So which is more a commonly held belief to Blueblood's actions and the way he is? Was he raised to spit at the lower side of society or was his actions at the Gala just his way of dealing with gold diggers/sycophants? Is one better or worse?

Could easily be both, I think, super snobbishness even directed at his peers? I've been playing with a variety of characterizations in my writing.

I think the most common characterization is that Blueblood's a shallow jerk, and his behavior at the Gala actually was typical for him.

That being said, I think that's actually the more forgivable interpretation of those two choices. That's him being a jerk because he doesn't know any better; being a jerk to drive off social climbers or whatever means that he's making the choice to be a jerk, and that's worse in my opinion.

It's the difference between ignorance and malice, you know?

I believe that's mainly dependant on whether the story attempts to explain his behaviour or not. The more it does, the likelier a trollish/deliberately jerkish one becomes.

If you ask me, it's because he was raised as royalty. Furthermore, people act like he's the scum of the Earth, when all he did was act very entitled and ignorant. Well, he is titled, so... yeah. He's ignorant, not evil. A bit like Luna.

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You know what's funny? Most authors/artists have Applejack and/or Big MacIntosh furious over how he treated her food, but if I remember correctly, she wasn't even angry at the time. She seemed disappointed more than anything else. She even said the problem is the guests filling up on what they're used to, not that they're all evil for not wanting to buy from her!

Well, I do like a Blueblood that pretends be a jerk, and has hidden depths beneath that, and there are several good stories that use this as a premise.

Buuuut... I think the best stories always make him a genuine jerk during the Gala. Not believing that others are as important as he, and a shallow jerk, only to have him climb up from being a useless jerk to either not a jerk or not useless. Sometimes both! The climb is more compelling, I think.

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Furthermore, people act like he's the scum of the Earth, when all he did was act very entitled and ignorant. Well, he is titled, so... yeah. He's ignorant, not evil. A bit like Luna.

Oh yeah... this a million times. Usually he shows up in stories where most characters are treated sympathetically, only for him to be a one-dimensional Worst Pony joke, to the point where Celestia even treats him like he's scum. Occasionally you do find one where he's a good-humored "arrogant noble" joke instead.

Luna definitely sometimes resembles a Blueblood who can back up her "I'm more important than you" attitude with immortality and the skills gained over a long lifetime. I think I remember a case in which that sort of Luna even hated Blueblood for his attitude, and the story seemed ignorant of the irony that she had the same attitude, just better justified.

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That's a good point, made even more important by the fact that we barely see Luna do much for Equestria as a whole. After having been reinstated by Celestia, Luna is sort of just... there. She didn't fight Chrysalis, she didn't call on the Elements for Discord, she didn't send them after the dragon by Ponyville, she didn't hatch a plan against Tirek...

The most proactive things we've seen her do were offering to go against Sombra (Celestia denied her that) and almost messing up Nightmare Night for everypony. And while playing dream-therapist for children is commendable, it's not something I would put up there with the above mentioned things.

So, that means that Luna is ruler because mainly because Celestia says so, and because she has the personal power to bully anypony into following her orders.

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I figured it was her controlling the moon, which, while Celestia can handle both, is probably no small strain, that made Luna a princess. But even making her sister's job a little easier still, I think, makes her the least important princess, doesn't it? Celestia rules the nation, Twilight's an on/off superhero, Cadence co-rules a formerly lost kingdom, Luna pokes around ponies' heads while they're sleeping.

That in mind, I can definitely see her and Blueblood finding some common ground in feeling that their importance is negligible at best, but having Luna around again, no longer staring guilt into her from the moon each and every night probably does wonders for Celestia's psyche, right?

To be fair, Luna is 1000 years out of touch with the needs of the kingdom, and might still be on probation for the whole "trying to take over the world thing". She might not be qualified to do any ruling just yet.

My whole thing with Blueblood is that we only saw glimpses of him, in very specific circumstances. So, okay, he's a nitwit who doesn't pick up on social cues at a party... what if he's actually really good at handling paperwork, though? Why can't he have redeeming features, that just aren't related to behaving at a party?

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And to think that Twilight was the one who was anxious over having no real position...^^ Well, she even has her very own castle now.
You're right, Luna is backup for Celestia. She's the spare princess (tm)!

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She felt plenty rulerlike when it came to outlawing Nightmare Night XD I do agree with you on the redeeming qualities chapter. Most characters have at least some, even Gilda or the Flim Flam brothers. Why not Blueblood? I mean, he's not nearly as notorious as the latter!

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If you had any political clout, wouldn't you try to ban a holiday that seemed like it was entirely about how terrible you were?

"And on Derpsby Day, we burn effigies of The Great Derpsby so they won't come to our home and kill our pets. Then, there's fireworks and pinatas! Pinatas shaped like Derpsby! "

I mean, seriously. The whole "eats children" thing.

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That depends on how beloved the holiday is What Luna did there was terrible from a politics view.

Plus, it'd be something more along the lines of fearing the wickedness of my Super-Powered Evil Side, whatever that happens to be. Professor Derpsbiaty..?

While we're at it: Almost no author tries to incorporate where that myth might've come from, which is a shame! I mean, what if Batponies aren't a 'natural' tribe at al..?

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If someone saved me the trouble of establishing such a holiday, I'm not sure I could resist milking it for all it might be worth. (Nonsense ahead)
I'd use it as an excuse to break into people's houses in broad daylight, scream and jump and down at their children, knock something over, and run away, straight to the next house. I'd paint shapes on things in a variety of colors, never explaining what it was for, only answering with "DEATH!!" when people ask what the hell they're about. The only places I wouldn't vandalize would be those burning effigies, beating pinatas, or tying balloons to stuff, as they're clearly already in the spirit of things. I would do all of this while dressed like a clown. It would be called "Fun and Balloons Day."

But then, I never had issues with the population seeming to fear and shun me for doing my job, so Luna's reaction is understandable, I guess.

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Well, he should have redeeming features. Almost noone honestly goes into adulthood having learned literally nothing about the world around them.

But the normal fandom hates him too much for being a bad date for Rarity, so he obviously must NOT have redeeming features. Or if he has talents they all lie in being a corrupt noble.

But, like I said before, I think him having minor talents (or better yet, undiscovered ones) is probably stronger for a work starring him, since the climb is more compelling if he starts out worse. Wheras him having some redeeming qualities on his own would be better for a story where he's a supporting character, because having to build him up too much would distract from whatever other story is being told.

3433401 I'm a Rarity fan, and I actually like Blueblood.

As for any hidden depths... I think he's a snob because he tires of how his life is, what with his sister -ignores IDW story about Cadance- breathing down his neck with her shipping attempts, his Aunt being the busy princess she is, and now his grandma is back from the moon, being as smothering as Cadance in a different way. :D

But that's just me, and involving less 'interpretation of show' and more 'headcanon'.

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For me, it's a mixed of both leaning to the latter interpretation.

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I think he's really like that, but a competent pony as well. I don't think he's really good or evil.

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Holy necro! Although I suppose I've done that from time to time myself...