with Applejack about how he doesn't think she can buck all the apples by herself, a conversation that goes on for about a minute of the episode.

 

Following that, though, they give him a very simple dialect of two main words, with I believe 3 times outside of hearts and hooves day where he says something different. ("No deal" to Flim and Flam, "Uh. AJ" about Braeburn losing the seeds, and him raging at the CMC about their Gabby Gums articles)

 

Now, in Hearts and Hooves day they throw in a bit of a explanation, by having Applebloom say he's shy, which is why she knows he won't go for another pony romantically. However, it kinda felt like they just didn't want to have a smart male in a girl's show. But that is kinda negated by Shining Armor, who is an intelligent male with a well-set personality.

 

I like to think that's its not about a stereotype of southerner's being simple, as the rest of the family doesn't act that way(short of Applejack's not knowing that a garden party didn't involve actually gardening)

Edited October 16, 2013 by Never2muchpinkie

[Abstract 832]

Honestly, I think it was just done for the comic effect of him having exactly two responses to everything, and no deeper meaning unfortunately. 

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

Honestly, I think it was just done for the comic effect of him having exactly two responses to everything, and no deeper meaning unfortunately. 

Well as I said if he'd been that way from the beginning I would have had no issue with him only saying two things. It would just be his character. But they played him up as being quite intelligent, and then suddenly backtracked him to only saying two things.

[Abstract 832]

Well as I said if he'd been that way from the beginning I would have had no issue with him only saying two things. It would just be his character. But they played him up as being quite intelligent, and then suddenly backtracked him to only saying two things.

Simply a matter of late inspiration, if you want to call it that; some writer at some point came up with the idea after that first episode with him was already completed/too far along to change.

[Malinter 3,064]

Actually Big Mac is pretty smart, alot of fic writers have noticed this. Sweet Apple Acres his a huge business, someone has to manage its budget, resources and logistics. Granny Smith is too old, Applebloom is too young. And AJ's handling of the reunion kinda shows us how good her organizational skills are (she's no twilight).

 

This leaves only one person. Big Mac. AJ even accused him of using "Fancy Mathamatics" to make her sound stupid.

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,210]

Big Mac seems to be really smart; I just think, as they said in HaHD, he's shy. He seems to talk more only when around his family and when he's angry or annoyed. Personally, I think it makes him seem even smarter by having him be a quiet person. Or pony.

[Fluttershutter 2,545]

Big Mac obviously is smart. He never says more than he has to. Obviously the yup-nope thing is just for comedy but in my experience people who talk a lot do it because they don't have a lot to say.

[Dsanders 5,748]

I don't think he's stupid at all. He's quiet because he's shy, and it's simply a part of his personality. We've seen him display good common sense and logic that not even Applejack could really understand at first in Applebuck Season.

 

He says only as much as he needs to say. His brevity is just how he speaks..

 

Though we don't know too much about his overall personality, he could be considered a little wiser and down to earth than most other ponies due to his quietness and calm-like mood.

[Amethyst Star 73]

Big mac is smarter than most people think. From fanfics I have read that he usually says "Eeyup" since he is shy and that when you get to know him he talks alot more.

[spacestorm 183]

I met with the opinion that some very wise and intelligent people is characterized by reticence. Such persons aren't giving their opinion if they don't see a necessity for it.

[Scootalove 10,689]

He is a stallion who doesn't really speak as much but, he is actually intelligent even if he doesn't have a very expanded vocabulary. He is known for being shy and very calm.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

Big Macintosh is explained in respective comics by IDW to be as intelligent and capable as most other ponies, but either by quirk of character or will of discipline, is intentionally very quiet and seldom spoken.

Notice the absence of spoken dialogue, but the great presence of an inner soliloquy.

 

Through the entire comic series of IDW Friendship is Magic #9 and #10 he speaks a grand total of only about 40 words even though he's the feature character. The fact that he doesn't yammer endlessly does not automatically mean he has the personality of a fish or the depth of a spoon.

Edited October 17, 2013 by Blue

[Sig Hoovestrong 838]

Yea he is shy. And can tale from own experiences that how i interact, with most people i don't know well enough like strangers. I uselessly just use sort words and sentences like, Yes, no, Mmm. Stuff like that.

 

But am suspecting him maby get some dialogue in season 4, in that work in progress showcase of where Applejack, Grany Smite, Appleblom, Big Mac and Pinkie Pie make's road trip, Is long trip, and even Big Mac probably even get bored with his dialogue just begin eeyup and nope. It would be fun see him have dialogue with Pinkie Pie, wonder how he handles Pinkie Pie energetic spirit?

 

At where lest that's my hopes.

Edited October 17, 2013 by Sig Hoovestrong

[Orablanco Account 3,707]

My guess is that the writers only decided later that Big Mac would be a bit more unique if he kept mostly to himself in spoke to others with simple, one word answers. Hence, talky one early episode, silent the next.

[Ianpiersonjdavis 513]

Now, simple characters are fine. If he only said eeyup and nope from the beginning it wouldn't be that strange. However, his first speaking role has him having a discussion with Applejack about how he doesn't think she can buck all the apples by herself, a conversation that goes on for about a minute of the episode.

 

Following that, though, they give him a very simple dialect of two main words, with I believe 3 times outside of hearts and hooves day where he says something different. ("No deal" to Flim and Flam, "Uh. AJ" about Braeburn losing the seeds, and him raging at the CMC about their Gabby Gums articles)

 

Now, in Hearts and Hooves day they throw in a bit of a explanation, by having Applebloom say he's shy, which is why she knows he won't go for another pony romantically. However, it kinda felt like they just didn't want to have a smart male in a girl's show. But that is kinda negated by Shining Armor, who is an intelligent male with a well-set personality.

 

I like to think that's its not about a stereotype of southerner's being simple, as the rest of the family doesn't act that way(short of Applejack's not knowing that a garden party didn't involve actually gardening)

 

Now, simple characters are fine. If he only said eeyup and nope from the beginning it wouldn't be that strange. However, his first speaking role has him having a discussion with Applejack about how he doesn't think she can buck all the apples by herself, a conversation that goes on for about a minute of the episode.

 

Following that, though, they give him a very simple dialect of two main words, with I believe 3 times outside of hearts and hooves day where he says something different. ("No deal" to Flim and Flam, "Uh. AJ" about Braeburn losing the seeds, and him raging at the CMC about their Gabby Gums articles)

 

Now, in Hearts and Hooves day they throw in a bit of a explanation, by having Applebloom say he's shy, which is why she knows he won't go for another pony romantically. However, it kinda felt like they just didn't want to have a smart male in a girl's show. But that is kinda negated by Shining Armor, who is an intelligent male with a well-set personality.

 

I like to think that's its not about a stereotype of southerner's being simple, as the rest of the family doesn't act that way(short of Applejack's not knowing that a garden party didn't involve actually gardening)

 

While I'm not sure about the writers-Peter New himself said he liked the idea of a 'quite sage' sort of character in MLP.

 

As for the 'stupid' part, I've been silent for most of life in public and that was more out of fear of saying something wrong than anything else.

[Pomfritter 165]

Maybe if Big Mac would have a more prominent role they would have a reason to do this. I've always been wondering about some stuff relating to their family, specifically the parents. Maybe if this would arise then Big Mac would have an important role in explaining their history.

[deadprofile 1,122]

I kind've compare Big Mac to my husband...it's a bit weird of me to say so let me explain. 

The Comic and his appearances in the show and what is said about him in the show do coincide in my eyes.  He's not intelligent in the way that most people would normally see others as.  He's not book smart or street smart or anything like that.  He's PRACTICAL smart.  Everything is short, simple, and to the point.  Now, that does not mean he is a simple character, but in fact there's a LOT going on behind his pacid expression.  He may come off as simple, but 'once you get to know him' he's most likely very intelligent in a very practical way.

 

 

 

 

 

(seriously though, it's like they took my husband, and ponified him to a T as Big Mac)

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2013 by Treble Bolt

[Rough Pathway 157]

Hes one of those wise, quiet characters. He doesn't speak unless he needs to. The reason why he only says two words most of the time is for comic relief and he doesn't feel the need to say more than that. Only when the situation calls for it does he say more than that. That itself shows intelligence. I'm a shy person myself, and I don't think hes shy. Yeah, Apple Bloom did say that he was, but shes young and a lot of people think, quiet = shy. Thats probably why she said he was shy. I could be wrong but thats what I think.

[JennaMarie 2]

I don't get a stupid feeling from Big Mac at all. The impression I am always left with is that he's a big guy who isn't tough. He doesn't need to prove himself and he doesn't have much to say. He just does his own thing and minds his own business.

 

So is he simple? Yeah that's a fair estimate. But only if by simple you mean ''reserved'' and ''easygoing'', not stupid.

[Thrashy 2,800]

Not to start this post off on a tangent, but there was actually one more instance of Bic Mac speaking normally that OP overlooked. Although in that case, it was clearly to reverse his and AJ's mannerisms for comedic effect, so that probably doesn't count.

 

Anyway, I think this character trait was just a matter of the writers wanting to give him a personality quirk that makes him unique. I don't know that making him a stallion of few words succeeded spectacularly in this, but at least it means that when he eventually does get some more meaningful lines later on, it'll have all the more impact.

 

It's pretty cool to think the writers would play him up as something of a simple country bumpkin, only to have him surprise everypony when he bursts out with some big, insightful speech...kinda like Silent Bob, in a way. A character with an outward mannerism that belies his/her true nature strikes me as highly dynamic, personally.

 

Of course, this is all assuming they really do give him some larger speaking roles at some point. If they do indeed cement him into the role of "the Eeyup/Nnnope guy", then he will indeed be an eternal waste of a character.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Lowline

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

Not to start this post off on a tangent, but there was actually one more instance of Bic Mac speaking normally that OP overlooked. Although in that case, it was clearly to reverse his and AJ's mannerisms for comedic effect, so that probably doesn't count.

How did i miss it? I included it in my original post, just not all the dialogue. (Him raging at the CMC over the Gabby Gums articles)

[Thrashy 2,800]

How did i miss it? I included it in my original post, just not all the dialogue. (Him raging at the CMC over the Gabby Gums articles)

 

Um...my mistake? After everything else I wrote, one would think you'd address some of that as well. Agree? Disagree? Counterarguments?

[Sugar Pea 2,682]

I wouldn't take this to heart.
I find Big mac to be really mature out of all the ponies in the show. Him not saying some huge line really doesn't mean anything. He's just a plain and simple side character.

Edited October 25, 2013 by weirdokitterz

[Never2muchpinkie 211]

Um...my mistake? After everything else I wrote, one would think you'd address some of that as well. Agree? Disagree? Counterarguments?

Well there are characters like that who don't say much so it makes a huge impact when they finally do speak their mind, sometimes only to the audience, and sometimes to the characters in the show. As I've pointed out before it's not the issue of him only saying 2 things. It's that they played him up as an intelligent and eloquent pony in his first speaking role, then simplified him into this role. We could say that Big Mac talking normally to Applejack was out of concern she'd push herself too far in trying to get all the apple trees bucked on time, but it still comes off as odd when in almost all his next speaking roles he's limited to sounding simplistic.

 

Although going from Clerks 2 I don't know if you'd want to use Silent Bob as an example.

Jay: Well, SAY SOMETHING

Bob:.............................I got nothing.

[Cwanky 17,602]

Well I'm gonna go ahead and call out the OP's very premise. Why the hell would anyone think that a person's lack of speech makes him or her any less intelligent? Big MacIntosh doesn't have a mental disorder and he's certainly very mentally capable. It's just not as directly shown but he runs the entire Sweet Apple Acres w/ or in Applejack's absence, has been shown to be able to fix things, and manages money competently.

 

There could be a variety of reasons why Big Mac only spoke to Applejack w/ a complete sentence. The obvious is that he may well be shy and is only comfortable conversing around family. Alternatively he can speak in full sentences but only does so when he feels very strongly about something. In the first case, he was quite concerned about Applejack's health and well being. When he scolded the Cutie Mark Crusaders, he was profoundly angered at their shallowness and reckless harmful behavior. Alternatively Big Mac may just be laconic, aka not very talkative. He may only feel the need to talk when necessary which was proven to be true in both examples.

 

If anything, my parents taught me that often times those that talk more may not have much good to say and often make themselves appear more foolish to others. This is opposed to someone who holds their tongue and only talks once thoroughly thinking through what they want to say. 

 

Either way Big Mac is not dumb and the show does not certainly try to convey that message. They probably do try to make him sound more like a southerner, but that's just a part of his character and in no true way tells us that he's dumb.