Interpreting MLP: Bats!

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

A common complaint lobbed at the episode Bats! is that AJ's side of the argument is villainized in the episode, but while it may come across that way at first (I thought it did too) I think Merriwether Williams was attempting something a bit different within the episode. 

 

After rewatching the episode I can see where people would think AJ is being portrayed as an antagonizing force I.E. the Bats song. In the song when she is seen singing it takes on a darker, more sinister tone, while Fluttershy's is seen singing it takes on a bright, peaceful tone. Many people assumed these filters showed wrong and right respectively, but what if I told you that they were meant to show the two extremes? Applejack's side showed the Vampire Fruit Bats as hideous, inconsiderate monsters and Fluttershy's showed them as cute, little, caring creatures. Both sides are wrong. When we see the Vampire Fruit Bats again they look like neither mare's portrayal, but rather they look like, well....your average everyday bat. The bats aren't monsters, but the sure as hell aren't cute and considerate. Also, people claim AJ is being dismissive during the episode, which is correct, but Fluttershy is being dismissive as well. They both shrug off each other's criticism until the other characters intervene and side with AJ. At this point Flutters is still sticking to her guns until Twilight's and RD's guilt tripping.

 

The other issue that caused this though is the resolution, in which AJ can be perceived as being framed in the wrong, but I see it a little differently. Though admittedly poorly worded I believe that AJ's moral was not meant to say "AJ was the one in the wrong, avoid short-term solutions" it was meant to say: if a short-term solution doesn't pan out, a long-term solution may be the key.

 

In hindsight the peer-pressure moral was probably the cause of the resolution's shaky writing, which is a shame. Anyway, this is just my interpretation of the story, but I look at things in a bit of an odd manner as a general rule. What are your thoughts on this interpretation of AJ's and Flutters' conflict? Feel free to discuss it below! 

Edited February 4, 2014 by DryColt84

[Mywas 687]

Why can't we enjoy an episode without nitpicking its moral?

[Anilewe 2,178]

Thank you for this post!

 

I honestly never understood, why people say that the song showed us that Fluttershy is right about bats. No, she isn't. She portrays them as nice, cute creatures, while we saw that they actually act like jerks and aren't cute at all. Applejack was so afraid that wanted to get rid of them no matter what and decided to try the short-term solution, which wasn't really a good idea. Fluttershy proposed a long-term solution, which in the end turned to be better, but her perception of bats was false. She wanted to see them as cute, while they... well, they aren't cute. Also, I still believe that there was better solution than letting them stay in the orchard. 

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

As far as the song goes, I definitely agree that the difference in tone was really supposed to represent the conflicting outlooks each pony had of the vampire bats. Applejack saw them as destructive and frightening beasts, resulting in the much darker tone whereas Fluttershy saw them as harmless little angels who are benefiting Applejack, resulting in the much more angelic tone.

 

The resolution on the other hand still seems to vilify Applejack as being the one who was short-sighted, because as you said, Fluttershy's lesson was more about peer pressure. The fact that Applejack took Fluttershy's advice by letting the bats have a section of the orchard gives the impression that Fluttershy was in the right. Instead of Fluttershy's peer pressure lesson, I would have liked the episode better if the two ponies learned a lesson about compromise instead. I could sympathize with the point of view of both of the ponies and I was disappointed that the outcome went in Fluttershy's favor; completely disregarding Applejack's arguments.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Sugar Cube

[Scootalove 10,684]

This post makes a lot of sense, thank you!

 

During the song, we're shown two opposite sides of the conflict where Fluttershy believes that the vampire fruit bats are actually helping AJ by eating the apples and spitting out the seeds. Where she believes that they are nice and forgiving creatures, in reality they were jerks that were more concerned with eating the orchard than helping Applejack. Applejack had some good arguments while Fluttershy's arguments were a bit one-sided. I didn't like the lesson that went into more of Fluttershy's favor, completely disregarding AJ's arguments.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

As far as the song goes, I definitely agree that the difference in tone was really supposed to represent the conflicting outlooks each pony had of the vampire bats. Applejack saw them as destructive and frightening beasts, resulting in the much darker tone whereas Fluttershy saw them as harmless little angels who are benefiting Applejack, resulting in the much more angelic tone.

 

The resolution on the other hand still seems to vilify Applejack as being the one who was short-sighted, because as you said, Fluttershy's lesson was more about peer pressure. The fact that Applejack took Fluttershy's advice by letting the bats have a section of the orchard gives the impression that Fluttershy was in the right. Instead of Fluttershy's peer pressure lesson, I would have liked the episode better if the two ponies learned a lesson about compromise instead. I could sympathize with the point of view of both of the ponies and I was disappointed that the outcome went in Fluttershy's favor; completely disregarding Applejack's arguments.

 

I agree that compromise would probably work better as a lesson, but I don't want to hold what the episode could've been against it.

[Argumedies 1,748]

I thought bats was a fantastic episode and caught on to many of the ideas you present.

 

This show is a lot more complexed then even we as adults think. There are just some episodes where you have to take a step back and focus on the larger picture.

 

There was a lot of people who take things like this at face value and miss out on the real issues because of it