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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Live Reactions & Discussion)

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A thread to discuss My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and the tie-in media.

All of the usual forum rules apply. In addition, please remember that the thread is discussing a kids' show, and it's primarily focused on the work itself, not the fanfic — in particular, we don't want to see lewdness creeping in.

     Original OP text 
I don't know WHAT the Hell happened (I blame shenanigans) but we're going to start from scratch. Post your feels for this awesome show again! Naow!

Edited by Mrph1 on Aug 26th 2024 at 10:24:26 AM

KylerThatch literary masochist Since: Jan, 2001
literary masochist
#33151: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:28:19 PM

Because it is impossible to explain on a children's show
Not having seen the episode, I don't have any context for the discussion, but I really dislike this argument.

First off, children are not morons. They're ignorant of a lot of things, but they can learn. Heck, that's pretty much a full-time job for them.

Secondly, if they don't get something, that's what parental supervision is for. A TV show is not a nanny or a schoolteacher, and if some parent tries to use it that way, they're doing it wrong.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...
kegisak Element of Class Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: In Lesbians with you
Element of Class
#33152: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:31:34 PM

@Morning Star: Yes I did. And I thought that exact same thing, actually. I learned this because I was doing some research on bats for my Bat Pony story - it features them being studied by a zoologist, so I figured it would be a good idea to get my details on them solid. Among other things. For example, the bat ponies in my story have a Tapetum Luminae, which is a reflective film over the eye that makes it easier to see in the dark, but hinders daytime vision - that's what cats have that makes their eyes glow in the dark. Bats of course don't have this - they hunt by echolocation. their eyes are actually perfect - but suited to the daytime, so they can't see at night.

Nature is so Fascinating, as it were.

[up]I think the real problem is that explaining it would be much aside from the point of the episode. Or rather, explaining the function by which bats relocate and potentially fertilize seeds would be a weird and kind of pointless sidenote. IT's more the kind of thing you'd see on an education nature show.

edited 28th Dec '13 6:33:17 PM by kegisak

Birthright: an original web novel about Dragons, the Burdens of Leadership, and Mangoes.
Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33153: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:35:05 PM

They don't have to go into detail, but they didn't say anything beyond a vague line from Fluttershy.

KylerThatch literary masochist Since: Jan, 2001
literary masochist
#33154: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:39:13 PM

[up][up] See, that is an acceptable argument to me. Not the Viewers Are Morons thing.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...
Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#33155: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:45:08 PM

First off, children are not morons. They're ignorant of a lot of things, but they can learn. Heck, that's pretty much a full-time job for them. Secondly, if they don't get something, that's what parental supervision is for. A TV show is not a nanny or a schoolteacher, and if some parent tries to use it that way, they're doing it wrong.

That's not my argument. My argument is that a lengthy discussion of bat-poop would raise a few eyebrows from censors.

Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33156: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:48:41 PM

Except at no point was anything said about ANYTHING the bats did. just something about, the fact they didn't eat the seeds, meant that new apple trees would grow. Well, yeah but hat would happen without them at all. AJ could plant the seeds AND enjoy the apples as she wanted without them. They didn't give a single, solid reason why the bats were useful, or at least of more use then it would cost to feed them.

Blissey1 insert title here from a random Pokècenter Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I know
insert title here
#33157: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:50:56 PM

What's a horse?

you know, the Saddle Arabians!

[up] I distinctly recall Fluttershy saying that the bat spread trees would grow bigger and have better apples than normal planted trees

edited 28th Dec '13 6:52:35 PM by Blissey1

XP granted for befriending a giant magical spider!
Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33158: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:54:57 PM

How? Why? And again, this is an orchard, you'd want better control over how many trees grow, where they grow, and when, then you'd get just letting the bats fly around leaving the seeds everywhere. But that aside, all they needed to do was offer an actual reason for this and the ending would have made a lot more sense.

Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#33159: Dec 28th 2013 at 6:56:44 PM

[up] Do you know what a fertilizer is?

Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33160: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:01:18 PM

At no point was anything about that even hinted at. Fluttershy very specifically said, that somehow the bats not eating the seeds but spitting them back up. that whatever did it was the result of THAT action alone, not the bats living near the trees. And if that WAS the issue, then it would also effect the existing trees, not JUST the ones that grew from seeds from apples they had sucked dry.

It was, somehow, having the bats be the ones who 'planted' the seeds that would make them better, not them shitting on the seeds. I just really want would have liked some explanation for how, or if it was even true to accept that Fluttershy was in the right the whole time.

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#33161: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:05:07 PM

Well, for most flying creatures that eat plants, it's the fact that the seeds aren't digested, and come out in droppings. That's actually a reason why hot peppers evolved as they did; birds don't have anything to register the "heat" from capsaicin, and animals that would break down the seeds do, so avoid the peppers.

Anyway, since the bats aren't seen swallowing the sees, it must be a chemical or enzyme in the saliva in particular.

And I'm fine with that being the answer.

edited 28th Dec '13 7:06:02 PM by Enlong

I have a message from another time...
Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#33162: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:05:40 PM

[up][up] Easy. The bat's salvia is the fertilizer. Salvia of some bats in real life has special features as well, like salvia of Desmodus Rotundus is used as an component to treat apoplexy.

It's really not that much of a stretch that these bats's salvia is a fertilizer.

edited 28th Dec '13 7:06:20 PM by Luminosity

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#33163: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:06:53 PM

How do medicinal properties follow with fertilizing properties?

I have a message from another time...
Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#33164: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:08:26 PM

[up] My point is, real life bats have special salvia, so why can't MLP bats?

Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33165: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:10:11 PM

And all the episode needed to do was address that, explain some reason why it worked. not in depth, but at least something. Even then, it would have been fine if not for then expecting us to believe Fluttershy was right that in having AJ lose a fairly large part of her orchard, as well as risk the bats leaving their area and eating the rest of the farm, for something were never actually explained really was a benefit.

not to mention, again, the whole while it works in nature, an orchard needs better control over things then the bats would provide.

So other topic, Flutterfang, permanent change, or just one off joke?

[up]not saying they can't, just if that WAS the case, the episode failed to explain that.

edited 28th Dec '13 7:10:40 PM by Seraphem

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#33166: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:12:18 PM

How far does it need to be explained to be believed?

Because I was fine wih accepting it when Fluttershy said that the seeds they spat would grow bigger and produce more (since she knows animals). I really don't think specifying that it was the saliva would have been the sticking point for me beleiving it.

edited 28th Dec '13 7:12:50 PM by Enlong

I have a message from another time...
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#33167: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:12:53 PM

Wow, I finally got a chance to watch the episode. Thoughts:

  • Holy one second sunrise
  • Did Applejack just say heck?
  • Rarity: When you go big, you really go for the double entrendres
  • Song! Song!
  • So they're all on AJ's side. That means F Luttershy must be right
  • Is it me or was Pinkie grinning during the song unlike all the others?
  • Twilight: The bad news is that this is the same spell I used on the Parasprites
  • Is Fluttershy hanging by her tail?
  • Looks like prehensile hair isn't limited to tails
  • Twilight casts summon Scifi display
  • The big apple is going to figure into trapping Fluttershy somehow
  • Is she using the stare on herself unintentionally or soemthing? I thought she controlled it now
  • Also Fluttershy, that is totally not how ecology works. But whatever, guess we need a win-win situation for the happy ending.

Overall a decent episode, thought not quite as good as Castle Maneia.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
#33168: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:13:23 PM

[up][up][up] It did address that, but a lengthy explanation would distract from the episode and make for a Viewers Are Morons moment.

edited 28th Dec '13 7:13:30 PM by Luminosity

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#33169: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:14:06 PM

-Stares at Pokeball containing Mewtwo-

You mean you didn't use a Master Ball? HOW? Teach me your secrets!

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
OrionAurora Constellation from Andromeda Galaxy Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: Abstaining
Constellation
#33170: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:16:07 PM

So wait, if I spit out seeds, the plant will grow far more than normal?

We are all made of star stuff. Very, very weird star stuff.
Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#33171: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:17:42 PM

Nah, you probably don't have the right kind of spit.

I have a message from another time...
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#33172: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:18:17 PM

holy cow, even her cutie mark changed.

Wait really? I missed that.

Again, how do fangs go with eating fruit I mean, you don't see many herbivores with incisors.

Bunnicula got them.

Flight to the Finish: Cutie Mark no show for Scoots.

That's not really a stinger, just an ending joke. It's not in the same style as the pony of shadow or the fluttervamp.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
Starscream759 Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: In denial
#33173: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:18:22 PM

@Orion Plants....Ee,Oi, Yeesh....and I had to work in a garden centre once and all I did was just stack shelves, pot plants and otherwise just rearrange stuff...

"Transform and Roll out!" Optimus Prime
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#33174: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:20:08 PM

Well, at least AJ was legitimately worried that a Fruit Bat rampage would leave the food stores dangerously low. Eat in moderation, ya greedy little winged fuzzballs

It occured to me. The vampire fruit bats behave similarly to the Wrinklers in Cookie Clicker. Gotta love fantasy ecology.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
Seraphem Since: Oct, 2009
#33175: Dec 28th 2013 at 7:20:12 PM

No it didn't, it was just a single line from Fluttershy, and no actual reasoning shown. At first, I wasn't even clear she was saying the trees would somehow be better. Simply that there would be more of them. All it would take is some actual, concrete, reason why bat planted trees would be better. And not just better, but better enough to justify losing a fairly large chunk of the orchard permanently. As well as go through the hassles involved with not having control over where and when new apple trees are planted.

really that last is my biggest issue aside from no reason given. How is having trees planted at random a good thing? you'd end up with to many trees, and trees planted in odd groups or without space around them for them to grow and to tend to/harvest them.

The episode was just to desperate to make Fluttershy be 'right' but it never provided a good reason why she was.


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