Is Applejack a Control Freak? · 11:29am May 1st, 2018
I'm old enough to remember when one of the main criticisms of Applejack was that she had “no flaws.” That was never true, just for the record. But now that certain episodes have added more obvious flaws to her personality, other criticisms have taken the lead, at least on this website. The first is the claim that Applejack is a control freak.
Is she, though?
The episodes sited to support this statement are “Winter Wrap Up,” “Somepony To Watch Over Me,” and most recently, “Grannies Gone Wild” (jeez, a year ago I never would have thought I'd type that episode title).
In all of these episodes, AJ dealt with matters that are near and dear to her heart: her farm and her family. When it comes to areas outside her knowledge, AJ usually defers to the experts. One exception that proves this rule is “Honest Apple,” since she wouldn't have thought about telling fashion designers how to do their job if Rarity hadn't asked her to do it.
In “Winter Wrap Up,” Twilight accidentally caused an avalanche that buried Sweet Apple Acres. It was totally understandable that AJ would get angry at her. However, the problem is what she said to Twilight:
“That's not how we do it round here, Twilight. And especially not on my farm.”
And, I admit, that part makes me cringe now. AJ could have told Twilight that she put the other workers in danger, but instead she said that Twilight's mistake was going against their tradition. And that's the best interpretation of her comment (“best” meaning that I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she wasn't being a bit tribalist).
But, you know, it's safe to say that my girl AJ has evolved since then. Just three seasons later, she's asking Twilight to use her unicorn magic to help save the orchard from vampire fruit bats. I might not like that particular episode overall, but it does demonstrate some character growth.
As for STWOM and GGW, I think that's more of an example of AJ being overprotective of her family. She's already lost her parents – losing another family member would be too much for her to bear.
I suppose I would still like AJ if she were a control freak, but it would make it more challenging for me to write her, and it would be more difficult for many people to sympathize with her.
So, is AJ a control freak? Perhaps she is when it comes to running her farm, but only in that specific area. The Apples have shown that they have unique ways of doing things on their farm. But being a controlling about one's farm is not surprising. Have you ever worked on a farm? Neither have I, but I have worked for a plant nursery that sells garden plants, and that's sort of close. The owners always have specific instructions for each shift. Water-stress the tomatoes, but not the tomatoes in baskets. Don't water the begonias after noon or else the water droplets will magnify the sunlight and scorch the leaves. The other plants are safe to water in the afternoon, but it's not ideal, especially on a sunny day. Keep track of what you did on the calendar in each section and write your initials.
It seems like some people forget that Sweet Apple Acres is a business, not a hobby.
Another criticism that I've seen along with the first one is that Applejack thinks she's always right, and that she is not called out when she's wrong.
Um . . . No, she doesn't always think she's right, and yes, she has been called out when she was in the wrong.
“You're working too hard and you need help!” - Twilight, “Applebuck Season”
“Yes, Twilight. Yes, please. I could really use your help.” - Applejack, “Applebuck Season”
“I tried to tell you it would come crashing down in here!” - Rarity, “Look Before You Sleep”
“I'm mighty sorry, Twilight.” - Applejack, “Look Before You Sleep”
“Lady, you're trouble!” - Stallions, “The Last Roundup”
“But I'm fine! And, actually, this was kind of your fault.” - Apple Bloom, STWOM
“And if Big Mac, Granny Smith and I ever have to be away for the day again . . . I would totally trust you to stay home and take care of things on your own.” - Applejack, STWOM
“I used to wonder if I was doing the right thing, y'know, pretending to be cured, basically lying to folks about this tonic, but thanks to you, I realized that sometimes honesty isn't the best policy.” - Silver Shill, “Leap of Faith”
“Thanks to me?” - Applejack, “Leap of Faith”
“Excuse me. You planted your pole on a fault line.” - Maud, “Hearthbreakers”
“I really cracked the corn this time.” - Applejack, “Hearthbreakers”
“Um, are you certain everything you just did is entirely necessary to feed the pigs?” - Rarity, “Applejack's 'Day' Off”
“Thanks, y'all. I guess I just got so used to doin' everything a certain way, I didn't realize there were any problems.” - Applejack, “Applejack's 'Day' Off”
I'll let those quotes speak for themselves.
Stubbornness is still a flaw prevalent through the entire Apple family. Whether it's Granny trying to do things like she was half her age, Apple Bloom's share in the early Crusade, or even Big Mac going Juggernaut on the rare occasions when he gets mad, the whole family hates admitting that they're wrong or that they might need to change their approach. I'm not saying they can't, just that it takes a lot to get them to do so.
Honestly, a much simpler flaw I'd say, is that she's a workaholic given the number of her stories revolving around the farm and farming.
Were it not for the earth pony package, she'd be burned out by now. And even so, the stress can't possibly be good for her.
...Think that could be a nice lesson, actually. That even when doing something you love, for all the right reasons, you still have to pace yourself and let yourself relax now and then.
4851223
Each of the Mane Six and Spike has started episodes thinking they were right and taken 15 to 20 minutes of run time to realize they were wrong. However, you have a good point about the Apple stubbornness making it harder for AJ and her family to admit that they need to change. To some extent, I can understand the frustration some fans feel about AJ taking so long to learn life lessons. It's the absolutes and hyperbole that I take issue with, because saying that AJ never admits she's wrong makes her seem worse than she is. Two or three such comments led me to vent on this blog, in fact.
4851490
Being a workaholic has been one of AJ's flaws since the fourth episode. There's evidence that Rarity has been trying to get AJ to relax at the spa, and while AJ is open to it, work keeps pulling her away. But if you burn yourself out, you won't do anyone any good.