Since a bunch of soapboxes came in for a specific trailer, I'm putting a s9 spoiler tag on this one.
Community soapbox time, where opinions from around the fandom are dropped down below for you all to discuss and debate! Expect these posts normally when not late every Tuesday at 2:00 PM MST. To submit your own, see this post.
Headlines this week:
- Why Conflict is needed in the show
- A Cutie Mark Won’t Change You?
- The next MLP movie
- Intent Matters
And get your soapboxes below!
Why Conflict is needed in the show
By: FlareGun45
Yunno what the #1 thing that causes great character development is? I’m sure you already read the title, so yunno already: conflicts! Conflicts are what causes the best development for not just character, but relationships! If there’s friendship in the show with no conflicts, then can they really be friends? It’s conflict is what tests friendship – that’s what made Return of Harmony so good! The Mane Six’s first big conflict! Then in the end, their friendship was stronger than ever! Same can be said with Twilight and Shining’s conflict in Canterlot Wedding, Starlight and Trixie in All Bottled Up and Road to Friendship, and Twilight and Spike’s conflict in Father Knows Beast!
Conflict of one’s self has also been done in the show, and it’s what creates development of one’s self as well, making them better people, episodes like Newbie Dash, which showed Rainbow Dash confidence of herself when she got over the teasing of her squad. That was probably not the best example, but it’s the best one I got. How about the first episode? Twilight making friends solved a conflict she had with herself of struggling to make friends! There, that’s better!
You might not like character conflicts that much, but I’m tellin’ ya, it’s what makes every friendship stronger! It doesn’t mean they’re not gonna be friends anymore! No conflicts isn’t healthy for a relationship – it’s balance that keeps it alive, and makes both parties happy and content! That said, I’m not saying conflict should happen ALL the time, but every once in a while, can create balance, and balance ALWAYS works! Grey Jedi!
I know some characters on the show really hold their tongues on certain characters and keep from conflicts, but sometimes, it takes being brainwashed by an evil overlord to start up a conflict between friends, and therefore, lead to a better friendship! ;)
The next MLP movie
Well, it’s happening. Paramount is indeed producing an MLP movie for 2021. It was inevitable given Hasbro’s current partnership with Paramount. Unlike the 2017 movie, however, this one will be in complete CGI and presumably without DHX’s involvement, so it’s highly plausible that it will be a reboot film to set the stage for G5, rather than a continuation of the current generation.
I talked about the pitfalls of letting Paramount do this movie in a soapbox last year. My opinions have soothed since then, given that Paramount has had a rather decent 2018 (though they checkered it with that Sonic the Hedgehog teaser poster; the less said, the better). That being said, I’m still skeptical that it will have the same kind of enjoyment the 2017 movie had. It had its issues, yes, but it was like watching one of those non-Disney movies in the ‘90s. This, though, gives me the worry it will be an Sony-like cash-grab, with childish fart jokes, cheesy one-liners and stunt casting, not helped at all by Paramount’s involvement.
Obviously I can’t judge something that’s in the very early stages of production, but it’s nice to at least give an opinion while we wait.
A Cutie Mark Won’t Change You?
By: Nightmare Muffin
Back in season 5, in the episode “Bloom and Gloom”, Applejack spouted a rather interesting line to her baby sister, Apple Bloom, when she was worried about getting her cutie mark. That line was “a cutie mark won’t change you, no matter what you get.” But do we really see this to be the case? It wasn’t until 14 episodes later where she and the other Crusaders got their marks, and not until season 7 “Marks & Recreation” where Rumble brings up the very valid point of neither of the Crusaders pursuing the activities they showed prowess in before getting their marks- singing, for Sweetie Bell, potion-making, for Apple Bloom, and mechanics for Scootaloo. Even then, the CMC don’t really acknowledge it beyond this episode making them aware of it. So does a cutie mark really do change you, in spite of what Applejack made us believe?
Intent Matters
By: indiana
To this day it is still surprising to me to see people that keep asking why was not Starlight punished by being sent into Tartarus? And the flame that ignited this topic again was Cozy Glow. Why was she send to Tartarus and Starlight wasn't? Well if you have read the title then you have your hint there. Intent matters! It's actually scary to me to see that so many people in this fandom do not understand the nature of criminality and justice. We live in the era of crazy SJW who go on witch hunts to destroy the lives of people who either barely did anything bad or even didn't do anything. Those people do not understand that intent matters. Even worse, they don't even understand the importance of Innocent until proven guilty and Proof. Do you bronies want to be like those crazy people? Are you those crazy people?
I will explain very clearly why Starlight and Discord aren't in Tartarus now while Tirek and Cozy are so please pay attention and try to understand this. We humans punish others based on not only actions but the specific combination of intent+action. Starlight was misguided in her actions but once she understood that, she(began to) changed her behavior/intent. Cozy did not. Discord did the same while Tirek didn't. Someone who kills someone else in a car accident without intent has not the same punishment as someone who plans to kill someone in cold blood and slams the victim with his car leaving a corpse behind. It's the exact same casualties and scenario from the outside but the punishments between the two cases will be vastly different.
