Thoughts on Mane Therapy School and Academic Snobbery · 10:15pm Jun 10th, 2016
The last episode gave us some insight into the Equestrian Higher Education system. Ponies can study for a degree in ‘Mane Therapy’ and graduate in fancy dress as ridiculous as that from any other college. But what is Mane Therapy anyway? Is it just a fancy name for hair dressing? Or is there more to it? Does the ‘therapy’ part just refer to the appropriate care of those lovely coloured locks and curls, or is there a wider benefit to equine heath from having a beautified mane?
This is evidently a very technical subject. Ponies have an extraordinary variety of mane styles and colours. Presumably a further qualification would be necessary before you can try styling the princesses. Anyone who has tried to get their brushable plastic ponies to look vaguely like the images in the show will appreciate Zephyr’s assessment of how much stress ponies hold in their manes, how everything gets limp and unmanageable, and brushing alone won't solve the problem. For full details, see the videos by derpyderp910.
Mane Therapy is clearly an appropriate calling for a character like Zephyr. But it is probably not the most academically rigorous subject on offer in the Equestrian university system. Maud Pie’s ‘Rocktorate in Rock Science’ does sound like a rather more hard-core option. This reminded me of an old news story from the education world, where the Taxpayers' Alliance complained about the waste of public money and dumbing down of higher education, citing as evidence the existence of courses with names such as ‘Golf Management’, ‘Fashion Buying’, ‘Beauty Therapy’ and ‘Horse Psychology’.
University 'non-courses' attacked - 21 August 2007
I suppose I should be pleased that abstract academic pursuits such as searching for hypothetical fundamental particles are viewed with more respect than vocational courses teaching real-world skills in demand by industry. Yet after spending so much time studying pony fiction, it is hard not to feel that the academic study of equine psychology is of equal intrinsic value.
I personally just like that he keeps the afternoon shadow at the exact same level of roughness throughout his entire higher education.
This appears to be the only blog on the site using the "horse psychology" tag. I find myself disappointed by this.
Also, I have to think that advanced mane therapy courses are needed to deal with the Calabi-Yau snarl that is Pinkie Pie's mane. She's probably on the curriculum with Celestia and Luna.
Wouldnt Mane Therapy be required for the treatment of advanced stress in Earth Ponies using Capilurgy, or physical manipulation of the enviroment by prehensile, even partially manes and tails?
To understand Pinkies mane, first you have to realise that normal materials crystalise in four spacial dimentions. the, Pinkie can manipulate that the same way as seperating a sphere into five fractally distributed without limit pieces, then reassembled into two identical objects. Result. Pinkie only ever has to make one cupcake, then seperate it, whereupon it converts into a quantum dispersed state which has no response to temporal flow. Upon removing two pieces and assembling, the origional cupcake reforms and time starts flowing for it once again, leaving a timeless set of partial cupcakes in her mane for later.
The mind bending stuff comes when she Scene Changes. And you realise, She Can Do That At Any Time.
I'd take a course on pony psychology, provided it's being taught by a pony.
4013585 Back during the days of Miami Vice, you could buy an attachment for your shaver that would give you that five o' clock shadow look every day. No, the *old* Miami Vice. Think Don Johnson.
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I agree there really should be some more #horse psychology posts.
Pinkie's Calabi-Yau mane-ifold? A topic of ongoing research. To have any chance of understanding it, you should first get a solid grounding in topology and string theory. Maybe 'mane' is what the the M stands for in M-theory.
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No doubt it was a important part of the coursework learning how to keep it at the perfect length.
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Such technology is still available.
It's probably a licensing requirement. Rarity might have played a role in lobbying for it.
I found Zephyr's calling hair-dressing "mane therapy" more annoying than anything else in the episode. Given his penchant for stretching the truth and exaggerating his own accomplishments, I suspect Zephyr is a "mane therapist" in exactly the same way a garbageman is a "sanitation engineer."
4015483 The union of Mane Therapists probably won it in a concession a few years ago.
I think mane therapy is not only a fancy name for hairdressing but also an important part of a pony's psychology and social life. After all, a mane is not just hair, but a way of expressing oneself, one's emotions, interests, and belonging to a certain group. Remember when Rainbow Dash dyed her mane rainbow colors to support Scootaloo? Or how Fluttershy was shy about her mane and hid it behind her ears? The mane is part of a pony's personality, and mane therapists help them improve it and boost their self-esteem.
But mane therapy can also have negative consequences. If a pony gets too carried away with its mane and forgets about other aspects of life, then it can become a narcissist or an egoist. If a pony obeys fashion trends and does not listen to its inner voice, then it may lose its individuality. If a pony uses its mane as a means of manipulation or pressure on others, then it can become a tyrant or despot. I recently read an essay at this link about William Golding's story "Lord of the Flies". There, teenage children stranded on a desert island split into two warring factions: one led by Ralph, who wanted to keep order and civilization, and the other by Jack, who wanted to dominate and entertain himself. Jack painted his face red and black to intimidate his opponents and emphasize his status as a leader. His mane (in this case, hair) has become a symbol of his cruelty and madness.
Thus, I believe that mane therapy is not only a profession but also the science of how a mane affects the psychology and behavior of a pony. Mane therapists must not only be masters of their craft, but also know the characteristics of different types of mane take into account the individual preferences and needs of clients, and ensure that they do not upset the balance between the beauty and health of the mane.
I think it's another term for hairdressing.