Simple Ways: The Only Wrong Answer is "Nothing" · 12:06am Feb 4th, 2014
Dear Loyal Watchers, Interested Visitors, and Confused Passersby:
I found myself in an unusual position a few months ago. It turns out that I was praising a Brony for commissioning works of his O.C. being paired up with a main cast member in a romantic situation.
If you put down the pitchforks, I'll explain.
There was a picture of such that made it onto a Equestria Daily "Drawfriend" a few months back, and in a random and unexplained bit of curiosity I followed it back to its source. What I found was an individual who had commissioned more than thirty works of art from artists on DA. Having bought commissions myself, I can tell you that they aren't cheap, and at $30 a pop I was looking at $900 worth of purchased artwork.
I couldn't help but notice that one of his objectives was to "make others think differently about O.C.'s". But, as I looked through page after page of his character cuddling/kissing/being intimate with Rarity, nothing "different" spoke to me. It was wish fulfillment, and I happily left him to it. Take happiness where you find it, I suppose, and if spending his money on such images made him happy, who was I to judge?
But, truth be told, he had failed his objective.
I went on a trek through DA looking up O.C.xMane Cast "ships." Apparently I was in a masochistic mood.
It was all largely the same, and very little was presented that made me root for the O.C. in any of these settings. I was about to stop when I came across a Brony who had done one little thing different, had made one tiny adjustment, and in doing so had won my praise.
The commissioner of said works is an Australian Brony whose name, and that of his O.C. is Zephyr. See if you can discern what it is that made me stop and pause when I encountered his O.C. and how his snogging with Twilight Sparkle was different from 95% of all O.C.'s snogging with Twilight Sparkle that I had encountered.
Knowing me, I bet you have a guess...
I bet it's becoming clearer...
"Yeah, okay T.D., we get it, you're all happy that..."
"Okay, T.D., now you've lost me! That's Shining Armor looking on as his sister ‘squees’ all over the O.C. I thought this was going to turn out to be another of your Spike rants."
Don't worry, that comes later. What I really wanted to get across here was that what Zephyr had done correctly that the other O.C. shipper failed to do. Namely, he presented his "ship" in the context of Twilight's whole life. In this case, he had done it by showing how the relationships Twilight already has in canon are affected by the one relationship he hopes that we will accept. He took the time to commission works that showed us Spike and Shining coming to know and understand his O.C., making a connection to the canon characterization of Twilight that we know and love.
The majority of the other O.C. shippers that I observed failed to do so. The O.C.xRarity “shipper” had a single picture of the rest of the main cast (absent Spike) staring at the O.C. with smiles on their faces, but apart from that the next time we see any of them is at the wedding picture. There is no conflict, no desperate longing, no challenges overcome. In the vast majority of the works that I observed there was nothing but that same wish fulfillment. The artwork is all from the O.C.'s point of view, and solely concerns how wonderful it is that their character now has "his waifu" to cuddle with.
There was nothing that made me "feel different" about those works. If the surfeit of such works shows us anything, it is that most O.C.'s in art are entirely interchangeable. This is forgivable in that context, I suppose. One of the advantages that we fan fiction writers have is that we are allowed to explore vast narratives. No one who commissions a piece of art wants to spend half-a-days pay on seeing their character in a fight with the object of their desires, awkwardly trying to meet family or friends, and certainly not dealing with the other relationships that that might be in play.
However, if I am expected to "feel different" about an O.C. in any setting, not just a romantic one, then I need to understand them. I need to be made to feel that the character has struggled against genuine adversity. I need to feel that the character has developed and "earned" my attention rather than being "told" that I should. The character must make me root for them. I should support them. I should feel a desire to know them. The creator should make me love them, like, them, or even hate them if that leads me to a greater understanding of them.
The only wrong thing they can do is not give me a reason why I should feel anything, invoking my ambivalence.
The only wrong answer is "nothing."
It is that exactly that willingness to explore what suddenly interjecting a romance into the life of a main character would do that gave Zephyr my small nod.
"So, T.D, what the Hell? Why are you making us sit through this when we assumed this was about an upcoming episode?"
Well, because it is. It's about the whole remainder of the season and the series, as a matter of fact.
Two things have transpired over the last few weeks that have made me push up my "canon forecast clock," as it were.
The first was this scene from Three's a Crowd:
Yeah, yeah, yeah... we see you, Flash Sentry, with your Pretty Boy looks and your Twilight-Acknowledging/ Winning Smile you waifu-stealing bastard.
Let's get something out of the way here real fast... this is not an Anti-Flash rant. I do not hate Flash Sentry. How can I hate a character that has no personality to hate? His portrayal in Equestria Girls was one-dimensional and easily ignorable. Hey, he drives a Camaro, so he's a GM man at least. That's one point in his favor.
Still, his role in Equestria Girls was as The Designated Love Interest, and it never went past that. It has been fun sitting back and watching over the last two weeks as the forums and image boards have filled up with people bemoaning his return. I can't help but notice, though, that the number of people shouting "Ha ha! Delicious Brony tears!" far outnumber those who seem to think that Flash's presence was a canon-shattering catastrophe.
I think that is because, everything else aside, we knew that this was going to happen.
I think that, in our hearts, we knew Flash was going to return, and that the series was inevitably going to take a turn towards the romantic. I certainly thought to myself that having Flash appear in an episode set in the Crystal Empire would be a good indication of things to come. I knew I thought that weeks before the episode aired, and I bet a fair number of you guessed it, too. I wasn't all that surprised, and I bet most of you weren't either... fan fiction fans and writers seem to know what would constitute an ongoing narrative.
So, then, what is my concern?
My concern is this:
Simple Ways will air this weekend, and it will be a good episode for Rarity. After getting shafted last season, the meticulous mare has shone in this one. This episode will take her down a peg, I imagine, and that is good for her characterization. Every character needs a bit of humility shoved in their face, and I am being genuine when I say that running through the mud and showing some jealousy will remind us, and her, of the faults that endear her to us.
I mean that sincerely. I have always believed that it is our imperfections, and how we deal with them, that make us who we are. Our virtues lift us up, but our flaws show the world what we've overcome.
My problem is that the synopsis has changed to include the word "crush." I consider that a harbinger of things to come in the season and the series. The specter of Main Cast Romantic Sub-Plots is now entering the equation. It is as in-avoidable as the tides, as certain as the setting and rising of the sun.
Just to be clear, I don't think that "the status-quo" will end up being changed too greatly by this episode. I would be very, very surprised if Trenderhoof and Rarity (or Applejack, even less likely) actually end up a thing, but we can't pretend that the word "crush" has any other connotations other than the nascent beginnings of romantic feelings.
"So, this is where the Spike rant begins, huh T.D.?"
Yes, Reader Avatar Voice in My Head, it certainly is.
In a blog post last month Wanderer D pointed out that Spike is useless. I couldn't help but chuckle as some of my dearest Watchers pointed out in the comments that I was most likely sitting here getting ready to declare war. While I can't help but admit that I had begun to prepare a reply, I can't say that I disagree...
As a matter of fact, I agree. Spike is useless.
I'll give you a moment to get back in your chairs.
"But T.D.! Spike is, like, your favorite character! You've said over and over again that his relationship to Twilight is the most important thing to you about the show!"
Aaaaannnndd none of that has changed. Spike remains my favorite character. It is his inability to affect his world, to divide the narrative, that has endeared him to me. He is a child, and even though he is very mature for his age he still struggles against the inherit limitations of his body, mind, and intellect. Spike is only allowed to "win" when it doesn't affect the larger series. Think about it... they were never in any real danger in The Power Ponies. I doubt that comic book retailers are allowed to sell comics that would come with a body count.
"So, what does that have to do with Simple Ways, T.D.?"
Sparity.
"Oh, God, T.D.! You're not about to go off on a rant about how this gets in the way of your O.T.P., are you?!"
No. This has nothing to do with OpalTank.
"What?"
Okay, I might be into CheesePie, too, but that's only because I want Weird Al to come back for another episode.
"Ummmm... okay?"
Look, Reader Avatar Voice, this is going to take a second, so stick with me.
I only have one story that comes close to a true Sparity work, and that is On Pins and Needles. In it, I think I do a fair job of explaining what "Sparity" means to me. Just as my "SpiLight" doesn't involve any actual romantic contexts, my "Sparity" has Spike with his crush on Rarity being an extension of his ongoing search for relationships. That is how he defines himself, by what he is to others. For Rarity, it puts her in the position of actually having a male in her life for the first time that loves her without wanting anything more from her. Spike is an innocent, and therefore his love for her is innocent. That means something to a mare that has long been "dazzled" by the trappings of elitism and the way that relationships are used as weapons and means to ends in that circle.
Spike has seen Rarity crush on stallions before, mind you. In Best Night Ever, he goes in knowing full well that she's seeking Blueblood. In my own head canon, Spike doesn't get jealous because he knows that Blueblood will be... well, Blueblood, and that Rarity will come to her senses when she sees how he treats her.
That was a pre-Secret of My Excess world, though. Now, after that seminal episode in Spike's character development, we know that Rarity is fully aware of Spike's crush on her. After her willingness to fawn over him in Dragonquest and obvious worry about him as he's falling in The Crystal Empire, Part 2, I think that it is fair to say that Rarity has acknowledged that Spike means something to her. Certainly not in a romantic way, but in that is still much more than just "an employee of a friend."
Spike has one role in the series, and it emerged from his original purpose of being "the gross little brother" that the nine-year olds girls were encouraged to view him as being. He is a reflection on every other character. With that in mind, I place this challenge before the show staff, and place my banner on a barren mound of dirt as I observe what part of Rarity will be reflected in Spike during Simple Ways.
In short, here's what I want to see from Spike:
I want him to get angry.
I want him to get mad.
I want him to scream, rage, and bellow.
I want that jealous, avaricious part of him that betrays all of his fears about his relationships to come boiling to the surface.
I want him to try to dress like Trenderhoof and try to sound like an educated, Bohemian world explorer.
I want him to go silent.
I want Rarity to absent-mindedly start praising Trenderhoof in the library. I want Spike's frills to drop, and for the little dragon to make his way to the stairs, wiping the back of his arms across his face as he crawls to his little bed, his heart breaking as he goes.
I want him to cry.
I want Twilight to come to him and hold him as he does.
The only thing I don't want to see is Spike standing there with a big dumb smile on his face, perfectly fine with the situation.
The only wrong answer is "Nothing."
"Damn, T.D.? Why would you want that? That sounds awful!"
Well, it is. That's the point.
I want the creative staff of the show to recognize that the characterizations that they have already established are far, far, far more important than anything new that they can introduce. What I want is for them to remember that there is already a character that is going to be affected by the feelings of another. I want them to at least nod to the reality of the canon that was introduced in Secret of My Excess. Not acknowledging it would be a form of Canon Discontinuity, or asking the audience to simply forget that something happened because they don't want to deal with it... or have just decided that they need to end it for Rarity’s arc to go forward.
I have a number of "sins" that I've identified when people write Spike. One of the most egregious is one I call "The Living Chastity Belt." In this sin, I propose that people feel the need to eject Spike from Twilight or Rarity's life before they feel that they can continue with any romantic plot. One such story has utterly made me "hate" a ship, namely “Twixie”. It is unfair of me to hate an entire ship based solely on one story that supports it, but this fic throws Spike under the bus so hard in its rush to get Twilight and Trixie into bed that the poor kid’s body cracks the pavement and dents the fender. I can't even look at another "Twixie" fic on the Popular Stories Bar without feeling my bile rise.
That is, essentially, what we'd be dealing with here.
In short, the show's staff has made a decision. Are they going to deal with Spike's crush or not? Are they going to acknowledge that Spike has feelings for Rarity, or are they going to ask us to ignore that? Are they going to elaborate and employ something that they developed earlier, or are they going to ignore it and hope that we do, too? Are they going to recognize the odd beauty of the "Sparity" dynamic, or are they simply going to ask us to suddenly suspend all of that and think of it as something else like...
"These two pals."
"Two pals."
"Pals."
Well... damn.
"So, T.D., you pessimistic bastard, you seem to believe that Spike's relationship with Rarity is about to be dismembered, or at very least reduced to something far less than it has been in canon, so that they can start using Rarity and others in romantic episodes. Is that fair to say?"
Yup. You got me, Reader Avatar Voice.
"Okay, so why should we care? You just told us that you don't see 'Sparity' as romantic, so why does it matter?"
Ya know, Reader Avatar Voice, I'm starting to dislike your tone.
It matters because, if they can ignore or remove Spike's feelings for Rarity as she's parading around crushing on another character, then there's really nothing that they can't ask us to swallow as they move towards introducing romantic overtones. And we, being the good little unexpected demographic that we are, will do so happily. We've already gotten a taste of how they would handle such things in Equestria Girls, and who can honestly say that Flash's appearance in the romantic subplot of that movie added anything that wouldn't have been time better spent adding back in the seconds that they cut out of Twilight and Spike's hug at the end of the flick?
Guys, I've been watching cartoons since before many of you were born. I can say this with utter certainty... a series designed for nine-year-olds doesn't gain much when a romantic subplot is suddenly introduced. I think back over Nicktoons, Toonami, Cartoon!Cartoons!, Disney Afternoon, and I can think of maybe three shows that were actually made better by the "romantic" subplots that were added in later seasons.
The shows that deal with romance best are the ones that were designed for it from the beginning.
The very first show I ever wrote fan fiction for was Hey Arnold!. One of the very first things established was Helga Pataki's crush on Arnold, and as it went along Craig Bartlett (who I had the pleasure of speaking with, as he loved to chat with fans) was very, very careful to carefully guide it so that it made sense in the larger context of the show’s ongoing narrative.
Helga's growing desperation to both tell Arnold and hide it from him added to and amplified Arnold's own story of being the anchor and emotional caretaker for an entire grade level of inner-city Seattle school kids. Craig (I feel that he would want me to call him Craig. I mentioned that we chatted, right?) executed this almost perfectly. He did it by taking his time, and by making sure that Helga's story fit with what we knew of their characters.
I mean it! It took Helga four seasons and 75 episodes to get to the point where she was willing to admit it to someone other than her best friend. And, when she finally did, it was amazing!
Just start at 6:53. Just do it.
The only other series that I can think of are Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: Legend of Korra. Once again, these series were built to handle romance from the beginning, it was part of their core dynamic.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is not.
Here's an important lesson, and it applies to "shipping" and every other form of narrative and story.
All too often I encounter what a fan fiction writer I know calls "February Fics" for their penchant to arrive around a certain February holiday.
No, not Groundhog Day.
No, not Lincoln's birthday, either!
These are romances that look like a stretch of railroad tracks disappearing into the distance.
Insert railroad folksong of your choice here.
The two love interests look at each other. They sigh. They speak. They cry. At some point in the distance they invariably fall in love/get married/jump in the sack.
Apply it to any other form of story and it's nearly as soul crushing.
What we want is for "shipping stories," and any other kind of story, to look like is a stretch of railroad track that is climbing through a mountain range.
Insert "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne.
The rails need to twist and turn, seeming to be in hazard at all times. Boulders could fall off the cliffs. Wild animals could appear and threaten those making the journey. Bandits and wash-outs could linger around every curve.
Jeez, I could have just used a picture of my driveway.
But, as those tracks climb, they are helped along. Wise old crewman are alert for danger, helping the lovers along. Bridges support them, helping them cross chasms. Guiderails protect them should they slip. The journey is perilous, but they arrive there together, better, stronger, and more in love for doing so.
"So, what you're saying is, basically, you don't think a series meant to sell toys to nine year old girls could do it the second way?"
Yup.
"That's awful of you T.D.! Don't you trust the writing staff?!"
Of course I do. They've done an excellent job with what they have been given so far.
But, we need to stop lying to ourselves. We need to stop trying to treat MLP like it is High Art. It is not. We do a disservice to the cast and crew, and to ourselves, when we place it on too high a pedestal. It's a cartoon, and inside of its limitations it has done great things... but only inside of its limitations.
It is a very, very good cartoon. It is a great cartoon.
But it is not perfect. It has limitations.
Some of those limitations still color my perception of the show. It took me forever to come to like Cadence and Shining Armor. I dislike being told how I have to feel about characters, and Twilight singing a song isn't enough to make me forget that she never mentioned him even once before. Even a photo on the wall of her family home would have been enough, but all we got is "He's my big brother and I love him so you should love him too."
Once again, that wasn't the show's fault. They were, and are, working within limitations.
Bronies were wetting themselves complaining that her transformation into an alicorn would change who Twilight was. I'm sitting here all of these months later wondering why it hasn't. Except for assuming some emergency powers during the season opener, Twilight hasn't experienced anything that she couldn't have handled as a unicorn. I still desperately want to see how this affects her. I want to see her grow into that gangly new bodies of hers as a living avatar of magic. I want to see her have to make tough choices.
I'm still waiting. As I said, limitations.
Working inside such limitations, how could they develop a character that would "deserve" to win Twilight's heart, or a place in the hearts of any of the main cast? How could they do it without changing the purpose and direction of the show? I've seen many shows try. Few have succeeded in any way that mattered.
MLP:FiM isn't built for romance, at least not above and beyond the type that appeals to nine year old girls who just want a Prince Charming to put in their Princess Twilight Sparkle[TM] Crystal Princess Playset.
Be sure to buy the "Love Grotto Expansion(TM)" with Over-the-Bed mirror and Special Saddle Collection!
That's why we read fan fiction guys, to deal with issues like romance that the show cannot delve into too deeply. I mean that in all seriousness. Can you really imagine any story in your Fave folder becoming a episode? I can think of maybe one, and that would require a massive amount of work.
Think of all of the great battle scenes that were written detailing the battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia over the last three years. Now, compare almost any of them to the battle we saw in the season opener. How do they compare?
Any romance that appeals to people of our demographic would have to face a similar reduction. You can see why I think that MLP:FiM isn’t a series built for such romantic notions, even if I do see them moving in that direction.
All of the animated series that have done so successfully have had the components for constructing of the romance present from the opening act. Like the O.C.xMain Cast artwork commissioners who only buy art of positive things, Flash and any other stallions we may be introduced to at this late stage haven’t faced the challenges and surmounted the personal failings that would allow us to sympathize with them.
The hour is later than you think, Flash Sentry, even if you have a Camaro.
"You know, T.D., if you put as much effort into writing your stories, you might be done with Zenith about now. Sum it up, I'm getting bored!"
Ha! Shows what you know Reader Avatar Voice! Even if I wrote this much in a day for a month Zenith still wouldn't be complete!
I will sum up though:
Put bluntly I'm going to interpret Simple Ways as a tripwire, a litmus test, a warning light, a canary in the coal mine, of how the staff is going to treat any possible romantic plots further down the road.
I believe that we will be seeing romantic plots, as the appearance of Flash Sentry indicates.
If Spike's crush on Rarity is ignored or ended as a path towards accomplishing this, then I believe I'm justified in suggesting that we can expect more of the same, as the staff has limitations on what they can do with a series of this nature.
So, that's it. The gauntlet is thrown, MLP:FiM staff. I'm expecting you to at least reach the same level of concern for the characters, their characterizations, and their existing relationships exhibited by a guy who commissions images of his O.C. making out with Twilight.
Best of luck with that.
You can accomplish that any way you want. You can make me laugh. You can make me cry. You can even do it by making me angry, if it arrives at a happy place in the end.
There's only one wrong way to make me feel about any possible inclusion of romance in the series.
The only wrong answer is "nothing."
Stay Awesome,
-T.D.
*applauds*
Just in case the above doesn't work.
I have read many smart things on this website. I have read many intelligent things, brilliant things, insightful things.
This? This is wisdom.
Love ya, Descy.
I know which fan fic of yours I would like to see made into an episode.
It all starts at a dance hall, and finishes inside a bakery.
As to your rant, wasn't Blueblood a crush for Rarity? I think it's just going to be the same sort of thing. Having said that the last full episode I watched was Daring Don't. For some reason, I just can't bring myself to watch the others, even with Weird Al in it.
I only just sat through the first song (if there are any more) of Flight To The Finish, and left it there. So, not knowing what is going on with the show, you're just going to have to wait it out for now.
But anyway, great blog, TD. I'm both looking forward to and dreading next Saturday's episode for many of the stated reasons here, though this is definitely more in depth than I had thought about it so far. I can't wait to see how they handle the upcoming romantic storyline, but it could go so badly so easily. Depending on how everyone is characterized, it could be another MMDW in my eyes.
I find myself surprised that I took the time to read this hefty post, usually cause my attention span doesn't allow me to before I wander off to something else. However, I found the topic interesting to say the least, and truth be told, I'm hoping Spike is even in the episode. I've noted that he's been in more and more episodes this season even if they aren't in speaking roles, than the previous that's for sure.
I'm hoping that they include him and I have two theories how this will go, the first one I'll present is that he'll find it amusing. Spike's changed a lot since the start, while his infatuation/love/crush whatever it is that one wishes to deem it, with Rarity. While it used to be his main driving character, his character development has been hefty and much appreciated. But the reason I state this is because he may see a parallel with how she used to treat him, and how she's either oblivious to his feelings or tends to just out right ignore them. With that said I can see this turning out funny, with him hopefully not getting the short end of the stick.
And of course the second one is the one I'd hope for most, but at the same time the one I'd doubt would happen at all, seeing as how they tend to take things. Spike may end up as a crutch for Rarity, maybe she'll realize the way she's been acting and connect the dots. I'd be happy with this entering them into a relationship or just some heartwarming moment between them. Either way I'd like to see Spike get some love period, favorite character after all.
This is why I like Reading and Writing fanfics to give characters like Spike and Luna chances to shine (since they are dark horses that have so much potential for any kind of story line related to them)
No, you're wrong about Flash Sentry. He doesn't have 'zero personality'. He has negative personality. It's a minor difference, but it's there.
But in all semi-seriousness. Romance... I guess I can take or leave it. As for Twilight and her wings... she didn't earn them.
Sorry TD, but I think you meant to type GummyTank, as it is the far superior OTP, as anyone would know.
Quite an excellent bit of deduction, logical thinking, and debate! I like it. And I think you've nailed it right where it needs to be. The worst thing they can do is do nothing.
Personally, I hope they don't do nothing. Give us the up and down. Raise the bar for television everywhere!
As wonderfully considered as that all is, season four has been the champion of just ignoring anything inconvenient to whatever shallow plot they have in mind. Even this last one, while being the best of the season by a country mile in my eyes, still revolved around the characters just stone-cold forgetting to have brains or emotions to make the plot work.
My hope for getting any good interaction between Rarity and Spike is zero, as much as I'd like to see it. He'll just get wheeled off stage for as long as it's convenient.
-M
1793076
*Bows.*
I read up until the synopses for the episode. I don't like to spoil it, even if there's really no good reason for it. I'll try and remember to relook at this once the episode airs, or something.
You my friend deserve a cupcake
Insightful. Insightful indeed.
I had enough time on my hands to read every single word of this long blog post, because I like you, and also because I'd like to consider us as friends, don't you?
Now how about a nice tl;dr for the people who are too lazy, hmm?
Holy shit, man.
Just... All of this.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a guy who KNOWS his stuff.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/10/15/123348__safe_twilight+sparkle_animated_clapping_citizen+kane_orson+welles_applause.gif
I really wish I had something more... Substantial to add, but... I don't have anything TO add.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Rarity has a father, ya know.
You are my absolute favorite for saying that.
I cringe every time I see people praise MLP like it's going to start fitting into toasters.
As for the Spike thing, the writers will shove him aside, like they always have. Seriously, Spike probably has serious psychological issues from the way the main cast just brushes aside the majority of his issues.
If Rarity would tell Spike that she's sorry that it's not going to work between them, that would be good enough, at least in my opinion. I doubt he'll even get that honesty. The writers brushed aside his identity issues, and they'll treat his romantic interests the same.
I need to read your Hey Arnold fanfic now lol.
To me Spike is almost never the main focus, he's usually the brunt of a joke or being abused by Rarity. That may be why he has so much material to work with, we know he has personality, we know he is not just another Brad, yet the producers still don't work with him as often as they should.
Why is that?
Well, like what you said, it's a cartoon. Alicorn Twilight was there just to make more toys, hell we hardly even see her flap her wings let alone do anything else. They made the Princess Twilight Sparkle episode, then they were just like okay, we are done with this now. It might be because they made the episode before the transformation and they didn't want to change or because little girls like the ponies and don't care about the story.
Spike as canon in the show will always stay as a little guy with a crush, if they do delve further with him I will be surprised. They seem to not want to go further with his and Rarity's relationship, which leaves writer's like Crow-face to be able to make up there own headcanon and explore these things.
P.S we better see Raven X mane six in a future fanfic
1793118 You're both wrong! GummyAngel forever! derpicdn.net/img/2012/8/10/71104/medium.png
I need to go back and properly read it, but my first thought was "I think I know the Rarity commissioner he's talking about."
Small world, maybe?
This was a most wonderful blog. I enjoyed reading about your thoughts and insights on the intricacies and realities and unavoidable limitations of the show even more than most of the stories gracing the featured box right now. I'm serious. I believe there's a lot of thought and foresight and genuine feelings put into this blog, and considering who they're from, these words are worth quite more than the ink that would be needed to consolidate it.
As you've said, all forms of art, whether it be done with a pen or a brush or a chisel or an instrument, gains its worth when it invokes emotions from its beholder. And it's exactly for those reasons that I feel trepidation for the upcoming episode, not just because I adore the supposedly budding relationship between Spike and Rarity, romantic or otherwise, and wish to see it done justice, but because I fear "nothing" would be the end result. On both the development of the characters, mostly Spike in this case, and my own. MLP, as you've already stated, is just a children's cartoon. For little girls. Sometimes I forget that. It's not some new modern-day renaissance to revolutionize the world of animation and storytelling as we know it, even if I often treat it as such.
A lot of people predict Spike will just be brushed aside, sidelined as he often is, and they're most likely correct. That's the reality of the show given to us, and I can no more argue the opposite than I can make OpalTank the greatest sordid romance in all of cartoon history. If it comes to that, so be it, I suppose. I'm not sure what to expect and what I'll feel when the time comes, but I'll do my best to be a fan regardless.
Thanks so much, TD, sir. For always making me feel "something."
Wow. Just... Wow.
You sir, have some of the most astounding ways with words I wish I could only half compare to. And all of those are right. Love that you're still on the Spike train even with the whole useless thing in there. There really is a lot more to him if given the chance to explore and it's fandoms like this that make me proud that I'm a part of it. There's so many concepts to explore that a show can't delve into for the sake of intended demographic. What I would love though, is if they actually gave Spike a chance to really shine, to show to others, and I think himself, that he isn't as useless as some might think. There's that desire in every underdog I believe. He may be a kid, but kids have ways of surprising people... ugh... ponies. I don't know anymore. Well, that and to show he's really friends with the others. I mean, he was there for Pinkie's "Rainbow Eye Circle" moment/episode for less than a minute, and it ended with him cut out while the others stood beside Pinkie. He's only been there for Rarity's thing, and even at that, he didn't get a spool color of his own when Rarity placed the rainbow spool next to the colors of the others.
Oops, I guess I went on my own little rant there for a moment. Sorry, that's your thing. Anyway, you have words insightful as ever, and I hope Zenith works out for you. It certainly has with me and plenty other of your loyal readers.
I definitely think that a romantic subplot wouldn't work for any main character besides Rarity. Almost from the outset, she was on about being spirited away by handsome stallions in shining armor and whatnot. If any aspect of the show is set up for romance, as you put, it's her. But I'm also keeping my expectations low.
You're dead to me. :|
For the record, Reader Avatar Voice clearly wasn't mine. Otherwise it would've gone "Hell yeah!" at the idea of another Weird Al appearance.
In any case, very well done. Most concern for future episodes seems like gratuitous nerd-rage to me, but this? This was a well-reasoned, calm analysis of why you worried, along with your hopes and fears for Saturday. I only wish more bronies could be as rational in their anticipation.
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Not after the last episode. Gumless 5ever.
Interesting - and probably quite credible, for the most part. We shall see. We shall see.
As a collorary, I personally think that the problem with romance is when a character is written for a romance. They inevitable seem to fail. When two characters, written entirely as their own characters, develop a romance, I find it vastly more convicing and generally enjoyable.
Tom and Belanna, in Voyager (okay, stop throwing things, that show was pretty good in the first episode and season three onwards! It was just the rest of it that was rubbish, That Episode aside...!)
Even more contraversioally, in X-Men, I found that Cyclop's relationship with Emma Frost was far and away better than the one he'd had with Jean Grey. Because both characters had their own history and established personalities - so one wasn't just a (slightly fleshed out (no, I never did like Jean much)) Designated Love Interest from the get-go.
So if MLP was to start introducing romances, they would be better served, I think, in introducing characters in a non-romance-y way first. (Cheese Sandwich, perhaps, just from this season, could perhaps form the basis of one - though I think he's a little too close to Pinkie to do it well... But we are a little short of recurring male characters, save for Big Mac...!)
I guess we will have to wait and see.
Though thanks, TD, now I'm more on edge about viewing this week's episode than I would have been in my blissful spoiler-fire ignorance...!
That was by far the best blog post that I have ever read. And it made me love you even more. Now I can't write a super long comment or a 4000+ word blog, but I heartily agree with you on every point. Dang you're a great writer, be it things like this or fanfiction or (as I'm sure you'd be good at it) actual fiction. Ever think about being an official author? Or an analyst? Geez, I so want to meet you in person one day :) Until then I'll have to resign myself to
drooling overreading everything you write. It's just utterly fantasticIt totally should have gone something like this. I chose the Megatron version specifically for that line around 1:20.
I'ma keep my expectations low, so I don't get mad. I bet the writers are gonna make Spike the little brat that helps Rarity attempt to get with this guy.
I agree very much with most of this. Quite honestly I'm not as clever and knowing about these things so much of this went a it over my head. But I do very much agree that MLP is not designed for this, lets say. This is one of the reasons I really, really dislike any part that "permanently change" something with the characters. Twilight becoming an alicorn, elements gone and so on. These things will just never get mentioned again appart from that one episode and nothing will come from it. Just accept that this is how it is now.
I'm absolutely ok with new characters being introduced and even tho I didn't like the sudden appearance of Cadance and Shining Armor I'm still happy they did. Now any romantic persuits is different. These are a permanent change that will change not only the one falling in love but everyone around them as well and as such will just fail before it even start imho. These types of things should really stay out of the MLP cannon.
This, again, is why Twilight becoming an alicorn turned out as bad as it did. The fandom freaked out so much because Twilight would change and all these changes would be coming, which they should have. That was the entire reason of the freaking out. The fact that nothing really did change just asks the question why it ever happened in the first place. The changes that everyone freaked out over should have happend or the transformation should not. Either way this Twilicorn discussion is long since old and I dont want to rant about it so I'll just end here.
// Sphex
If this post was a potato, it would be a good potato.
But seriously, wow. I really liked this post.
Let's not forget about this particular scene:
i.imgur.com/f2J1oL3.jpg
I'm sure they are completely aware that Spike's character has essentially been turned into a doormat.
I have carefully read every last word in your blog, and have but a few words to add.
First, this is why I am not looking forward to this episode. I can only hope for all that's good in the world, that they threw in a major, I don't know... sub-plot about Spike. Or better yet, that he's there to ever constantly remind her that there is someone who's heart she has already won. If Spike simply accepts this, then I dare say that this episode could be even worse than MMDW.
Second, what you spoke of about romance in FIM is exactly the reason I avoid most romance fics. They simply don't fit the show's original nature. I can only hope that you're wrong about the trend that's coming in season 4. And if that's not the case, well then DHX has a chance to redeem itself with "Brad".
Great post. I really hope the show's writers somehow see this, because this is exactly how I think a lot of people in the fandom would feel. As much as I like shipping, it's for fanfiction, not canon.
...I propose we elect TD as Emperor of the Fandom.
I sort of wish there were upthumbs and a featured box for blog entries, now. Good breakdown, TD.
I think your referencing the battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia is spot-on.
MLP's a great show, but it does have limitations in terms of what content it can handle effectively. It does a fair job with action within its bounds (think A Canterlot Wedding Part 2) but anything deep and dark and dangerous? Nope.
I don't know about the dark part, but romance is certainly deep and, in a certain sense, dangerous. I don't think it can be handled effectively as a main subject within the confines of the show.
Keep it at an arm's length. Leave it to our imagination.
And our keyboards.
You know I've read some good blog posts before.
But this is the best damn blog post this site has ever seen.
A wonderful read sir, and plenty for me to mull and stew over in the coming week. Needless to say that this post is going to greatly colour my expectations and interpretation of the episode, but I hardly think that's a bad thing.
Unfortunately, my gut feeling is that Spike is going to get ignored so that the focus can remain on Rarity and Applejack. If that's the case, I would hope they would find some way to have him be out of town at least, just to preserve some possibility of the Sparity dynamic being addressed in future episodes and seasons. It's a cop-out, but I figure it would be a slightly lesser evil than the alternative.
Man, between reading your thoughts and stories about Spike, and those of analysts like Tommy Oliver... seeing Spike in episodes these days is just leads to disappointment for me. It's become apparent that the writers have little interest in doing anything remotely interesting with him, never mind taking him seriously to any appreciable extent. To some of your points... I think the last time we saw Spike having any compelling emotional conflict was Crystal Empire Pt. 2, with the mirror and wanting to help or protect Twilight. Have to say that I miss that.
Ah well, I guess we'll see on Saturday.
I doubt any of us can write a reply that can do your blog post justice.
Personally, I try not to worry about the show too much. Cartoons live by the status quo, nothing will happen to change the Sparity relationship until the series is ready to die. This is how cartoons do it, they just keep the 'Will they or won't they' mentality as long as they can.
But I'm ok with that.
If I ever get tired of the show writers, there are plenty of writers here who can produce works I love. Who can explore personalities and interactions in a mature and respectful manner.
If I ever feel like I want to read some good shipping, I just go and read the 'Night Mares' IDW arc again. If the show will never 'scratch that itch' doesn't really bother me.
One day the show will die, as all shows do. When that happens, it isn't going to be the episodes I remember learning from. It will be the stories. Tales like "Of Age", "On Pins and Needles" and even a few of my own.
I don't need Ms. McCarthy to tell me how Spike grows and changes. Quite frankly, I much prefer the way you guys present it anyway.
Whatever happens on Saturday, Spike will still be my second favorite pony (Rarity still wins by a smidge). Rarity might drop a little in my book, but that depends on her performance. If all else fails, I just treat it like 'Spike At Your Service' and strike it from my personal history. I am not obligated to follow their conventions when I write or read.
If they decide to ruin what made these characters so likable in the first place, I will still write them the same way I always have.
Thanks for the food for thought. See you after the episode;
-Lumino
... that had to be one of the longest blogs you've made, and I think I'm going to have to reread it since you went into at least three different topics.
I've been a bit wary of this upcoming episode ever since I read the plot summary, but I hadn't even considered the Sparity dimension. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before. I agree with almost everything you said.
Josh Haber is writing "Simple Ways", and I can't tell from "Castle Mane-ia" whether or not he's likely to address Spike's emotions. On the one hand, Spike is in that episode as much as any other character, which I take as a good sign; on the other hand, he's only there to be scared and make Twilight look level-headed by comparison, and the overall plot was comedy-focused with no genuine emotional weight.
Honestly, the most I'm hoping for now is a background shot of Spike looking disappointed inserted by one of the animators.
_______
...if it's any comfort, there's a chance that Meghan McCarthy used the word "pals" just to mess with the fans. A small chance.
Wait, are you sure Flash drives a Camaro? A Mustang would be a better fit because the writers love to shoehorn in horse puns wherever they can. And there's also the fact that if a high school kid is going to own a sports car, it's likely going to be a Mustang (at least here in North Carolina anyway, where the Ford Mustang is as ubiquitous as the Toyota Camry).
1793081 new head cannon: his wife yells "Descy, I'm home!"
1793081 new head cannon: his wife yells "Descy, I'm home!"
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Thanks for adding that.
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Awww! I have strong platonic feelings towards you as well, Sergeant!
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As much as I'd love to see A Sweet Taste of Cake made into a movie, I don't see that happening unless a win a few million dollars that I can use to commission the studio.
I haven't watched many of the newer episodes either. The few I have? Not a single idea for a story came of it. How sad, right?
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Now, now, now... there's nothing wrong with driving a Dodge! It's just that there's everything right with driving a GM.
I'm glad that I gave you something to ponder, DJ.
GET HIM!
Edit: Okay done reading now. Seriously, what TD says is true. I'd much prefer if any future romance stayed out of the show. Except perhaps a little Sparity now and again.
As somebody who has experienced much the same frustrations as you with romance fics, and wrote Traveling Tutor specifically to address many of them, I also have to point out that the show is set to a 22 minute clock, and a proper romance, even simplified down to the target audience demographic, is very difficult to do in that time frame. Up did it perfectly, but they're the exception to the rule.
Any of the M6 is difficult to make a proper ship for, but Twilight Sparkle is a special case. She has a goddess for a teacher, a second goddess for a foalsitter and sister-in-law, and the Captain of the Royal Guard as a big brother, in addition to five good friends who would all have a certain influence on any would-be suitor. Now throw in her parents, and one Princess of the Night who owes her freedom to the Elements of Harmony, and the only stallion who would court her would have to be crazy. Or would be in short order.
Yes, my two Traveling Tutor stories were a blast to write because they were difficult. Nobody travels across the country to climb Mount Sunflower. They climb Everest, or other mountains I can't spell. I've never commissioned a picture of Green Grass because I'm not that crazy (yet). But if I ever finish the third one, I might.
That was a thing of beauty, TD
Sadly, I think the only answer we'll get is a big, blunt "nothing". Ever since the awesomeness of Secret of my Excess, Spike and Rarity's relationship was pretty much ignored. Oh, he still crushes on her, and she still cares for him and treats him fairly nicely (yet she shows no shame in manipulating him into being her pack mule), but that's how it has always been.
Spike has, in my opinion, the greatest potential out of all the characters in the show (apart from Celestia and Luna).
He has a potential tragic past (his egg was found alone. Did his parents die? Did they abandon him?).
He has a tragic present (he is often left behind by the Mane Six, doing the grunt work or flat-out ignored. Even though they obviously care for his well-being, it's clear that they hold him in a lower esteem).
He has a potential tragic future (there's a big chance that Rarity will never return his feelings. There's also a big chance that he is just like the other dragons when it comes to longevity, meaning that he can, and probably will, outlive all of his friends).
Were any of these points actually adressed in the show? Not really. Sometimes the writers touch on the present problems, but it never sticks. Wait for a few episodes and it's happening again. Ok, I know this is a kids' show, and there are some issues that they simply can't touch, but it's heartbreaking to see a character with so much potential wasted as comic relief.
As for the upcoming Simple Ways, I have a feeling that Spike won't even make an appearance. Sad, I know, but it's the best we can get. But you can be sure that, if he does make an appearance and doesn't react to Rarity's crush in any meaningful way, I will seriously lose my shit.
Wordlessly pushes money into the screen
I feel bad for digesting these brilliant words without paying you...