MLP Forum Archive

#7001 deathpigeon Mon, 7th Nov '11 5:49:56 PM

Isn't the Orange family a family of Earth Ponies?

edited 7th Nov '11 5:50:17 PM by deathpigeon

"Dear lord, you make Karl Marx, Emma Goldman, [Noam] Chomsky, Lenin, and Howard Zinn seem conservative."
-Deviant Braeburn

#7002 Rottweiler Mon, 7th Nov '11 6:18:59 PM from Portland, Oregon

Confound those gryphons

◊!

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

#7003 Kerrah Mon, 7th Nov '11 11:41:18 PM from Helsinki, Finland

Confound these spiders.

—

I just started watching this today after reading these forums got me feeling a little pony-curious. Something struck me as kind of dark: the ponies clearly organize themselves into various castes, distinguished by their features.

For example, the "normal" ponys both have peasant labor sort of jobs - Sweetapple is a farmer and does mostly manual labor, and Pinkie Pie helps run a bakery - not exactly glamorous careers, but somebody has to do them. The "unicorn" varieties seem a bit more upper crust - Rarity runs a boutique and decorating service and has access to expensive jewels and valuable silk clothing, and Twilight is a wizard/aclhemist and trusted member of the queen's court. They are nobility, in other words. "Pegasus" types like the one with the rainbow whose name I can't remember also seem to be something like the "warrior" caste, though Fluttershy kind of breaks that mold a bit as she acts more like an ecologist (so maybe its the "Warrior Poet" caste, with Fluttershy being more of a poet than a typical warrior). "Royal" types are either combinations of pegasus and unicorn or unicorn - I have yet to see a "wealthy" pony that lacked either wings or a horn. This ranking system doesn't seem to apply to other species.

And now I have analyzed the socioeconomic conditions of a planet populated by sapient ponies.

You don't happen to be my e-friend, do you? He's expressed an interest to watch this show, but only because he thinks it's anti-socialist propaganda.

edited 7th Nov '11 11:41:41 PM by Kerrah

Please read my movie blog.
Newest update: 13.9. ParaNorman

#7004 kegisak Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:05:31 AM

anti socialist? It seems almost pro, if anything.

At any rate though, my reply stands in the other forum, so I won't repeat myself. But I should point out that, over the course of a few thousand pages we have collectively discussed genetics, economics, geopolitics, agriculture, culture, law... well, you get the idea. You are not at all alone in over-analyzing this how. Christ, it's pretty much why we're all here.

#7005 Rottweiler Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:07:31 AM from Portland, Oregon

I'm just here because they're cute.

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

#7006 Kerrah Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:18:03 AM from Helsinki, Finland

anti socialist? It seems almost pro, if anything.

*shrug* They do live in a monarchy which is depicted as having a flawlessly wise ruler whom the mortal ponies should never question.

Also, he doesn't admit it, but this picture instantly upped his interest.

◊

edited 8th Nov '11 12:18:24 AM by Kerrah

Please read my movie blog.
Newest update: 13.9. ParaNorman

#7007 Rottweiler Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:23:42 AM from Portland, Oregon

"They do live in a monarchy which is depicted as having a flawlessly wise ruler whom the mortal ponies should never question."

Ooh, good point!

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard

#7008 Arcan Genth Tue, 8th Nov '11 1:23:11 AM from 127.0.0.1

~brrrr~
I loathe spiders.
They're icky nasy creatures with too many legs and they move funny.

...but,
...but those are cute!

~unable to compute~
~brain implodes~

I run a Minecraft server for Tropers: Iacon Mk 2

#7009 Bobby G Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:02:41 AM from the Silvery Tay

I don't think it has anything to do with socialism, for or against.

Regarding "castes", Rarity's apparent class anxiety kind of hurts that theory. Sure, she's classier than most Ponyvillians (is that a word?), but she's that way by choice, it doesn't look to be something she was born into. Notice how she also seems to idolise Canterlot in spite of clearly not living there herself.

Also, if unicorns were some kind of ruling caste that would make Snips and Snails the next generation of high pony society.

As for pegasus ponies, I don't think they fit into any class system, since they're mostly off in Cloudsdale doing their own thing.

Obviously the only alicorns we've seen have been basically living deities, but setting those aside, there are three pony races, and IIRC Faust said they were all equal.

So yeah, I don't buy the caste system theory. I think it's assuming too much about the different pony races.

</overthinking>

edited 8th Nov '11 8:07:01 AM by BobbyG

#7010 Octo Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:13:39 AM from Germany

Nono, let's continue the overthinking

I mean, the pegasi seem to be somewhat caste-ish. They, and only they make the weather. So in fact they're very involved with the rest of Equestria. Now, that doesn't in return mean all pegasi are weathermakers (in fact we know that is not so), but IIRC one or two times characters have said "the pegasi" as shortform of "the weathermakers", so at least in public perception there seems to be a caste-like connection.

Also, seeing the way magic is adored in Equestria (all the powers Celestia is basically worshipped for are after all just magic), unicorns have potentially a special role. However - wasn't it explicitly said in one episode (the one with Trixie, I think) that it takes a unicorn dedicated to magic to have really strong, well, magic, while most unicorns do their cutie mark-designated thing and just have magic as a little bonus? Such individualisation would be very un-caste-like

Well. That's my contribution to overthinking

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic

#7011 A Stray Bard Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:43:49 AM from 867-5309

Guys, stop being my English Teacher from sophomore year of high school.

I came here because every episode makes me D'awww. Besides, Equestria is obviously a dual monarchy guided by the divine right of kings.

You always meet the nicest people at a gas station at 2 AM.

#7012 Octo Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:48:45 AM from Germany

Used to be a dual monarchy. I don't think Princess Luna has resumed her duties again

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic

#7013 A Stray Bard Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:52:56 AM from 867-5309

The TRADITIONAL ROYAL CAPS LOCK used by Luna says differently :P

You always meet the nicest people at a gas station at 2 AM.

#7014 Octo Tue, 8th Nov '11 8:59:19 AM from Germany

I may be confused, but I think there was a description of Celestia "raising the sun and the moon" even after Luna returned to Canterlot...

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic

#7015 My God, It's Full of Stars Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:10:20 AM

Just saw the episode in which science is proven "wrong" because Pinkie Pie has seizures that supposedly predict the future. I was hoping science would win, this is just a repeat of that one episode in Avatar: The Last Airbender where Sokka is basically mocked for believing in science the whole time.

#7016 Bobby G Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:16:45 AM from the Silvery Tay

Don't blame science for Twilight's shit methodology.

#7017 Haldo Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:18:07 AM from SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE

Yeah, Twi shouldn't have been so adamant that her hypothesis was right. That was totally unscientific.

I love my hat

#7018 Bobby G Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:21:21 AM from the Silvery Tay

Speaking of season one but changing the subject, does anyone else feel like recent episodes have been kind of different? The last one we had was probably the most season one-ish one we've had all season. The others, I dunno, I feel like they might be going a little overboard with the craziness and over-the-top-ness.

#7019 Random Chaos Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:37:14 AM from My own little world

my mind goes funny places. I was trying to come up with a consolidated story for Ditzy Do explaining how she wound up with her family. And when I got to screwball I somehow ended up picturing her trying to use the stair on some pony. It worked on two completely different targets.

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.

#7020 Neo Crimson Tue, 8th Nov '11 9:47:09 AM from behind your lines.

The last few episodes have been either epic season openers, or deliberate brony fanservice. After that they're winding it down to more normal levels.

Unrelated, but I hope we get an Applejack episode soon.

Sorry, I can't hear you from my FLYING METAL BOX!

#7021 Octo Tue, 8th Nov '11 10:12:29 AM from Germany

Eh. I think the sample size is still too small to make a call. Since the two first episodes were a double episode we so to say only have four episodes. Now, that double episode was the equivalent of the first two episodes of season 1 - sure, what happened onscreen was maybe a bit more over the top, but even in the first two episodes of season 2 the ponies vanquish a mythical danger that has loomed for an entire millenium over Equestria, so...

I didn't think episode 3 was over the top (Most ponies have had a psychological vbreakdown so far

) And episode 4 simply was a season episode, Halloween that is, so of course it will be kinda different...

edited 8th Nov '11 10:14:40 AM by Octo

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic

#7022 Tidal Wave 17 Tue, 8th Nov '11 10:45:55 AM

The Pony Pokey Colt Version

Warning, watch out for Fluttershy at 1:17

I EXIST.

#7023 Kuro Fox Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:09:33 PM from under a rock

I know it's supposed to be Pinkie (or is it Berrie?) but the voice is still a tad high pitched.

Sonic hates SOPA

#7024 Pykrete Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:10:22 PM from Viridian Forest

a flawlessly wise ruler

Nah, she's damn good, but not flawless. We've even seen her get thrown off her groove a couple times, and presumably the whole Nightmare Moon bit could have been nipped in the bud if she was a bit more on the ball way back when.

To quote one of my favorite fanworks, "I am very old, and I have made many, many mistakes. That is what some creatures call wisdom." *

Not to mention, you know, engineering the cause of immense amounts of property damage and scaring the bejeezus out of her own retinue because she was bored. Even if it was awesome.

Regarding "castes", Rarity's apparent class anxiety kind of hurts that theory. Sure, she's classier than most Ponyvillians (is that a word?), but she's that way by choice, it doesn't look to be something she was born into. Notice how she also seems to idolise Canterlot in spite of clearly not living there herself.

I'd imagine living with her parents for any length of time would inspire a certain amount of anxiety about class and presentation. Shit, if I grew up in that house I'd probably be George Zimmer or something.

Also, if unicorns were some kind of ruling caste that would make Snips and Snails the next generation of high pony society.

And it might still beat the last one :|

Don't blame science for Twilight's shit methodology.

And honestly, don't blame science for not being able to trump Pinkie. I swear the girl's an eldritch beast in disguise.

#7025 Rottweiler Tue, 8th Nov '11 12:20:52 PM from Portland, Oregon

"Shit, if I grew up in that house I'd probably be George Zimmer or something."

“Love is the eternal law whereby the universe was created and is ruled.” — St. Bernard