Applejack's intentions were good, but she lacked forthought - she seemed surprised to hear that someon else was providing food at the party - the biggest party of the year. It should have occured to her they'd all be well fed already.

And Ben, while some arguments may have been untrue(and I agree with Red, Nightmare Moon wasn't destroyed by the elements, Luna was purified. It's an important distinction), it doesn't take away from the larger issue, which every person here has stated: it doesn't fit the tone. One of the biggest concers when faust left, and going into season 2 in general, is that the show would change. We like it because of how it is, Lighter and Softer world and all.

At any rate, you can't compare Tranformers to this; I've seen exactly one scene and can tell you already that the new Transformers is pretty dark.

Well, selling stuff at an event like that might be a little crass, but her motivation is still better than any of the other ponies, and it's fairly obvious that they all imagined that the Gala was more of a County Fair type of event, where setting up a stand like that wouldn't be frowned upon at all. Chances are that if Applejack would have known how the gala was really going to be, she might not have thought of doing that.

Re: the Complete Monster discussion: the issue isn't whether they fit into the media of Western Animation for children, it's whether they fit into the this show. And they really don't.

edited 23rd Jul '11 10:50:58 AM by JapaneseTeeth

At least the consensus seems to be that AJ was the best intentioned out of the potential guests. When Twilight said "Those are all great reasons" I was thinking "BULLSHIT!!"

I agree on the Applejack Gala thing... but I find it surprising that the other ponies didn't have better reasons to want to go. Fluttershy had an okay reason, but Pinkie's was pointless (considering her life is already full of parties) and Rarity's and Dash's were completely selfish.

What about the option of Twilight giving up HER ticket? Who would be the second pony going?

Also, I think we should avoid talking too much about pony pairings- especially more mature aspects of it. This isn't the best place for it.

We have to remember that Twilight is fairly new at the whole "friend" thing; she just didn't want to slight anyone. Even if she thought that Applejack did have the best reason, she didn't want it to look like favoritism.

I'd give the second one to Pinkie. The Gala IS a party after all, and she was the only one who wanted to go there for that reason, the primary reason the gala was established, as a social gathering

edited 23rd Jul '11 10:54:06 AM by gingerninja666

^Well, it's definitely a gathering, but the primary purpose looked to be To See And Be Seen, not to have fun. It certainly wouldn't have been Pinkie's party any more than it turned out to be in the episode.

Well yeah, but she didn't know that at the time. I think that they all heard 'party' and just assumed it would be like one of Pinkie's. Rarity and Twilight were probably the only ones who had any idea what it would have been like - and Twilight is questionable, considering she didn't ever correct any of her friends.

Well I'm trying to decide based on the limited knowledge of the gala that the Mane 6 had in Ticket master. Pinkie had the least outwardly selfish reason for going other than AJ since she just wanted fun, and from the outside the gala WOULD seem like it would be a big party. I can't blame Pinkie for making that assumption

edit: Ninja'd

edited 23rd Jul '11 10:59:44 AM by gingerninja666

^I know. =) I'm not saying Pinkie's reasoning was selfish. I actually don't think any of the girls' desires were selfish - or if they were, it was to a healthy degree. I mean, expecting to meet and capture a prince isn't really realistic, but wanting to meet someone at a dance isn't really selfish in and of itself.

I was just trying to choose the 2 worthiest ponies out of the 5. I chose AJ cuz hers was the most selfless, and I chose Pinkie because she had NO ulterior motive for going other than fun, which she thought the gala was going to be all about

edited 23rd Jul '11 11:10:33 AM by gingerninja666

Fair enough, but you could also say by that logic that Pinkie could (and does) have fun anywhere, while Dash, for instance, would probably not have had a chance to mingle with the Wonderbolts and potentially get her dream job in her normal life.

edited 23rd Jul '11 11:17:22 AM by RedSavant

your right of course. I'd say it's fairly obvious that AJ had the best (or most selfless) reason for going. It gets a lot harder to narrow down after that. Maybe Fluttershy, because she NEEDS to go to the gardens to see those specific animals. There's a chance that Blueblood could visit Ponyville sometime and the same goes for the wonderbolts

Rarity and Rainbow's reasons weren't selfish. Rarity thought she was finding true love and Rainbow wanted to live her dream.

Rarity wasn't too selfish, no(aside from the fact that, at the time, it was presented as a schoolgirl crush on a celebrity), but Dash's sort of was. She ended up being much better about it, I suppose due to character growth, bt her initial plan was to inturrupt a performance to show off. Seems pretty selfish to me.

My thought is that the problem with those two is not really even so much selfishness as it is delusion. More than the others, Rarity and Dash's reasons for wanting to go were rooted in complete fantasy, believing they'd get a chance to, and be able to, personally impress certain specific ponies if they were at the Gala.

edited 23rd Jul '11 11:34:02 AM by TurnwaysFlip

Selfish- devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

HER dreams, HER true love. It was still selfish, even if it wasn't a necessarily bad grade of it

edited 23rd Jul '11 11:34:16 AM by gingerninja666

^Good point. Selfishness isn't always a bad thing, and in the situation at the end of "The Ticket Master" - where there were enough tickets for everypony - their reasons for going are perfectly fine. If they were to have prevented somepony else from going, whoever it was and whatever reason they had for going, it would be obtrusively selfish - though again, only Applejack's reasoning was truly not selfish at all.

That sounds more like self-interest than selfishness.

Selfish: I must have this, and you can't.

None of the ponies were quite like that, they didn't want to deny any of the others anything. Nothing wrong with wanting something, desire is fine.

Their desires weren't realistic, mind you, but that's a different problem.

And sadly, Rarity's desire is bringing the song Fancy back to my mind. Brain bleach please.

^ Here, take mine. I always keep some handy when I talk about this show.

I think people forget exactly what selfish means, it doesn't have to be an entirely negative trait.

forgive me for not understanding the joke but... what it is about Fancy (never heard the song) that's causing such a wide distribution of random's Brain Bleach?

edited 23rd Jul '11 12:09:22 PM by gingerninja666

Wait, fancy? Shitty country song about some kid who gets out of poverty by gold digging?

Share some of that around, Random.

It's not the song specifically, at least not in my case. But I was forced to listen country music. Every morning. for 18 years. I loath country music, and that one happned to have a sound that sticks to me, for some reaon. Plus, the lyrics always seemed...wrong, to me.

edited 23rd Jul '11 12:31:32 PM by kegisak

the Wonderbolts did seem to actually like Rainbow and pay attention to her.

Wonderbolts are neat hope to see more Spitfire