Stereotypical Subtext in Trenderhoof's Perception of Applejack · 4:13pm Nov 21st, 2017
It's an interesting subtext, because has to be Under the Radar, given that My Little Pony is aimed primarily at preteen girls.
Trenderhoof's attraction toward Applejack is obviously highly sexual: indeed, excessively so, given that he doesn't actually know her. And it's also obvious that he sees Earth Ponies (like Applejack) as simpler creatures than Unicorns (like himself). This sort of attitude often comes with, on the part of the "higher" class individual (as Trenderhoof perceives himself), the notion that the "lower" class one is sexually more direct, and this implies both sexier and less sexually-inhibited. Or should be less sexually-inhibited. Which implies being more willing to have sex with a suitor.
Applejack may very well be aware that some Unicorns have this attitude toward some Earth Ponies, and to the extent that she's aware of this, it would be one of the aspects of Trenderhoof's approach that offends and repels her. Among other things, because it's probably not true of Applejack -- she's consistently characterized as the sort of mare who likely has very high sexual morals indeed.
We see that she's annoyed that Trenderhoof assumes that she's more hard-working just because she's an Earth Pony. Why is this, given that she is, in fact, very hard-working (and being "hard-working" is generally a good thing)?
For a similar reason to her offense at Trenderhoof's assumption that she's more promiscuous than would be a Unicorn. Namely, in both cases, Applejack's individual character, for ill or good, is being ignored in favor of the stereotype.
Trenderhoof assumes her to be more sexually willing, because she's an Earth Pony (and, given Trenderhoof's wealth, decadence and attraction to Earth Ponies, Trenderhoof may well be familiar with Earth Pony whores), thus robbing Applejack of any appreciation for her own high moral standards. Then, he assumes her to be "hard-working" not because Applejack is HERSELF in fact hard-working, but simply because she's an Earth Pony, which robs Applejack of any credit for being hard-working.
Even though one stereotype is negative and the other positive, they have the same effect. Applejack's virtues are either being ignored as inconsistent with the stereotype, or ignored as simply stemming from the stereotype. If all Earth Ponies are promiscuous but hard-working, and Applejack is an Earth Pony, then the statement that Applejack is chaste can't be true, and the statement that Applejack is hardworking is true but is no special merit of Applejack's: she shares it with every other Earth Pony. This is why belief in both ends of the stereotype is insulting, when applied to all individuals of the class.
This is a subtle point, but I think it was intentional.
Which event is this in reference to?
4731401
Trenderhoof's crush in Applejack in Simple Ways. Specifically, when he first sees her eating an apple.
I am stil waiting for an episode where they really delve into how the show sees Earth Ponies as being special. Not how WE find them special as we have plenty of that here in stories on this site but I really want the show to get into that because as you watch there are numerous times where the show kind of accidently insults them and makes everybody else seem more special than them and I think that is a mistake in the show's writing that should be rectified and could be a great lesson to teach from the show (depending on how they do this) which is something they are always wanting to do and this would be more natural.
4731454
From what I've seen on the Show, they are generally stronger and hardier than the other Kinds, and tend to have strong Talents (often related to farming, mining or trade). Trenderhoof's stereotype of Earth Ponies seems to me like a stereotype of the working class in particuar: he may not grasp that the Apples are actually middle class and own very productive lands, any more than he grasps that they are intelligent and fairly well educated.
I must confess, the sexual prejudice you mentioned, I didn't see back then. Not sure I'm seeing it now, but I'll go and rewatch the episode under these auspices.
Whether or not he believed Applejack to be of loose sexual morals compared to his own kind though, I will always give the show credit for how his appreciation of shallow things wasn't in itself shallow. He clearly wanted more than just to get into Applejack's nonexistent pants. He was ready to go all in, with a girl he hardly knew. A Romeo without a Juliet.
4731496
4731454
Crimson is right. The writers have trouble coming up with something truly Earth Pony-ish. One of the strongest ponies in the show is a Pegasus, Rainbow Dash beat Applejack at arm wrestling... It feels like they can't really come up with something specific, so they cling to some vague notions about farming and physical strength.
4731496
On the whole I do not even see that in the show. They also never even cover that in the show we are just deciding that it must be true but honestly how strong are they on the whole? Yes ponies like Big Mac and AJ are strong but they are in a profession that pushes you to become physically strong (they do not use complex machines to do work so they literally work with their hooves). Maud is also really strong but used to live on a rock farm which we can all assume also a job that pushes you to higher strength.
Also personally I hope that if and when they do create an episode about why earth ponies matter and should be proud of what they can do that it is better than just "oh they are strong and good at farming". Unicorns used to raise the heavens before there were alicorns (well at least in story) and pegasi control the weather. There are really interesting routes they can go with this and they have thus far not even begun to make use of it. It is a waste. Heck there is a great potential episode out there where an earth pony foal gets to learn that earth ponies are as legitimately cool and needed as unicorns and pegasi.
Also they really should show how Alicorns are made up of Earth Ponies too. They show and talk up the unicorn and pegasus parts but earth pony is conspicuously missing. Heck it is treated that it is not even a required part sometimes in feel and that should be just wrong.
You took Trenderhoof having being aroused by Applejack eating an apple to him having experience with earth pony prostitutes? That's kind of a stretch. This is the same guy who is prepared to move in with the Apples at the end of the episode, just so he can court Applejack. Heck, the guy writes poetry about her, this is hardly an example of a pervert trying to pick up what he perceives as an easy lay.
4731657
You have a point. Even though it's really bad poetry. But of course that could be a failure to come through translation.
4731694 I mean, he's supposed to be an annoying hipster, it's quite likely a modernist version of poetry that doesn't rely on old fashioned ideas like "meter" and "rhyming scheme" and "sounding good."
Also, good analysis of him being a tribalist, and why that particular condescending compliment to Applejack would be so infuriating to her.
Why does everything have to revolve around a sex for sale industry? It could be he's just naive, and the country life is a novelty to him, and AJ embodies the ideal.