MLP and gender roles

[Wardah]

When a man can't express himself because he will be harassed for being "gay", that is still oppression.

[Al-1701]

Maybe the episode could have been the girls were anticipating the return of the Big Brother Ponies, but they don't show up.  They go looking for them and discover they've been enslaved by a siren or something.  However, I think marketing had something to do with them being the heroes (it was their episode.)  To be fair, they also fell under Sonambula's spell and needed the babies to snap them out of it twice.  Also, it was David "Heartthrob Likes Bipeds" Wise (no, Dave, I'm never letting you live that down.)

[Opalescence]

I also don't like shows where they have to constantly emasculate the local male population to make the female characters look better.  That's sexism against men.

Because you know what the biggest issue in today's culture (popular and otherwise) is? Sexism against men. There was such a long period of time where men couldn't vote, and they got paid less than women, and ...

Oh, wait.

My lady, I humbly request to subscribe to your newsletter.


As for the shipping, I remember hilarious whines in the more randumb fanon chatrooms from fanonists and shippers when Big Macintosh was paired with Cheerilee in the Valentines Day episode instead of their prefered mare, sister or colt (Caramel having a girlfriend only made things worse for them)

[Al-1701]

I remember how they started saying Caramel was bi after that.  I was like, "Isn't it possible you could just be wrong?"

And of course with this post I reach "Captain Jack Pony" rank.

[Pinecone]

Haha, big brother ponies. One of the most obvious MARKETING!11 episodes. I did like how it focused on the kids helping out (the music couldn't harm the baby ponies and Spike because it seems to have an age limit), but it would be better if they completely saved the day somehow.

[Al-1701]

Season 2 as a whole was one unabashed marketing skirt after another.  The joys of having a bunch of new ponies and only 13 episodes.  They never got to the Twice as Fancies or the new Flutter Ponies.

[Pinecone]

Yeah, they had to repeat the words "Newborn Twins" until they jammed it in kids' heads.

Not that Friendship is Magic isn't a big marketing thing. When I saw the Gala, I thought "This is going to be a toy set, isn't it?" Not to mention Rarity' wings, and of course, that Pony Royal Wedding thing. Oh, and the train episodes!

[Snapdragon]

AThough, I hate strawmen in shows in general (even strawman villains) so I don't like it the other way around either or within genders.

And yet -

Maybe the episode could have been the girls were anticipating the return of the Big Brother Ponies, but they don't show up.  They go looking for them and discover they've been enslaved by a siren or something.

Woah, an Evil Powerful Woman using her powers of Sexy Magic to enslave helpless male characters? No one's ever done THAT before!

Society's ideas of "good" and "bad" women are so pervasive, they even show up in our unconscious ideas of IDEAL cartoons! Which is why it's even more important to have a show focused on girls/women, so that there are good role models who aren't Girlfriend, Mother or Villian, even if it's only in one show. Men/boys have tons of role models and heroic characters to look up to - let's let the girls have My Little Pony, mmm?

I also don't like shows where they have to constantly emasculate the local male population to make the female characters look better.  That's sexism against men.

Because you know what the biggest issue in today's culture (popular and otherwise) is? Sexism against men. There was such a long period of time where men couldn't vote, and they got paid less than women, and ...

Oh, wait.

My lady, I humbly request to subscribe to your newsletter.

Of course! only $99,999.99 per year! (Hey, a girl's gotta make her pony money SOMEHOW!) ;D

[Tenar]

Children see thing differently than adults do. They don't nessisarily read the same messages. 

[Al-1701]

You seem particularly testy about this issue.  You should relax.

That was just me throwing out an idea that was similar to the episode in question (hypnotic music brings ponies under its sway.)  A siren would also put the girls in the advantage of not being affected by the villain's primary attack.  There are various perils that could have befallen them on their race around the world or after they got back.

[ashes]

This is a warning to please keep things civil or the thread will be locked.

[Stuntmang]

I also don't like shows where they have to constantly emasculate the local male population to make the female characters look better.  That's sexism against men.

Because you know what the biggest issue in today's culture (popular and otherwise) is? Sexism against men. There was such a long period of time where men couldn't vote, and they got paid less than women, and ...

Oh, wait.

Are we allowed to emptyquote? Cause I wanna emptyquote this.

[Snapdragon]

I also don't like shows where they have to constantly emasculate the local male population to make the female characters look better.  That's sexism against men.

Because you know what the biggest issue in today's culture (popular and otherwise) is? Sexism against men. There was such a long period of time where men couldn't vote, and they got paid less than women, and ...

Oh, wait.

Are we allowed to emptyquote? Cause I wanna emptyquote this.

Haha, had to google that one! Now I'm smarter! Thank you!

[Pythia]

You seem particularly testy about this issue.  You should relax.

...wow. That was INCREDIBLY patronising....

[Al-1701]

No.  Seriously.  They should relax.  They seem to jump down my throat.