Do you view Spike as a pet?

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I'm saying no. I hate the idea of him being seen as a pet, and I didn't even know it was a thing until today. I'm conducting this poll to see if this is a common belief or not.

[Anilewe 2,178]

Of course not! Twilight and ponies in Equestria treat him as their friend, so why should I treat him differently?

He's intelligent, funny and just cute, how some fans can view him as a pet? 

[Ribbonfree 2,383]

He is way too sentient to be a pet of any description (I likewise consider Angel to be too intelligent to be a pet in the strictest sense of the word). As he himself puts it, he is Twilight's assistant.

[Moonlight 7,286]

No, Spike is Twilight's assistant NOT pet.

 

 

This line is even said:

 

 

 

 

 

'Assistant', not 'pet'.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Of course not! Twilight and ponies in Equestria treat him as their friend, so why should I treat him differently?

He's intelligent, funny and just cute, how some fans can view him as a pet? 

 

No idea, but I don't like it.

[Pastel 7,630]

No, but the main reason is because he can talk.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

No, but the main reason is because he can talk.

 

Exactly, he's sentient. I'm so confused as to why this is a thing.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

That's why Spike as a dog upset me so.

[Scootalove 10,689]

No, because we've seen countless times where he assists her and they have a strong bond with each other. She treats him the way he should be treated, with respect.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

That's why Spike as a dog upset me so.

 

That didn't bother me, in fact that might be his best assistant role in the series.

[Anilewe 2,178]

That didn't bother me, in fact that might be his best assistant role in the series.

 

Agreed I liked Spike as a dog, I can't even imagine him as human. But it probably gave people a wrong idea and they started to view him as a pet...

Edited April 3, 2014 by Anilewe

[LittleRawr 679]

He's sentient and can speak, why the heck would he be viewed as a pet?

 

As others have stated before, he's Twilight's assistant, not pet. Heck, he's practically Twilight's brother, assuming that they grew up together.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

My reasoning for this poll lies in the other Spike topic on the front page the Show Discussion section.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

No he's not a pet. I'd heard of the concept before though.

I've also heard the term "slave" used. It's more accurate than "pet", but equally untrue.

[Adorkable 2,737]

In Equestria Girls, sort of kind of, yes. But that's because he's a dog, lol. Now in the show, of course not. Spike seems to be and act like more of a younger brother to our wonderful Twilight Sparkle.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

No.

 

There's a clear distinction between sentient and non-sentient in MLP:FIM.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

No.

 

There's a clear distinction between sentient and non-sentient in MLP:FIM.

Time for some English language fascism: I think you mean "sapient" not "sentient". "Sentience" just means that something is aware of it's surroundings. So pretty much just about all vertebrates and a few other animals on Earth are sentient. "Sapient" means that something can act with judgement.

 

It's a common mistake though. For instance Optimus Prime must be a big PeTA follower, since he says "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

 

 

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Now that we're done with that tangent: Fluttershy seems to be able to have very involved conversations with animals that would make it seem that the line between sapient and non sapient is rather blurry in Equestria.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Time for some English language fascism: I think you mean "sapient" not "sentient". "Sentience" just means that something is aware of it's surroundings. So pretty much just about all vertebrates and a few other animals on Earth are sentient. "Sapient" means that something can act with judgement.

 

It's a common mistake though. For instance Optimus Prime must be a big PeTA follower, since he says "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

 

 

------------

 

Now that we're done with that tangent: Fluttershy seems to be able to have very involved conversations with animals that would make it seem that the line between sapient and non sapient is rather blurry in Equestria.

 

Interesting, I'll remember that.

[Cwanky 17,590]

Of course not, Spike is Twilight's equal and family. This is not Equestria Girls.

 

Still it can be a very uncomfortable conversation and the line is loosely drawn. Take this notorious Applejack scene for example:

 

 

Some may argue the (sentient) livestock, ie: the goats, sheep, and cows, don't mind living in stables and pens like the chickens and pigs. But is this REALLY the case. We see at least 1 cow, Daisy Jo, go around town and get the same (I hope) rights as anyone else, buying food from Pinkie and even getting access unsegregated on the train. Why then don't we see even 1 cow own a house or operate some business? Remember ponies IRL live in pens and stables too so we could just as easily argue they shouldn't mind living in those accommodations either.

 

The point here isn't to start a social debate and derail the thread, but a lot of the things said about Spike, could just as easily be said about the livestock, which I just illustrated are treated often as less than equal individuals, despite communicating and having very similar sapience with the ponies and like races.

 

Its actually rather sad and disturbing that we even have to have a topic questioning Spike's worth as a person, as opposed to analyzing his character on a equal ground to the pony characters. Hasbro really has to stop treating Spike like dirt and pretending that he's an equal, while throwing him under the bus 99% of the time.

[Castle Bleck 19,376]

Time for some English language fascism: I think you mean "sapient" not "sentient". "Sentience" just means that something is aware of it's surroundings. So pretty much just about all vertebrates and a few other animals on Earth are sentient. "Sapient" means that something can act with judgement.

 

 

And with that being said... SPIKE'S NOT A PET, DAMNIT!!!

[White Lie 67]

I think that's why the owl was introduced.  That way, Twilight has a pet like everyone else and poor Spike isn't considered one by anybody, as he shouldn't. lol

[Harmonic Revelations 8,835]

Yes, because he's a non-equine peasant.

 

Of course not. He's more like a sidekick, than anything else.

 

I care. *Single tear falls to the keyboard* 

[Lightning-flickr 214]

I see him as annoying if that helps

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I see him as annoying if that helps

 

No, no it doesn't. Good try, though.

[Lightning-flickr 214]

No, no it doesn't. Good try, though.

He's just not a very strong character and seems to do everything wrong. Like, the show is about learning from mistakes and I get that but every time Spike is on screen he does stuff wrong and quite often doesn't make up for it. Besides the timberwolf episode and the supermare one, when has he actually stepped up to the plate? Season 3 He was just god awful and this season he just seems to wonder in and out of frame for comic relief or just to screw something up that the mane six fix. I personally don't like spike, but I'm just stating the reasons I don't.