Pinkie Pie in Filly Vanilli

[Abia 258]

She sabotaged Big Mac too.

I don’t feel like retyping or rephrasing my counterargument for her behavior towards Big Mac, so I’ll just quote it.

I don’t think we can blame anyone but Big Mac for losing his voice. He knew that he had a concert the next day— that he was a huge part of it as the baritone voice— and he had been explicitly told to rest his voice. The Apples were the ones organizing the turkey call contest. If he’d asked, surely AJ and Granny would have been able to reschedule the date. It was unkind of Pinkie to flaunt her victory, but it was by no means her fault that he lost his voice.

Pinkie Pie did not sabotage Big Mac. She bragged about her victory, but she didn’t force Big Mac to enter the contest, nor did she set him up to lose. They both tried their hardest to win the contest, and the best turkey call won.

 

there seemed to be no acknowledgement that Pinkie Pie screwed up in the episode at all either by her or any of the mane 6.

Rarity lightly scolded Pinkie, and the mane six clearly showed their disapproval of Pinkie’s behavior at the end. Pinkie also immediately went to rectify her mistake as soon as Twilight said she’d hardly said Fluttershy was great.

 

The problem here is that she doesn't seem to be aware of why and what she did was wrong, and considering all those lessons she should have learned in the past, she should have learned not to repeat similar behavior now or at least be more aware of her flaws when she hurts others.

If she pays any attention at all to her friends, she'd know that what she was saying was the very thing that Fluttershy fears the most.

 

It’s important to consider Pinkie’s background when discussing her special talent. She grew up on a rock farm where emotion was never expressed. Even after Pinkie threw her first party and the Pie family smiled for the first time— and it was physically difficult for them to smile, if you’ll remember— the farm really didn’t express much emotion; just look at Maud, who stayed at the farm for years after Pinkie had left for Ponyville.

Pinkie cannot decipher others' emotions (excluding Maud) that would explain why she kept going thought Flutters was crying.

It’s likely that Pinkie was still the overexcited one even after she introduced joy to her family, which is why— well after she’s left the farm, and hasn’t seen Maud for years— she was able to read Maud so well. This is the kind of emotional display she’s used to, and I’m willing to bet it’s something she partially expects from other ponies. Pinkie never technically learned any emotional display other than and some kind of other negative feeling. The smile comes naturally to her, as it is a natural behavior. It’s possible that is what she thinks of as a default, or even positive, emotion— it’s possible she never learned that a frown or crying was anything bad. By no means did she have the same emotional education as the other ponies. Even Twilight was more socially learned when she lived in Canterlot.

Pinkie Pie clearly can’t read others as well as others can read others. She didn’t recognize that Cranky Doodle Donkey wanted nothing of her even after he very clearly verbally expressed it. She really only wanted to make him happy; it’s possible she did not realize that she was doing the opposite until the end of the episode. It’s a similar case for Fluttershy, but Fluttershy never did verbally express that Pinkie was upsetting her. Crying was bad, but it could be something Pinkie never learned about, or did not appreciate the real meaning of.

[Nulln 755]

It’s important to consider Pinkie’s background when discussing her special talent. She grew up on a rock farm where emotion was never expressed. Even after Pinkie threw her first party and the Pie family smiled for the first time— and it was physically difficult for them to smile, if you’ll remember— the farm really didn’t express much emotion; just look at Maud, who stayed at the farm for years after Pinkie had left for Ponyville.

But when they didn't smile at her party at first, she thought they were unhappy.  She clearly knows what emotions are, she just chooses to ignore them at times.  and a sunken in crying face is way easier to read than a blank Maud face.  Even Pinkie cries, she knows it's not a good thing.

[Heliodor 156]

I think this misses the point a bit. Its not just simply the matter that Pinkie was being insensitive or whether she was malicious. In fact this type of trouble making, obnoxious, and insensitive behavior of Pinkie has been around since season 1, with Bridle Gossip, A Friend in Deed, and MMMystery on the Friendship Express, being notable and repeated examples. I would go as far as to say that inadvertently her bad behavior has become so prevalent, that its a part of her character now, much like Rainbow's massive ego and Rarity's vanity. So if anything, Pinkie's behavior in Filli Vanilli might be considered a norm now as opposed to out of character.

 

The problem is not that Pinkie was being bad, and certainly not that she made "Fluttershy cry." She sabotaged Big Mac too. The problem here is that she doesn't seem to be aware of why and what she did was wrong, and considering all those lessons she should have learned in the past, she should have learned not to repeat similar behavior now or at least be more aware of her flaws when she hurts others.

You can add "Luna Eclipsed" to that list as well...

[Singe 2,111]

We can't forget that in Iron Will Fluttershy made Pinkie Pie and Rarity cry. She didn't stop until realizing it was too late and crying done.

[Zygen 6,066]

Honestly, even as a Fluttershy fan, Pinkie's behavior really didn't bother me that much.

 

Am I a bad Fluttershy fan for this thinking? Idk, I don't think so really, but the whole thing didn't bother me all that much overall, it felt atleast somewhat resolved at the end.

 

Dare I say that I kind of thought it was a little funny in an odd way, atleast a little.

 

Was the whole thing handled the best it could've been? No, I think that it could've been handled better possibly if they wanted to spend more time on it, but this was a Fluttershy episode, not a Pinkie Pie one, So I guess they didn't feel as inclined to focus on that issue.

 

I don't really know if i'd say Pinkie Pie is out of character, I mean she's not going to be perfect all the time, none of the mane 6 will be, they don't even follow their element always, because complexities to their characters are much more believable and realistic than having them stick to some cookie cutter characterization. 

 

People may know things, but they make mistakes, and Pinkie Pie showed that she made mistakes.

 

I will say that the multiple times it happened made it a little less believable, once or twice was enough, but I feel like it may have been pushed a little much.

 

Still, she seemed to learn a bit better towards the end of the episode, there wasn't a huge focus on it, because it's not her episode, but I still feel like it happened.

 

In the end, I don't feel the whole thing played out the best ever, but I wouldn't say it's out of character entirely either. And I don't think that it's something that should cause to much uproar really. 

 

And again, honestly as a Fluttershy fan, Pinkie's behavior really didn't bother me much in the episode, And I've watched the episode like 3 times now, I quite like "Filli Vanilli" actually, maybe due in large to the song, but I still like the rest of the episode too. And while it's debatable I suppose whether Pinkie went a little to far, it's not really something worth getting worked up about.

[Fractured 2,684]

I looked at this episode again, just focusing on Pinkie, and what I found wasn't malicious intent, but somepony trying to be a good friend. Pinkie Pie doesn't want Fluttershy to suffer; she wants to see her happy.

Fluttershy wants to sing onstage, but she's afraid to. Pinkie Pie knows this. What she doesn't understand is why. Pinkie, who has never once hesitated to do the things she loves to do, can't fathom why Fluttershy doesn't just do the same. So she tries to help her. How? Directly. By telling Fluttershy the worst that could possibly happen. She wants her to giggle at the ghosties; to fight her fears head on. Pinkie Pie was right when she said "but i'm so good at it[being ridiculous]", the idea of a seething angry mob attacking Fluttershy and banishing her because she sings so well is crazy...

Then what's Fluttershy so afraid of? If nothing bad is going to happen, why is she holding herself back? Why is she choosing to be unhappy? 

At Fluttershy's cottage, when Fluttershy runs out crying, Pinkie Pie's not satisfied like a malicious person would be. Instead, as she runs out after her, she's confused. Fluttershy just lived through her own worst personal nightmare... and she survived it. Why isn't she happy about it? What else is there to be afraid of?

In the end, Pinkie was right; the only way Fluttershy dealt with her fears was by facing them. We get this moral from Fluttershy: 
Sometimes, being afraid can stop you from doing what you really love. But hiding from those fears means you're only hiding from your true self. It's better to face those fears,and shine, so you can be the best pony you can possibly be.

Fluttershy lived through her worst fear... and she survived it, She actually came out a better pony for it. She never would have done it herself, however. Someone had to start the train, to tell her what she needed to hear, and that was Pinkie Pie. Pain was a unavoidable side effect of helping Fluttershy; there was no "safe" way of getting Fluttershy to deal with her fears.

In the end, it's worth it. Fluttershy wasn't smiling at the beginning of the episode; at the end, she was. She was happy, she was doing what she loved. That's all Pinkie wants; that's all Pinkie ever wanted.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Shimmer5000

[Shadowking58 1,137]

Are we really going to hate Pinkie for her actions in ONE Episode? 

[Megas 27,629]

Are we really going to hate Pinkie for her actions in ONE Episode? 

Welcome to the brony fandom, where fans want to burn characters at the stake over one small mistake in one episode

[Singe 2,111]

They just didn't need Pinkie Pie's over-the-top super-hyper antics.