tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post3975895442770411634..comments2023-05-08T04:26:41.949-04:00Comments on My Little Po-Mo: Sometimes it can be hard for a shy pony like me to stand up for myself (Keep Calm and Flutter On)Froborrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-54488865969943417582014-04-17T18:57:07.419-04:002014-04-17T18:57:07.419-04:00Maybe I just have the Batman/Joker "I'm g...Maybe I just have the Batman/Joker "I'm gonna make you break your one rule and kill me" dynamic on the brain.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02782560920294783632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-53819106182533502392014-04-16T10:48:01.321-04:002014-04-16T10:48:01.321-04:00I don't truck with any interpretation where Di...<i>I don't truck with any interpretation where Discord honestly believes he's not getting turned back to stone before the final moments of the episode.</i><br /><br />Discord is the most arrogant character in the show. Of <i>course</i> he believes he's going to win!<br /><br /><i>He's trying to make some kind of suicidal gesture, but Fluttershy won't let him die.</i><br /><br />What.<br /><br />Where, anywhere in this episode, do you see evidence that Discord is suicidal?<br /><br />I'm sorry, I'm just utterly baffled by your interpretation of Discord. I really don't see at all where it's coming from.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-53180897539863552072014-04-15T16:07:44.544-04:002014-04-15T16:07:44.544-04:00I don't truck with any interpretation where Di...I don't truck with any interpretation where Discord honestly believes he's not getting turned back to stone before the final moments of the episode. He's sure Fluttershy is a hypocrite, and that if he just acts like himself she'll inevitably give up on being kind to him. Discord never seriously attempts to isolate her from her friends, he knows full well that didn't work last time even with mind control magic, he's just trying to troll her. He's trying to make some kind of suicidal gesture, but Fluttershy won't let him die.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02782560920294783632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-50375500930971841392014-04-15T16:06:45.206-04:002014-04-15T16:06:45.206-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02782560920294783632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-34202428242213040302014-04-15T14:59:26.143-04:002014-04-15T14:59:26.143-04:00It's nothing remotely like a therapeutic relat...<i>It's nothing remotely like a therapeutic relationship. A therapist does not befriend their patient, does not invite them to live in their home, does not maintain a relationship after the therapy is concluded--it's the same problem as trying to cast Twilight as Spike's mom, if Fluttershy is Discord's therapist then she is an appallingly incompetent and irresponsible therapist.</i><br /><br />Well, yes... Yes she is. Just as Twilight is a pretty lousy mother, hence why Spike hasn't properly learned many of the skills necessary to properly get along in pony society, which I'm sure we can discuss more next week. But depending on the type of therapy, they can actually be quite friendly and caring, or gruff and assertive, or passive and stony faced... Any number of ways can work for any number of patients. (Incidentally, I maintained a friendship with my old therapist for years; he was also my yoga instructor.)<br /><br />I suppose we just disagree about how much agency Fluttershy has in the episode. I've always taken it as the third entry in the trilogy that started with <i>Stare Master</i> and continued with <i>A Bird in the Hoof</i>, where yet again Fluttershy takes on more than she can handle when it comes to reforming a sick and/or disobedient creature, and manages to do so in the end through force of will. Only this time, her gentle pressure doesn't work, and instead of cowing the children into obedience or failing to save the inevitably dying creature, she simply meets more stubborn resistance than she can handle, and has to learn to assert herself in an unorthodox way (for her and for the show, anyways) to solve the problem. If Friendship is Magic, when you take that magic away, what does a purely magical creature like Discord have left? He tries to isolate her from her friends, but, importantly, he fails to actually do so. At no point does Fluttershy lose contact or draw away or disappear from their lives. Her friends do more than enough of that on their own by treating the show like its initial brief, a Sailor Moon-esque monster killing program, by attempting to get rid of him the first opportunity they can, a theme which continues in the quite excellent fourth season episode <i>Bats!</i>, rather than the show about the transformative power of personal relationships that it is.<br /><br />Now, if we want to talk about Angel Bunny and abusive relationships, I'm totally in your corner...Spoilers Belowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07597399767668746626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-90972333500578816392014-04-15T14:30:26.379-04:002014-04-15T14:30:26.379-04:00No, she's not powerless, but Discord is engage...No, she's not powerless, but Discord is engaged in a campaign to make her <i>feel</i> powerless, to get her not to use that option. Just as abusers do a great deal of work to convince their victims that they're powerless. That's what's going on with his attempts to isolate her, for instance--it makes it that much harder for her to bring in the Elements of Harmony.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-42290224004780483692014-04-15T14:17:11.464-04:002014-04-15T14:17:11.464-04:00One word from Fluttershy and back to stone Discord...One word from Fluttershy and back to stone Discord will go; the rest of the Mane Six are all eager and willing to drop the rainbow nuke on him if Fluttershy declares him irredeemable. She's hardly powerless.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02782560920294783632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-35391553070932468082014-04-15T10:49:51.930-04:002014-04-15T10:49:51.930-04:00It's nothing remotely like a therapeutic relat...It's nothing remotely like a therapeutic relationship. A therapist does not befriend their patient, does not invite them to live in their home, does not maintain a relationship after the therapy is concluded--it's the same problem as trying to cast Twilight as Spike's mom, if Fluttershy is Discord's therapist then she is an appallingly incompetent and irresponsible therapist.<br /><br />And just to be really, really clear, I'm not saying that Discord and Fluttershy are in a romantic relationship. They're in a friendship that resembles an abusive romantic relationship in disturbing ways.<br /><br />And yes, Celestia orders them to be friends. The episode is pretty clearly, as I've argued, coming from an "everyone is required to be friends with everyone else" perspective, and it's not hard to go from there to Celestia ordering them to be friends. It's not that different from a teacher forcing students who can't stand each other to work on a group assignment together (which happened to me ALL THE TIME in elementary school).<br /><br />And yeah, the pressure to be friendly is what reforms Discord. That's the problem. It <i>shouldn't</i> work, and depicting it as working is actively dangerous because it strengthens the toxic notion that there's something wrong with being selective in your choice of friends.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-11210032576305193292014-04-15T00:43:55.141-04:002014-04-15T00:43:55.141-04:00Well, to the extent that abusive romantic relation...Well, to the extent that abusive romantic relationships are entered into via a direct royal order to reform the abuser, which is where I start to disagree... The fact that Discord is assigned specifically to Fluttershy by Celestia because she's good with ornery animals and at settling unpleasant disputes, and that we then see Fluttershy proceed to do exactly what a good therapist does with a patient who doesn't need enabling, violence, or imprisonment gives me a much different reading of the episode.<br /><br />It's not that she couldn't join up and re-imprison him. All he has over her is an essentially meaningless verbal promise that she is under no compulsion to keep given his behavior. She could quit anytime she wanted, an, in fact, has the support of all her friends to do so. But instead, rather than the Ludovico technique Twilight was going to cast on him, Fluttershy goes the extra distance and does what will fix the patient, rather than give up.<br /><br />Oddly enough, it's that exact pressure to be friendly that causes his reform. Recognizing and realizing, perhaps for the first time, this strange and alien mind manages to consider another being's feelings and place them before his own desires. It's an ending pinched, oddly enough, from <i>All-Star Superman</i>, which in turn pinched it from an old issue of <i>The Authority</i>, where it was probably pinched it from somewhere else: the all-powerful being going on a rampage finally realizes that each and every living thing on the planet is alive and matters, and that to hurt them wouldn't be fun or novel, it would be senseless and cruel and meaningless.<br /><br />That next season he ends up insecure enough to worry if the person who was going to forcibly reform him via magic is <i> actually</i> his friend or not seems actually quite in character for many folks I've met who aren't used to having many friends.Spoilers Belowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07597399767668746626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-91893985625952389412014-04-14T16:56:03.184-04:002014-04-14T16:56:03.184-04:00Right, but both of those readings are ultimately t...Right, but both of those readings are ultimately the same as the parental reading, in which Fluttershy is a caretaker and the power differential is tilted in her favor. That's not really supported by the text. Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-11688214094021493842014-04-14T16:54:47.888-04:002014-04-14T16:54:47.888-04:00Oh, interesting! I'll definitely have to flag ...Oh, interesting! I'll definitely have to flag that as something to consider for the book version!Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-61593824563111534382014-04-14T13:26:11.931-04:002014-04-14T13:26:11.931-04:00It's also not that far off from how my brother...It's also not that far off from how my brother has to treat some of the special needs folks at the group home he works at. Spoilers Belowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07597399767668746626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-21013213539545410602014-04-14T01:23:14.767-04:002014-04-14T01:23:14.767-04:00For what it's worth Teddy Antonio posted some ...For what it's worth Teddy Antonio posted some comments about the episode here: http://intensedebate.com/people/TeddyAntonio/1<br /><br />Short version: Meghan McCarthy suggested a one sentence concept which Teddy Antonio turned into a full outline. He was then unable to complete the script (which he'd been going to do) so Dave Polsky stepped in and wrote the final script.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-62614729445261972602014-04-13T21:32:30.897-04:002014-04-13T21:32:30.897-04:00The way Fluttershy treats Discord in this episode ...The way Fluttershy treats Discord in this episode is much more like training an animal (as is appropriate for her, I suppose) than any human relationship. The way she attempts to incentivize the desired behavior in him is surprisingly cynical.<br /><br />Any comment on how their relationship demonstrates that friendship isn't transitive?Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02782560920294783632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-65595700685812932432014-04-13T02:30:05.456-04:002014-04-13T02:30:05.456-04:00In happier news, this finally got released.In happier news, <a href="http://jayisgames.com/archives/2014/04/my_little_investigations_true_blue_scootaloo.php" rel="nofollow">this</a> finally got released.nullhypothesishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11784779286499862559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-87155722210211231792014-04-13T02:29:19.786-04:002014-04-13T02:29:19.786-04:00I know, I just couldn't find a way to work it ...I know, I just couldn't find a way to work it in. <br /><br />Though the extent of his contribution is hard to determine. Story credit can mean anything from "suggested a single-sentence high concept" to "wrote a three-page detailed plot outline."Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-68228806058493940582014-04-13T02:26:31.100-04:002014-04-13T02:26:31.100-04:00Fun fact: This episode was literally thought up by...Fun fact: This episode was literally thought up by a fifteen-year-old.nullhypothesishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11784779286499862559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-83828209956890681892014-04-13T01:08:44.550-04:002014-04-13T01:08:44.550-04:00Yeah, I think that's the section I was writing...Yeah, I think that's the section I was writing on my phone. I choose to blame autocorrect.<br /><br />Yeah, if Discord were a child or an animal it would be much less problematic. But I'm not sure it matters that much whether this is read romantically or not, since as a friendship it is still an incredibly toxic and abusive one.<br /><br />I agree he should take some kind of less extreme punishment! Maybe whatever's in that crystal that's going to replace the Elements of Harmony will help.Froborrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08782366056731381450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5106243389695628804.post-18950591935361911252014-04-13T00:46:06.004-04:002014-04-13T00:46:06.004-04:00" It's consistent with Fluttershy's c..." It's consistent with Fluttershy's characterization as a caretaker, and explains why Celestial * thought Fluttershy was the mare for the job."<br /><br />* Celestia. Minor typo.<br /><br />I didn't think of the abusive boyfriend connection, mostly because they weren't romantic. Actually I went 'aww' at the end, as I kept expecting him to simply turn out evil and that she would have to fight against him. I have to admit I did kind of want them to stay friends, so I didn't think much beyond 'hey, a conflict that was solved without violence! that's a refreshing change from most shows!'<br /><br />I do think (or hope) that most would just read it as being about friendship, at an age when your best friend might suddenly get in a mood and hit you or lie to you on the playground (where the best threat usually is 'I am not going to be friends with you anymore if you keep doing that'... or 'I am telling your mom'), which is a lot different from a romantic lover when you're a teen. But your review makes me wonder how that might have been made less problematic, because Discord isn't a little kid, he's an adult, and that makes everything different in context. <br /><br />At some point, I think he needs to take a punishment that isn't quite as up there on the scale as being locked in stone forever. :P Seriously, this show needs more in-between punishments; 'don't punish you at all or lock you up in the moon/in stone, those are the only choices!'Only Some Stardustnoreply@blogger.com