Breastfeeding scene on MLP:FiM? Ok or ‘not ok’?

[FlickerHush 46]

Hm It wouldn't bother me at all. It's a natural thing. For me it would be okay, but it might confuse the younger crowd of fans which might raise a few problems.

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

Frankly I don't see how showing ponies feeding their young in the natural way on the My Little Pony cartoon is going to further any story line they do - unless it's a story line about babies. Well, we've already seen a baby episode and we know that the babies are already drinking from bottles.

 

This isn't a OMG it doesn't show breast feeding therefor its bad, and this show is not a show to hash out every single issue the human world can create for itself that causes drama.

 

And frankly not all human mothers can breast feed - in the last few years 2 of my good friends have had children and neither were able to breast feed. So some women can't. In the animal world some animals have problems and can't.

 

So as far as it being perfectly natural, is that really all that important on a My Little Pony cartoon? Do we really need to see it? Very little about the MLP IS like real life horses/ponies. We can guess, we can imagine...but I really don't see the point of showing normal horse newborn feeding on this particular show.

Edited February 10, 2014 by KarentheUnicorn

[Moonlight 7,279]

Meh, I don't see the point in even including it. There's no reason to actually show it, so I don't see a reason to include it. The babies on the show seem grown to where they're feeding from bottles instead of breasts, so there's no reason to include something like breastfeeding. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine for breastfeeding, but it's not necessary on MLP.

[Blackened 512]

What purpose would it serve?

[Fhaolan 4,468]

Nonsensical question is nonsensical. If MLP maps in any way to real-life equines this makes no sense as horse nursing does not resemble breastfeeding so it would confuse the issue. If MLP doesn't map in any way to real-life equines, it makes even less sense as it serves no purpose story-wise. They're not human, and don't have many of typical human hang-ups.

 

MLP is not a show for making direct statements. Commentary, yes, but not statements. In order to do commentary on breastfeeding, you'd need to find an allegory to work through instead.

[Silver Letter 1,830]

I know by 'breastfeeding', you mean 'nursing' and no, it wouldn't be okay for reasons that we don't need to see equine nursing...it would be weird and would not add anything to the show.

[mars 4,861]

No no no no.

I mean, I'm not against breastfeeding in public or anything. But... why? Why MLP? There would be no purpose, it would look very out of place, and would overrall be very weird.

[lomk 20,663]

While it occurs in nature and I am in support for mothers breastfeeding their children (up to a certain age...If you can measure their age in years then it's probably time to put em on solid food), but I feel like this kind of thing would be a little too mature for a children's show. Not to mention, it would give the cloppers unlimited ammo. 

[Singe 2,109]

If they were going to do it, then cows would be okay. They are already allowed to walk around with their udders and teats hanging out. Cows are allowed to be shown or referenced of being milked. The show already did Twilight milking a bunch of cows at once.

[Sholem Itzhak 84]

What purpose would it serve?

Was there a specific purpose for the short breastfeeding scene in the Rugrats (mainly why it included Breastfeeding instead of anything else)?

They're magical ponies they don't need to be breastfed.

I don't think that's what Lauren Faust would have wanted.

[applejock 358]

Depends on how its handled. The reality is the Mane 6 are Mares, female ponies, not human. It would be more Udder feeding and even then several animated films have done this, Charletees web being an example. Most children wouldnt even bat an eye at it. And adult in passing (ie a parent) would only see a horse feeding its young.

 

Now what your really asking is this a problem with the Brony community, not the children fans of this show, or the parents that watch it with them. I would only assume your refering to Furrys getting there rocks off over it. If not then forgive me, I only went so synical because well thats our society. I for one do not care. But since we have seen the Cakes two little ones already bottle feeding, and no round bellied mares running around ponyville (the better question would be, do you think pregnance or birth has a place in MLP) I wouldnt worry to much about it.

 

Many shows that survive the trials of a 3rd season know they are in for the long haul and will do such things as begin to add in more adult themes. A great step in mlp was the showing of Scoots Handicap. Very adult, but shown in a way that children can understand of just being differnt, differnt is a word parents love.

 

Really If it happend, i wouldnt worry about an out cry, but untill we see some prego-tummied mares trotting about, don't get your fur up about worrying over it.

[Motion Spark 7,806]

I'm not gonna lie, I would prefer if they didn't show a scene like that or at least not in the focus. I think it's quite disturbing for some reason.

[dekutree64 711]

I'd be ok with it, but I don't think it's really necessary. The main thing MLP could do that most shows couldn't is teach the anatomical difference between equines and humans, but it wouldn't be totally accurate since real foals stand up right away and nurse while standing, whereas MLP foals sit and crawl like human babies, and have huge round heads that would make it hind of hard to get their mouth to the target. Would be better to show it on something like Horseland, with realistically drawn horses.

 

But in general, I am a fan of breastfeeding being portrayed as normal and not a big deal in shows, because people really get too worked up about these things.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,621]

Ponies, like cows, nurture from the udder region of their stomach, but I really don't see any problems with airing that.

 

Most cartoons and movies show it from time to time, so I wouldn't mind at all.

[FriendshipBeMagic 10]

why is it needed in the show anyway? it would be fine without it

[Singe 2,109]

This could be done with Fluttershy taking in a more primitive baby pony or some strange never before seen creature. It has a few funny moments in the episode where it sniffs around the Mane 6 underbelly with its wet nose causing them to jump.

[Linux Distro 109]

I don't exactly see how they would do that with ponies xD and it'd be odd for the style of the show

[Scootalove 10,684]

Not okay. Let's just say that, most shows shouldn't take that route due to their TV rating.

 

 

But seriously, breastfeeding? You do know that mares don't have breasts at all right? Anyway, NO, NO NO, NO, and NO!

 

Edited February 11, 2014 by Scootalove

[SomariFeyWright 776]

I wouldn't be against it, per se.

 

But, I think it's fair to assume with the various angles the ponies are given in the show that they don't actually have any part of them that actually CAN breastfeed in the first place.

 

I've got nothing against the idea, but I don't want them to make alterations to normal pony anatomy for the sake of fitting it in there.

 

If you can't make it happen while making it feel natural, just don't make it happen at all.

[Simon 4,554]

I wouldn't care about the breastfeeding, but like others have said it just wouldn't make sense in the show, and I don't know why you would force a breastfeeding scene into the show just to have one.  I mean it made sense in Rugrats... that was a show about babies.  This is a show about brightly colored magical horses, and it would just be a forced scene for the sole purpose of having it in the show.  

[Silverhoof 2,839]

I'm against the idea. The show has a strong story line, strong characters and great art.

---we do not need to inject political correctness for no good reason---

 

There is no pressing need to show anything like this. and with non-human characters it would be awkward to say the least.

[Wingnut 6,730]

I voted no.  A nursing scene would not be worth the potential hassles. 

 

If we were talking about magical cattle, I would be more inclined to say yes as every kid knows where the udder is on a cow.  But even with the aforementioned movies, I don't think the location of equine udders is common knowledge yet. 

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

 

WHY DOES THIS THREAD EVEN EXIST?!?!?!

 

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

I can bring up actual facts about the My Little Pony as a brand. Baby Ponies have always been fed by bottle. The first babies to be sold in stores in the G1 line came with bottles - because originally the theme of my little pony as a brand was the child becomes the caregiver to the ponies. Nobody ever had a problem with this that I know of, but we didn't have internet back then to complain about OMG, why does my baby pony drink from a bottle? This isn't natural!!!

 

I'm with others that are wondering, why is this even a thread?

 

I mean at some point it becomes TMI - why do we need to do this and what purpose does it serve in the show...just so we can have self gratification about some random 'natural' facts of Equestria. We know ponies, eat, therefor they must poop. I suppose future threads will be: "I need to see Ponies pooping so I know they do poop".

 

This stuff seriously borders on overly obsessive if you ask me.

Edited February 10, 2014 by KarentheUnicorn

[Ponies n Pizza 38]

In my opinion it should be allowed because there are many kids who have seen their mother breastfeed their brother or sister or a friend's mother feeding the sibling of the friend.

 

I think that if they allow it though that they need to have a blanket over the mother pony.