Discussion Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E23PonyvilleConfidential

Word of God is that them shunning the CMC was meant to be seen as them wanting to avoid talking to the fillies because they were afraid anything they said to them would just be taken out of context and become fuel for further gossip, but that that nuance failed to be effectively conveyed, thus making it seem like Karmic Overkill.

Well you should probably read the fanfics which has all of Ponyville's treatment of the CMC come back to bite them in the flank, I suggest reading "Runaway Crusaders" and "CMC Going Away" on Fimfiction.

I personally think Ponyville shunning them was justified anyway. In fact, it feels like an injustice that they were ultimately forgiven.

I agree. Plus, they didn't actually write a single one of their gossip columns under the threat of blackmail.

I see it as a downplayed Deal with the Devil. They figured the unpleasantness of working with Diamond Tiara would be worth it; then they slowly became more compromised under the double whammy of popularity and the fear of DT's disapproval. By the time they wanted out, it was too late to get away clean.

I see it as a downplayed Deal with the Devil. They figured the unpleasantness of working with Diamond Tiara would be worth it; then they slowly became more compromised under the double whammy of popularity and the fear of DT's disapproval. By the time they wanted out, it was too late to get away clean.

If you ask me it was worse I mean the CMC even admitted that they did not want to continue so to see them suffer for somthing they hated doing that was to far

And according to Word of God, the citizens shunning the Crusaders was meant to be justified because "anything they say could end up in print out of context".

And of course, Big Mac said he didn’t want to talk to them "right now". He never said "ever again".

Maybe… but since that incident isn’t even mentioned in this episode, this might actually be getting off topic.

Fluttershy was incoherent. She couldn't even say a word to her closest friends, let alone refute the accusations of some anonymous, hostile gossip columnist.

Fluttershy was incoherent. She couldn't even say a word to her closest friends, let alone refute the accusations of some anonymous, hostile gossip columnist.

So is it true she has tail extensions or not? Not that that thats a bad thing.

All the other Gabby stories were exaggerations or outright lies, so the tail extensions are too. Vanity is not Fluttershy's vice.

All the other Gabby stories were exaggerations or outright lies, so the tail extensions are too. Vanity is not Fluttershy's vice.

Now hold on, consider the evidence. Fluttershy's tail is somewhat longer than everypony else's, and the only one that trails along the ground, though Rarity's tail may be longer if uncurled. As a filly her tail was no larger than average. She also has a rather freaky talent for stitchwork and French fashion, so perhaps she's not as indifferent to her appearance as you would expect.

And let's not forget the fact that she didn't deny it, her pony friends seemed to think it was a plausible assertion, and there was photo evidence of a considerably longer tail than she is normally drawn with.

...I wasn't aware that "a plot that follows a plot archtype" automatically equals bad. Its not even out yet.

And I wasn't aware there was a different show that used the plot of a team of fliers trying to make a tornado for picking up water to make clouds.

Granted, some episodes are using rehashed plots, but they do add their own twists to it. For example, while "Dragon Quest" sounds like the typical Gene Hunting story, it actually comes out a lot better than you'd expect. The only episode I can think of that uses a rehashed plot and doesn't try to make it more interesting is The Ticket Master.

Newsflash: when you boil it down, every single story has been done.

There are only so many kid-friendly lessons about friendship one can condense down into 22 minute shows, and still have it be entertaining to the audience.

Stealing someone's diary is like a low-tech version of hacking someone's phone. So I think the point of this episode is success at something is meaningless if you have to stoop to morally dubious actions to do it.

Not so much disproportionate retribution as hypocritical... the CMC were writing a gossip column—that everyone from the Mayor down was eagerly reading. It especially stuck out that while the girls were called out on it, nobody else was— not even Rarity, who was explicitly Gabby Gums' most avid reader and supporter.

"Newsflash: when you boil it down, every single story has been done."

Ever wonder why we store these things on pages called Tropes?

You're right, it's not that trope. I'll delete it.

The Mane Six wanted to stop Gabby Gums from gossiping, so it's not out of the question that Rarity told her friends, and the six of them spread the word. Even if Rarity ended her conversation with Sweetie Belle on a heartfelt note, the gossip spread was slanderous enough to justify revealing who was behind it.

Honestly, I don't think the mane 6 were suspicious of Sweetie Bell - Twilight simply asked if Sweetie Bell might know who Gabby Gums is, and Rarity took it from there.

Spike told everyone about it.

Go ahead. I'm surprised it wasn't under that already. I got a laugh out of it myself. Her husband looked as confused by that as she did.

That is precisely what was happening.

I am surprised that was not in a Gabby Gum article unless its not really news, because everyone knows, because all of the pony's fantastic hair color ARE FAKE!!! Omg I need to rethink everything about my life.

What if everypony dyes their manes except for Rainbow Dash? That would be some crazy inversion of several fanfics.

Meh, he'd still suffer from Karma Houdini because he'd been tracking every pony and photographing them in their most private moments.

While it would've settled the issue with DT, what would the lesson to Celestia be?

Not to mention that doing that would basically be amounting to doing the exact action that got them into deep trouble with everyone else in the first place. That is, spreading ugly rumors to make up for... Spreading ugly rumors.

That isn't exactly the best lesson for children.

Actually, I was expecting them to publish their own embarrassing photos and go through the same sort of hazing that everyone else went through.

I suspect the planned ending was a Diamond-Tiara-shaming column (foreshadowed by Featherweight's presence and DT having the story printed without reading it), but it would have taught the Family-Unfriendly Aesop of Pay Evil unto Evil. So they changed it to an apology letter and set up a bait-and-switch

I suspect the planned ending was a Diamond-Tiara-shaming column (foreshadowed by Featherweight's presence and DT having the story printed without reading it), but it would have taught the Family-Unfriendly Aesop of Pay Evil unto Evil. So they changed it to an apology letter and set up a bait-and-switch

My expectation was for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to let Diamond Tiara print her blackmail photos as a self-inflicted Hoist by His Own Petard.

@PDL "That is, spreading ugly rumors to make up for... Spreading ugly rumors. " ...no, it would be telling the truth to make up for spreading ugly rumors.

@GoldenFootballPlayer There was a lesson to Celestia in this episode?

There was an open apology letter to everyone instead of a closed letter to just the Princess. It still would have been nice to show a brief shot of Celestia reading the column to make that clear.

@TARI Nunit 9 It really wouldn't have mattered if what they told was real or false. Everyone else would not believe the CMC's story and assume that they made it up along with the other lies and slander they've been putting in their articles. Nothing would have changed and they would still be shunned and rejected for spreading gossip. Even if it was true.

Spike in robes and bubble pipe comes in a close second.