Do you hate the excessice amounts of fan pandering and pop culture references in the MLP show and comics?

2585725 Yes, a lot

Yes immersion is really important too me in fantasy and that takes me out of the show.

2585725

I think there's a certain level of acceptability when it comes to references.

Firstly, it's less of a problem if it's not shoved in your face. For example, the Big Lebowski ponies in the bowling alley and the Blues Brothers ponies in issue one of the comic. They're in the background, so much so that you could miss them, and they don't outright clash with what's going on.

Secondly, if they are made obvious, it's less of a problem if they feel natural within the story and actually provide something, even to those who might not get the reference at all. For example, the Trainspotting reference in Baby Cakes.

What I don't like are shoehorned moments (the worst I think has to be that Applelicious clip Ahpex posted) that are shoved in your face, don't feel natural and are supposedly there for the sake of being a reference or a 'fan-pleasing' moment. Like Trixie's appearance in Equestria Girls. She came out of nowhere to deliver her 'great and powerful' line just for the sake of it. It was unfunny and outright stupid.

2585725 YES.