• Story: Little Pony

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    [Normal] I'm not sure if this should be considered grimdark.  Is it legal to spank your kids these days? I don't really follow that stuff.
    Description: Apple Bloom gets in trouble.
    Little Pony
    Monday, February 28, 2011 op
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    28 comments:

    1. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 1:58 PM

      It is legal to spank, but it has been proven to be psychologically traumatizing and might cause mental issues later on in life.

      Kid gloves are needed in some situations, as spanking can undermine just what exactly the child did wrong. (it's better to think of an unusual punishment before you raise your hoof to a child)

      ReplyDelete
    2. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:04 PM

      Most places it is legal but I know one state tried to ban it.
      There sure are a lot of kids that need a good spanking rotten brats!

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    3. ProminenceFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:13 PM

      Not anywhere close to grimdark. Personally, I was spanked (switched, really- even had to go get my own) and I can say I wasn't traumatized. In fact, I'd say it helped, because I learned that with crime comes punishment. Simple as that. If you spank them for every little thing, that's something you might want to chill out on, but I personally think that if they really screw up, they should be spanked. And possibly maybe a time-out/grounding.

      That said, good story. Very understandable.

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    4. Chakat FirepawFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:15 PM

      In most western nations spanking is still legal provided it is kept within reasonable bounds[1].

      Where I sit, (Toronto), the switch would have made this illegal. However, since there are physical limitations requiring that ponies use an implement the reasonable line would have to be drawn slightly differently.


      As for being grimdark: No, it's a common corporal punishment vignette.



      [1] The meaning of reasonable does vary by jurisdiction. It can range from "does not require medical attention" to "immediate correction to hazardous activities only".

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    5. Sergeant Sprinkles: World's Greatest Party ClownFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:20 PM

      I wrote this way before Cupcakes and it was basicly right after Call of the Cutie. I was going to make it all grimdark and end it right after the punishment, but I felt bad about being so harsh so I made the ending happy.

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    6. ZarkanorfFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:22 PM

      Spanking is like any old punishment; at the right times, it's a learning tool, but you gotta make sure it's for the right things. I was like Prominence with the switch deal; I thought my parents had it easy on me until I saw what other kids dealt with, haha.

      A nice short story; nice job, Sergeant Sprinkles!

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    7. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:25 PM

      This was one of the first pony fics I came across. It stands out in my mind, as it's able to seem both more realistic than usual AND in-universe-accurate at the same time. Neat.

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    8. A Random DragonFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:26 PM

      I don't think spanking counts as grimdark ^^

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    9. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:29 PM

      @Dragonkind

      But in the right circumstances, it might be considered shipping.

      hey HEY!

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    10. ProminenceFebruary 28, 2011 at 2:47 PM

      Lol I see what you did thar.

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    11. Fairy SlayerFebruary 28, 2011 at 3:03 PM

      IMO, a spanking once in a while may be necessary, such as when a toddler keeps running into the street, other dangerous behavior, etc.. However, if someone "has to" do it to the kid all the time then there is a flaw in the parental strategy.

      This slice of life is touching and shows off a bit of the family dynamics. Not bad. It doesn't seem grimdark to me but I am tagging it as "emotional" in the "sortable" table (which will be updated later tonight). As always though, Sethisto gets the final word on labels there too.

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    12. MalakaFebruary 28, 2011 at 4:32 PM

      Here in the UK physical discipline is legal so long as it doesn't leave a mark for more than 15 minutes/half an hour/I can't actually remember how long but it's something like that.

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    13. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 4:46 PM

      Proven to cause harm? Got any proof of that?

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    14. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 7:00 PM

      Interesting conflict between the characters, so at least for me, well worth the read. I can sort of understand Applejack's reasoning, though using her brother as a boogeyman like that is a bit unfair.^^

      As for corporeal punishment, I know literally no one who experienced just a little. It was either never, or so very much over the top that at some point, they started hitting BACK. The latter case was thankfully rare. So much bad blood... like you'd never believe. Very, very sad stories.

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    15. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 8:53 PM

      How could this be grimdark in the least?
      It's a simple view on how things would work for the Apple family.
      It doesn't have characters going on murderous rampages.
      It doesn't have characters dying alone.
      It doesn't have Pinkie Pie realizing that the whole world around her is a lie and that she's actually insane.
      It doesn't even have Magic Pegasus Unicorn Hitler.

      I don't like grimdark stories, but this isn't grimdark.
      Not even dark or grim.

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    16. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 10:10 PM

      I know faust said parents of the ponies where going to be introduced, but reading this makes me really hope that the apple parents are left out. Aj and big mac trying to raise applebloom together is the sweetest thing ive ever read.

      Also, there is nothing wrong with spanking as long as its applied only when needed.

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    17. AnonymousMarch 1, 2011 at 12:36 PM

      Hurm...
      Reminds me of my early (and current) years of teaching.
      Hard to be both the kids' best friend and worst enemy, all while also being a good teacher.
      Although I do have a short tale that relates to this in a way...
      One year, when I was teaching 2nd grade, I had a student who I kept noticing bruise marks on. She was on the adventurous side of things, so I thought that was it. I just told her to be more careful.
      One day, however, I noticed a bruise on her face. I asked her to stay for a few minutes after class, and I asked her what happen, since she was having problems that day. She broke down into tears, and told me that her father did it. I alerted the principle, who then alerted child services, and a year later...

      Me and my wife, who due to an accident as a child can never give birth, had our own daughter.

      And we lived happily ever after.
      Except I think I've failed as a father in a way since somehow she manages to have the highest GPA at her high school, plays several instruments, and has modest hopes of being an elementary teacher one day... she watches MLP, and has somehow convinced me to watch it also.
      Then again, I have somehow ended up with a first grade class that has a girl majority, and a large number of them watch it also. And then some of the boys watch it also...
      But then again, we also all love Batman. Nothing like getting a whole class to start chanting "Batman" over and over again.
      And now they're starting to enter a Power Rangers phase...
      I love my job.
      Sorry for getting off tangent and all. Just sort of got into it.

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    18. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 3:23 AM

      Anonymous teacher immediately above me?
      Your class requires the BatPinkie image, if not the story - the backstory might be a bit much for first graders. But they're clearly primed for Pinkie in a Batman costume.

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    19. ZarkanorfMarch 15, 2011 at 9:28 PM

      @Anonymous
      *Anon-Teacher draws a BatPinkie on the chalkboard*
      "Kids, let me tell you how the American Revolution REALLY happened..."

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    20. AnonymousMay 3, 2011 at 11:03 PM

      I'm a man, I don't cry over ponies, I'm a man, I don't cry over ponies, I'm a man, I don't cry over ponies...

      ReplyDelete
    21. AnonymousMay 20, 2011 at 6:17 PM

      @Anonymous Not it most deftly NOT been So proven:

      Nutureshock goes over the findings, not these results 'non harmful' results comes from researchers who themsleved admit an anti-spank bias.

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    22. rangergx9May 20, 2011 at 8:03 PM

      .... Im male... I should not be sad..

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    23. AnonymousMay 26, 2011 at 3:53 PM

      Wow. When I read this story, it brought me back to when I was a kid and had to get spankings as a punishment, especially the fear she felt beforehand. Bravo.

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    24. JaggedJune 3, 2011 at 2:34 AM

      Not to start an ethics battle on spanking, I never could spank and/or watch someone I know get spanked, especially if the person getting spanked protests. I'm too much of a softy to do so, so it was kinda difficult for me to read this. It also doesn't help that Applebloom is one of my favourite ponies, and seeing her in this situation...is kinda un-nerving

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    25. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 2:51 PM

      :(

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    26. Forte CanterAugust 31, 2011 at 5:25 AM

      Well written, I'll give you that, but I'm kind of curious as to the point. If anything, this has the potential to make me never see Appljack & Big Mac the same way again. Something Cupcakes would never do. :P

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    27. PonyPerfectJuly 21, 2012 at 1:06 AM

      I like this. I think it's really realistic and relatable. Personally, I've always thought of the Apple Family as using old fashioned discipline methods on their young. A farm family using switchings makes plenty of sense. I also like how it sort of illustrated the challenges of AB and BM trying to raise their younger sibling by themselves. I especially love how you ended it, with AJ assuring AB that she is loved. That's how spanking should be applied, discipline with love. As long as the child knows that they are only being punished for their behavior by people who truly care about them, it should not be scarring. It wasn't for me anyway.

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    28. knexfan100October 4, 2012 at 1:07 PM

      @Anonymous


      you are 1000000% right. In the real world: if you commit a crime you get fined and/or thrown in prison (or jail... same thing really). Hitting a person is not cool. All your doing is causing physical and mental pain and you are not telling the person why what they did was wrong. And people hit things to vent their anger.... no matter what "people" say: you are BEATING a person just because you are angry. I have no room for love in my heart for these people because a close friend of mine got his "punishment" (it was a hard spanking) and he took his dad's gun and blew his brains out. He left a note talking about how much he hated his dad for resorting to causing physical (and mental) pain all the time just because he was socially akward (he had a disabillity).... his dad never put a hand on any of his kids again and I still hate him to this day.

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