In Praise of "Baby Cakes" · 3:23pm Jan 17th, 2012
PINKIE PIE EPISODE, Y'ALL.
And, in my opinion, it was great. Though it was a bit odd to see Pinkie mostly in the role of the "straight man," as she's usually the "funny guy," there was lots and lots of lovable Pinkie Pie-ness. I always figured that she'd enjoy little kids, but I wasn't sure whether or not she'd be good with kids, and I like that she is good with them. That feels very in character. Plus, the way Pinkie so obviously adored Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake--and was adored by them--just warmed my cold, dead little heart.
Also, pony genetics. Amazing. As far as I'm concerned, this episode established that Pinkie MUST have some unicorn and pegasus genes in her family tree. Because, really, wouldn't that explain so much? IT WOULD EXPLAIN SO MUCH.
But more importantly, Pinkie got to be her lovely, wonderful, three-dimensional self. This episode might be the most lucid, focused, and self-aware we've ever seen the crazy party planner. She totally twigged that the Cakes didn't think she could hack baby-sitting, and she totally noticed Twilight's veiled insult when the unicorn dropped by the bakery to help with baby-sitting. (About which--I kinda loved how Twilight didn't even seem to mean to insult Pinkie or notice that she'd done so. I didn't love how, midway into season 2, Twi is still badly underestimating Pinkie.) And she set out to prove herself to those who were doubting her, to prove she's responsible. Who would've guessed that Pinkie would even care whether others think she's responsible or not? I hadn't, but I really liked that she does.
And the episode's ending was pure d'aaaaawww. I must, must, must write fan fiction with Pinkie and the Cake twins. MUST.
On a selfish note, I hope this episode helps nudge the fandom towards a more balanced, positive interpretation of Pinkie Pie (a.k.a., The Correct Interpretation). People are free to write whatever they want and to put whatever personal spins they want on the characters, of course, but I have to say, when I'm trying to find a good Pinkie Pie story and am wading through nigh endless pages of hacktastic "Cupcakes" rip-offs, I get very discouraged by the fandom. I won't say that these writers are wrong, but ... that's a lie. That's exactly what I'm going to say.
These writers are wrong. Pinkie Pie is not evil. Pinkie Pie is not dangerous. Pinkie Pie is not completely out of touch with reality. Nor is Pinkie a random jumble of hyperactivity and non-sequiturs. Pinkie Pie is my favorite pony and, as such, it pains me to see how the fandom mutilates her. She's funny and friendly and bubbly and extroverted to a degree that probably causes heart palpitations in both Twilight and Fluttershy ... and these aren't some kind of MASK or FASCADE, hiding some lurking darkness, these are WHO SHE IS. She's also insecure and impulsive and, yes, not the most mentally stable of ponies--"Party of One" established all that--but those things don't negate all of the other things she is, they just add to the complete picture.
And that complete picture is of a wonderful, rich,eminently lovable character. A character who is far more interesting than a simple deranged serial killer or wangsty depressed anti-hero.
She is Pinkamena Diane "Responsibility" Pie, and she is AMAZING. And don't you ever forget that, fandom.
How exactly is Twilight "underestimating" Pinkie? The Cakes chose Pinkie as a last-resort babysitter after literally everyone else had turned them down, and I'm honestly not sure whether I'd trust any (hypothetical) kids of my own to someone like her. Pinkie might have felt insulted by Twilight's visit, but that doesn't mean it was an actual insult. Twilight didn't underestimate her, she just knows Pinkie.
I've always thought of Pinkie as that one quirky and slightly-crazy-in-a-cute-and-endearing-way friend many of us have. In fact, when I first started watching MLP, she reminded me of such a friend.
Also, I'm surprised no one has written a fic including the baby Cakes yet - I normally find theres a new story involving or relating to new characters or events the day after an episode is aired.
5363
I'd probably say that the Cakes underestimated Pinkie, too, because Pinkie DID come through at the end. Not without a bunch of bumps along the way and not without learning some lessons, but still, she kept those kiddos safe and sound and even got them to take their naps. I think she did pretty decent, especially considering it was her first time baby-sitting.
And it wasn't Twilight visiting in and of itself that I thought was an insult, it was this line in particular: "Babies take a lot of work, and some ponies are just not cut out to handle the responsibility." It seemed to me that Twilight meant "some ponies" to clearly mean Pinkie. *shrug* I would've likely taken offense, if that had been said to me. Though it was really cutting off the nose to spite the face when Pinkie Pie tossed Twilight out the door--bad life decision there on Pinkie's part.
You're free to disagree, of course. That's just how I happened to read things.
5365
*nod* I have some friends like that, too. I suspect most of us do.
NEED stories about the Cake twins! NEED!
~Donny's Boy
Of course Pinkie isn't evil! She's the most adorable filly in all of Ponyville, and all she wants to do, is make everypony smile!
Now, Fluttershy on the other hand...