History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E23PonyvilleConfidential

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Many felt the shunning the [=CMC=] would’ve worked better if the reactions from the citizens of Ponyville was instead PlayedForLaughs by having their reactions and replies done in a zany, over the top way, especially with WordOfGod conforming their shunning was so they don't end up on the newspaper in an out of context story, as opposed to the mean spirited way they were portrayed.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Many felt the shunning the [=CMC=] would’ve worked better if the reactions from the citizens of Ponyville was instead PlayedForLaughs by having their reactions and replies done in a zany, over the top way, especially with WordOfGod conforming their shunning was so they don’t end up on the newspaper in an out of context story, as opposed to the mean spirited way they were portrayed.
* UnintentionallySympathetic: The Cutie Mark Crusaders in this episode. The episode exacts karma on them for spreading all the rumors and gossip about the ponies in Ponyville the entire episode, and presents it as justified. However, quite a few fans have felt sorry for them due to how they were ripped into and shunned by Ponyville (especially egregious with the CMC's friends and relatives), which they felt was too mean-spirited of a punishment, especially considering the fact that Diamond Tiara was putting pressure on them to make those articles or else she would publish embarrassing pictures of them.

%% Unintentionally Unsympathetic: The residents of Ponyville and Rarity has been deemed not an example [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15194292110A03429900&page=6#comment-146 here]]. Don't add back without approval.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: WordOfGod is that the residents of Ponyville treatment of CMC was meant to be "them trying to avoid talking to them because anything they say could end up in print out of context." But they admit that nuance was lost in the final product, making it come off as undeservedly cruel.
%% Rarity has been deemed not an example [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15194292110A03429900&page=6#comment-146 here]]. Don't add back without approval.

%% Unintentionally Unsympathetic: The residents of Ponyville and Rarity has been deemed not an example [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15194292110A03429900&page=6#comment-146 here]]. Don't add back without approval.

* DesignatedHero: Rarity can come off as this towards the end of the episode. [[HypocriteHasAPoint While she isn't entirely wrong about how hurtful invasion of one's privacy and gossip are]], she had earlier intentionally snooped in Sweetie Belle's knapsack (knowing ''full well'' she shouldn't) and dismissed Gabby Gums' writings as "harmless", even when her friends are visibly/audibly upset near her, [[MoralMyopia until]] ''[[ItsAllAboutMe she]]'' [[MoralMyopia became the subject of gossip]]. Even worse, she doesn't appear to have an epiphany or reflect on how much ''she'' contributed to the situation and is instead put in the right when she condescendingly chews out Sweetie Belle.
* DracoInLeatherPants: Rarity gets this treatment for being portrayed as willing to actually talk to Sweetie Belle and explain why Gabby Gums is wrong, and even people who don't like the rest of the episode usually praise Rarity for acting so mature. They completely overlook the fact that Rarity previously spent the episode being an unsympathetic gossip who invaded her sister's privacy, told Twilight not to worry when she expressed concern over Gabby Gums's potential to hurt people, coldly brushed off her friends breaking down into tears right in front of her and only started taking secrets being published seriously after she found out her diary ended up in the newspaper.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
** The residents of Ponyville are expected to be sympathized with because they were gossiped about. While the CMC's actions were no doubt wrong, the townsfolk behave downright ''[[DisproportionateRetribution cruelly]]'' towards three innocent children. Also, the fact that [[{{Hypocrite}} they contributed just as much to the gossip]] by enjoying it until ''they'' were written about but [[KarmaHoudini receive no proper scolding or any sort of consequences]] makes it ''hard'' to feel sorry for them.
** Rarity, if it can be believed, may be ''worse''. You're expected to side with her when she talks things out with Sweetie Belle but before that, she didn't object to the gossip at all ([[WithFriendsLikeThese even with her friends upset by it right nearby]]) until her diary was published. Even worse, she comes off as a hypocrite in doing so because she had intentionally gone through her sister's knapsack despite ''knowing'' she shouldn't.

* WhatAnIdiot: Part of the reason why people disregard this episode.
** Diamond Tiara doesn't read the CMC's final scoop which leads to her downfall. Justified in that she didn't have time. The paper had to be out by a certain time, so the CMC [[BatmanGambit waited until the last second so Diamond Tiara would have to just trust they would bring in one of their usual gold columns.]]
** Cheerilee or ANY pony for that matter never bothered to actually figure out what the hell is going on with Gabby Gums and instead just shun the closest people they could find and expect things to be better.

* CounterpartComparison: An AcademicAlphaBitch gets control of the school paper and lords it over the protagonists. Is this Diamond Tiara or [[Series/GilmoreGirls Paris Gellar]]?

UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:

* DesignatedHero: Rarity can come off as this towards the end of the episode. [[HypocriteHasAPoint While she isn't entirely wrong about how hurtful invasion of one's privacy and gossip are]], she had earlier intentionally snooped in Sweetie Belle's knapsack (knowing ''full well'' she shouldn't) and dismissed Gabby Gums' writings as "harmless", even when her friends are visibly/audibly upset near her, [[MoralMyopia until]] ''[[ItsAllAboutMe she]]'' [[MoralMyopia became the subject of gossip]]. Even worse, she doesn't appear to have an epiphany or reflect on how much ''she'' contributed to the situation and is instead put in the right when she condescendingly chews out Sweetie Belle.

* TheWoobie: While it is easy to blame the CMC for all the public humiliation they caused, though most of the blame goes to Diamond Tiara for [[TheSociopath not really caring about other ponies' feelings]], and Featherweight for taking all those photographs and never once expressing a reluctance to do so, you can't help but feel for the three poor fillies when they're shunned by the entire town, including their own ''friends and relatives'', after word gets out about them being Gabby Gums.

** A lot of fans assumed the paper the CMC will be printing their column under would be called [[FandomNod Equestria Daily]], after the enormously popular, Creator/LaurenFaust-interviewing fan blog of the same name (which has been [[FandomNod referenced]] by Creator/TheHub's commercial ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43yodRbQrd4 There's a Pony For That]]'' as well as the [[TheMerch shirts]] ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1777 EQD Twilight Library]]'', ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1778 EQD University]]'', and ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1780 EQD Pony Party]]''). This looked less and less likely as more previews came out, and was eventually {{Jossed}} by a preview clip in which a colt calls it the ''Foal Free Press''.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Not only do they come off as too mean spirited, the citizens of Ponyville, even the Mane 6, don't have much right to behave they way they did considering they were enjoying the gossip about the other ponies besides themselves. In fact, their hostility towards the CMC only negates any sympathy they could have had.

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Return to the mane article ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E23PonyvilleConfidential here]].''

** A lot of fans assumed the paper the CMC will be printing their column under would be called [[FandomNod Equestria Daily]], after the enormously popular, Creator/LaurenFaust-interviewing fan blog of the same name (which has been [[FandomNod referenced]] by TheHub's commercial ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43yodRbQrd4 There's a Pony For That]]'' as well as the [[TheMerch shirts]] ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1777 EQD Twilight Library]]'', ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1778 EQD University]]'', and ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1780 EQD Pony Party]]''). This looked less and less likely as more previews came out, and was eventually {{Jossed}} by a preview clip in which a colt calls it the ''Foal Free Press''.

* CounterpartComparison: An AcademicAlphaBitch gets control of the school paper and lords it over the protagonists. Is this Diamond Tiara or [[Series/GilmoreGirls Paris Gellar]]? [[spoiler:Bonus for Diamond Tiara eventually pulling a HeelFaceTurn a few seasons later, making her a bit more congruent with Paris.]]

** Or CNN's recent threat to out all the personal details of a private citizen for his racist and sexist posts (but more importantly, [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality the posts making fun of CNN]]) if he didn't delete them or ever posted anything they didn't like again.

** A lot of fans assumed the paper the CMC will be printing their column under would be called [[FandomNod Equestria Daily]], after the enormously popular, LaurenFaust-interviewing fan blog of the same name (which has been [[FandomNod referenced]] by TheHub's commercial ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43yodRbQrd4 There's a Pony For That]]'' as well as the [[TheMerch shirts]] ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1777 EQD Twilight Library]]'', ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1778 EQD University]]'', and ''[[http://www.welovefine.com/product.php?id_product=1780 EQD Pony Party]]''). This looked less and less likely as more previews came out, and was eventually {{Jossed}} by a preview clip in which a colt calls it the ''Foal Free Press''.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Some fans like to simply pretend that this episode never happened because of its mean-spirited nature and how the rest of Ponyville came across as hypocrites. Might also count as CanonDiscontinuity since the episode has yet to be referenced again outside of Featherweight making later appearances.

* HilariousInHindsight: The fic [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/9135/A-Slice-of-Life Slice of Life]], where Celestia has to go on a diet, now seems more likely.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Some fans like to simply pretend that this episode never happened because of its mean-spirited nature and how the rest of Ponyville came across as hypocrites.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Rarity get's this treatment for being portrayed as willing to actually talk to Sweetie Belle and explain why Gabby Gums is wrong, even people who don't like the rest of the episode usually praise Rarity for acting so mature. They completely overlook the fact that Rarity previously spent the episode being an unsympathetic gossip who invaded her sisters privacy, told Twilight not to worry when she expressed concern over Gabby Gums potential to hurt people, coldly brushed off her friends breaking down into tears right in front of her and only started taking secrets being published seriously after she found out her diary ended up in the newspaper.

* Rarity's [[UnstoppableRage reaction]] to one of Gabby Gums's articles became exploitable before the episode even aired.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Rarity get's this treatment for being portrayed as willing to actually talk to Sweetie Belle and explain why Gabby Gums is wrong, even people who don't like the rest of the episode usually praise Rarity for acting so mature. They completely overlook the fact that Rarity previously spent the episode being a completely unsympathetic gossip who invaded her sisters privacy, told Twilight not to worry when she expressed concern over Gabby Gums potential to hurt people, coldly brushed off her friends breaking down into tears right in front of her and only started taking secrets being published seriously after she found out her diary ended up in the newspaper.

* DracoInLeatherPants: In rather weird way, Rarity get's this treatment for being portrayed as willing to actually talk to Sweetie Belle and explain why Gabby Gums is wrong, even people who don't like the rest of the episode usually praise Rarity for acting so mature. They completely overlook the fact that Rarity previously spent the episode being a completely unsympathetic gossip who invaded her sisters privacy, told Twilight not to worry when she expressed concern over Gabby Gums potential to hurt people, coldly brushed off her friends breaking down into tears right in front of her and only started taking secrets being published seriously after she found out her diary ended up in the newspaper.

* DesignatedHero: The mane six spend most of the episode enjoying Gabby Gums gossip and don't show any real regret for enjoying the misery of ponies secrets being publically broadcast. Yet were clearly supposed to feel bad for and support them in ignoring, insulting and soaking the CMC in rain water when ''their'' embarrassing secrets end up in the paper. Rarity is particularly guilty of this, as she's (presumably) supposed to seen as the mature one for being willing to actually explain to Sweetie Belle why Gabby Gums is wrong. Which ignores the fact that even ''before'' the Gabby Gums incident, Rarity is portrayed as willing to violate other peoples privacy despite admitting it being wrong and even went so far as to [[NoSympathy coldly brush off her friends breaking down into tears]] over their secrets being published.
* DracoInLeatherPants: [[DesignatedHero In rather weird way]], Rarity get's this treatment for being portrayed as willing to actually talk to Sweetie Belle and explain why Gabby Gums is wrong, even people who don't like the rest of the episode usually praise Rarity for acting so mature. They completely overlook the fact that Rarity previously spent the episode being a completely unsympathetic gossip who invaded her sisters privacy, told Twilight not to worry when she expressed concern over Gabby Gums potential to hurt people, coldly brushed off her friends breaking down into tears right in front of her and only started taking secrets being published seriously after she found out her diary ended up in the newspaper.

* MemeticMutation: Rarity's [[UnstoppableRage reaction]] to one of Gabby Gums's articles became exploitable before the episode even aired.