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Author Topic: What becomes of baby ponies?  (Read 1688 times)

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Offline Ragamuffin

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What becomes of baby ponies?
« on: April 02, 2019, 10:32:08 AM »
There are a lot of ponies in G1 that have baby-themed symbols. Rattles, baby toys, bibs, what have you. G3 had a couple with the So Soft babies. What happens with these ponies when they grow up? Or maybe they're special and never grow up, they're just babies forever?

To be fair in G1, ponies aren't as enslaved to their symbols as G4s are, but they're still tied to them in some way. Why would there be adult ponies with baby-themed imagery for symbols walking around? Could they grow up to be babysitters and caretakers? For example the Surprise Twins pony's symbol could be taken like she's a good mom, but if you read into it more it comes off as her entire purpose is to give birth. :silly:
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Offline Galactica

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2019, 11:10:28 AM »
Probably what happens is that their symbols get really weird and blurry and bumpy in their teenage years, and then suddenly they clarify into something new once their hormones stabilize.

Except for the clone ponies.  Who knows what happens to them? Given that they originated when certain ponies looked into a mirror... I don't recall the story (LadyMoondancer posted it once)  ... they are basically perfect replicas of their adult selves as of the instant they appear.  But then what did the original ponies look like as children?  The mind boggles.  :P

Offline Ragamuffin

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2019, 11:36:28 AM »
Probably what happens is that their symbols get really weird and blurry and bumpy in their teenage years, and then suddenly they clarify into something new once their hormones stabilize.

Except for the clone ponies.  Who knows what happens to them? Given that they originated when certain ponies looked into a mirror... I don't recall the story (LadyMoondancer posted it once)  ... they are basically perfect replicas of their adult selves as of the instant they appear.  But then what did the original ponies look like as children?  The mind boggles.  :P

I like the idea that symbols start off simple and get more complex over time. Like with Baby Gusty for example, she has fewer leaves than adult Gusty, and Baby Cotton Candy has fewer spots than adult Cotton Candy. Maybe that means when they get even older they'll get more leaves/spots/whatever... maybe Twice as Fancy ponies are elders! ;)
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Offline Taffeta

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2019, 12:29:47 PM »
LM will maybe be able to post nicer scans but the Enchanted Mirror story is here, among others, as a zip file. The first baby ponies thus apparently came out of the Magic Mirror.

http://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/mlp_comic.htm

But I don't think ponies are tied to their symbols at all in G1. I mean, Bouquet? Some of them may have stuff that relates a bit to who they are, but not all of them. Maybe it's like in old Japan, where you get your adult name when you come of age, and have just a kid nickname up till then :)
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Offline Ragamuffin

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2019, 12:45:45 PM »
But I don't think ponies are tied to their symbols at all in G1. I mean, Bouquet? Some of them may have stuff that relates a bit to who they are, but not all of them. Maybe it's like in old Japan, where you get your adult name when you come of age, and have just a kid nickname up till then :)

With My Little Pony 'n' Friends and what I remember from the comics, symbols/designs have little effect on the characters, but going off of their backcard stories, they usually fit their respective theme, so I took that into consideration. Bouquet really does make no sense! Not even her story has anything to do with her name. :mad: :P

I like the "adult name" theory, but getting a whole new symbol seems weird, especially when other babies, like Wiggles or Whirly Twirl, aren't baby-themed. Or do Wiggles and Whirly Twirl already have their "adult symbols"? I think this could work if they remain symbol-less like in G4 until a certain age, and then they get their "adult name" after that.

...but newborn babies have their symbols already, but Ember and Lucky don't? :P
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Offline Taffeta

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2019, 12:52:26 PM »
Since symbols don't mean anything special in G1 vis a vis future/identity/etc, it really doesn't matter if they have them or not.

And Baby Lucky has a symbol. It's a horseshoe :D In the comic he also had special magic which related to clicking his hooves together, I seem to remember.

The comic would incorporate stuff but not make it defining to the character. Sometimes the names were more important though. I dunno.

Characterisation in the animation conflicts with the comics and backcards so I mostly ignore it, except for Wind Whistler (who is better in the show) and Paradise, Truly, and Cupcake (who exist in the show but not so much the comics!).

I think the problem is that G4 has made symbols so integral to identity that sometimes it's anachronistic to look back and wonder about symbols and personalities/destinies/etc. But I do feel bad for any pony that has to grow up and be called Sniffles all their life. It's like the parents who give their kid the embarrassing, awkward, strangely spelt name they copied from a celebrity without thinking about the impact on the child....
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Offline banditpony

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2019, 01:08:46 PM »
Well, in my mind, whatever you want.

babies are eternal. No one grows up in my herd. >)
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Offline Ragamuffin

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2019, 01:09:17 PM »
Ah that's right about Lucky. I must've got him mixed up with blue Ember. :P

I agree with G4, it really makes the characters even more one-dimensional. They're never ever ever allowed to step outside their cutie mark. Only pony that does this from the top of my head is Rainbow Dash liking to read. But even then, it's only Daring Do, an adventurous series. Of course she'd like something filled with adventure! She's the jocky tomboy! She can't read a romance or a biography or something.

I wonder if celebrities do have an effect on how ponies name their children. Are there a bunch of foals named Nightshade or Coloratura? Or whether ponies like to give them oddly-spelled names to make them more "unique"...

I like to think there's a trend in recent gens though, those parents really like the name "Belle". Sweetie Belle, Cotton Belle, Buttonbelle, Sugar Belle... :rolleyes:
« Last Edit: April 02, 2019, 01:12:25 PM by Ragamuffin »
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Offline Ponyfan

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2019, 01:15:50 PM »
I've wondered what happens to the babies too. Do they remain the same age forever (so babies stay babies and newborns stay newborn age? ) but I think that's putting more in to it than Hasbro ever thought about. :biggrin:
If the babies do grow up do they drop the "Baby" from their name at some point? Does Baby Moondancer start going by Moondancer Junior or Little Moondancer?



I think when Ember was released Hasbro was still trying to decide if baby ponies should be symbol-less or not but by the time they made the first set of baby ponies decided that most babies needed a symbol. Isn't there a UK baby pony that is also symbol-less?



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Offline tailrustedtealeaf

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2019, 01:18:22 PM »
I like the theory that the symbols change or become more complex as they age. I'd like to see someone write something for Baby clones that grow up and find their own identity as they age! Also a bit off topic, but this reminds me of the baby care bears with their very baby-ish tummy symbols.
I seem to remember a lot of ponies having innate magic, like SS Twilight putting out candles with her ear wiggling, maybe the symbol just defines what their magic effects?
Here's some overthinking fancontent fodder:
Spoiler
The clone babies all have their symbols because they are, of course, clones. Whatever gave their mothers their symbols found its way into each of the babies. I'd imagine that once they are no longer Babies, to avoid confusion, they all adopt their own names. Perhaps the marks are left largely unchanged, but adapts to fit that pony's magic (which may be affected by environment/will/training). Although Gusty can control the wind, Baby Gusty now has the ability to advance aging somewhat (leaves, fall, you know?).
Ponies with no symbol can earn one by learning magic, or maybe Ember was a clone baby gone wrong? Hence the triplets and the one with a symbol. Ember has a lot of potential.
Baby ponies with baby-related stuff might see their marks adapt to a more all-ages mark (a pacifier? Well, now it's a Lollipop! A rattle? Maracas!) or they could just be stuck with a caretaker role. I like the former because I'm trying to distance away from G4's "You are the government assigned babysitter" thing. 
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Offline Taffeta

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2019, 05:07:33 PM »


I think when Ember was released Hasbro was still trying to decide if baby ponies should be symbol-less or not but by the time they made the first set of baby ponies decided that most babies needed a symbol. Isn't there a UK baby pony that is also symbol-less?



Ponyfan


Yes, the club newborn from 1989. The whole idea was for the new owner to adopt her, give her a name, and (if they chose) add a symbol. But you see more on the second hand market without drawn on symbols, so I am not sure that that part really resonated with kids. On the other hand, the second set of booklets from the club that year featured letters from a bunch of kids saying what they had named their pony. I mentioned in another thread but mine was Beauty and I never even thought about drawing a symbol on my pony. It just didn't matter that she didn't have one, even though she was the only pony I had as a kid who didn't. I never had Ember till carbooting.
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Offline Flitter

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Re: What becomes of baby ponies?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2019, 06:44:59 PM »
I actually like the idea of symbols being tied to a ponies personality or destiny, whether or not it was actually so relevant in G1.
So, to me, I'd like to think that baby ponies that have a symbol relating to something having to do with babies will grow up to do or be something relating to their symbol still, whether it be caring for babies at Lullabye Nursery, or becoming an artisan for that particular item, etc.

 

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