The answer is to not think about it too hard.

That's why Lauren is one of my heroes.

The animals are lazy asses and agree to offer their wool, milk, truffle finding abilities, whatever in exchange form food and board?

My preferred answer is to retgone the other talking animals, as they're nothing but one-off gags.

Well, at least we know where that "Smile" song is likely from...

I'm looking forward to the song btw!

@Arha: oh god, this conversation.

It's a strange issue, Arha. On the one hand they're treated extremely well, and it's because they generally have one purpose that the ponies like. It's a sort of symbiotic relationship, and could be referred to at worst as indentured servitude.

On the other hand they are fully sapient, and the apples don't really ask their opinions in spite of this. they have a fairly clearly lower position in society. They aren't treated as equals, but they aren't treated poorly. I think by this point it's institutionalized - no one does it out of malice, it's simply how it's done. I doubt AJ would mind if a sheep decided they wanted to leave, for example.

I had an idea once for a fanfiction wherein a sheep decided he wants to be treated as equal to a pony, and decides to go and get a job and a house and such. However, the idea hasn't exactly been well recieved. genreally people don't seem to want to read about it. I think it's an interesting idea, though.

edited 7th Feb '12 3:49:37 PM by kegisak

Maybe they're like The Ood? They LIKE living in servitude. They crave it

Weren't the Ood genetically engineered to like serving people and enjoy helping out? Kind of like the cattle from Hitchhickers Guide that insisted you eat them because they were made to derive pleasure from being eaten?

edited 7th Feb '12 3:53:55 PM by WillKeaton

I ignore that episode, because it's bullshit!

Oh, of course it's wrong. Heaven forbid we have a race that genuinely enjoys being enslaved.

Dammit, that just made me angry. And I was recovering so well

edited 7th Feb '12 3:55:20 PM by gingerninja666

I somehow imaging this as one sentient talking sheep tries to convince other sheep to rebel but those sheeps are just normal , non talking animals.

edited 7th Feb '12 3:55:01 PM by DeathCloud

Anyway, I certainly hope that Cranky turns out well

Just as I hope that H&H goes over ok too. The CMC are adorable, especially when they're being alchemists.

AB swipes the potion off Spike, which he was planning to use on Rarity

Ginger, the bleeding hell is wrong with you? That episode was prime Donna and how can you possibly say that? Who wants to be enslaved? I can imagine a species being friendly or subservient, maybe habitually helpful but you can't conclude what was happening to the Ood was a-okay.

I ignored it because I liked the idea of a race being natrually submissive. It's got some great Blue and Orange Morality vibes to it. Then they had to mess it up and make it in keeping with our precious morality

It's the only episode of Nu Who that I haven't seen more than once

edited 7th Feb '12 4:09:29 PM by gingerninja666

People used that as justification for slavery for human history and you whant modern show to support that idea?

Stop tying it back to HUMANS! These aren't humans. They were a completely different species, with a completely different mental make up.

Who are WE to critisize how their minds work

I'm sorry I even brought it up. I can never say anything right

edited 7th Feb '12 4:13:45 PM by gingerninja666

Just because they are not human you can't exploit them your benefit.

They WANTED to be exploited. They NEEDED to be exploited

Without someone ordering them around, the Ood would just wander off and die

edited 7th Feb '12 4:15:57 PM by gingerninja666

Sorry, do you guys see now why I'm glad this show doesn't have intense morality problems?

So how it was before humans enslaved them? (Or you sujesting that humans created them or modificated them? It's still wrong).

How can you type that and not understand those are some of the daftest words ever put to print?

And that's not a major moral ambiguity issue? It's as clear as daylight

edited 7th Feb '12 4:22:18 PM by MousaThe14

You talking to me, Mousa?

But if you take how they work into account, it still doesn't really work out. they're not a subservient race, they're a symbiotic race. They live with their personalities in their hands, so they need protection, or to be friendly. Is it possible they enjoy being subservient? Perhaps. But slavery is different than subservience. The Ood are species-wide telepathic. Can you imagine the benefits from working with such a species? Developing symbiosis with them would be extraordinarily useful. Instead, the human empire removed their prime ability and mentally castrated them. Happiness in slavery or not, that's just not kosher.

I've seen happiness in slavery done well. The atans from the ellenium were a race of slaves because it kept them from murdering each other - their masters decreed who they could and could not kill, while their culture was so proud they would kill over such offenses as someone's shadow touching them. That's a good example of happiness in slavery. What was done to the Ood was not.

Note how I'm IGNORING Planet Of The Ood because I didn't like it.

As I said, I'm sorry I even fucking brought it up. I'm outta here!!!

Well ginger, normally I'd be referring to Death Cloud but in this case...