Points of Canon: S6x03 - The Gift of the Maud Pie · 6:33pm Apr 2nd, 2016
Continuing my points-of-canon series, we’ve got moar pony.
Let’s see if we learned anything new about them.
- The episode opens up by presenting us with an earth pony stallion(1) with a very obvious jar of vegemite for his cutie mark.(2)
- Paradoxically, this is the first time we see Rarity doing her own hooficure.
- Pinkie says “Maud is getting her rocktorate nearby.” This is the first time the word turns up, and honestly, I’m not sure what it’s supposed to mean.(3)
- Pouches called a “rock pouch” are a thing. Seeing as how everypony refers to them by that name, while few ponies like to explicitly carry rocks around, it is probably best to assume this refers to a style of container, rather than the intended application.
- I think that’s the first time we see a pony with an actual tattoo, or at least, a surface design other than a cutie mark – a stallion stares down at yelling Pinkie from a window, and he has a pretty stereotypical heart with an arrow through it on his front right leg.(4)
- Pieces of the map of Manehattan are shown. While it is quite similar to Manhattan in general shape, that’s where the resemblance ends, as none of the landmarks are similarly positioned.
- Pony technology and/or magic is capable of maintaining an open air ice rink out of season.(5)
- Once again, “moons” are used casually as a measure of time, I hate those people.
- This is the first time uniformed police makes an appearance outside of comics, peaked caps and handcuffs and all.(6)
- Rarity addresses the waiter as “garçon!” which is one of the rarely observed
FrenchFancy words. - Visual gag or no, Twilight Scepter, the Inspiration Manifestation spellbook and Mr. Smartypants make an appearance again.
- Maud uses a camera on a flexible rigid shoulder mount, first observed in “Green is not Your Color”.(7)
- Seeing how reluctant Pinkie is to part with her party cannon, and how it is not mentioned that this particular specimen of party cannon has sentimental significance, it is safe to assume it is not a mass-produced device and difficult to replace.(8)
- One of the kites in the park is shaped like a rocket, which wouldn’t be a first, but it’s curious how persistent the imagery is in pony culture.
- Maud casually refers to “Maud Sense” which, in this case, permits her to locate the party cannon. It is unclear what else it lets her do. Pinkie’s comment “It runs in the family” suggests the other sisters might also have senses of their own.
Not a very big haul of world-building elements, but some do have far-reaching consequences, the policemare in particular.
(1) Well, I’m assuming that he’s an earth pony, but his back is not visible, so he might still be a pegasus.
(2) Didn’t I see a story about just that sort of thing floating around just days ago?…
(3) Because Pinkie. Assuming Maud gets her rocktorate, would she be called a “rocktor?”
(4) How exactly this sort of design might be applied is a mystery, but considering the stallion is obviously not one to care for cosmetics much, with dirty clothes and an even dirtier apartment in obvious disrepair, it has to be permanent. This is also one of the rare instances where we see a pony in a state of an obvious social disadvantage.
(5) We know it’s out of season for sure because the river in the park is very much not frozen.
(6) This is particularly notable in shutting down the idea that the Royal Guard perform police duties across the entire Equestria.
(7) The shoulder mount disappears when Rarity uses the camera, which means it is, presumably, easy to detach, not that would be a surprise.
(8) Why does this remind me of grandfathered pre-ban firearms?…
Actually, the word Rockterate was first heard in the episode Maud Pie. It's assumed by many to be a rock-based doctorate, because of the obvious pun.
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Missed it back then, I suppose. Both times, the word is used by Pinkie. Does everypony else accept it, or is it just a Pinkie-specific pun on "doctorate?" The original turn of phrase was "rocktorate in rock science," so I'm inclined to think the latter...
Have ponies ever said the word geology? Because if not then my headcanon is that rocktorate is the pony equivalent on a world to small for proper plate tectonics.
I've been assuming all along that the party cannon was produced by Pinkie herself, from thin air, by her magic. Granted, her apparent inability to replace it puts a hole in that theory... but magicians in other continuities have made irreproducable works, so it's still a possibility?
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I suppose it is a possibility, but considering that Cheese Sandwich has a tank, this starts a runaway train of thought about party pony magic...
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No such word in the show transcripts. There are no transcripts of comics though, but I don't remember meeting this word there either. So the possibility exists. :)
…it's also terrible to do in French, because it means "boy", its female counterpart is wholly uncouth, and waiting is a Real Job in France…hoo boy did my professor go off on a tear about this.
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Currently my best idea is that Fancy is the ancestral unicorn language, which remained in use in polite society, certain pre-classical magical traditions, haute couture and fine dining. The modern Equish primarily descends from ancestral pegasi languages instead…
So, no idea what it actually means to them. :)
…and horribly rude, don't do this, ever.…already said that, it seems.Well, I've seen this now.
❧"nepheline syenite"
❧❧though I heard "methylene cyanite"…but, given the linked above, I'm wrong.
❧Open-air market in Manehattan.
❧a Twilicane[s] is being sold in Manehattan.
❧Rarity is capable of Pinkie antics, tumbling, teleportation.
❧❧…that explains the fainting couch.
❧Rock pouches bring in cash by the tonne: the one seen is on a pony with money cutie mark, and the proprietor is on a long, sudden vacation. (The narrow shop option visited supports required premise "rent is high in Manehattan" )