Question - how did this happen?

As in - how did the show get revived? How did it get suddenly popular on the internet? How did I watch four episodes of it without feeling disdainful?

And how did I admit that?

edited 16th Mar '11 3:08:37 PM by Pannic

For the last two questions, because it's actually a good show that doesn't dumb things down for the audience?

They obviously have money, seeing as Pinkie freaked about Glinda stealing an Apple. I tend to think it's a kind of credit system, since the ponies generally don't have a very easy way of carrying cash. Maybe there's a Money Magic pony family who handles all accounts in Eguestria. Say, Twilight Sparkle does some farm work with Apple Jack. She earn 5 PB and hour. She tells Golden Pocket pony of Ponyville who psychically relays the info to headquarters. Lat, Twilight wants to vbuy a soda at the Sweet Shop. Her credit is there when she needs it.

Maybe it's part of spikes job to "Fire transfer" the receipts to Hq? We see spike helping the girls but he obviously has other jobs—he was working in the post office one episode, which is why a bunch of scrolls landed on Celestia in that episode (spike sneezed).

From the looks of it, Equastria relies heavily on a barter system with small change deals with the simple things, like buying lunch.

There are money, Applebloom's apple-selling shenanigans featured actual coins on-screen.

edited 16th Mar '11 3:25:57 PM by Adannor

Currently watching through the series

They use a remix of Yakety Sax in the chase scene in Episode 3

So. Good.

One of the episodes has a song that's lifted from Sunday In The Park With George.

Makes me interested.

I wonder if Cloudsdale is the only place that specializes in making weather related stuff. If it is, then there must a be high demand for cloud exports.

On a related note, I wonder what sort of income Fluttershy makes or if she is on some kind of welfare program. Also, I wonder how people manage to pay Pinkie Pie fast enough for her to throw such garish parties at the drop of a hat. Catering must be in high demand.

Actually, I realize that one of the things I like about this show (among other things) is the background music. Like the one in the first half of Show Stoppers.

^ I think Fluttershy is a warden of sorts. Animals don't take care of themselves (unless you're in the Everfree Forest).

edited 16th Mar '11 4:53:48 PM by KylerThatch

What kind of job does Fluttershy have, anyway? How does she make money off of taking care of animals?

^^ In a setting like this, I imagine cakes would be in high demand.

edited 16th Mar '11 4:57:54 PM by Haldo

I think Fluttershy might have a symbiotic sort of relationship with the animals, as in they help her out with food in exchange for taking care of them. Either that or she's just self reliant; she's got a chicken coop after all, so it's not a stretch to imagine her having a garden.

As for Pinkie, I remember reading somewhere that she was a live-in helper at the Cake's sweet shop, so I think the party thing is more of a hobby than a job, Like Dash's racing.

We're seriously discussing how the economy works in a children's cartoon?

Fluttershy is pony St Francis?

It's either that, or someone's paying Fluttershy for her services. When you have to run the entire ecosystem manually, you'll want to make sure your staff is well-fed.

I'd imagine that since Fluttershy is pretty much the only one we see taking care of animals, and since some of the animals she deals with are pretty big, she makes enough to feed herself and anything that happens to stop by. If for no other reason than in case a stray manticore finds its way into town.

Speaking of giant animals, where was Fluttershy when the Ursa Minor showed up? (Other than, you know, out of the way so that Twilight could be the one to deal with it.)

Asleep at her cottage, I imagine. It's at a bit of a distance away from Ponyville proper, if I remember?

Yeah i assumed the same...either that or some other...bigger animal emergency had cropped up.

Fluttershy was soothing the Ursa Major until her baby came home

That... Makes a surprising amount of sense.

That Ursa Major was freaky looking O.o

The size was nuts. It kinda reminded me of the alaskan bull worm from that episode of spongebob with how much bigger it was then they expected. I wonder how well they could have animated it.

edited 16th Mar '11 6:35:13 PM by nuclearneo577

My theory for this show's popularity is the subtle underlying UST between the main characters.

Fluttershy is unique amongst Pegasi as she likes to stay close to the ground. Also, I do recall one episode where she takes care of Rarity's cat, so she probably makes some money grooming other ponies' pets.

You guys aren't seriously asking about how Twilight was going to pay for the sandwich? You know how restaurants work, right? You order food, eat it, and then you pay before leaving.

Wait, she didn't dine and dash that episode, did she? I don;t remember clearly.

Pony, you best be joking.

edited 16th Mar '11 9:02:18 PM by Gelzo

Well, I didn't see her pay for it, and there was only the one scene where money was shown, which I had forgotten about. I was kind of operating under the (apparently false) idea that the economy was entirely service based - a Ponies life is, ultimately, defined by their cutie mark, and so they go through it doing what they love most. Since this isn't always profitable, the ponies in charge of farming just kinda hand out food, and same goes for other goods and services. Ponies allow what they make or do to be taken for free under the assumption that it will be repaid later. It's not a really feasible system, with Ponies like pierce around, but it is a kids show.

@ Pannic (Top post): I KNOW! Who saw that one coming!?

It's one of those things where if someone came up to you and told you about it beforehand, you'd look at them like they were on crazy pills.

And yet, here we are.