It seems Ash isn't the only "Don Quipony" · 1:06am May 28th, 2013
Here’s something I found interesting by Jamie Weinmen, on why it might hard for us to enjoy certain TV episodes (and shows) based on what we think of them reputation wise (and more) going in. Like Jamie says it can be applied to other areas as well. I actually enjoy Weinmen in general (his "something old, nothing new" blog was a favorite given that the man wrote about just about every subject I can think when it comes to old pop culture; a pity he doesn’t update it anymore).
But in any case, it serves as a good starter for both Suited for Success and Sonic Rainboom. I don’t enjoy either one, but I don’t think they’re bad (I think they’re good for the most part). For Suited, I’ve never warmed up to the idea of ponies wearing clothes even for formal occasions (there are reasons we wear them and none of them really apply to ponies; I’ve always thought Rarity would have made a lot more sense as a hairdresser than a fashion designer) nor do I even care for fashion in general (I refuse to refer to it as an art), so an episode that focuses on that area already comes with a point against it. I’m not a Stephen Sondheim person either, so the song doesn’t work for me, it doesn’t have a lot of funny moments, there isn’t a lot that happens in this episode (it feels padded in some respects), and even though Rarity is the main character here, she doesn’t really learn anything.
I get why people like it; the difficulty of meeting client demands on something they might know little about (having done such work myself last semester), and there’s certainly more depth given to Rarity’s character (after all, she holds a fashion show to showcase the dress she plans to make for her friends; she may be generous, but she’s still a business woman who wants to profit somehow). Again it’s a good episode, but it’s not one I look forward to seeing.
Sonic Rainboom is similar. One thing that sitting through the commercials does is that it highlights the three-act part of the episodes and that’s true for Sonic Rainboom. That’s not always a problem, but it does make certain parts feel padded; they don’t arrive at Cloudsdale till after the second break, after that it’s basically a walk around Cloudsdale till the Young Fliers Competition in the third part. As with the Suited for Success,” even though Dash is the main character here, the lesson is learned by Rarity instead (who is since the second-act one-dimensionally vain in this episode that’s hard for me to really care for her).
It’s still a pretty good episode as far Dash is concerned, showing her fear of losing and self-doubt underneath her overconfident outer shell (I think that fact Dash is extra relatable here explains part of the popularity for this episode). The world-building is pretty interesting as far as the show is concerned (never an area I’ve really cared for, although I can think of a place underwater I want the characters to go (“Seaponies for season 4”). And to be honest, the jab at skittles makes me laugh.
Both are still preferable to Feeling Pinkie Keen and A Dog and Pony Show, easily the two episodes from season 1 I despise the most. Feeling Pinkie Keen is escpeically bad to me (besides the the season finales for both 2 and 3, there is no episode from MLP:FIM I hate more). Not only is an insult at rational thought and the scientific method, encouraging trust in a system that is really no better than a tarot card or your grandma’s bunion at forecasting the weather (made worse by the fact that certain parts that describe the Pinkie Sense are accompanied by the same conspiracy music that suits guys in tinfoils hats that believe bigfoot and the loch ness monster (the real directors of the FBI and CIA, respective) are firing a mind control ray at Washington that keeps politicians from revealing who really killed JFK), but the characterization is just awful, with Pinkie being so annoying and Twilight being so darn creepy and unlikable. So bad was this episode when I first watched, that it killed any enthusiasm I had towards Pinkie (she became the first character the show more or less ruined for me and she’s never really gotten back on my good list).
A Dog and Pony Show did the same for me to Rarity (she’s still off the good list as well, although at least she’s had some really good moments since). I don’t buy the fact that Rarity is smart enough or that the Diamond Dogs (another one of those always chaotic evil races, * grumbles *) are stupid enough that the results end as they are given that a) they are certainly capable enough of capturing and b) they were clearly smart enough at messing with her friends (for one, digging up a bunch of holes so they wouldn’t know where to look). I actually was embarrassed when Rarity started to whine, and felt it was rather demeaning in many ways. Rarity has always been the most feminine of the six characters, and while all of them owe their existence to one common girl archetype, it’s in her that I’ve seen the more annoying ones. I can suck up her pausing for moment to bitch about dirt (and pausing as a result) before she’s dragged in, but this episode was always too much.
What makes FPK and ADPS extra annoying is that there is an attempted Looney Tune vibe to them given how Twilight studying Pinkie and referring to her by a faux latin name and the constant organiziation and backfiring (painfully bad attempts at imitating the Coyote; the scene where Twilight has an anvil and piano dropped on her flat out show the writers don’t know why the Looney Tunes work, we rarely the see the Coyote get crushed and the things that do crush him don’t do so in ways like the anvil where the effect is to make one believe that Twilight’s neck should have been broken, not to mention is rarely (if ever) in a injured state when enacting a plan) and Rarity’s attempt at tricking the Diamond Dogs who are supposedly dumber than rocks (a horrible take on Bugs (this episode reminds me of [url= http://vimeo.com/48008747]14 Carrot Rabbit, only bad), who is a much smarter, calmer character, who at his best will not rely on histrionics and fits the role of a trickster a lot better than Rairty ever could; someone once said that what Rarity is doing might be funny, but in real life, she probably get slapped). The style, tone, and animation amongst other things are too different between MLP and LT, that any mixing of the two is basically oil and water. Maybe some people like it when they see Looney Tune references in the show, but if I want to watch a Looney Tune, I’ll go watch an actual Looney Tune. Speaking of which, I’ve got a few below.
Spellbound Hound – 1950 – UPA – Hubley
The nearsighted and senile Mr. Magoo (voiced by James Backus, better known as Thurston Howell from Gilligan’s Island) calls his friend Ralph over for a fishing trip. However, Magoo mistakes a dog for his friend, which is chasing an escaped convict, and a whole lot of things for stuff they aren’t. This cartoon is a little slow at times and as is typical UPA, there aren’t lo but there are some well-acted bits here like when tries to start up a phonograph, thinking it’s a boat motor (he pauses because things don’t seem right, but still goes ahead and then catches some wind as if the boat was actually racing).
Ballot Box Bunny – 1950 – Warner – Freleng
When mayor candidate Yosemite Sam declares that he will “rid this country of every last rabbit” if elected, Bugs Bunny decides to throw his hat into the ring and run himself. Of course, like any election, this is hardly a clean fight, as both Bugs and Sam are willing to use every trick in the book from baby kissing to explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.
Draftee Daffy – 1945 – Warners – Clampett
When super patriot Daffy Duck receives a call that he’s been conscripted, he sets about to do whatever he can to avoid “the little man from the draft.” This, like many Clampett cartoons of the time, derives its humor from the way Daffy reacts to his situation such as building a brick wall and from the animation (at a number of points Daffy moves so fast that he see multiple arms sprout out).
A Tale of Two Kitties – 1942 – Schlesinger – Clampett
This is one my childhood favorites, and marked the first time the character of Tweety appeared in a cartoon (whose design director Bob Clampett said was inspired by a naked baby picture of himself his mom had over the fire place), and for my money, it’s the best. Featuring the cat duo of Babbit and Catsello (based off of the comedians Abbott and Costello), the two trying to get their paws on this very violent bird, who takes delight in inflicting pain on his enemies whether it be dropping them from great height (“well what do you know, I ran out of pities”) or informing the air defense (this being a world war II cartoon). This is cartoon also features probably the first true Scribner animation that would become the hallmark of the Clampett cartoons (he animates the scene where Castello sinks into the earth; if you look close enough you’ll notice that he draws Babbitt slimmer than the others). Might want to turn the volume down on this one, Castello's screams can grate on the ears.
No Quixote Here by Redsquirrel456
I’ve never read Don Quixote before (and I won’t unless anyone knows away to learn Spanish in less than month), but I’m familiar with what it’s about; the crazed and naïve old man who decides to become a knight, alongside his partner the realist Sancho Panzo and the way its author, Cervantes (creator of the first thieves guild in literature), satirical mocked idealism and romance. Because I haven’t read the novel, I’m sure how effective Cervantes is at the satire though. The character of Don Quoxite is strikes me as someone who could be just as pathetic (as in pitiable) as funny, however, that’s not much of a problem for Redsquirrel. The character of Prince Blueblood with his aristocrat pomposity and arrogance combined with his contempt for “the peasantry” makes his ignorance that crosses over to sheer stupidity makes him anything but pitiable.
Because Blueblood has a tendency to see things as they are not (as the prose wonderfully demonstrates), the ground is very fertile for comedy here. Not only is his decision to fix his reputation and lack of attention by going on an adventure (instead of improving himself or doing charity) incredibly ridiculous, but the way he plans for it and the importance he ascribes to it (and how the more grounded characters react to that; from Celestia’s sarcasm to Shining’s exasperation) are equally funny. One of my favorites being, when he (after reading the first paragraph of it) decides to follow The Lost World by Arthur Conan “Dole” (whether the last name is supposed to be a joke or Redsquirrel forget it’s spelled “Doyle”, I can’t answer) as a guide to help him on his adventure. As someone who always thinks that people who use fiction as justification or as a way to go through life with extra concern, I especially found this particularly funny.*
Characterization is pretty good for the required story; Blueblood is (as I’ve stated above) hits the right spot being the stupid snob that he is, but still having enough depth to him that he doesn’t across as a caricature. And everyone else is in-character, fitting their role nicely. The comedic tone of is present throughout, given this a very light-hearted and fun feel. There is a part towards the end where things do get mushy when Celestia finally realizes that Prince Blueblood is serious and his self-reflectionm, but I am thankful that Redsquirrel went the route I wanted to with the ending. Actual I felt the story was at its weakest when it came to the epilogue, which I thought was unneeded (given how much of it didn’t focus on Blueblood, and how little had actually changed) and to be honest, actual was mood breaking given how it started.
That’s not the worst thing that can happen, but it does mean that “No Quixote Here” looks unfavorable compared to Cloud Wanderer’s excellent “The Rummy Business of Old Blooey.” Both of them are similar not just in there use of Blueblood and a well known piece of literature (in Rummy’s case, Wodehouse’s Jeeves series) that satirizes popular genres and conventions of the time as a source, but also in their use of fun prose and light-heartedness. But there’s no amount of sentimentality in Rummy and only brief scenes that don’t carry a joke (or a good one). I kind of wish this No Quixote was more like that.
Still, I enjoyed No Quixote Here a lot. If one needs a light-hearted, fun, read this is something worth picking up.
* Note: I’m not saying that fiction cannot have a larger point but sometimes people take fiction (or specifically, certain kinds of fiction for certain kinds of things) far too seriously. I’m currently working my way through a novel that I’m hoping will provide a good springboard for an essay on this and more of the kind (specifically how important theme and message is at determining quality; I’m hoping to finish it in two or three weeks).
This drawing was found in a file for the Disney studio's attempt (one of many) at making Don Quixote (they never got even into writing, though), here a caricature of Walt Disney in the title character's role.
Dole is the name of a type of pony. It's a little unclear, I know.
Also I know the sentimental moment was a little forced, but I think it turned out all right... as for the epilogue, I just wanted people to walk away with a "well, that was nice" instead of "Wow, this is depressing" like several of them seemed to. That's admittedly because I made a poignant moment in the story and left it behind, but... at least now it feels complete, to me and most of the audience.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. This was my first (and probably last for a while) straight up comedy, and I'm glad it entertained so many people.