FEATHERWEIGHT: Take embarrassing photos, get promoted to editor! What?

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

This was one of broken lessons that show up in the show. I mean, he probably had no ill intent. After all, he was just following Diamond Tiara's orders to 'document everything', but to do that he still had to invade people's privacy and was really no better than the CMC in terms of embarrassing others because you can't claim a picture as a lie like you can with words. Since the technology in ponyville is simple, there definitely isn't photoshop in their world.

 

Things like Celestia's atrocious cake eating manners, Big Mac with the smartypants doll. He helped to ruin ponies reputations, and yet at the end of the episode he gets PROMOTED to editor-in-chief. Again, WHAT???

[Scootalove 10,684]

Yeah, I don't think there is no photoshop in their universe since they do have cameras and other photography. So, I guess that's something.

[Malinter 3,064]

To be honest, he only gets promoted because Daimond Tiara was a crap editor, the CMC printed flat out lies and the printer guy wanted to be a journalist. Featherweight is the only remaining member who can take the editors job.

 

And he only took pictures. it was the editing of D.T and the words of the CMC that made the pictures be viewed in a negative light.

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

To be honest, he only gets promoted because Daimond Tiara was a crap editor, the CMC printed flat out lies and the printer guy wanted to be a journalist. Featherweight is the only remaining member who can take the editors job.

 

And he only took pictures. it was the editing of D.T and the words of the CMC that made the pictures be viewed in a negative light.

At the end of the episode the printing guy got promoted to photographer, so no, I don't think he wanted to be a journalist. I think they just picked him because he had a name. Seriously. Outside of the CMC and DT, he was the only named side character in the episode.

 

And it wasn't all just the CMC and DT. Things like Pinkie at a party or the Cakes with their babies going shopping were public enough, but the pics of Big Mac and Applejack were on their farm, and Celestia was probably eating in her home, as given her polite and royal demeanor I doubt she'd be eating like that in public. Same thing with the mayor's 'mane-dying scandal.' So to get those kinds of pictures Featherweight would have to enter their private property. And given the attitude of the town after the identity of gabby gums came out, they most have written columns about just about everyone in town, as why else would they react that way if they loved her columns so much? "Oh I love your columns, but I hate you."

[Malinter 3,064]

At the end of the episode the printing guy got promoted to photographer, so no, I don't think he wanted to be a journalist. I think they just picked him because he had a name. Seriously. Outside of the CMC and DT, he was the only named side character in the episode.

 

And it wasn't all just the CMC and DT. Things like Pinkie at a party or the Cakes with their babies going shopping were public enough, but the pics of Big Mac and Applejack were on their farm, and Celestia was probably eating in her home, as given her polite and royal demeanor I doubt she'd be eating like that in public. Same thing with the mayor's 'mane-dying scandal.' So to get those kinds of pictures Featherweight would have to enter their private property. And given the attitude of the town after the identity of gabby gums came out, they most have written columns about just about everyone in town, as why else would they react that way if they loved her columns so much? "Oh I love your columns, but I hate you."

 

 i meant to say photographer >_< bugger.

 

Also the ponies don't seem to have a sense of 'private property like we do. I mean how many times have Pinkie and Rainbow just crash into peoples houses without so much as a knock on the door?

Edited November 2, 2013 by Malinter

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

 i meant to say photographer >_< bugger.

 

Also the ponies don't seem to have a sense of 'private property like we do. I mean how many times have Pinkie and Rainbow just crash into peoples houses without so much as a knock on the door?

Well Pinkie is the master of not respecting boundaries, and Rainbow Dash usually just shows up because she crashes trying a trick, but I see your point. However, my point still stands. Some of the pictures he took would have been humiliating enough even without a Gabby Gums article to go with it. And all the ponies themselves talk about how there is no respect for privacy. And, in part, it may be the pictures themselves that gave the CMC ideas for an article.

 

As I said in my first post, he was probably just following orders and may be young enough not to realize he was doing something bad. However. even though DT got to stay on as part of the staff after what she did, she got demoted to the messiest job on staff. Featherweight not only didn't get ANY flak for what he did, all the blame going to the CMC. he got promoted on top of it to the highest position. That's where my issue comes in.

[Malinter 3,064]

Well Pinkie is the master of not respecting boundaries, and Rainbow Dash usually just shows up because she crashes trying a trick, but I see your point. However, my point still stands. Some of the pictures he took would have been humiliating enough even without a Gabby Gums article to go with it. And all the ponies themselves talk about how there is no respect for privacy. And, in part, it may be the pictures themselves that gave the CMC ideas for an article.

 

As I said in my first post, he was probably just following orders and may be young enough not to realize he was doing something bad. However. even though DT got to stay on as part of the staff after what she did, she got demoted to the messiest job on staff. Featherweight not only didn't get ANY flak for what he did, all the blame going to the CMC. he got promoted on top of it to the highest position. That's where my issue comes in.

 

Maybe Cherilee made a deal with him to get all the photo-negatives or something. xD

 

That's also a question, Cherilee must have know who gabby gums was from the start. Why did she not intervene before the CMC revealed who they were?

Edited November 2, 2013 by Malinter

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

Maybe Cherilee made a deal with him to get all the photo-negatives or something. xD

 

That's also a question, Cherilee must have know who gabby gums was from the start. Why did she not intervene before the CMC revealed who they were?

I already made a topic on this, sort-of, asking about why Cheerilee can be such a bad teacher sometimes. From what we can tell, she either knew but did nothing and waited for them to realize they were doing wrong, or paid no attention to the work her students were putting out and somehow heard absolutely nothing despite the paper growing in such popularity that it made it's way to Cloudsdale. The simple answer I got was that it simply would end the conflict too easy. If Cheerilee had stopped the CMC after their second article then the drama would end and they'd have to find some other direction to go for the episode.

 

And there was a suggestion I saw on another site that Featherweight was the one who told Cheerilee about the blackmail. If you look at the scene you can see Featherweight outside at the window taking a picture.

[Forlong 1,725]

So, basically, what happened was Featherweight took random pictures all over town for the paper to print stories about without context to permission of those photographed; and that got him promoted.

 

Sounds like the media to me.

 

But in all seriousness, it was because of how dedicated he was to his work.  He did everything Diamond Tiara told him to and never resorted to petty tactics.  The closest I can think of is when he took a picture of Rainbow Dash nearly getting a hooficure.  However, since Spike barged in, that probably doesn't qualify as peeping.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

Well to be true to the real world. That's what the media does. They always invade people's privacy and even though Featherweight did so, he was only following orders and even if he hand't, I think DT would've blackmailed him to do so anyway.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Well can you really say, Featherweight is to blame? I mean he is just taking random pictures and then giving them to the CMC. Who know's how many pictures he takes a day and gives to the CMC. Their the one's taking the pictures of of context. Like J Jonah Jameson from Spider-man, always takes pictures of Spider-man and make him seem like a bad guy. So it does seem like he has done nothing to wrong.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,237]

The content of his photos may have been very questionable in terms of their moral value (Baby Apple Bloom though, come on, that is awesomely cute), but if the photos were still good for the stories that were wanted, then technically he is doing his job well. Plus, as mentioned above, he seemed dedicated to what he was doing and apparently knows what pictures will get the best stories. Media dream right there.

[Princess Lona 381]

I think that the reason Cheerilee didn't intervene is that children in the Ponyverse have much more freedom than children in our world. I don't think teachers in the Poyverse are authority figures like they are in our world, they are just there to pass on knowledge. The school paper was an organization set up and run by a group of students and neither Cheerilee nor any of the other adult ponies in town felt like they had the right to just storm in and say "Alright kids, enough is enough". They treated Gabby Gums as they would any columnist, regardless of age.

 

And as a side note that came up in this thread: they don't have Photoshop, as they don't have computers, but I do think they can still doctor photographs using old school techniques.

[insanepwny 3]

The school system in Equestria is garbage just like the system in America. That has nothing to do with the discussion but I just wanted to point it out.

Edited November 5, 2013 by insanepwny

[Wingnut 6,725]

To be honest, he only gets promoted because Daimond Tiara was a crap editor, the CMC printed flat out lies and the printer guy wanted to be a journalist. Featherweight is the only remaining member who can take the editors job.

 

I'd have to go with this.  Featherweight pretty much was the lesser of all evils at the end of the day.  And he "only" took pictures which speaks of his inquisitive nature more than anything.  Even if he did cross the line from inquisitive into spying a few times. 

 

This episode had some serious plotholes and Featherweight's promotion is minor.  The biggest one was why didn't parents and citizens come screaming to Cheerilee to do something about the school paper? 

Edited November 5, 2013 by Wingnut

[Sugar Pea 2,680]

Poor Celestia...she doesn't know that the cake is a lie.

 

Yeah, I don't get it either! What the frick, Cheerilee? 

I think Diamond Tiara, on the other hand, should have suffered bigger consequences...I mean for god's sake, she even embarrassed Celestia herself!