Ugh, why does Youtube keep doing this?Character analysis: Pinkie Pie. · 12:32pm Nov 1st, 2013
Pinkie Pie is probably the most self absorbed character in the show. Also, you know how I said I'd stop doing analysis blogs at 6AM? I'm going it at 3AM instead! Woo! Progress.
Of course, to get on topic, and do this properly, we need to consider Pinkie Pie's childhood.
Before anything else, we need to consider that emotions can be addictive, not just say, happiness, but things like anger, lust, greed, love, etc.
Now, let's review Pinkie's reaction to the sonic rainboom.
"We spent our days working the fields. There was no talking. There was no smiling. *Sigh* There were only rocks. We were in the south fields, preparing to rotate rocks to the east field and all of a sudden! *Rainboom* I never felt joy like that before, it felt so good that I just wanted to keep smiling forever! And I wanted everyone I knew to smile to! But rainbows don't come along that often. I wondered: How else could I create some smiles." -- Pinkie Pie in Cutie Mark Chronicles.
Of course, she also states a desire to make other people smile, but this isn't because of her benevolence, but because her own ability to feel that rush of pleasure is dependent on it. What matters to Pinkie is that she's part of it, that she is involved in the action so she can feel joy. Not that people just have fun.
When she threw her family a party shortly after and they struggled to smile, her concerns were simply on whether they liked it or not. No other variable was considered, when they did turn out to enjoy themselves, however...
"I'm so happy!" -- Pinkie Pie in Cutie Mark Chronicles
"I" as in, Pinkie Pie is happy. Not, "Yay, everyone is happy!" It was "I'm so happy", and that's where it ended. Of course, this isn't the only example, this method of thinking continues throughout the series.
In Party of One when her friends prove hesitant to go to one of her parties does Pinkie worry about her friends feelings? Not really!
Her only concern is whether her friends like her, not whether they are happy. Considering her general obsession with joy and 'fun' as a medium to bring around 'joy', it would be rather odd that her friends--which in no way came across as 'sad' or unhappy, just stressed after being prodded and interrogated--don't have any of their desires really considered outside of her own parties. As established in the Cutie Mark Chronicles Pinkie's cutie mark, emotions and passion are all devoted to that incredible rush of feeling joy... Which she can only reliably feel by making those around her laugh. When she later on snaps and finds replacement friends in the form of a variety of inanimate objects, it grants more insight into her desires and thought process.
[low string instrument whine]
Rocky: Not so bad? Please! They’re a buncha losers!
Pinkie Pie: Oh, c’mon now. “Losers” might be a little strong, dont'cha think?
Sir Lintsalot: After the way they treated you? I say “losers” isn't strong enough.
Pinkie Pie: Well, it was pretty rude...
Madame Le Flour: Pretty rude? It was down right deeespicable!
Pinkie Pie: It was, wasn't it?
Mr. Turnip: If I were you, I wouldn't speak to them ever again.
Pinkie Pie: You know what? I’m not gonna speak to them ever again. And I’m not gonna invite them to another party as long as I live! They don’t deserve to be invited to my parties. [blink] Not after the way they've been acting.
Madame Le Flour: [clapping] Deeespicable!
Sir Lintsalot: Such losers!
Madame Le Flour: Yes, zat's right.
Pinkie Pie [as Mr. Turnip]: Well done.
Pinkie Pie [as Sir Lintsalot]: Yeah!
Pinkie Pie [as Rocky]: You show ’em!
(knock at door)
Pinkie Pie: [normal voice] Who could that be?
Rainbow Dash: Hey there Pinkie Pie. Sorry I was in such a rush earlier. Had some place to be and couldn't slow down and say hello. You know how it goes.
Pinkie Pie: [gritting her teeth:] I know how it goes alright.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, so why don't you come with me over to Sweet Apple Acres?
Pinkie Pie: No thanks. I'm spending time with my real friends. Isn't that right, Madame Le Flour? [as Madame Le Flour]: Oui! Zat iz correct, madame.
Rainbow Dash: Uh, Pinkie Pie...?
Pinkie Pie: Another slice of cake, Sir Lintsalot? [as Sir Lintsalot] I would love one.
Rainbow Dash: Alrighty, what do you say we get out of creepytown and head over to Applejack's—
Pinkie Pie: [as Mr. Turnip] She's not going anywhere. [normal voice] I most certainly am not. I'm having a wonderful time right here.
Rainbow Dash: You should really just come with me—
Pinkie Pie [as Rocky]: You heard the lady! She ain't goin' nowheres, chump!
Rainbow Dash: Who you calling a chump, chump?! [Rocky falls over] Ugh... That’s it. Party’s over. Come on, Pinkie Pie!
Pinkie Pie: No!
Rainbow Dash: Pinkie Pie, let’s go!
Pinkie Pie: I said, NO!
Rainbow Dash: You... [grunts] have to... come with... me!
Pinkie Pie: No... I... DON'T!
Rainbow Dash: Oh, you wanna do this the hard way? We'll do this the hard way!
Her fake replacements served as an outlet for her to vent her frustration at the situation, but there's also something else important here: They were incredibly simple and had absolutely no hint of any desire to do anything other then sit in Pinkie's company and party. It's often implied that Pinkie is one of the younger characters, and with her earlier actions both in this episode and others, there's a large amount of evidence that she's emotionally immature. She thinks of everything binary as either like or dislike, and never seems to show an ability to understand anything out of that scale--hence feeling like she lost her friends--as such, when push comes to shove, feeling joy is incredibly important for her: Not only is it an addicting, feel-good rush but it's literally the only positive sensation she can comprehend--Pinkie only has two other emotions: anger and depression--and as such is important for her mental stability. Out of the entire cast, Pinkie Pie has the weakest sense of empathy. When faced with her friends being cagey, it took her an incredibly long time to become suspicious, and once she did she insisted on handling things bluntly. Faced with the possibility of her friends not liking her, leaving her unable to maintain her stability she resorted to the objects which she personified to simply enjoy parties and being angry at her friends. Which is to say, she completely lacked the ability to comprehend any other possibility.
This was again heavily reinforced in A Friend in Deed where Pinkie obsessively and insistently refused to acknowledge Cranky's lack of desire to party--until the veeeery end of the episode... and even then, it was only after he made her happy by smiling.
"What just happened? Meet somepony new, check. Introduce myself, check. Sing random song outta nowhere, check. Become instant best friends... uncheck. I don't get it. How can somepony not become instant best friends with me? Was it something I said? Was it something I sang? This is no time for the blame game, Pinkie! There's somepony new in town, and you need to win him over! 'Try everything you can to make Cranky smile and be your friend'. Check!" -- Pinkie Pie in A Friend in Deed.
Of course as the seasons passed, Pinkie has developed and shown gradually more interest in her friends, which finally took hold in Too many Pinkie Pies after she realized that she cared more about her friends then she did her personal feelings of fun, of course, she still has the emotional maturity of a filly.
Despite her immaturity--emotionally and otherwise--Pinkie is also one of the most intelligent characters in the show. She probably has the worst education out of any of the six, having of grown up in a rock farm where the work was implied to be repetitive and simple. However, despite this, she has an incredible memory.
Pinkie Pie: Morning, Daisy Jo! You here to pick up some cookies to go with your milk?
Daisy Jo: Oh ya, Pinkie, don'tcha know?
Pinkie Pie: Well, Mrs. Cake just baked a fresh batch of your favorite oatmeal.
Daisy Jo: Mooo, sounds delightful!
Pinkie Pie: Oh, Rose, your Calla lilies look even better than last year! I bet you'll take first prize at the flower show again.
Rose: Thanks, Pinkie! Would you like one?
Pinkie Pie: Absolutely! [chomps] Looking fit as a fiddle, Mr. Waddle, and you're wearing my favorite tie!
Mr. Waddle: Aw, shucks, Miss Pinkie, you flatterer you.
Pinkie Pie: Well, happy birthday, Cheerilee.
Cheerilee: Thank you, Pinkie.
Pinkie Pie: Happy day-after-your-birthday, Zecora!
Zecora: What a lovely hi, Miss Pinkie Pie!
Pinkie Pie: And Miss Matilda, happy birthday to you... in one hundred and thirty two days!
Matilda: Pinkie Pie! How do you remember everything about everypony?
Pinkie Pie: 'Cause everypony's my friend and I love to see my friends smile!
In too many Pinkie Pies, Pinkie refers to hearing about the mirror pool from her Nana Pinkie.
Pinkie Pie: That's it, Twilight! The legend of the Mirror Pool!
Twilight Sparkle: Legend of the who-what now? Pinkie! I'm familiar with loads of legends, and I never heard of–
Spike: Does this mean practice is over?
Twilight Sparkle: Of course not! Back to work.Pinkie Pie: Seems like hardly anypony's been here in ages. I hope I'm remembering the rhymes right from my Nana Pinkie's story. "Where the brambles are thickest, there you will find a pond beyond the most twisted of vines!" [echoes] What was that?! Oh, I heard a voice! Oh. Hehe. It was me. Ouch! Ooh! Stop scratching me up, you brambles, and– Whoooaaa!
[thuds, whacks, and honks,]
Pinkie Pie: [gasp] The Mirror Pool! [echoes] Oh, and there's that voice again! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Ah Pinkie, you have got to stop talking to yourself. Starting... now. "And into her own reflection she stared, uh, yearning for one whose reflection she shared, and solemnly sweared not to be scared at the prospect of being doubly mared!"
One of the largest issues with being 'self-taught' is that it becomes difficult to tell where the gaps in your knowledge are. Due to Pinkie's happiness addicted spontaneous nature it's rather easy for her to seem 'random'. She is well versed in certain topics while being completely unaware of others. Her memory is impeccable and she tends to know things that even scholarly individuals like Twilight are unaware of.
Parasprites, and how to handle them, for example.
In MMMystery on the Friendship Express--and numerous other episodes--we get to see Pinkie's imagination in action, she's very prone to rambling. As the incredibly intelligent mare she is Pinkie Pie's mind works quickly, generally at speeds that others can't keep up with--including Twilight.
However, because of her lack of formalized education, she often uses words she made up as a filly to describe things, or will lack the general required knowledge to understand the implications of some events.
Pinkie Pie: Hey, Applejack. What'cha doin'?
Applejack: Taking more apples to my new apple cellar. How about you, Pinkie? What'cha doin'?
Pinkie Pie: Oh, letting Twilight secretly follow me without me knowing...
Twilight Sparkle: You mean you knew all along?! Why didn't you tell me?!
Pinkie Pie: [giggle] Silly. That would've spoiled the secret.
Pinkie Pie: Sooo, basically, it works like this: I get different, little, niggling feelings and they mean different things. Like when my back is itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And, when my knee gets pinchy, that means something scary's about to happen.
If her rapid, rambling speech patterns are analyzed, her emotional immaturity and education gaps considered, a coherent chain of thought is the result of Pinkie being "Pinkie". Not, say, "random" behavior.
... And now it's like, 5:30 AM and I'm out of energy drinks and medication to overdose on.
Part two of this blog will be posted later, going more into the 'randomness' of Pinkie Pie, covering her implied education, motivations as of S3 and working on explaining the "Pinkie Sense". Along with whatever else I forgot to add here while half asleep and hallucinating--why do I keep writing analysis blogs when I can't think?--but for now! I shall sleep... In theory. In practice, that's a bit hard when I keep hallucinating a giant demonic scorpion sitting under my bed with a prehensile stinger that keeps twisting around towards the base of my skull when I'm not looking.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/10/29/459483__safe_solo_pinkie+pie_animated_cute_sleeping_adorable_mmmystery+on+the+friendship+express_puppy+pie.gif
This was actually very interesting.
Seems legit. Now I need to look up your past character analysis blogs. I've never considered her as addicted to joy before. It makes sense, as does her 'street smarts'.
She could almost be co-dependent, or some other kind of disorder. Her entire identity seems to be in making other ponies happy, because she can't be happy unless they're happy too. So she's addicted to something she can only get from other ponies.
You should try to be friends with it.
Excellent post. I've come to most of the same conclusions already, but it was great to see the information presented in a nice clean form. (Plus the images were the icing on the cake, so to speak!)
Will be eagerly looking forward to part two.
Fantastic as always, Trixie.
1471186
Fluttershy Emotions.
Fluttershy antagonist analysis.
1471944
Glad we have the relatively same conclusions regarding Pinkie.
1471422
That's how I became insane in the first place.
1471186
Glad you liked it. This was originally going to be Trixie analysis, but the writers kinda... ruined her, it would of ended up just being meta-analysis, not character analysis unfortunately.
1472263
Darn. Sounds like he's a douchebag.
1471184
This was looping the entire time I was writing the blog. Which may of biased me slightly.
That moment when all your headcanons come together and dance to the dong of their people.
1472267
Glorious song that I love? Check.
MLP FIM in it? Check.
Delivered by Ineffable Cupidity? Check.
This is glorious.
1472388
I um... I think you mean song.
1472396
1472402
1472417
Where did you think I was talking about music.
1472267
even though it's in interesting to see a characterization of a mlp character.
1472522
Er, I suppose.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again -- the biggest problem with Pinkie Pie in fanfiction is simple because many authors write her as a 4th wall breaking pop-culture reference machine. They don't look at the character, they look at the gross oversimplification of a children's cartoon character... and then simplify that.
Regardless, this was a well put together series of observations and thoughts. Well done.
1472935
I think Pinkie Sense is much deeper then that.