Pony symbols and cutie marks in the future

[Mana Minori]

I’ve been thinking. With a lot of g5 talk taking place, what will the future look like for the trademark flank tattoos on our beloved ponies? What sort of name do you see Hasbro giving them in g5? Markings? Symbols? Perhaps they will keep being called cutie marks, as g3 and g4 did? What do each of you think lies in store for these butt designs?

[Carrehz]

I'm pretty sure we're stuck with "cutie mark" forever, now. There's no reason for them to change a perfectly good trademark. They've spent a lot of G4 drilling that term into our heads, too.

Also, "symbol" and "marking" are too generic to trademark.

[LadyMoondancer]

I'm sure they'll stick with cutie mark, for the reasons Carrehz said.  It's also become commonly known now, even among non-pony-people.  Like I was watching a Drawfee vid on Youtube;  they drew a pony and speculated "but what would their cutie mark be?"

That is great for Hasbro, they have this phrase that people associate with "a real My Little Pony" which other toy companies can't legally use.

I think visually they'll remain pretty much the same.  Brightly colored images, not natural-looking horse markings.  Unless that's the theme of some special set.  It's just a lot easier to design a separate graphic versus integrating natural-looking markings.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I hope they drop the idea of the cutie mark being some sort of destiny indicator, because along the lines it sort of became a career indicator instead and got way more boring.

[SunPony]

butt designs

ideal

I hope they drop the idea of the cutie mark being some sort of destiny indicator, because along the lines it sort of became a career indicator instead and got way more boring.

Personally I don't mind it being related to a pony's destiny or personality, but I def agree that the way it has been used as a career indicator is boring and also makes it seem like "your job is your life" in a way that is maybe not healthy for children to take in as a way of thinking.   

[Wardah]

I came in through G3 but before they started using the term "Cutie Marks". I personally never liked the term symbol because for me symbols are supposed to be symbolic of something and imho the designs on ponies aren't deep enough in meaning to be something symbolic.

[MJNSEIFER]

I hope they drop the idea of the cutie mark being some sort of destiny indicator, because along the lines it sort of became a career indicator instead and got way more boring.

I don't completely agree with that, but I'll have to look at the newer episodes to be sure - I do feel that episodes like that were trying to tell us that it didn't have to decide your career, as the whole idea was that you could be good at many things, and that your cutie mark was what you were best at and possibly the thing you enjoyed doing, but the show made it clear that you could do other things, I thought.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

There was that one episode that did say that you can enjoy hobbies outside of your cutie mark, but I think its the design of the side characters that bothers me. A doctor pony has a doctor cm, a vet has a vet cm, I think Cheerilee's avoids what I'm talking about but also serves as a contrast to ponies designed with literal cms. I get that you can't have the most well-thought out designs for side/background characters but having it indicate your super special talent and it being so integral to the story makes me look at the less-thought-out ponies and go hmm.

[Leave a Whisper]

I hope they drop the idea of the cutie mark being some sort of destiny indicator, because along the lines it sort of became a career indicator instead and got way more boring.

Same.

[LadyMoondancer]

I think being tied to a pony's destiny or at least interests is kind of necessary, because it would be weird if symbols were random. Like if a pony got a pear symbol but hated pears.  Or a pony with a gluten allergy got a wheat symbol.

I guess they could have the symbols change as the ponies age and their interests change, but . . . personally I don't like that idea.  Imagine Night Glider suddenly getting different symbols because she isn't into space anymore.  It might be unrealistic to say "She will always have this interest, that will never change", but it's okay for fictional worlds to be unrealistic.

[Taffeta]

I want to see the demise of the term cutie mark but also don't think it will happen. I just feel that it's so patronising to be "cutie". Cute Mark, well, ok, I could maybe deal with that. But you have to make it cutesy language like you're talking down to someone...I never liked it in G3, and I don't like it in G4...

The original official name was rump mark or rump marking. I have G1 material from Hasbro that uses that terminology, but I don't see a return to it because that was then and now everything has to be slick, shiny and, apparently, 'cute' when aimed at young girls.

I don't really like the destiny indicator aspect either. On the surface it's actually a really clever idea. But in reality it's telling kids you can't change your mind or your future or your path once it's settled. And that has bigger potential ramifications in terms of the messages it sends out. I don't think  Hasbro thought about that, or the tv people, I think that's accidental, but we don't really need to be telling kids that they have only one potential path in life to follow. It's not like life is that simple, and kids need to know that as life moves on, you can absolutely change your dreams, hopes and goals. So I really want to see that connection go away.

...But I do think that symbols - whatever they are called - could be linked to some special magic for that pony. What I really would love to see is a return to the idea of magic not being the province of unicorns alone. I never liked it in the G1 animation - it never existed in the Uk comics, the most magical pony in ponyland was an earth pony - and I think that's another area where you're telling kids to fit into a mould, rather than break out of it and surprise people's expectations.

Characters like that have also shown to be popular (eg Ghoulia in MH) so I think having a symbol that connects to a pony's unique and individual magic would be a nice change.

But I also wouldn't rule out the possibility of a less fixed symbol on the rear, and instead a more tattoo approach across legs and body. *shrug*. I dunno. That one's up for debate.

[Leave a Whisper]

I think being tied to a pony's destiny or at least interests is kind of necessary, because it would be weird if symbols were random. Like if a pony got a pear symbol but hated pears.  Or a pony with a gluten allergy got a wheat symbol.

I guess they could have the symbols change as the ponies age and their interests change, but . . . personally I don't like that idea.  Imagine Night Glider suddenly getting different symbols because she isn't into space anymore.  It might be unrealistic to say "She will always have this interest, that will never change", but it's okay for fictional worlds to be unrealistic.

Why should it be tied to their destiny? Tying it to theme/name/interest is fine, but having it appear when you've finally found your calling in life and being something of a social pariah until you do is dumb. And it was way too late in the game for Hasbro to drop that nonsense into the line.

[Mana Minori]

I want to see the demise of the term cutie mark but also don't think it will happen. I just feel that it's so patronising to be "cutie". Cute Mark, well, ok, I could maybe deal with that. But you have to make it cutesy language like you're talking down to someone...I never liked it in G3, and I don't like it in G4...

The original official name was rump mark or rump marking. I have G1 material from Hasbro that uses that terminology, but I don't see a return to it because that was then and now everything has to be slick, shiny and, apparently, 'cute' when aimed at young girls.

I never saw the term Cutie Mark as talking down to the audience. I guess when you take being called “cutie” rather than “ cute”, it is usually applied to children, but with the cutie mark term, I always thought of it being a parallel to a beauty mark, and “cutie mark” just sound more similar to that than “cute mark”.

[Ponybookworm]

I want to see the demise of the term cutie mark but also don't think it will happen. I just feel that it's so patronising to be "cutie". Cute Mark, well, ok, I could maybe deal with that. But you have to make it cutesy language like you're talking down to someone...I never liked it in G3, and I don't like it in G4...

The original official name was rump mark or rump marking. I have G1 material from Hasbro that uses that terminology, but I don't see a return to it because that was then and now everything has to be slick, shiny and, apparently, 'cute' when aimed at young girls.

This, so much!!!

Destiny thing is cool in one way, but in another, as has been said by many, not so much. Nobody has just one interest, & many interests change as the years go by. However, knowing what your future could hold can give you hope, as searching for a purpose is something I've struggled with all my life.

[Emillia]

I think it depends on how the toyline and the show are going to be. Realistically, Hasbro already has the term "cutie mark" and they will probably continue with that.

But as we know, this reincarnation is going to be with an entirely new cast set in an entirely new world. So, maybe the writers of the show have their own ideas about what cutie marks/symbols can mean, and they might rename them. You can definitely do a lot more with them than Hasbro has been.