History Headscratchers / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSeason1Episodes14To26

* The captors and ponies were all pretty good on all sides, especially when the captors did stand up to Rarity and Rarity's reactions throughout to her manipulation, but something come to mind in a combination of DistressedDamsel and FridgeLogic. 1) If the captive one was Fluttershy or Twilight Sparkle or Spike, would they have able to come up with a way out? I mention this because while I believe they twisted the idea of the DamselInDistress into the evolution of the DamselOutOfDistress, they also played it pretty straight with the 'hero and heroines' thoughts as well as Rarity's initial reactions to captivity. I mean, when the girls as much as the boy of the group think you're in immense danger, then someone's playing with the trope or you're lampshading with the purpose to not show hatred against DamselInDistress, but to appreciate and use it your own way while playing it straight. I think this episode was actually put in for a very real discussion about DamselInDistress between parents and their children as well as the PeripheryDemographic-not meant to detract or glorify the trope, but to make it a DiscussedTrope. Well done, Faust.

*** Fluttershy is not supposed to be able to use the Stare at will, and it seems standing up for herself is what she's the ''least'' good at. Since the dogs were not total sociopaths (if they were really evil, they could have shut Rarity up easily -- whining is no defence against being beaten up), they might have found Fluttershy too {{moe}} to hold captive, but that's not something I expect to see in this series (because Lauren Faust explicitly doesn't like characters in girls' shows overcoming the villains by crying). That's why Rarity gets this episode and Fluttershy gets "Dragonshy". And the episode ''is'' rather [[JustforPun tailored]] for Rarity, which is why what others might have done isn't necessarily so interesting.

** Problem is, it still doesn't feel like a joke. Remember how ''Film/TheRoom'' was generally regarded as a narmfest, and in response Tommy Wiseau claimed that it was meant to be a [[ParodyRetcon comedy all along?]] Thing is, ''The Room'' doesn't work if you assume it's actually supposed to be funny. The reason we laugh at it is because it's meant sincerely. The same thing is true for the Cutie Mark Crusader's musical number. It made me laugh, but that's because I know they were trying to do a good job. If I thought they were intentionally messing things up for comedic effect, it wouldn't be the same.

* Hmm, am I the only one who actually didn't think the "ugly" dresses were actually that bad?? And even besides that, the fact of the matter is that the other ponies (at least at first) were totally satisfied with the second dresses they got, and however they may have looked, it seems like if the owner of the dress is happy with it then that is what should matter. If Twilight and company really loved their dresses, then it really shouldn't matter to them if others don't agree with them, and it's also not very nice to laugh at or make fun of someone else's style or way of dressing, even if you might find it strange or weird. To me, it actually kind of seems like the mid part of the episode is the Main Five getting shamed into discarding their second dresses, that THEY liked, because of peer pressure and outside judgement. If THEY like their dresses and want to wear them, it shouldn't really matter what others think. Of course that doesn't mean it was a good idea to use them in an official fashion show, but nothing was stopping them from just having the second dresses as their personal dresses and wearing the first ones for the show.

** Because a good part of Rarity's whining may have been intentional. She's shown herself to be an expert social manipulator, and the Diamond Dogs do seem to be rather easy to play. Once Rarity realises they're not much of a threat and they're annoyed by her behaviour, she deliberately cranks it UpToEleven. Notably they don't do anything severe but complain at her whining - so that shows that she can play them if she wants to. And that's exactly what she does. The moral here is that Rarity was well able to take care of herself in a difficult situation. She kept her head and would not be intimidated by her captors. She also likely knew that they wouldn't do anything too harmful to her because they needed her to find the gems.