Why I Don't Like Fluttershy · 5:51am Apr 6th, 2015
So I got a message asking me why I call FlutterShy "Flutterbutt", they guessed correctly that I don't really like her and asked why.
Well I'm going to start by saying I haven't liked FS since the very beginning, her very first introduction had me rolling my eyes and going "Oh she's one of those characters....yay(sarcasm)" What do I mean by "one of those characters"? I mean FS is cute and shy...for the sake of being cute and shy, and those will be her traits for the rest of the entire show. As time went on and I watched more episodes my dislike for her only grew. This is first and foremost a kids TV show, that is it's main market no matter how much those of us who are older like it. And what was FS teaching kids? That it's okay to be a little shy an afraid? Well if that was the point it would be fine, but no, that isn't what she teaches. FS isn't what I would call a "doormat" at all, but not because of any good traits. She doesn't just let other ponies walk all over her, she lets fear basically rule her entire life. She goes passed being shy and right into something that can be quite a debilitating thing.
Now I know what you're going to say, you're going to bring up Putting Your Hoof Down, Dragon Shy, and possibly Stare Master and go "But look, she stood up for her friends, or for herself, she learned something valuable!" Except that if she had her way she wouldn't have in the first place. In PYHD she went to far and she did learn something, only for it to fade off and be useless soon after, in DS she didn't even want to go she had to be forced all the way up, they had to make special plans for her, she caused problems, the fact that she talked down the dragon doesn't change the fact that she didn't even want to help in the first place, in SM she did a lot better only for it to once again loose all meaning a short time later.
I'm going to bring up Dragon Quest, while this is a Spike episode we do get to see FS, being an utter bitch to someone the fandom paints as her best friend, RD. She stomps on RD and tells her to go away, she won't come no matter what. Then in Luna Eclipsed Twilight asks her to help out Princess Luna, I thought this was a good idea at first, Element of Kindness helping the newly returned Princess make some friends, awesome. And then she basically did her thing and ran away, again. Even though she knows for a FACT Luna isn't Nightmare Moon and has literally NO REASON to fear her or not want to help her. In Magic Duel one of her own friend's has been banished from the town, FS is chosen to go get her, she has to be forced/guilted into it, and then when she is out she wants to go back, and again, hide and wait for it to blow over instead of doing something about it.
And the biggest problem is this is Flutterbutt's answer to EVERYTHING, run away, hide, hope someone else fixes it or that it blows over. If it doesn't oh well she'll just get used to it because that's somehow better than actually fixing the problem. As long as she can stay in her cottage and hide away it doesn't matter. This is what I mean by saying she lets her fear rule her life. Everything in Flutterbutt's life is about her fear of everything in her life. This isn't healthy, this isn't the way to solve things. I understand fear, I do, I have social anxiety, I've battled with depression, I've had horrible panic attacks. But that doesn't mean I can let those things rule me and by Flutterbutt's life's mantra you can, it's fine, sure, go home, hide, the world might be ending but who cares? I'm not getting involved because it MIGHT be scary! She doesn't help her friends because she wants to, she helps them because they either guilt or force her into it. That isn't being a good friend. Being a good friend is being there despite your fear, not being there because you would feel bad or because someone had to literally drag you along to ground to make you be there!
I keep hoping the changes we've seen in episodes past will really stick but I don't have very HIGH hopes for it. Because Flutterbutt is now famous for living by fear. People think it's cute, it sells toys and other merch. Why develop the character when the formula is working?
And that, is why I just do not like Fluttershy.
Fluttershy is a psychopath. After what she pulled in Daring Doubt, Bats!, and Make New Friends But Keep Discord I'm horrified that such a pony has not been arrested.