Robot Scootaloo

by alarajrogers

Irony

Irony

Pinkie Pie is sitting in a plush armchair, in a subdued-looking study with dark wood paneling, bookshelves full of books all around, and a fireplace with a roaring fire inside. She is wearing a monocle and a pencil-thin black mustache that droops off her face on either side, and smoking a pipe.

"Today we will discuss 'irony'," she says in a fake Trottingham accent. "Irony is a form of comedy based on violating expectations in a way that satisfies them. Or, to put it another way, the ironic event is one which, once it occurs, seems curiously fitting, although it could not have been predicted in advance. For instance, in the O. Henkeeper story Gifts for Hearth's Warming, a poor mare shaves her mane and sells it as a wig to buy a gold chain for her husband to hang his watch on; meanwhile, her husband sells his beloved watch to buy a bejeweled mane clip for his wife. This turn of events was not predicted by either of them, but the sacrifices match each other, each giving up the thing they treasure to buy their partner an accoutrement for what the partner most treasures... which the partner has just sold to buy the corresponding accoutrement for them."

The camera swivels around to view the studio audience. The only member of the studio audience is Rainbow Dash, who is tied to a chair, struggling. "Let me out! This is torture!"

Back to Pinkie, who puffs on her pipe. "In the previous sketch we see an example of 'irony'. My friends and myself are characters on a quote unquote 'girly cartoon'; thus, the natural expectation would be that we would have high opinions of girly cartoons and value the opinions of those who appreciate them, and in particular, appreciate 'us'. However, on Earth, the subgroup of adult human males that proclaim themselves 'bronies' enjoy our adventures, on a girly cartoon, despite social pressure and opprobrium at the perceived low value of such cartoons to adults and to males and particularly to adult males. Thus, the previous skit creates a violation of expectations by having us, characters in a 'girly cartoon', denigrate an adult male human fan of ours as if we shared the same opinion of the appropriateness of such cartoons to adult men as his own society does."

Back to Rainbow Dash. "Discord and Pinkie, I am going to kill you both! Let me out of this thing!"

"Another example of irony is the fact that I myself, Pinkie Pie, have adopted a relatively low-key demeanor and am employing a much more complex vocabulary than is my usual wont, in order to discuss irony with you today. This creates humor because it violates expectations. One would normally—"

A talon taps her on her head. She turns. "Discord. Do you mind?"

"I do mind, actually," Discord says crossly. He is wearing the exact same outfit as Pinkie. "Firstly, your impersonation of a pompous Trottingham lecturer isn't ironic at all. It violates expectations but not in a way that seems fitting in any regard. Secondly, that's my chair, and those are my lines, and honestly, Pinkie, I said I just had to go to the bathroom and then we could get rolling! I didn't expect you to jump in my chair and start doing my show without me!"

Pinkie grins. "And that is why this is ironic," she says. "You see, this violation of expectations caused by the persona I've adopted is actually due to the fact that I have played a prank on you, the Spirit of Chaos, and stolen your role while you were indisposed! By the way, why exactly were you in the bathroom for forty-five minutes?"

Discord scowls. "Oh, go play in traffic!" He taps her with his talon again, and she turns gray, her monocle and mustache vanishing. Her hair, however, remains poofy.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie hops off.

Back to Rainbow Dash. "Discord! Lemme out of here or when I get out I'll kick you so hard your momma will feel it in her tummy!"

"I was laid in an egg," Discord retorts. He turns his chair so instead of being in front of the fireplace, he is now in front of a window. Discord sits down. "And that's all we have to say about irony this time, folks," he says. Behind him, through the window, we see Pinkie Pie cheerfully hopping over cars on a crowded city street, as ponies lean out their windows to shake their hooves at her and shout. "Tune in next time, when we discuss randomness!"

*fwwwt*

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Excellently timed disclaimer. It did very nice job of getting out the unpleasant aftertaste of the previous skit. Overall, this was a hilarious batch of shorts. Thank you for them.

[Adeen Dragon]

Quite enjoyable.

[alarajrogers]

7720473
No, it's a parody of an episode of a cartoon called The Mr. Hell Show. I chose Apple Bloom because there's a thing in fandom about Apple Bloom being a robot or golem (there's also a thing for Sweetie Belle being a robot, but that one I feel is overdone.) I wasn't actually familiar with that story until Dusty asked me the exact same question you did.