They'll never come right out and say it, but I'm fairly sure Pinkie has bipolar disorder.

I dunno if she is bipolar. But I am sure she is super extroverted

edited 8th Jan '12 8:53:12 PM by FallenLegend

^Bipolar disorder would require her to have lows once in a while (that aren't triggered by feelings of abandonment). As it is, it seems like she's just extremely extroverted - she needs to be surrounded by people who she likes and who like her. She draws her own energy and happiness from being around people are happy.

edited 8th Jan '12 8:52:59 PM by RedSavant

It may also be a simple case of a mask covering very deep and severe insecurities. Like the sad pinkie is closer to her actual personality, and all the zaniness is just covering for it, or an attempt to attract friends. The real Pinkie is likely somewhere in the middle. But, well, We've all heard my ramblings on the subject.

I remember.

I had to salute you.

I dont doubt Pinkie mau be different Beneath the Mask. But I am sure much of hwr happyness is genuine.

@ kegi tgats right I still have your great analysis saved.

When, and to whom, did this happen?

You know, it was kinda weird answering that question back there, because I was just pondering the concept of a VN with the main six as characters. Was wondering what their respective routes would be like. Pinkie's route definitely has to be about getting a look underneath that wacky party-pony demeanor. I imagine the party from Party of One has to be in there somewhere.

I was actually thinking about that recently thanks to the release of Katawa Shoujo. Interestingly, even though there are exactly 6 girls, the personalities don't particularly match up with the mane six.

edited 8th Jan '12 8:59:01 PM by storyyeller

And that just makes me scared of her if anything.

She needs to grow up and learn that people aren't always going to be happy, and there are times when she's just gonna make things worse if she tries to perk them up via Parties or Zaniness.

If she learns that at some point (which I hope that she does), then I'll have a lot more respect for her

edited 8th Jan '12 9:00:01 PM by gingerninja666

I'd like to think that Pinkie doesn't have any actual psychological issues (or many, at least), but that it was the reason for perceived loss of her friends that was the extra impetus beyond her 'no friends' ground state to 'I have no friends and my old friends hate me'. Basically, her level of cheer gained momentum as it fell and was compounded on the way down, if that makes sense?

I mean, aside from a strict upbringing until the Rainboom, there's no reason to assume that Pinkie had a traumatizing childhood. Her parents and sisters certainly reacted well to her party, so it's not like Mutton and... whatever Pinkie's mom's name is would have told her to shut up and get back in the fields.

Again, I just think she needs to grow up

edited 8th Jan '12 9:03:26 PM by gingerninja666

ahem

Well, like I said in the analysis: She's not really broken or anything, she just doesn't quite get how to make friends yet. the whole zany mask is simply the only way she knows how to attract people, like that kid who acts like an idiot because it's the only way he knows how to get attention. She's just afraid that nopony sees, or likes the real her. All she really needs is someone to be there for her when she's in a bad place, and she'll start to figure out that her real self is likable, and then she'll start to even out a bit.

edited 8th Jan '12 9:04:22 PM by kegisak

^^It would be really interesting to have you in the same room as Pinkie. You think she needs to grow up, and she wants you to cheer up. XD The universe, as has been said before, would likely implode.

edited 8th Jan '12 9:04:52 PM by RedSavant

@Storyyeller: I think that's a bit different, the reason being that that defines Derpy's personality because we literally have nothing else to go on. Yeah, it became a huge part of the character, but there's nothing else to the character other than her facial expression, so this strikes me as a case of "making the most out of what we had to work with". The other thing is that Derpy's characterization has zero impact on anything else in the story; you could make her a nuclear physicist and it wouldn't really change the way one views the show. So I think that's a bit different of a situation than trying to argue about something that actually effects everypony in the cast off of a similar basis.

Pinkie definitively needs to develop. But any major changes to her would be bad as it would betray Lauren's messga of "there are many ways to be a girl" and "Be Yourself"

edited 8th Jan '12 9:07:05 PM by FallenLegend

I think they could develop her without losing the "PARTY!" aspect, they just need to give her something beyond that. Which is why I hope that "Baby Cakes" teaches her that she can't fix everything with a party. I mean, learning that just because you're good at something doesn't mean that you can apply it to any situation is a pretty useful lesson.

Yeah. Being yourself is good, but you still need to grow as a person. You'll just be a better yourself. Pinkie can still be happy and energetic, and she can still love seeing people happy, but she can direct it a little better. Understand such strange concepts as subtlety, and sensitivity.

I just think there's a balance that can be struck here. I have a friend. An amazing friend. He acts EXACTLY like Pinkie does... 50% of the time. The other half, he's understanding, he's supportive, he's quiet, he's kind.

I honestly think that Pinkie could be capable of more reserved moments where she ISN'T being nuts. When she's out and about with her friends she can be over the top and nutty, but she's also fully capable of calming down and being more reserved when her friends are miserable and it's clear that a party would only make things worse.

That'd be the sort of Pinkie I'd like to see

edited 8th Jan '12 9:11:17 PM by gingerninja666

Pinkie Pie VN route, who's with me?

edited 8th Jan '12 9:12:02 PM by KylerThatch

On this very topic, I find myself enjoying The Games We Play, a Dash/Mare-Do-Well fic that's ongoing. Mare-Do-Well's pretty obviously Pinkie (I think; the whole point of the fic is that Dash herself doesn't know who she is, but there have been hints), but even outside the mask, the way AbsoluteAnonymous portrays Pinkie is pretty interesting. She gets snappish when Dash ignores her, sort of thing; she feels very three-dimensional, and even moreso when you count Mare-Do-Well's writing as an extension of Pinkie's character.

Snappiness and Anger is not what I want to see from Pinkie. Her anger gets on my nerves at points too because of how loud it is. My problem is with the OTT-ness of her emotions. Learn subtlety. Be capable of quietness, Pinkie

Meh, every time this topic gets brought up I find myself agreeing and at the same time disagreeing. Yes she would benefit from some development, but at the same time I just don't feel like the writers won't give it to her, because they don't think she really needs it to be entertaining.

I've said before that she usually doesn't feel like a real character, and the show really has not done anything to change that. So in a way you could say I don't believe in Pinkie Pies.

Well I have college tommorow sleep well guys!. Its bed time for me :)

unfortunately I agree with you on that. IT's part of why I want to see baby cakes be good so badly(though a strange portion of it is really wanting the cakes to have kids), I desperately want Pinkie to get the development she deserves. She deserves to be a character, not a walking gag spring.

Pinkie Pie VN route, who's with me?

What's "VN"?