The Big Mac Question (S9E23)

[Al-1701]

It's the problem with bronies and the staff's willingness to placate them.

Also, Hasbro is not about to jump all in on a lesbian relationship.  The LGBT community is willing to patronize something that doesn't necessarily give them representation (especially something where romance is purely tangential), but the right wing freaks will flip out at even the hint of a same sex couple.  The latter group is thankfully dying out (but still prevalent enough to make the more skittish shy away from going too deep into LGBT representation) and the lifestyle of the former is becoming more accepted and understood as normal.  Sweetie Drops and Heartstrings has been a cop out for years and the bronies are willing to give the staff all the praise for it.

[Carrehz]

yeah, as much as I think they're cute together, I'm not that fond of the "last-episode lesbians"... thing that cartoons have been doing recently, either. It's sorta cheap/weak-willed, you know? "Oh, the show's ending, it doesn't matter what we do or if there's any controversy about it, let's put in some lesbians" But at the same time, well, it's something. It's a step in the right direction... I mean I remember when we had to put up with stuff like the Sailor Moon dub's "cousins" and the like. Things are changing, but change doesn't happen overnight, especially not with issues like these.

Plus (I'm not sure how to word this or if I'll explain it correctly, but here goes) I feel like there's a difference between shows that are just starting, and shows like FiM that have been on-air for... how long now, like ~10 years? ...a lot has changed in the world since FiM first started - I can't imagine them doing the LyraBon marriage thing when the show first started, for example. So I can sort of understand why longer-running shows would be more hesitant with stuff like this. Hopefully we'll see more gay characters that aren't "last episode"-type deals in future shows.

[HollowZero]

I always thought Lyra and the yellow ones forced relationship was eye-rolling. Bronies took "oh they're standing next to each other, they're gonna kiss" fangirlism to a whole new level.

[Al-1701]

That's true.  It started being that a boy and girl could not be in a platonic friendship, there had to be romance there.  Now, even two people of the same gender can't be in a platonic friendship, there has to be romance there.  People can spend a lot of time together not be in a romantic relationship, but I guess the shippers need to be appeased.

[MJNSEIFER]

^ Yes, we do.   

In seriousness though, I can see how it happened as Lyra Heartstrings was already one of the ponies that bronies noticed, and if Bon Bon wasn't already, she soon would be for that exact reason.  It was simply noticing that they were being shown together a lot, so our imaginations got working - they must at the very least be friends, but some took that further.

I am aware, and I'm sure most people are, that characters can simply be friends, but there's just something really cute about best friends ending up as lovers - it doesn't have to happen, it's just cute when it does, in my opinion.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I am a ravenous shipper and must be appeased!
It would've been sweet to see more interaction at the forefront to further justify it. Maybe as a B plot of an episode, or something? Work one of the mane 6 in there. Oh well, no use crying over ended shows.

[TJgamer]

Just a reminder, Hasbro is a toy company that is wanting to sell their products worldwide (correct me if I'm wrong). This is why they like to play it safe.

[Shadowperla]

I always thought Lyra and the yellow ones forced relationship was eye-rolling. Bronies took "oh they're standing next to each other, they're gonna kiss" fangirlism to a whole new level.

That's true.  It started being that a boy and girl could not be in a platonic friendship, there had to be romance there.  Now, even two people of the same gender can't be in a platonic friendship, there has to be romance there.

I agree with that; also, people start to apply that "principle" to other real people, and it's just so disgustingly solipsist.

[Carrehz]

Just a reminder, Hasbro is a toy company that is wanting to sell their products worldwide (correct me if I'm wrong). This is why they like to play it safe.

-nod- I nearly made the exact same point in my previous post but decided against it since I didn't want to ramble too much. I don't necessarily agree with the practice of adding gay characters into the show when it's ending and it "doesn't matter" if their presence elicits controvery, or what-have-you... but I do understand why it happens.

I'm sure the specific pairing of Lyra/Bon Bon is a nod to the fans, but I was wondering last night if there was a bit of a "we can have a gay couple in the show now, so why not" element to them getting *married*. if that makes sense. (Dammit, I had this better worded in my head last night, now I can't for the life of me think how to put it and have it make sense! I hate it when that happens.)

[Ponyfan]

I really liked this episode. I think Big Mac and Sugar Belle are a good couple and it was nice how Big Mac had told Sugar Belle about his parents. I enjoyed seeing Night Glider, Party Favor and Double Diamond at the wedding.

I also wondered if Sugar Belle thought the giant apple monster was in love with her.




Ponyfan