# My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 28, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286 "2011-03-28T17:59:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/1 "2011-03-28T17:59:13Z")
Has anyone watched this? It’s a new version of the My Little Pony show that was so popular in the 80s. It’s on the Hub and Lauren Faust (who is responsible for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and is also the wife of Craig McCracken who created Powerpuff Girls) created it. It’s pretty loosely tied to the original show. Lauren Faust based a lot of it on her childhood memories of playing with her My Little Pony toys. But she gave her toys different personalities than what they had on the show. (Which in and of itself is so cool–getting to make a TV show based on your childhood games.)
Even though you may be thinking, “Oh god, saccharine sweet pony crap,” it’s actually very good, IMHO. Very clever in places and just fun. I could definitely see kids and adults enjoying it. Together, even!
Any others who like it?
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/2 "2011-03-28T18:05:39Z")
I’ve been seeing [rumblings](http://memebase.com/2011/03/27/memes-it-has-begun-brony/) on the internets about it. There’s also a great [mashup with Starcraft 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJbAT1wzS8U) that quite frankly makes My Little Pony look badass.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/3 "2011-03-28T18:11:46Z")
Very cool. Though if you see the pillow fight they have, you’ll realize they don’t need a mash up to look badass!
Here’s one of my favorite My Little Pony things: a [webcomic](http://www.aorange.com/?p=1137) that takes the idea of the cutie mark to new, hilarious levels.
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/4 "2011-03-28T18:17:41Z")
It’s very good Any show that can reference Benny Hill, Apocalypse Now, Norma Desmond, Stephen Sondheim, and Black Swan as well as the classic G1 flutterponies being utter dicks, has my vote.
Oh, and Looney Tunes. Can’t forget Looney Tunes.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/5 "2011-03-28T20:24:39Z")
It’s very well done, not written just for little kids but their parents, too. I kept seeing references to it on the internet, but never bothered to check it out, based on seeing some of the earlier versions. One day an artist I follow posted a link to [this music video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irQ_d78feMA&feature=player_detailpage) made of footage from the new show, and I was blown away.
Cute, funny and imaginative. Chalk up one more adult male viewer of a ‘little girl’s show’.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/6 "2011-03-29T00:44:41Z")
They referenced Black Swan?! Which ep? I haven’t seen them all yet – just a few and clips here and there, but I have to see any Pony ep that refs Black Swan.
This has also inspired me to go back and look up pics of old My Little Pony dolls. I was a big fan of the old school ponies back in the day. (Though the original show was pretty crappy, I have to admit.)
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/7 "2011-03-29T01:43:40Z")
Rarity’s costume as a flutterpony. (Who are dicks.) Sonic Rainboom.
Note: In the beginning of Griffon The Brush-Off, Pinkie Pie is describing the events of Sonic Rainboom. The show is broadcast slightly out of order.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/8 "2011-03-29T02:37:13Z")
FiM is freakin’ addictive. I’ve only seen 4 complete episodes, though, so far - the first two, Call of the Cutie, and…the one right after Call of the Cutie, with Rainbow Dash and Applejack being jerks to each other - due to only finding out what channel airs it up here recently. Luckily we’re a couple weeks behind, so that means not missing so much…
One thing I really liked in CotC is when Apple Bloom semi-lampshaded the slight absurdity of cutie marks and names matching so well, when she noticed that EVERYONE in her family had an apple-related cutie mark.
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### Author:  [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/9 "2011-03-29T02:49:12Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> I’ve been seeing [rumblings](http://memebase.com/2011/03/27/memes-it-has-begun-brony/) on the internets about it. There’s also a great [mashup with Starcraft 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJbAT1wzS8U) that quite frankly makes My Little Pony look badass.
I have a feeling I’ll find myself laughing over that at odd moments for the next couple of days. Hope it doesn’t happen during a meeting.
And yet…it was also epic. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you, _right now_” is not a line I ever expected to hear from a My Little Pony. 😃
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/10 "2011-03-29T02:52:44Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#):
>
> Rarity’s costume as a flutterpony. (Who are dicks.) Sonic Rainboom.
Fluttershy’s cheering in that episode is SO CUTE I nearly found myself on the phone to Wilford Brimley asking for tips on how to deal with the diabetus.
I think Fluttershy is becoming my favorite, though I love them all.
Is Twilight Sparkle meant to be a jab at Twilight and its sparkling vampires or is it just a coincidence? TVTropes hinted that it might have been poking fun since the show is so very self-aware.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/11 "2011-03-29T05:19:56Z")
Fluttershy is alright, but Twilight Sparkle will always by my gal. (With Pinkie Pie close behind.)
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### Author:  [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/12 "2011-03-29T05:25:08Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#):
>
> Is Twilight Sparkle meant to be a jab at Twilight and its sparkling vampires or is it just a coincidence? TVTropes hinted that it might have been poking fun since the show is so very self-aware.
Evidence points to it being at least a partial coincidence, since from what I’ve heard there was a character with a similar name in earlier series.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/13 "2011-03-29T06:03:02Z")
TS is apparently based primarily on a G3 named Twilight Twinkle - she’s an earth pony, not a unicorn, the eye colour is different, and the specific colours chosen for her mane and tail don’t match, but the body colour is the same, the layout of the mane and tail colours matches, and the cutie marks are similar (though TT’s is more elaborate, since they didn’t have to animate her - at least not in the very simple style FiM uses).
There is a G1 unicorn named simply Twilight, but aside from species, she doesn’t match TS really at all. Well…her mane is, like TT’s, similar, but only 2-tone, and the light colour is dominant (and it doesn’t go into her tail like TS and TT do).
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/14 "2011-03-29T13:50:55Z")
There is a picture that lays out exactly what happened. But as I understand it, Hasbro lost rights to the names of all of the first generation (g1) characters, except Applejack and Spike.
So they’re sort of Ms. Faust’s opinion of the personalities and looks of certain G1 ponies plus the names of certain G3 ponies plus some racial shifting to keep the two-of-each balance.
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### Author:  [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/15 "2011-03-29T14:04:32Z")
My kids like it. Girl, 4.5 and boy, 1.5.
Well, I assume he likes it. He mainly just yells something that sounds like “pony” at the tv.
I’ve never really paid attention - I’ll have to try to listen better. Treehouse shows it both Saturday and Sunday mornings at 7. (or maybe 7:30) It’s the same episode.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/16 "2011-03-29T14:13:03Z")
Informative, thanks.
But…racial shifting? Like, they have races or are you using race as a metaphor for different pony types (earth vs. pegasus vs. unicorn)?
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### Author:  [@Weaver\_of\_Nightmares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weaver_of_Nightmares)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/17 "2011-03-29T14:16:15Z")
I love Twilight Sparkle, but I am a sucker for geeks. Plus, her Moment of Awesomeness in _Boast Busters_.
I adore this show so hard.
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### Author:  [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/18 "2011-03-29T15:12:01Z")
[http://ponibooru.413chan.net/post/view/122?search=lauren\_faust](http://ponibooru.413chan.net/post/view/122?search=lauren_faust)
Here we go, the evolution of concept to final.
Er, I consider earth vs pegasus vs unicorn to be different races of ponies, yes. Specifically, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy swapped wings.
Twilight is Twilight Sparkle, Surprise is Pinkie Pie, Posey became Fluttershy, Firefly became Rainbow Dash, Sparkler became Rarity, and Applejack stayed Applejack.
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### Author:  [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/19 "2011-03-29T15:35:05Z")
My friend turned me on to this show. “Oh Criminy, not another MLP marathon” was replaced quickly with, “Let’s watch the next one!” Which remionds me, I need to go to his house soon and play catch up!
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/20 "2011-03-29T16:06:41Z")
80s Hasbro was crap with trademarks. They screwed up similarly on Transformers.
In both cases, they sometimes lead to improvement - 2 of the 6 FiM ponies are, at least on an aesthetic level, vastly improved from the G1-derived original plans - Twilight is one ugly-ass pony, and even Faustifying her didn’t help, and Surprise is just bland in comparison to Pinkie. 2 others - Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, I like better, but could certainly make an argument for the G1-based versions.
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