My Little Pony: Cleanup Is Magic

On UnusualEuphemism.Western Animation, it lists MLP's cases of Rainbow Dash calling other ponies "eggheads" as an example. But that's not a euphemism— she's using it by the correct definition, which is something along the lines of "annoying nerd".

Yeah, that's just a real term that the show uses in the correct way. I'll remove it now — this is very cut-and-dried.

Mind you, that might actually be an example of Orphaned Etymology — "egghead" derives from the fact that its original targets were adult intellectuals, who by virtue of being older men were usually bald (and thus had heads that looked like eggs). Since the show's characters are horses, that isn't really how this would work here.

Edited by Theriocephalus on Jun 11th 2021 at 10:06:17 AM

That's super interesting!

I brought this up on the complaining thread, but the YMMV page for the comics mainly consists of complaining about the same few arcs ad nauseum, including Fanon Discontinuity misuse. Anyone want to help me go through it?

Posted this on Trope Talk, but me forgetting to put the work name meant it got no attention.

Anyway, from Guppy Love:

Brutal Honesty: Fluttershy and Rainbow force Applejack to accept the truth that Rarity can’t stay with her and that’s she’s unhealthily clinging onto her as a replacement for her deceased parents.¨

Pretty sure this one takes the trope name too literally. Also it is almost entirely spoilered out, and someone might get exposed to this pretty damn huge spoiler.

I'm not sure what the problem is with it as a Brutal Honesty example. Similarly, I don't think the spoiler is a problem; it's an all-white entry, but that seems kind of unavoidable in this place

Agreed. An example consisting of large amounts of spoiler markup is really only a problem if the example itself is lengthy.

The trope description suggests it's a comedy device.

Then the description is bad; looking at it, I agree it really need to be reworked.

I think these need to be looked at from YMMV.My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic S 7 E 7 Parental Glideance.

• Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
  • Rainbow Dash's parents come off as this to some fans. While Rainbow Dash was wrong to yell at her parents, Bow and Windy play the victim & refuse to take responsibility for their actions.
  • Scootaloo also comes off as this. While her usual admiration of Rainbow Dash as her hero is typically portrayed as heartwarming and adorable, her admiration for Rainbow Dash in this episode comes off as acting like a clingy and obsessive Fangirl who's obsession for Rainbow Dash comes off as uncomfortable and creepy, particularly the scene where she puts Rainbow Dash's used diaper from when she spoke her first word in her scrap book. Also, the viewers are supposed to sympathize with her after Rainbow Dash lashes out at her parents for their overbearing support. While it's understandable that Scootaloo's family issues makes her wish that she had support from her family like Rainbow Dash does, she doesn't even try to see the conflict from Rainbow Dash's perspective, let alone understand how unhealthy the support Rainbow Dash gets from her parents really is. Not to mention, she actually even joined in on making Rainbow Dash feel uncomfortable from the overbearing support Rainbow Dash was getting from her parents.

I'd say this is more Both Sides Have a Point and then we have Season 9's 2, 4, 6, Greaaat which lists Twilight Sparkle as Unintentionally Unsympathetic for her role in forcing Rainbow to be the cheer coach, when Rainbow shows no interest in it whatsoever which also needs to be looked at.

Edited by Klavice on Jun 15th 2021 at 4:28:05 AM

Isn't Both Sides Have a Point In-Universe Examples Only? As in, it's a trope that gets stated in the work. Since "both sides" weren't called out here, it's not that trope.

And I'm not seeing much of the issue here? Maybe the entries could be reworded, but what's bad about them?

Edited by WarJay77 on Jun 15th 2021 at 8:36:03 AM

Actually the trope isn't IUEO

Edited by Ordeaux26 on Jun 15th 2021 at 5:42:50 AM

I mean, most tropes are, they just aren't always designated as such. If it's a narrative trope, using it as an audience reaction is already against the rules, and this is a trope.

I feel like they are made to be unsympathetic to make the message work.

Not really. The episode itself strongly portrays them as being in the right and Rainbow as being in the wrong. The ending has Rainbow recant her previous actions while her parents don't significantly change theirs. The idea that they're explicitly unsympathetic or in the wrong isn't present in the narrative to any significant degree, so if it's perceived at all it has to be a fan reaction.

Having said that, I don't think the examples presented here are an issue. At most, I'd say the first entry is a touch too short and bare on context and the second's too wordy, but that's just mostly a nitpick.

Right, the episode depicts her parents as not being at fault at all, while Dash bears all the blame for not liking their behaviour, and Scootaloo is treated as in the right as well as a consequence of that.

But fans certainly disagree on both, feeling that Dash's parents went way too far in their support and adoration, and that Scootaloo is rather missing the point on why Dash is frustrated with them.

I thought the episode at least used their overenthusiastic support as Cringe Comedy, but I haven't seen the episode in years so I could be wrong.

Well, how's this for a revision?

• Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
  • Rainbow Dash's parents come off as this to some fans. In the episode itself, they're portrayed as the hurt party and Rainbow Dash is depicted as being wrong for not appreciating their love and support and for yelling at her parents. However, to many viewers, Bow and Windy's behavior as socially inappropriate, overbearing and inconsiderate of Rainbow's feelings, causing them to across as largely unsympathetic despite their intended role in the story.
  • Scootaloo also comes off as this. While her usual admiration of Rainbow Dash as her hero is typically portrayed as heartwarming and adorable, her admiration for Rainbow Dash in this episode comes off as acting like a clingy and obsessive Fangirl with an uncomfortable and creepy obsession for Rainbow Dash, particularly the scene where she puts Rainbow Dash's used diaper from when she spoke her first word in her scrap book. Also, the viewers are supposed to sympathize with her after Rainbow Dash lashes out at her parents for their overbearing support. While it's understandable that Scootaloo's family issues makes her wish that she had support from her family like Rainbow Dash does, she doesn't even try to see the conflict from Rainbow Dash's perspective, let alone understand how unhealthy the support Rainbow Dash gets from her parents really is. Further, she actually joins in on making Rainbow Dash feel uncomfortable from the overbearing support Rainbow Dash is getting from her parents.

I think the part about guilt tripping can stay, because that is definitely something they are doing when Dash finally blows up at them.

^Fair point. How's this, then?

• Unintentionally Unsympathetic:
  • Rainbow Dash's parents come off as this to some fans. In the episode itself, they're portrayed as the hurt party and Rainbow Dash is depicted as being wrong for not appreciating their love and support and for yelling at her parents. However, to many viewers, Bow and Windy's behavior as socially inappropriate, overbearing and inconsiderate of Rainbow's feelings, causing them to across as largely unsympathetic despite their intended role in the story. In addition, their reaction to Dash's eventual outburst — crying and playing the victim to make her feel bad about her reaction — was also perceived as manipulative guilt-tripping.
  • Scootaloo also comes off as this. While her usual admiration of Rainbow Dash as her hero is typically portrayed as heartwarming and adorable, her admiration for Rainbow Dash in this episode comes off as acting like a clingy and obsessive Fangirl with an uncomfortable and creepy obsession for Rainbow Dash, particularly the scene where she puts Rainbow Dash's used diaper from when she spoke her first word in her scrap book. Also, the viewers are supposed to sympathize with her after Rainbow Dash lashes out at her parents for their overbearing support. While it's understandable that Scootaloo's family issues makes her wish that she had support from her family like Rainbow Dash does, she doesn't even try to see the conflict from Rainbow Dash's perspective, let alone understand how unhealthy the support Rainbow Dash gets from her parents really is. Further, she actually joins in on making Rainbow Dash feel uncomfortable from the overbearing support Rainbow Dash is getting from her parents.

Double post, but edits don't bump threads:

Something I've been seeing a lot of on the site, both on work pages and on the trope page itself, is the use of Mix-and-Match Critters to refer to hybrids from MLP fanfics — for instance, next-gen children for Spike or Discord with a pony. The primary issue I see with this is that Mix-and-Match Critters doesn't refer to biological hybrids, it refers to chimeras — beings with the body parts of multiple distinct animals, not beings born from parents of two different species. Discord is a clear example, for instance, but most "draconies", which are usually depicted as a smooth blend of dragon and equine, aren't, but still get listed as that.

What would the best alternative trope be? The main ones that come to mind are Nonhuman Humanoid Hybrid and Hybrid Monster, but neither feels quite right.

True-Breeding Hybrid?

I think Mixed Ancestry. I've also seen mules in MLP listed under Half-Human Hybrid under the logic that ponies are equivalent to humans, but they still aren't humans.

Mules? From where? Fanfiction?

Edited by Delibirda on Jun 23rd 2021 at 9:03:29 PM

I've seen it on a Friendship is Magic characters page.