RisingRants: About Certain HiE Cliches (And Why They Are Necessary). · 11:24pm Jan 7th, 2013
Well, I can't say I will be making a habit of blog posts, but this is something I feel should be done. If you are reading this (which I doubt will apply to any number of people above ten), sit back, and relax. This one's going to be a doozy, folks.
First, the introduction. As you may have guessed from reading the title, this is about HiE cliches. Hey, wait! Don't leave, this isn't some whiny post complaining about seeing them everywhere (even though we kind of do). No, this is about why we shouldn't be surprised when they appear. First, the definition of a cliche: A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. (Source) Now, I will outline the clichés that appear in HiE stories, that I feel receive more hatred than they deserve.
I'll do this like the progression of an actual story. So, we have John Smith, human extraordinaire, who may or may not be a brony (we will assume not for the purposes of this essay). One day, he finds himself transported to Equestria by circumstances which may or may not be beyond his control. He walks, lands, is caught by, or wakes up to at least one pony, usually one of the main six. The first thing he does is either freak out, or greet them. Whichever way, he speaks. And, lo and behold, he speaks the same language, what is commonly referred to in these stories as Equestrian. Now, we have come to the first cliche that I feel can be easily justified, so long as it isn't totally ignored. In stories not involving the conflict man vs. society (the society being Equestria), creating the language barrier would require either a quick fix, deus ex machina style solution (*cough* magic *cough*), or a long period of Mr. Smith learning the Equestrian language. Now, the slap-patch magic solution isn't so bad, but it does defeat the purpose of creating that language barrier in the first place. When the reader sees that they don't speak the same language, it creates a bit of tension. Their hero, Mr. John Smith, can't even communicate with the ponies. This is bad for him, but good for drawing in interest. As the reader, they want to know what hardships he will have to face while learning this new language. Fixing that with a translation spell, unless it is not permanent, is just a cop-out. If it isn't permanent, then at least there is always the threat of John losing his ability to communicate with his new equine friends. Which could be bad at a critical moment, such as when facing a villain, or when talking to royalty. The same applies to written language, as well. After all, if he is illiterate, who knows how much information could be slipped by him in text! So, we now know that unless there is going to be some sort of tension stemming from his lack of knowledge of Equestrian language, there is little reason to create that language barrier for our hero. NEXT.
Moving on, Johnny boy has arrived in Equestria, but, oh no! He only had the clothes on his back! What's a human to do? Oh, what's that, Rarity has offered to, or has been asked to create clothing for him? How kind of her, she truly is a fine, upstanding pony! Now, whether or not she offers her services for free is another matter (although it doesn't seem very in character for the element of generosity to demand payment from someone who has no money, but I digress). Now, this one I haven't actually seen anyone complain about, so maybe I'm the only one who noticed it. But, it still appears in just about every HiE story ever. Now, let's look at why this is necessary. Mr. Smith has just landed in Equestria, and likely does not have much to wear. Now, ponies may not care much about wearing clothing, but this is a different case for humans. Because we need them for things such as warmth and decency, it is generally not a good idea to go around naked. This is why people find nudists to be odd, they go against common culture. So, with only one set of clothes to his name, John needs more! He clearly can't walk into the nearest Pony-Mart and buy a t-shirt and jeans. They wouldn't even fit his body shape, after all. With no other choice, John-John (his grandmother's pet name for him), goes to a clothing designer. And, unless the story is not set in Ponyville, he goes to that oh-so-fabulous fashionista, Rarity! She designs a marvelous set of clothes for him, which he just loves. And all is right in the world (excluding that fact that a bipedal monkey-man is walking around on a planet of talking horses). Now, if he didn't have a set of clothes made for him what would he wear, leaves? He certainly couldn't wear animal skins, Fluttershy would just be horrified! Nobody gets away with upsetting Fluttershy, NOBODY.So, everybody's favorite protagonist is now suited up! What's next, why, Pinkie Pie throws him a party, of course!
Now, I'm not entirely certain I need to even touch down on this one. It makes zero sense for Pinkie Pie not to throw a party. Partying is one of her most notable interests, after all. But there is something else that can be addressed which may or may not happen at a party. We'll assume The Smithster (the name his bros call him) is the partying-est animal this side of Ms. Pie. It's the night of the party, and EVERYONE was invited. I'll let you decide what defines everyone in this case, but at the least it would include the main six and perhaps their immediate family. It is being held in a barn on Sweet Apple Acres, where there is adequate room to house all the partying that will be done that night. All the ponies are there, the music is pounding, and Pinkie has brought nothing but the best snacks. The barn door burst open, and in swaggers The Smithster. At first, all of the ponies who have not met him are taken aback. Just who is this strange creature who has shown up to the party, could he be the guest of honor? Soon enough, after reassurances from whoever already knows him, they adjust. And before you know it, the party is in full swing. Now, the cliche here is this: the ponies accepted him Despite his crazy different species, everyone gets along just swimmingly. Unless, like I said before, the conflict of the story is man vs. society, there is little reason for the ponies to act otherwise. Initial apprehension is understandable, and expected. But the culture these ponies live in is extremely trusting, and unless Johnathan Lee Smith (his full name) is outright hostile, they're going to warm up to him pretty quickly. It's who they are, after all. Their culture and society is full of, to quote one Vash the Stampede, "LOVE AND PEACE!" Of course they're going to accept the intelligent, non-threatening creature who they just met. Now, if he breaks that trust, that is a different story.
Wow, wipe my brow, that's quite the rant I just went on. While I'm sure there are a few more cliches I could dig up if I really wanted to, I think this is enough for now. Maybe I'll do another one later covering some other stuff. Living arrangements and work situation, anyone? But, for now, I will call it quits. I need to go work on Que Sera, Sera, after all. Can't disappoint my fans! If you have any counter arguments, or just a "cool story, bro," I'd very much appreciate it if you left a comment for me.
Hoping that you are thinking about HiE cliches a little differently now,
-RisingOne
Good points here. A lot of people complain about cliches, Mary Sues, alicorn OCs, etc. But I don't think writers need to avoid these things as much as people think. Every cliche you can think of can be accepted, even loved, if the storytelling is good enough. The thing to remember is, if we're going to use these kinds of cliche elements, we need to make sure to give the reader something that sets our story apart from the others that are doing the same thing.
I'm interested in cliches and recurring themes in storytelling, so your post about what is common in HiE stories is pretty helpful. A lot of people don't stop and realize just how much in the show itself is cliche, or has been done countless times before. Then why do we all still love the show? Because secretly people like cliches. They make us comfortable. We feel at home in a story where there are cliches. So I guess it's okay if Rarity is making our human hero an outfit and Pinkie's throwing him a party, just so long as the story has a character who we care about, a mystery that makes us curious, or a story where we want to know what happens next. (Preferably all three.)