# My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic **URL:** \ **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:** 2
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/21 "2011-03-29T18:59:58Z")
We’ve never watched this show, but my wife recorded one for when our niece visits. My son and I saw the listing on our TiVo and had a few laughs. This show is for little kids, yet the description sounded nothing like a cartoon show for toddlers. The episode in question was “Over a Barrel” and the description was “Settling a complicated land dispute.” We were like - “WTF???” ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/22 "2011-03-29T19:02:44Z")
This Thread got me curious, so I watched an episode on the Hub website. I did actually enjoy it. It was pretty amusing. The episode I saw, _Green is Not your Color_ featured a flutterpony as one of the main protagonists (I am assuming that flutterponies are ponies with wings, am I incorrect?). This flutterpony was very sweet and nice. Does “flutterponies are dicks” refer to something about the original series? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/23 "2011-03-29T19:10:17Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > This Thread got me curious, so I watched an episode on the Hub website. I did actually enjoy it. It was pretty amusing. > > The episode I saw, _Green is Not your Color_ featured a flutterpony as one of the main protagonists (I am assuming that flutterponies are ponies with wings, am I incorrect?). This flutterpony was very sweet and nice. > > Does “flutterponies are dicks” refer to something about the original series? I watched _Sonic Rainboom_ last night, and I got the impression that, as a general rule, pegasus ponies[sup]\*[/sup] act like hotshot pilots. Not that they’re necessarily dicks, but they do seem to take it for granted that having wings is superior to not having wings. \*I may admit to taking an interest in FiM, but I’ll be damned if I use the term flutterpony. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/24 "2011-03-29T20:13:28Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > (I am assuming that flutterponies are ponies with wings, am I incorrect?). No, Flutter Ponies are a _particular type_ of winged ponies, distinct from the pegasuses. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy (and all other winged ponies shown on FiM so far, save for Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon/Princess Luna\*) are pegasuses. Flutter Ponies, unlike the pegasuses have transparent, insect-like wings. Their toys featured a mechanism that let the wings flutter, thus the name (Pegasus ponies had their wings molded on in a closed position). I wasn’t really interested in MLP as media (just the toys) until FiM, so I can’t say anything about whether Flutter Ponies (or, indeed, pegasuses) are dicks or not in previous media. - Celestria and Luna are pegasus unicorns. Because they’re extra-special. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/25 "2011-03-29T20:18:14Z")
**bienville** , from what I can tell that is the consensus, though Fluttershy (the sweet and nice pony) seems to be an exception. Like Rainbow Dash is pretty into herself and her abilities. Fluttershy is nothing like that, though. She’s just such a sweetie, though. Every time she’s on camera, I just want to grab her and squeeze her to bits. And she’s so gentle that even if it hurt, you know she’d be so sweet and polite about it. ETA: Ohhhh. **Tengu** , thanks for the clarification! 🙂 I think I had a flutter pony as a child. [Starry Wings was her name](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3435263079_f14f48dd3e.jpg?v=0). Would she qualify as a flutterpony? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/26 "2011-03-29T20:37:57Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [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. Ahh, very cool. (Just saw this now.) It makes more sense. Though I’m glad you don’t really have to know about all the original ponies to watch the show. I had so many ponies as a kid but didn’t know anyone’s “real” name. I think I just gave them their own names. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/27 "2011-03-29T20:41:27Z")
Starry Wings is a Windy Wing. Windy Wings were yet a third distinct type (though they were identical in form, if not theme, to the Summer Wings, which were part of the prior wave). They had transparent plastic wings, like the Flutters, but not the fluttering mechanism. [They were introduced a couple years after the Flutter Ponies were discontinued](http://www.ponylandpress.com/us/). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/28 "2011-03-29T20:49:44Z")
Wow. I just watched a few minutes of it online, and (as 40-something guy who never gave MLP a second thought) I have to say it’s fricking brilliant! We don’t have Hub at our house. Is there anyplace else to watch it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/29 "2011-03-29T21:00:27Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > We don’t have Hub at our house. Is there anyplace else to watch it? Some, maybe all, episodes are up on Youtube. The Hub appears to be lax about asserting copyright issues (considering the money is made from merchandising instead of advertisements, that’s not too surprising). ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/30 "2011-03-29T21:01:05Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > 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. I think I’d add Star Trek to that list - I’m decently sure Swarm of the Century is the MLP version of The Trouble With Tribbles. **The Hamster King** , it looks like they have the two most recent ones online here: [http://www.hubworld.com/my-little-pony/shows/friendship-is-magic/videos](http://www.hubworld.com/my-little-pony/shows/friendship-is-magic/videos), plus some clips. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/31 "2011-03-29T22:03:21Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Starry Wings is a Windy Wing. > > Windy Wings were yet a third distinct type (though they were identical in form, if not theme, to the Summer Wings, which were part of the prior wave). They had transparent plastic wings, like the Flutters, but not the fluttering mechanism. > > [They were introduced a couple years after the Flutter Ponies were discontinued](http://www.ponylandpress.com/us/). Thanks for linking to this. I found this site yesterday and was looking at all the ponies to see which ones I had. (Didn’t make the distinction between windy wings and other kinds of wings, though–last night, they were all just pegasus vs. unicorn vs. earth ponies.) It’s a lot of fun when I think, “My pony!” I think the original pony toys were a lot cuter than the toys Hasbro is putting out now. Though the new TV show trumps everything. Cute ponies plus cool plots = happy Freudian Slit. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/32 "2011-03-29T23:03:12Z")
The ‘flutterponies are dicks’ issue comes up in the G1 Smooze episode. Basically they had the ability to save the world from the evil Smooze, and… eh, nah, don’t feel like it. Also, the toy wings would fracture off in seconds, to the point where an intact pair of flutterpony wings goes for extraordinary amounts on Ebay these days. I don’t want to spoil the episode plot, but there is only one Flutterpony appearance so far, and it’s artificial. But the character acts remarkably like the old ones do during it. [![](https://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c273/werewolf2000ad/32ea83c085695669e6c5d642afcfd5a9.jpg) ](https://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c273/werewolf2000ad/32ea83c085695669e6c5d642afcfd5a9.jpg) Have a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/33 "2011-03-29T23:05:24Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I don’t want to spoil the episode plot, but there is only one Flutterpony appearance so far, and it’s artificial. But the character acts remarkably like the old ones do during it. Do you mean: When Rarity gets wings in Sonic Rainboom and puts on airs/shows off? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/34 "2011-03-29T23:37:36Z")
> [@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. Oddly enough, while I’ve never watched the show I’ve seen more than a few mashups myself. [Batmare](http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r405/DodgerTalon/311520-20Batman20batmare20crossover20madmax20my_parents_are_dead20parody20pinkie_pie.jpg) [MLP](http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/080/2/b/my_little_borg_by_kitsune_the_fox-d3c4qix.png)/[Star Trek](http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/074/d/7/we_are_the_pony ____ by_kitsune_the_fox-d3bq9jc.png) [Doctor Whooves.](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gTbHOKD5jBE/TVTNAymbAbI/AAAAAAAABR8/yPspciQ6r-I/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg) [MLP and Majora’s Mask](http://cdn0.knowyourmeme.com/i/000/107/276/original/LunaMajora.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/35 "2011-03-29T23:45:20Z")
Thanks, **Tengu**! It is to your credit that, not only do you _know_ all those facts, but that you are not ashamed to let it be known that you know all those facts. This board, indeed this world, is richer for your presence. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/36 "2011-03-30T02:57:57Z")
Precisely, Slit. That’s the episode. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/37 "2011-03-30T09:29:46Z")
An interesting thing I spotted while looking at one of the FiM wikis… The entries for the ponies on this particular wiki include descriptions of their cutie marks. Twilight Sparkle’s is described as > [@](#): > > Six-pointed star surrounded by 5 smaller stars (Spoiler for the first two episodes…) Just like the Elements of Harmony. Before she even knew what they were, her cutie mark was foreshadowing the pilot! That’s subtle-ass foreshadowing. Or, given the cutie mark’s location, subtle ass-foreshadowing… Also, a variant with only 4 small stars is fairly common, looking at a list of background and minor ponies - particularly among the males. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/38 "2011-04-01T00:51:26Z")
So did the concept of a cutie mark exist for ponies in the original show? I mean, I know they had marks but were they called cutie marks and did a pony develop hers when she knew what she was meant to do with her life? And did the marks relate to a pony’s life work? ETA: AH! Fluttershy just talked about doing a BUNNY CENSUS! SO CUTE IT HUUUUURTS. Side note, does Fluttershy remind anypony else of a female equine (er, pony ine?) version of Mr. O’Neill from Daria? ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/39 "2011-04-02T02:33:40Z")
Oh my, I think I’m hooked. And I LOVE love love Fluttershy, too! She’s adorable… Been checking out an episode or so an evening on the net to relax after work. This is a fun show, I can see why it’s drawing an adult fannish following. It’s sweet to watch without being too saccharine and there’s enough wry humor and wit to cut the sugar. “You’ve got a problem and the cure is a banjo!” Gotta love it… ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286/40 "2011-04-04T19:16:58Z")
I was trying to pace myself with an ep a night but somehow I wound up finishing the whole season. And the new episode (Chronicles of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?) isn’t airing till the 15th! D’oh! Also wanted to ask if anyone else knew about the cutie marks–that is, where they part of the original show? (Not the concept of a symbol but the name and the fact that they appear.) Are they…ah, Pony canon, as it were? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/576286.md?page=3)