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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: vaskidmark on April 09, 2015, 12:13:17 PM

Title: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: vaskidmark on April 09, 2015, 12:13:17 PM
http://thefederalist.com/2015/04/08/my-little-pony-to-children-marxism-is-not-magic/

Trigger and spoiler alerts all around.

However, perhaps the best sentence is right at the beginning:
Quote
I feel it’s necessary to preface this article by stating that I am not a brony. I’ve met a couple, and I don’t exactly…get it. It’s like relishing the days when you had easy access to a playground butt-kicking. That said, after seeing the message the show carries, I might join them now.

stay safe.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Pb on April 09, 2015, 12:44:08 PM
Was this only about "diversity" or did it mention economics too?
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Angel Eyes on April 09, 2015, 12:47:46 PM
My Little Pony meets Harrison Bergeron?
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: roo_ster on April 09, 2015, 01:07:45 PM
My Little Pony meets Harrison Bergeron?


How would they play the Handicapper General?
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: RevDisk on April 09, 2015, 01:23:35 PM
Was this only about "diversity" or did it mention economics too?

It apparently only touched on social marxism. Everyone being exactly equal, except for the Leader who keeps its specialness.

In the end, leader is exposed as a fraud and everyone embraces their individualism. So, yay?
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Angel Eyes on April 09, 2015, 01:25:57 PM
How would they play the Handicapper General?

With Gilbert & Sullivan.

"I am the very model of a Handicapper General . . ."
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Firethorn on April 09, 2015, 03:19:13 PM
It apparently only touched on social marxism. Everyone being exactly equal, except for the Leader who keeps its specialness.

In the end, leader is exposed as a fraud and everyone embraces their individualism. So, yay?

Still deeper than 99% of children's cartoons are willing to go.

I also hesitate to call myself a 'brony', though I'll admit to watching the cartoon & reading the comics, it's not like I've watched most of them more than once, I just added it to my queue of stuff to watch because I really like 'new'.  I enjoy it, but only the same as I enjoy many other shows.

That being said, the ponies are badasses.  They're not kidding when they say that Equestria is a realm where your average Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party would hesitate to tread.  The main cast lives next to a forest containing - Dragons, giant serpents, basilisks, manticores, giant star bears, flying tribbles, magical poisonous flowers, and many other things that a party of murder-hobos would consider 'challenging'.  Meanwhile, once you include magic abilities the Ponies are actually ahead of many sci-fi races, doing things like controlling the weather.  As in scheduling rainfall, sunlight, etc...

Oh, and they actually break gender stereotypes/rules left and right.  The main cast are business owners/operators, appointed to important positions, etc...  Rarity runs her own clothing shop.  Rainbow Dash's 'job' varies a bit, but she's often in charge of the local weather.  Twilight was the town librarian/troubleshooter/princess's representative.  Applejack runs the farm(cooperatively with her brother).  Pinkie works for the local bakers(specializing in sweets, apparently), but seems to have a side line arranging parties.  Flutteryshy is the local wildlife manager/caretaker.  Keep in mind that this translates to 'provides veterinary care to animals such as manticores'.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: MechAg94 on April 09, 2015, 03:46:50 PM
But Wiley E. Coyote beats them all.  He is indestructable.  .........Or comes back to life.  I am not sure which.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: brimic on April 09, 2015, 03:48:02 PM
Still deeper than 99% of children's cartoons are willing to go.

I also hesitate to call myself a 'brony', though I'll admit to watching the cartoon & reading the comics, it's not like I've watched most of them more than once, I just added it to my queue of stuff to watch because I really like 'new'.  I enjoy it, but only the same as I enjoy many other shows.

That being said, the ponies are badasses.  They're not kidding when they say that Equestria is a realm where your average Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party would hesitate to tread.  The main cast lives next to a forest containing - Dragons, giant serpents, basilisks, manticores, giant star bears, flying tribbles, magical poisonous flowers, and many other things that a party of murder-hobos would consider 'challenging'.  Meanwhile, once you include magic abilities the Ponies are actually ahead of many sci-fi races, doing things like controlling the weather.  As in scheduling rainfall, sunlight, etc...

Oh, and they actually break gender stereotypes/rules left and right.  The main cast are business owners/operators, appointed to important positions, etc...  Rarity runs her own clothing shop.  Rainbow Dash's 'job' varies a bit, but she's often in charge of the local weather.  Twilight was the town librarian/troubleshooter/princess's representative.  Applejack runs the farm(cooperatively with her brother).  Pinkie works for the local bakers(specializing in sweets, apparently), but seems to have a side line arranging parties.  Flutteryshy is the local wildlife manager/caretaker.  Keep in mind that this translates to 'provides veterinary care to animals such as manticores'.


Ever played Diablo 3? There's an easter egg level where you have to fight My little Ponies (or unicorns...)and Carebears- some of the toughest non-boss monsters in the entire game! Maybe they are tough because you are laughing too hard to play though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MClM4I1YKYE
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: brimic on April 09, 2015, 03:51:21 PM
I'm glad a kids show (or for odd adults) is making a pushback. For years we had to endure the goldarn communist smurfs.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: cordex on April 09, 2015, 06:51:25 PM
I hate to break it to you, Firethorn ...
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Perd Hapley on April 09, 2015, 07:18:43 PM
Oh, and they actually break gender stereotypes/rules left and right. 


So the show has its downside, too.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Boomhauer on April 09, 2015, 07:20:09 PM
I hate to break it to you, Firethorn ...

 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:



Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: MechAg94 on April 09, 2015, 09:55:39 PM
The Tick was a good cartoon also, but I don't start talking about its philosophical and social aspects.  It was just funny.  IMO, any cartoon that isn't funny is pointless. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtO0diaiZEE
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Firethorn on April 10, 2015, 12:07:14 AM
The Tick was a good cartoon also, but I don't start talking about its philosophical and social aspects.  It was just funny.  IMO, any cartoon that isn't funny is pointless.

A cartoon, boiled down, is a means of presenting a story that's not 'live-action'.  In the USA there is a strong correlation with 'funny', but you can tell quite serious stories with cartoons.  Heavy metal, for example, is very adult, and while it has it's funny moments, is quite serious a lot of the time.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Regolith on April 10, 2015, 01:14:13 AM
Heavy metal, for example, is very adult, and while it has it's funny moments, is quite serious a lot of the time.

Well, serious as a film that features a half-naked chick riding a pterodactyl can be, anyway.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Firethorn on April 10, 2015, 02:14:05 AM
Well, serious as a film that features a half-naked chick riding a pterodactyl can be, anyway.  :laugh:

And she was one of the more clothed females in the series.  ;)
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: freakazoid on April 10, 2015, 02:47:28 AM
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.images.southparkstudios.com%2Fblogs%2Fsouthparkstudios.com%2Ffiles%2F2014%2F07%2F1203-cheesing-brains2.jpg&hash=305b6967c3be8bafd7d1b94a93b38fb4dc7e8418)
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: MechAg94 on April 10, 2015, 10:42:30 AM
A cartoon, boiled down, is a means of presenting a story that's not 'live-action'.  In the USA there is a strong correlation with 'funny', but you can tell quite serious stories with cartoons.  Heavy metal, for example, is very adult, and while it has it's funny moments, is quite serious a lot of the time.
Maybe that is preference.  I don't care for cartoons that intrude too much on reality.  They are by definition unreal.  IMO, they don't do reality well.  The temptation to go over the top is too great.  I have similar issues with the way CGI is appied in movies also. 

Maybe I should have said "entertaining" rather than funny, but cartoons are good tools for humor/satire. 
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: zahc on April 11, 2015, 09:16:48 AM
Quote
Oh, and they actually break gender stereotypes/rules left and right.  The main cast are business owners/operators, appointed to important positions, etc...  Rarity runs her own clothing shop.  Rainbow Dash's 'job' varies a bit, but she's often in charge of the local weather.  Twilight was the town librarian/troubleshooter/princess's representative.  Applejack runs the farm(cooperatively with her brother).  Pinkie works for the local bakers(specializing in sweets, apparently), but seems to have a side line arranging parties.  Flutteryshy is the local wildlife manager/caretaker.  Keep in mind that this translates to 'provides veterinary care to animals such as manticores'.

Yes, but how does the show depict males? I am not impressed by messages that women are independent and intelligent and strong. In 2015 this is not bold or new or revolutionary. Depicting females as equally capable as males is great; simply depicting females as awesome is just chauvinism.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Jamisjockey on April 11, 2015, 10:46:36 AM
Maybe that is preference.  I don't care for cartoons that intrude too much on reality.  They are by definition unreal.  IMO, they don't do reality well.  The temptation to go over the top is too great.  I have similar issues with the way CGI is appied in movies also. 

Maybe I should have said "entertaining" rather than funny, but cartoons are good tools for humor/satire. 

Yeah I've about had it with CGI in movies.  It's one thing to bend reality some....but the *expletive deleted*it they do in many movies now thanks to CGI that is beyond real is out of hand.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: MechAg94 on April 11, 2015, 10:47:22 AM
Quote
Oh, and they actually break gender stereotypes/rules left and right.
Good point.  Breaking gender stereotypes/rules is actually the new stereotype and rule.  It is the norm in entertainment, and often carried way too far as zahc mentions.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Perd Hapley on April 16, 2015, 12:57:11 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6023crXgIQ
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Devonai on April 16, 2015, 07:25:36 AM
My girlfriend gave me a pony as a gag gift for Valentines Day. It wasn't until I read this article that I learned it is Rainbow Dash. I have never seen the show but she is pretty fabulous.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: vaskidmark on April 16, 2015, 07:35:33 AM
My girlfriend gave me a pony as a gag gift for Valentines Day. It wasn't until I read this article that I learned it is Rainbow Dash. I have never seen the show but she is pretty fabulous.

The GF or the pony?

stay safe.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: AJ Dual on April 16, 2015, 09:47:02 AM
Yes, but how does the show depict males? I am not impressed by messages that women are independent and intelligent and strong. In 2015 this is not bold or new or revolutionary. Depicting females as equally capable as males is great; simply depicting females as awesome is just chauvinism.

I don't know, but I assume it's fair. Since it's still ostensibly a "girl franchise" at least superficially, I guess the main characters are all girls?

The one episode that caught my eye while making my kids Saturday morning pancakes was some sort of scam-artist ponies came into town, with red-striped barber shop quartet jackets, and 1910 straw flat-brimmed hats, and whatever they were selling, they did a song that was a 100% shameless rip-off of the first part of "The Music Man" when he's in scam-artist mode and gets the whole town singing the "Trouble" number.

That's when I realized the Bronies were telling the truth about all the "hidden subtext" in the show. I still won't touch the subculture with a 10 foot pole, but I don't beat them up anymore.  =D
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: KD5NRH on April 16, 2015, 09:54:24 AM
My girlfriend gave me a pony as a gag gift for Valentines Day. It wasn't until I read this article that I learned it is Rainbow Dash. I have never seen the show but she is pretty fabulous.

Rainbow Dash rocks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVCFV7jT9ho
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Devonai on April 25, 2015, 08:04:01 AM
Where did the confetti come from at the end? It kind of stretches belief.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: dogmush on April 25, 2015, 08:43:32 AM
Yes, the confetti is where it crosses the line.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Firethorn on April 25, 2015, 07:51:46 PM
Yes, the confetti is where it crosses the line.

? If I remember right, it was chucked by other pegasai in the actual show(though unseen big party poppers stored in the upper tiers of the cloud would also work).  That bit in the end was supposed to be a race competition, so them having it ready for celebrating the winner makes sense.

Not to mention that the pink one is the most 'toony' of them all and tends to haul around a 'party' confetti cannon with a bore larger than most Civil War field pieces.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Boomhauer on April 25, 2015, 08:26:09 PM
My girlfriend gave me a pony as a gag gift for Valentines Day. It wasn't until I read this article that I learned it is Rainbow Dash. I have never seen the show but she is pretty fabulous.

Let me emphasize the implied FAAAABUUUUULLLLOOUUUSSS in this statement...
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Perd Hapley on April 25, 2015, 08:28:39 PM
? If I remember right, it was chucked by other pegasai in the actual show(though unseen big party poppers stored in the upper tiers of the cloud would also work).  That bit in the end was supposed to be a race competition, so them having it ready for celebrating the winner makes sense.

Not to mention that the pink one is the most 'toony' of them all and tends to haul around a 'party' confetti cannon with a bore larger than most Civil War field pieces.


This is some of the funniest crap I've read all day. :rofl:  Thank you.
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Devonai on April 25, 2015, 09:22:08 PM
My comment about the confetti was indeed a joke about where the suspension of disbelief fails for different sorts of people... and implying that the magical confetti was the only problem I found.

 =D
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: dogmush on April 25, 2015, 09:28:02 PM
My comment about the confetti was indeed a joke about where the suspension of disbelief fails for different sorts of people... and implying that the magical confetti was the only problem I found.

 =D

That's as crazy as choosing a WWII era rifle to take into a space battle. 

 =D =D >:D
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Devonai on April 25, 2015, 09:31:24 PM
Hey, there was a time another crewmember suggested it wasn't appropriate for the mission, so he chose Vietnam-era technology instead.  :P
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: MechAg94 on April 25, 2015, 09:33:53 PM
That's as crazy as choosing a WWII era rifle to take into a space battle. 

 =D =D >:D
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Hinterlands-Citizen-David-Drake/dp/1451638426/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1430011925&sr=8-4&keywords=david+drake
Well, if you are sort of riding bicycles in space, maybe you can go all the way back to air guns and sling shots. 
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Scout26 on April 26, 2015, 12:26:41 PM
? If I remember right, it was chucked by other pegasai in the actual show(though unseen big party poppers stored in the upper tiers of the cloud would also work).  That bit in the end was supposed to be a race competition, so them having it ready for celebrating the winner makes sense.

Not to mention that the pink one is the most 'toony' of them all and tends to haul around a 'party' confetti cannon with a bore larger than most Civil War field pieces.

This just goes to show how absolutely, 100% correct Cordex's post on page one is. 
Title: Re: Brony trigger alert - My Little Pony tells children about marxism and equality
Post by: Mannlicher on April 26, 2015, 01:14:57 PM
Brony, and all that this entails, is just too weird to be normal.  Not even worth discussing.  It just ain't normal.