We are still getting alot of Glimmy soapboxes, but I think we are going to take a break for a bit on those. Check over here for info on submitting non Glimmy soapbox!
Daylight Savings might mess with this post a bit. If you are in a place that doesn't do it, it should be the same time. If you are in a place that does, expect it to shift from the usual time slot. That is 3:00 PST now I believe.
Anyway, your topics this week:
- Did Hasbro and DHX betray us?
- Hearthbreakers: The Fandom’s Episode
- Shipping: Good or Bad for the fandom?
- Flanks not Faces
- Odd Squad and Pony References
Go get them below!
Did Hasbro and DHX betray us?
By Rocket Punk
Most of you might know by now what I’ll be talking about. Betrayal, treachery, mean bad… villain… things.
Last year, during the hiatus, we got a presser from Hasbro, stating “The theme of Season 6 will be “Explore Equestria””. And we all went on speculations, as of what new locations would they bring to us. Will we get more insight on Equestrian lore? Will we finally have Zebras in the series? Or a Celestia episode? Now looking back at what Season 6 brought to us, let’s take a look at our speculations and compare to Season 6.
New locations? Yeah, we had of course Las Pegasus, the Changeling Hive, but others? A… temple from the Daring Do episode? The pier town? We merely saw that one for 10 seconds. More Equestrian lore? Nope, just Flurry Heart not following the pony genetics and having big eyes, big wings, while she’s still new born and not following Baby Cakes rules. Zebras? Still nope. Celestia episode? You got the point.
I feel, and probably of us feel betrayed. They put the bar of our hype really high, and it just flopped down. Let’s just hope Season 7 will rise this up.
Hearthbreakers: The Fandom’s Episode
By Litrojia
We remember Slice of Life as the episode dedicated to our fandom. However, it seems that the spirit of this fandom is better embodied in another episode: Hearthbreakers.
Nick Confalone, known for his eccentric episodes, pulled off something incredible with Hearthbreakers. In my opinion, the episode was great: it was a cozy holiday slice-of-life episode with a tinge of adventure and a great moral.
More importantly though, Hearthbreakers added a lot to our knowledge of Equestria. For the first time, we saw the brash nature of Limestone Pie and the shyness of Marble Pie. In addition, this new setting not only shed light on the personalities of the rest of the Pie family, but also on the Apple family. We also saw the unique ins and outs of life on the rock farm. Of course, it’s tough to forget the impact that this episode had on the shippers of the fandom.
In an indirect sort of way, Hearthbreakers was an episode for the fandom. It answered the fandom’s burning questions about the Pie family with an interesting story. I’m looking forward to similar world-building episodes that are sure to be in Season 7.
Flanks not faces
By: Yamiks
As I investigated pony culture one day as a curiosity, it struck me : since most ponies look alike (what, I'm a changeling and their intricate social dynamic is somewhat alien to me!), is it possible that they recognize each other not by faces but by their marks?
While some can be recognized by their outfits, I imagine that cutie marks are the sure-fire way to distinguishing individuals. When it comes to the show this topic arose with the episode : "Sisterhooves Social". Sure It might just be me and my imagination and really it could just be what
ever each writer requires needs it to be, but still I like that idea, besides before you get that mark you could be considered "faceless" in a manner of speaking.
Still when it comes to cutie marks, it seems that show creators really haven't set any rules for such things so they are just as "flexible" as magic, which frankly often feels like a cheap cop-out that writers had in mind that particular day...
As far as discussion topics go this is a good one, so do let me know how you perceive it!
Shipping: Good or Bad for the fandom?
By: Luis
Almost since the beginning of the Brony phenomenon there has been what most fans refer to as "Shipping" i.e. setting up one character with another character regardless of sex, rhyme or reason. Now shipping largely depends on the person doing the "Ship" P.O.V and what their tastes are, some only set up Male characters with Female characters while others do Female with Female and vise versa.
Now I believe that Shipping is good for the fandom and can only help it to grow and prosper however I used to hate it until I found the one that was right for me. Which is the reason why I believe why many dislike it they just haven't found the right one for them.
Odd Squad and Pony References
By: Alpha
Odd Squad and MLP relate in many ways, from Season 2's Friendship Morals to knocking Milton-Bradley down on their way to Hasbro in one Season 1 episode. But what makes the two unique and somehow bonded together by a thin thread is how subtle the references are. For a show about a secret government agency that's meant for little kids, on PBS Kids no less, they take no precautions whatsoever in hiding these references. One example is Party Pam's balloons in Season 2's premiere, "First Day". All six of them had the fur colors of our current Mane 6. Another example is Agent Olympia, one of the main characters of Season 2--if anything, she has the personality of Pinkie Pie, only minus the excessive partying and the bouncing up and down.
I could list a bunch more here, but I'll leave you all to look those up yourselves. Overall, Odd Squad is a breeding ground for many MLP references, both those already revealed, and those to come--and, to be honest, I hope there are a lot more.
