Help! - My Heart is Full of Pony! - Griffon the Brush Off · 3:41am Jun 11th, 2020
Griffon the Brush Off was the first episode ever to focus on the friendship dynamic of two characters who were not Twilight. In it, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash discover that they share a common love of practical jokes. The story starts with a somewhat Looney Tunes-esque chase sequence where Pinkie hounds and nags Rainbow to death. This exchange is interesting and unique in and of itself because it establishes that these two ponies don't actually know each other very well yet. Dash doesn't even like Pinkie Pie. The bond that they form with one another would evolve slowly over time, but it all started right here - with the discovery of a mutual love of practical jokes.
In Rainbow Dash's own words, "You know Pinkie Pie, you're not as annoying as I thought. You wanna hang out?"
The two of them have a blast pulling practical jokes on all of their friends (except Fluttershy), and, for a while, they seem to even make a daily ritual out of this hobby. That is, until Dash's childhood friend, Gilda, comes to town, and acts like a giant jerk.
The main conflict of this story is that Pinkie Pie can see that Gilda is a great big meanie, while Rainbow Dash cannot.
Interestingly enough, Pinkie spends much of the episode Hamleting - doubting her own instincts - desperately wanting to see the best in Gilda. Twilight even advises Pinkie Pie to back off, and give Dash some space. However, Pinkie hits her breaking point when she witnesses Gilda being cruel to Fluttershy.
In the end, Pinkie Pie throws the griffon a party, during which, Gilda becomes the victim of several practical jokes. Unable to take what she dishes out, Gilda completely freaks sideways. That's when Rainbow Dash finally sees her for the meanie that she really is.
(Now Gilda, like almost every other mildly unpleasant character in the show, is ultimately redeemed four seasons later, but that's neither here nor there)
Reflecting on this episode now - so many years later - really shed new light on that fateful party. (At least for me). You see, Gilda accuses Pinkie of having ambushed her. Targeting her with pranks to enact revenge. Pinkie replies that it was all a coincidence - that she had thrown the party to brighten Gilda's spirits, and make her more amiable.
When I first saw this episode, the show had not yet fully explored Pinkie Pie as a character. My personal theory at the time was that Pinkie Pie had, in fact, planned the party specifically to target Gilda. I relished the idea that Pinkie was, in fact, a genius who had orchestrated every moment of it.
I didn't really give it a second thought until just now.
I'm not sure at what point in the series I grew to appreciate Pinkie Pie on a deeper level, but looking back on everything she has been through, and everything she's done, I feel that the real beauty of Pinkie Pie is the fact that she actually would do this. Pinkie threw a party for a bully in an attempt to cheer them up, and inspire them to be kinder to others.
What I didn't appreciate back in 2011 was that Pinkie sees the world not as a struggle between Good and Evil, but rather, a cosmic battle between Joy and Sadness.
The beauty of Pinkie Pie and her entire philosophy is that spreading joy is a serious mission. She believes in it with every fiber of her being.
There have been so many reformation stories in this series - bullies, villains, obnoxious rabbits, etc. - but Pinkie's party for Gilda was the first conscious attempt that anypony in the entire series made to try to reform any pony else. And it failed.
It actually failed!
The most incredible thing about Pinkie Pie is her faith in the goodness of ponykind - the notion that even those who allow themselves to be governed by anger and cruelty can still learn a better way. Simply through laughter.
To Pinkie, life truly is a celebration.
-Sprocket
If you enjoy essays like these, please consider supporting my work on Patreon. You can also follow Heart Full of Pony on Tumblr
Thank you, as usual. :)
(You're also, as I recall, not the first person I've heard who first thought Pinkie was tricking Gilda there, then later looked back and realized that she was in fact genuine.)
(Oh, and it looks like the start of your closing line got cut off, just so you know.)
If more people saw the world as Pinkie does, it'd be a much happier place.