MLP and gender roles

[hyenacub]

it's parents who should allow their children to play with the toys they like, regardless of the packaging color.

Yes!  Parents, schools, and media need to send the message that it's OK for boys to play with girlish stuff and vice versa!

the Hill's gave us the episode that shall not be named

You-know-who, eh?    or a you-know-what!

Jenn---Thundercats!  : D

Crowning--I think it's perfectly okay to be a stereotype.  C:  What's not okay if for parents and media to try and fit *everyone* in a group to that stereotype.  C: 

think if parents just gave their kids freedom and positive affirmation as to their toy choices...I think stereotypes could improve.

YES.  Parents who won't let a little girl play with boys' toys and force them to play only with girls' toys BUG ME.  A lot.  I have to bite my tongue every time I see it.  Same the other way around, too.

[KarentheUnicorn]

Friendship is Magic is blessed with group of brilliant writers (oh how I wish to be one) who understand not just the concept of the show, but the spirit of the show.

Yet some of them seem to struggle to understand certain characters.
*cough* Applejack *cough*

I think the writing on FIM is actually pretty overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's good/decent in general but i don't see what makes it oh so amazing. Especially the character development. I always hear people claim it is so great. To me it seems the characters often get bend to fit into a certain script and i feel like the characters are actually pretty stereotypical. The tomboy, the bookworm, the shy one, the "random" one...Nothing wrong with that, they are fun characters. I just don't see what makes them so much more amazing than a lot of other toons out there. I personally wouldn't re-watch a lot of the episodes...Not sure if i'm the only one. I miss the more adventurous G1 cartoon and i actually enjoyed how the G1 cartoon had different ponies in different episodes.

YES, exactly. Thats how I feel about it to! Don't get me wrong I really like the FIM cartoon but I don't see it as being that much more amazing. I like it but some of the stories seem kinda familar/similar. In fact there have been quite a few where I could predict the ending.

Personally, I think you could take a G1 episode, change the characters and it would work as a G4 episode.

[Al-1701]

I think that's because comparing G1 and FiM directly is kind of misleading.  I see the writing of FiM expanding sideways instead of up compared to G1 (or rather, the writing on FiM got back to the same level as G1 only along a different path.)  The writers and directors have said they make what entertains themselves within the environment of the show.  That's how we got Discord.  I think that makes the series more enjoyable for the audience because the creators like what they're creating.

You're right, you could take a G1 episode and change the characters and pitch it as an FiM episode.  However, that shows how good the original series really was when you look past the terrible budget and lack of respect from Hasbro that held it down.

[gabumon]

I just watched "Revolt of Paradise Estate
!  What a great episode,... love to see that somehow in G4.  >:3

[Al-1701]

Ponyville turning against the ponies?  Oh hell yes, especially if it's a plot by Trixie.

[hyenacub]

I never saw Rev olt, but read about it...it sounds fun!  It would be awesome for FiM lol  And I LOVE the discord eps.    Especially the look on RD's face when her wings disappear.  And Brute Fluttershy was hilarious LOL  So wrong...but funny.

[Opalescence]

Friendship is Magic is blessed with group of brilliant writers (oh how I wish to be one) who understand not just the concept of the show, but the spirit of the show.

Yet some of them seem to struggle to understand certain characters.
*cough* Applejack *cough*

I think the writing on FIM is actually pretty overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's good/decent in general but i don't see what makes it oh so amazing. Especially the character development. I always hear people claim it is so great. To me it seems the characters often get bend to fit into a certain script and i feel like the characters are actually pretty stereotypical. The tomboy, the bookworm, the shy one, the "random" one...Nothing wrong with that, they are fun characters. I just don't see what makes them so much more amazing than a lot of other toons out there. I personally wouldn't re-watch a lot of the episodes...Not sure if i'm the only one. I miss the more adventurous G1 cartoon and i actually enjoyed how the G1 cartoon had different ponies in different episodes.

YES, exactly. Thats how I feel about it to! Don't get me wrong I really like the FIM cartoon but I don't see it as being that much more amazing. I like it but some of the stories seem kinda familar/similar. In fact there have been quite a few where I could predict the ending.

Personally, I think you could take a G1 episode, change the characters and it would work as a G4 episode.

I completely agree with you two.
I might even go so far as to say FiM jumped the seapony during Season 2.

To elaborate:

• Same villain gymmick (mindcontrol) used twice in the season. Creepy fetishists rejoiced.
• Ponies suffering from amnesia whereever they go as a plotdevice.
• Applejack still not being honest.
• Throwaway shoutouts stealing valuable time to develop the story ( Pony)
• References everywhere (what was the point of the big Lebowsky reference anyway?)
• Way too much attention being given to catchphrases. Meme folks rejoiced.
• Overdoing the songs (okay, the S1 finale had that too)

That said, it still had some nice episodes. But to me the series lost it'S special touch. Not saying that it was ever as revolutionary as bronies claim, but it was thouroughly enjoyable.

[ValeofSpring]

I might even go so far as to say FiM jumped the seapony during Season 2.

"Jumped the seapony"--love it!

[Sunset]

Friendship is Magic is blessed with group of brilliant writers (oh how I wish to be one) who understand not just the concept of the show, but the spirit of the show.

Yet some of them seem to struggle to understand certain characters.
*cough* Applejack *cough*

I think the writing on FIM is actually pretty overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's good/decent in general but i don't see what makes it oh so amazing. Especially the character development. I always hear people claim it is so great. To me it seems the characters often get bend to fit into a certain script and i feel like the characters are actually pretty stereotypical. The tomboy, the bookworm, the shy one, the "random" one...Nothing wrong with that, they are fun characters. I just don't see what makes them so much more amazing than a lot of other toons out there. I personally wouldn't re-watch a lot of the episodes...Not sure if i'm the only one. I miss the more adventurous G1 cartoon and i actually enjoyed how the G1 cartoon had different ponies in different episodes.

YES, exactly. Thats how I feel about it to! Don't get me wrong I really like the FIM cartoon but I don't see it as being that much more amazing. I like it but some of the stories seem kinda familar/similar. In fact there have been quite a few where I could predict the ending.

Personally, I think you could take a G1 episode, change the characters and it would work as a G4 episode.

I completely agree with you two.
I might even go so far as to say FiM jumped the seapony during Season 2.

To elaborate:

• Same villain gymmick (mindcontrol) used twice in the season. Creepy fetishists rejoiced.
• Ponies suffering from amnesia whereever they go as a plotdevice.
• Applejack still not being honest.
• Throwaway shoutouts stealing valuable time to develop the story ( Pony)
• References everywhere (what was the point of the big Lebowsky reference anyway?)
• Way too much attention being given to catchphrases. Meme folks rejoiced.
• Overdoing the songs (okay, the S1 finale had that too)

That said, it still had some nice episodes. But to me the series lost it'S special touch. Not saying that it was ever as revolutionary as bronies claim, but it was thouroughly enjoyable.

I like the songs!     I'm the kind of person who likes musicals and I don't mind if they are a little cheesy.  Life wouldn't be as much fun without a little cheese!


So I'm going to have to watch "Revolt" because I don't know if I've seen it all the way through, just clips here and there.

[hyenacub]

I like the songs too!  : D  I like the show a lot more than...some seem to lol and I enjoy the plots (mostly...the Diamond Dogs annoyed the CRAP out of me   Man.)  I hope the show continues!  Though i suppose this is really off topic to the "gender roles" topic.

[Opalescence]

Yeah, I guess we got a bit sidetracked after the stereotype characters

[Al-1701]

We already explained that what they call sexist isn't really all that sexist, especially for its time.  Sure they got the Rainbow of Light from the Moochick, but that's all he really did for them.  While Scorpan got them out of the throne room, it was Firefly who got the Rainbow of Darkness away from Tirac when Scorpan failed and was ready to give up and Megan actually released the Rainbow of Light to kick Tirac's ass.  Even when the ponies were being abducted, they were fighting and even trying to save each other.

[Wardah]

Looking at the pony color quiz, the ponies don't need to be so girly, since the three most popular colors after white are considered "boyish" or neutral.

[Pythia]

I did not suggest aiming it at boys. I suggested aiming it at children, regardless of gender.

THIS!  : D

As someone who has said he would like to see some girl things being marketed toward boys AS WELL as girls...and seeing some of the...er...less than thrilled responses to that sort of thing, lemme try to explain better.

I don't want to "change" my little pony to make it more manly.  I like the show as is, don't I?  I like the toys as is right?  People who speak of changing the marketing (not the toys, the marketing) like my little pony, even though it's girly, don't they?  Else they wouldn't care about the marketing.  C:

But I *would* like to see it aimed, as someone has said already, at KIDS not GIRLS. 

I disagree. 90% of, well, everything in the world is aimed at white males. Why can't we have a FEW tiny things that are aimed at women, without people complaining they're sexist for not including men or boys?

Since when have all these multitudes of boys' things made any effort to include girls? Why should we alter the very very few things that are good and contain healthy, non gender stereotyped messages that are aimed at girls, when there are so few of them and boys have the monopoly on pretty much everything else?

Should boys be allowed and encouraged to watch MLP if they want? Of course. Should we change it to be more 'for' them? Hell no.

[Stuntmang]

I did not suggest aiming it at boys. I suggested aiming it at children, regardless of gender.

THIS!  : D

As someone who has said he would like to see some girl things being marketed toward boys AS WELL as girls...and seeing some of the...er...less than thrilled responses to that sort of thing, lemme try to explain better.

I don't want to "change" my little pony to make it more manly.  I like the show as is, don't I?  I like the toys as is right?  People who speak of changing the marketing (not the toys, the marketing) like my little pony, even though it's girly, don't they?  Else they wouldn't care about the marketing.  C:

But I *would* like to see it aimed, as someone has said already, at KIDS not GIRLS. 

I disagree. 90% of, well, everything in the world is aimed at white males. Why can't we have a FEW tiny things that are aimed at women, without people complaining they're sexist for not including men or boys?

Since when have all these multitudes of boys' things made any effort to include girls? Why should we alter the very very few things that are good and contain healthy, non gender stereotyped messages that are aimed at girls, when there are so few of them and boys have the monopoly on pretty much everything else?

Should boys be allowed and encouraged to watch MLP if they want? Of course. Should we change it to be more 'for' them? Hell no.

We should eliminate gender roles entirely, not bias any toy towards any gender. Rambo toys shouldn't be aimed at boys specifically, and Pony toys shouldn't be aimed at girls specifically.