We continue our deluge of pony soapboxes! The fandom has opinions, and you're gonna read em!
Expect these posts every Tuesday at 3:00 PM. To submit your own, see this post. (Note: We are closing soapbox entries for "clop" for now. We've had enough. Think of other subjects!)
Your soapboxes for today:
- Pony Jokes - Humor in Pony
- My Little Pony Generation 5
- Are the Villains in MLP References to Satan?
- About the Issues With Youtube
- Grow up about CLOP! It's NOT Harming Anyone
Head on down below the break to read about them, and the comments to comment on them!
Pony Jokes - Humor in Pony
By: Yamiks
Humor is an essential part of a good story, thou there are some exceptions to this, humor tends to break up the monotone feeling and introduce some spice in it, the same can also be said about action.
In MLP I noticed that humor does not play a big role, thou you can say that the pink one and discord are there to make it, for me most "jokes" just fall flat. Still, there have been some jokes that made me respect the writers a lot. First joke i was surprised to hear was in "the winter wrap-up" where spike called Twilights made nest an outhouse - such a blunt and simple answer i never expected from this show, next joke that caught me off guard was the whole chicken Scootaloo moment - a perfect and oddly smart joke that illustrated how friends tease each other. It reminds me of how me and my friends poke fun at each other.
In the end I know fandom has it's own jokes about the series, so why not share some down below, be that clean or dirty : a joke is a joke!
My Little Pony Generation 5
by: Pepperbrony87
At the back of their minds, almost all of us wonder what will become of My Little Pony after the conclusion of Friendship is Magic. Given the effort the creators have put into developing the current world of Equestria, and the love that bronies have for that world, it seems a shame to wipe the slate clean for Gen 5. Also, FiM has shown - quite thoroughly - that the land of ponies can appeal to those outside of its traditional target audience of little girls.
Perhaps the best way forward would be for the next iteration of the franchise to keep the setting, and tell a new set of stories within the same Equestria. Such a new show would best be set in a new town, to allow the new characters a chance to shine on their own without being overshadowed by the existing Mane 6 and their supporting cast. However, being set in the same world, there would exist the possibility of guest appearances from beloved FiM ponies, such as somepony buying an outfit from Rarity, or the new gang attending a Great and Powerful magic show.
Another opportunity for moving forwards would be to widen the appeal to a more inclusive target audience. To start with, ease up on the pinks and purples in the logo, and dial the intro song down a notch or two. Secondly, the main characters should be a mix of mares and stallions. With a mix of genders, the boys in the audience can more easily relate to one or another of the cast. To send a good ‘you can be anything you want to be’ message, some of the cast could have aspects not traditionally associated with their gender. For example, one of the stallions could be the fashion-conscious one, while one of the mares perhaps works in construction.
If handled well, I think such a show would pick up a new audience of children of any gender, while still resonating with the existing brony fanbase.
Are the Villains in MLP References to Satan?
By: Gandalf
I suspect the villains of the first four seasons may be inspired by the Biblical figure Satan.
Firstly, Nightmare Moon. She was banished to the moon by Celestia, as she rebelled , but a prophecy states she will return after 1000 years. Satan rebelled against God and is banished to Hell, but a prophecy states he will be "released from his thousand year prison".
Discord is seen manipulating ponies and tempting them into corruption.The serpent tempts Adam and Eve into rejecting God using fruit, often portrayed as an apple. Likewise, Discord tempts Applejack into rejecting her element using apples.
Thirdly, Chrysalis. She pretends to be Cadence-a paragon of light-to take over Equestria. The Bible states "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" in order to control the world. They are also both deceitful-the serpent betrayed Adam and Eve.
Then, Sombra.His realm is portrayed as oppressive as he takes control of the crystal ponies. Likewise, Satan's plan is to take mortal souls.
Finally, Tirek. He escapes from Tartarus, essentially Hell, and is demonic.
He is banished for about a thousand years and escapes, like Nightmare Moon. He manages to corrupt Discord through temptation alone, just like Discord did. He is a false friend like Chrysalis. And he wants to take control over all Equestria, like Sombra.
Tirek is interesting in that he embodies all of Satan at once.
About the Issues with Youtube
By: Jin
I know it is a general issue, but it affects the Bronies so I think it is relevant.
I am not sure of what I write here, but it is just a thought I had, and it is very based on myself, so it might not make sense at all, and it also is why this has a more personal tone.
I always thought that the YouTube's "Subscription" feature was just something to make it easier to find again a Channel you like, and that the Recommended videos were simply a way to make it easier for people to find new content in which they are interested. I realise, now, that those features are also a way for the content creators to get their fans to see their work, and get more popularity (which now sounds to me like a currency in the world of Art). However, there are people who never had a YouTube or Google account (I was one of those), and they do not need spontaneous notifications. During my free time, I used to (and still do) go searching on Google and YouTube for the Channels I like. I do not want to sound antiquated, but subscribing to people feels to me just like advertisements; when I click on one of those Recommended Videos, I feel that I'm not watching that video because I want, but rather because it... "was there". I am not saying that those features are a bad thing! I found many Channels I love that way! But it is similar to what PewDiePie said in his video ("**wtf is going on with Youtube**"): it has been turning into some kind of "click-bait war". In the past (as far as I know...) people had to put more effort into getting access to what they were interested in. We, Fans, are not supposed to simply "receive the content"; if we really are interested in something, we should put more effort into looking for what we want. I dare say that... we have been getting lazy, as fans.
I would like to clarify that I do not know why many of you rely so much on those features, but I am pretty sure you have fair reasons. However, I still ask you to consider my suggestion.
Grow up about CLOP! It's NOT Harming Anyone
By: Fixblat
I am so tired of the constant worry in this fandom about clop. Since the dawn of pony, people have been freaking out that it will tarnish the "brony name". Get real people. You are watching a show for 12 year old girls. There is nothing noble or amazing about this, and the second you put that Rainbow Dash shirt on or set her as your phone background, the majority of normal people out there thought you were weird. Clop doesn't change that. We are already deviants in the eyes of society. The argument that "cloppers make us look bad" is ridiculous.
I'm also tired of people defending them with the "They are attracted to the personality" argument. If it was personality based, you wouldn't see 100,000+ drawn images of actual cartoon equines getting it on with double the upvotes of a normal drawing. It would all be humanized. I didn't fall for clop because I was attracted to how cute Fluttershy's personality is. I fell for it because someone drew her with a 10/10 flank in a skimpy saddle and clothing. Replace her with any mare in that style and pose and I would have been all over it.
We are all human. We all have weird sexual quirks. MLP just happened to nail that perfect body, animation, and cuteness to hit these or more demographics:
- Sexually explorative internet Males
- Fans of cute anime girls with animal ears
- Preferers of curvy butts
- Furries
It's the 2nd most common r34 for a reason. Lauren Faust struck gold on making the ponies attractive, and in my opinion, it's a big reason why this cartoon is so huge. Just accept that a lot of people love this body type and style. It's not doing anything bad. Just look at Star Trek. Tappin hot alien babes was mainstream.
