G1 Media Retrospective: Escape From Catrina

[Leave a Whisper]

The disappointing thing about Catrina's becoming unassertive when she became "good" was . . . it kind of makes me think she should keep taking witchweed.  It doesn't take over her personality completely because she's able to choose to blow up the witchweed machine at the very end, when she's all bulked up.  Maybe she'd be assertive but not evil if she took a lower dose?  We don't actually know that the potion is 'bad'.  It could be like Captain America's super-soldier serum.

The other thing that annoys me about her right at the end (besides her wavering voice) is that she needs reassurance from Rep that she's beautiful. Really?  "Hmm, could be awkward going to a party where I tried to enslave everyone, but anyway the most important thing is: am I hot?"  Catrina, I'm begging you, do the drugs.  Do all the drugs. 

Don't get me wrong, though, I do like this special.  It's my 2nd favorite (after RaMC).  I do wish Firefly was in it, though.  Her toy actually WAS sold this year (brought back from the previous year with new, curly hair) so I don't really get why she was excluded.  (Moondancer, Glory, Applejack, Bow-Tie, and Medley were also sold this year.)

Baby Moondancer was my favorite as a child so of course I'm happy to see her having a big role.  (Sidenote, wasn't it nice when G1 babies talked normally instead of in baby talk?  Enjoy it while you can . . .)

Posey sounds British?  Is it just me?  Not that she has a lot of lines . . .

Although I generally like the RaMC designs more than the EfC designs, I actually like the sea pony designs better in EfC.  They look a little more . . . natural. 

I don't even mind the "parade of costumes" at the end, even though it was blatantly tacked on to show off the Pony Wear and did nothing to further the plot.    At least it gave us that cute visual of the baby sea pony splashing Baby Surprise.  (And yes, I noticed some ponies got 'repeated' in order to show off all the outfits, lol!)

She can be assertive and confident without treating her closest friend like crud, enslaving others and threatening to chuck a baby into a machine. Don't need witchweed for that.

[Shatyr]

Honestly, I didn't even make the drug connection until this thread. Watching it as a kid, I figured it was absolute power corrupting absolutely. Watching as an adult, I just chalked it down to "convenient writing".

Animation-wise, this is my second favorite after RaMC. I was always sad that the Moochick didn't make an appearance. I didn't mind that they cut Rep and Catrina's song out. It didn't really do anything for me.

The costumes are so OBVIOUSLY merchandising plants, even more so than the rest of the specials ever were. I loved Megan's song and dance with the baby ponies to get them to take their naps, though Baby Surprise's animation error was something I puzzled over.

These days, I always wonder why Catrina didn't lead off with "If I spare Baby Moondancer, will you be my slaves?" instead of threatening the rainbow. I mean, it doesn't really follow, does it? Threaten the rainbow, they say no, suddenly up the ante by threatening the baby pony you haven't even mentioned but are somehow holding one handed?

Catrina must do some serious weightlifting to be able to pull that off.

The Bushwoolies were at their most articulate here, imo. Actual lines, rebellion, especially for as little screentime as they got. I forget if the purple one actually gave/had a name, but he has always been my favorite bushwoolie. Even after the Princess Ponies special.

[Zapper]

The other thing that annoys me about her right at the end (besides her wavering voice) is that she needs reassurance from Rep that she's beautiful. Really?  "Hmm, could be awkward going to a party where I tried to enslave everyone, but anyway the most important thing is: am I hot?"  Catrina, I'm begging you, do the drugs.  Do all the drugs. 

Hahaha! Yeah that was eyeroll worthy. Just really stereotypical writing. The opposite of loud and dominant is soft-spoken and insecure. Nothing inbetween. She became a "proper lady" again.

My own take-away is that this has got to be the weirdest MLP special of all. Slave labor to produce drugs for the 1%. So weirdly topical even nowadays and they put that into MLP. Who still wants to pretend G1 was all about crying and tea parties?

[Lilja]

Hahaha! Yeah that was eyeroll worthy. Just really stereotypical writing. The opposite of loud and dominant is soft-spoken and insecure. Nothing inbetween. She became a "proper lady" again.

You know, like in The Good Old Days!

(BARF)

[StarSwirl05]

I never knew there was actually a drug reference in the special. I always thought it was just a rumor, though I never had heard what the potion was called until reading it here. Also didn't notice the MLP logo that was mentioned in this thread either.

[Taffeta]

The other thing that annoys me about her right at the end (besides her wavering voice) is that she needs reassurance from Rep that she's beautiful. Really?  "Hmm, could be awkward going to a party where I tried to enslave everyone, but anyway the most important thing is: am I hot?"  Catrina, I'm begging you, do the drugs.  Do all the drugs. 

Hahaha! Yeah that was eyeroll worthy. Just really stereotypical writing. The opposite of loud and dominant is soft-spoken and insecure. Nothing inbetween. She became a "proper lady" again.

My own take-away is that this has got to be the weirdest MLP special of all. Slave labor to produce drugs for the 1%. So weirdly topical even nowadays and they put that into MLP. Who still wants to pretend G1 was all about crying and tea parties?

I still think that preconception comes mostly from G3 (which does have an inordinate amount of tea parties from what I remember) and Lauren Faust claiming that G1 had all this stuff even though it didn't. No idea what her motive was except maybe as a rationale to include quite a few such events (parties and fashion boutiques anyway) in G4...

Back on topic...I agree with the personality change in Catrina and the cringey stereotypes for proper ladies that it falls on. Drugs are bad, but being a sap is also bad.

I don't think the drug message is as nailed down as it could be, but it is a younger audience than, say, Jem. Jem's drug message was...quite memorable. Anyone who's not seen it, the episode involves a girl who's ended up at Jerrica's foster home essentially taking hallucinogenics and believing she can fly. Catrina predates Laura's Alone Again experience by a couple of years, but it is the same production company and there's a lot of transition between writing teams, so I don't know whether there was any big drive in this time period to bring drug messages into kid's TV.

I do genuinely think Catrina is about drugs, but I also think it's really not spelt out very well that it is.

Slave labour happened in RaMC as well, to pull the chariot of darkness. And maybe even the Grundles in the movie as well. Themes of social oppression feature strongly in early MLP. Somewhat a contrast to the arrogance of Pinkie and Dash lecturing the Griffins about how their society needs friendship more than some ancient cultural trinket...or is it?

[MJNSEIFER]

In my opinion, the jury is still out on whether or not Lauren said that G1 had tea parties or not (the only quotation of her saying that is pretty unclear, in my mind whether she was referring to G1 or not), and even if she was, she's allowed to get things wrong.  In actual fact, none of the generations had tea parties that much at all.

On with the subject; I like this special.  It had a interesting storyline, and I like the design of the ponies.  I enjoyed the storyline with Sundance and her clumsiness (this is pretty much how I headcanon the "Muffin Pony" from G4 - a pony who knows she's clumsy, and feels bad about it, and tries to do the right thing), and I actually thought of the drugs comparison from the beginning (though I was an adult when I watched it first, if that helps.)

The episode is good, but they could have maybe done Catrina's reforming a bit better.  It was basically "I'm about to die, so I promise to be good!"  I know she was genuine, but wouldn't most of us promise to be good if we thought we were going to die?  Catrina could have just as easily have tried to attack them again once they saved her...

I also didn't mind the "Dressed Like a Dream" sequence, because I think it was mentioned before it happened.  I'm sure it was to advertise ponywear, but didn't they say that they were going to have a costume ball earlier?  I'll have to rewatch, but it seems like much less blatant advertising than the Flower Filly CMC and Heart-Throb randomly wearing a costume for no reason in "Through the Door".

[Taffeta]

I like Dressed Like a Dream, even if it is a commercial for ponywear. After the Glitter and Gold Jem ep which is literally the most blatant clothing advertising in animation ever made, Catrina is really mild. But it is hard to advertise ponywear in a way because they don't normally wear them. And if they are wearing it, it asks questions about the times they aren;t.

Reminds me of the infamous birthday suit advert for ponywear in the UK...where one of the Groom & Style Ponies forgot that someone's birthday party was a costume party...

[Ponyfan]

I like to think that ponies only wear clothes for special occasions like the costume ball or a dance recital and the rest of the time they don’t mind not wearing clothes.

Ponyfan

[MJNSEIFER]

I like to think that ponies only wear clothes for special occasions like the costume ball or a dance recital and the rest of the time they don’t mind not wearing clothes.

Ponyfan

Makes sense.  It's like how they have things like the Grand Galloping Gala in G4.

[Leave a Whisper]

I like Dressed Like a Dream, even if it is a commercial for ponywear. After the Glitter and Gold Jem ep which is literally the most blatant clothing advertising in animation ever made, Catrina is really mild. But it is hard to advertise ponywear in a way because they don't normally wear them. And if they are wearing it, it asks questions about the times they aren;t.

Reminds me of the infamous birthday suit advert for ponywear in the UK...where one of the Groom & Style Ponies forgot that someone's birthday party was a costume party...

That sounds really funny.

[Taffeta]

I like Dressed Like a Dream, even if it is a commercial for ponywear. After the Glitter and Gold Jem ep which is literally the most blatant clothing advertising in animation ever made, Catrina is really mild. But it is hard to advertise ponywear in a way because they don't normally wear them. And if they are wearing it, it asks questions about the times they aren;t.

Reminds me of the infamous birthday suit advert for ponywear in the UK...where one of the Groom & Style Ponies forgot that someone's birthday party was a costume party...

That sounds really funny.

http://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/1985media.htm
At the bottom of the page is a sound clip

The actual advert is from 1985 but it more recently aired in a BBC special I love 1983 about 10 years ago. It comes up at about 35 mins in but I can't post the link as the documentary contains strong language. But it is a cute advert.

[Leave a Whisper]

That's pretty cute.