It's awesome. It's awesome. It's awesome. It's awesome.
May 26, 2011 5:56 AM   Subscribe

"Physical Impossibilities in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" is a student physics presentation that examines three scenes from an animated My Little Pony show and identifies the physics at work, explains (with equations!) why the scenes don't work, and offers suggestions ("dark matter!") to fix them. via BoingBoing
posted by XQUZYPHYR (135 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- Brandon Blatcher



 
Don't you dare tell me sonic rainbooms aren't real.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 6:04 AM on May 26, 2011 [7 favorites]


I guess there's not a text version of this?
posted by empath at 6:05 AM on May 26, 2011


Someone needs to watch the Pinkie Keen episode again.
posted by Artw at 6:13 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Nothing- and I mean nothing- has made me feel more alienated from my own culture than this My Little Pony revival. It's like I woke up one morning and everyone was speaking Urdu. I just don't understand.
posted by COBRA! at 6:17 AM on May 26, 2011 [9 favorites]


As far as the usefulness student physics projects goes, this is right up there with the human-powered helicopter thingy.
posted by ShutterBun at 6:19 AM on May 26, 2011


Just as I was really, really enjoying the modern, impossible-to-merchandise cartoon revolution, aimed at real kids and nerds who never grew up, with Adventure Time and Regular Show really having the power to change things for the better forever...

The geekosphere has instead zeroed in on a merchandising cartoon as it's new Buffy.

I'm embarrassed and ashamed, and I wonder if it's because the girl audience was pretty much ignored by the edgier animation?

We'll get another shot to get it right in another 15 years or so, I guess. In the meantime, I'm taking up fishing and beer, and handing in my nerd card until you people snap the fuck out of it.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:22 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


COBRA!: "Nothing- and I mean nothing- has made me feel more alienated from my own culture than this My Little Pony revival. It's like I woke up one morning and everyone was speaking Urdu. I just don't understand."

I've gotten used to it after the Tranformers and GI Joe revivals. Not much makes you feel older than other people's nostalgia for kids stuff that originally came out when you where already an adult.
posted by octothorpe at 6:30 AM on May 26, 2011 [6 favorites]


What makes Adventure Time or Regular Show any more impossible to merchandise? Anti-establishment cartoons such as Ren and Stimpy or Invader Zim have been heavily merchandised. I've certainly seen Adventure Time t-shirts, and it wouldn't surprise me to see action figures some day too.

MLP's popular because the writing is really top-notch and it's entertaining. The merchandisability is fully acknowledged, but because of it, the episodes are free online.
posted by explosion at 6:30 AM on May 26, 2011 [6 favorites]


Wait until this student sees Bubbleguppies. Mermaids. With airports. What?
posted by papercake at 6:30 AM on May 26, 2011


This is really great and has the added benefitproperty of making me want to watch this show.
posted by DU at 6:31 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


@explosion I'm with you regarding Ren & Stimpy, but Invader Zim as anti-establishment? What?
posted by hudders at 6:33 AM on May 26, 2011


It's actually a pretty good show. Miles ahead of Jake and the Neverland Pirates.
posted by oddman at 6:33 AM on May 26, 2011


MLP's popular because the writing is really top-notch and it's entertaining.

Errr....seriously?
posted by ShutterBun at 6:34 AM on May 26, 2011


I've never seen the show, but isn't this cult success basically analogous to the success of Animaniacs, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Ren & Stimpy among adults? I mean, it's funny that MLP has caught on, but the only unprecedented part is the fact that a cartoon ostensibly intended for little girls has apparently mostly succeeded with young adult men. Then again, why should that be any stranger than little girls liking Batman?

I wonder if it's because the girl audience was pretty much ignored by the edgier animation?

It's telling that the only show that seems comparable to this one would be...The Power Puff Girls, from the same creator, which was also a crossover hit.

@explosion I'm with you regarding Ren & Stimpy, but Invader Zim as anti-establishment? What?

I say "what" to your "what." Invader Zim was easily as anti-establishment as Ren & Stimpy. Easily.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:35 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


MetaFilter: Miles ahead of Jake and the Neverland Pirates.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:36 AM on May 26, 2011


A biologist should also make a video saying that horses tend to not come in pastel colors and their vocal cords and tongues are terrible for human speech. And flight is right out!
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


I've never watched MLP, but I have been watching Animaniacs recently. It. Is. Terrible. So forced and unfunny.
posted by DU at 6:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Don't you dare tell me sonic rainbooms aren't real.

Bad news: sonic rainbooms aren't real.

Good news: Sonic rainbows out of the butt? Totally real. Trust me.
posted by stormpooper at 6:41 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


You're just fishing for an eponysterical.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:42 AM on May 26, 2011 [13 favorites]


What makes Adventure Time or Regular Show any more impossible to merchandise?

Ah. Someone who didn't grow up in the '80s.

OK, let me break down this ponies shit for you. You're a kid, you get judged by other kids - harsh, but it happens. Hasbro figures out if they make an entertaining kid's show, and make each and every element in it an overpriced toy, they can use the show's popularity to shame more kids into asking for more Ponies characters and places and things - it's a checklist, and your playground popularity depends on how many items on it your parents shelled out for.

Invader Zim? You got a t-shirt? Hey, cool. You don't got a Fin Hat? Hey, cool.

Ponies? You got a Ponies Underwater Airport Playset? Your daddy loves you more than mine. You don't got Roseyrump, the pony that smells like a Real Rose and who's ass cheeks turn pink after rubbing? You suck, the other kids think you're a loser.

And now they bring all this back with the appropriate amount of snark, and everyone's OK with it...
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:42 AM on May 26, 2011


Although, you'd think that if this spate of adult targeted cartoons really wanted to grow that market, they'd change their DVD releases from infuriating "collections" to actual seasons. Adults have the ability to fileshare and burn episodes to DVD, kids do not.

Could you imagine if other adult shows released their DVDs the same way these "kids" shows do?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:43 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


You're nearly right. Except you start with the toy and work backwards.
posted by hudders at 6:44 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's a good show. Seriously.

Not everything is complicated.
posted by kyrademon at 6:47 AM on May 26, 2011 [6 favorites]


Hudders: Oh, yeah, better believe each and every toy is designed and test-marketed before it gets into the show. New characters are just product announcements.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:47 AM on May 26, 2011


So, from an outsider's point of view, is this an actual re-birth of MLP with built-in new hipness, or is it just ironically enjoying stuff from our youth? (or, in some cases, our older /younger siblings' youth)

Is it like when Ralph Bakshi re-launched Mighty Mouse and it was actually good, or is it like...Care Bears good?
posted by ShutterBun at 6:47 AM on May 26, 2011


Could you imagine if other adult shows released their DVDs the same way these "kids" shows do?

Kids are different, because kids will watch the same DVD over and over and over and over and over and over. I theorize that children's DVDs are more reliably profitable than adult DVDs, because little kids, who like consistency and who do not have jobs, will want all three or four MLP sets or whatever, and their parents will typically be all too happy to have the DVD right there so the kids can be safely parked in front of the TV, whereas adults will go on Hulu or Netflix (or surfthechannel) or whatever to see their favorite show just once.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:48 AM on May 26, 2011


Shutterbun -- It is actually good.
posted by kyrademon at 6:50 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Seems to me that he gives short shrift to the possibility that Rainbow Dash's mass is significantly less than Applejack's. Rainbow Dash is a pegasus-type pony, adapted for flight, and probably has hollow bones and other bird-like anatomical traits to make this possible.
posted by baf at 6:53 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


Fair enough. Now let me get back to enjoying my "Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home" action playset.
posted by ShutterBun at 6:55 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Fiction is fictional? Who knew?
posted by tommasz at 6:56 AM on May 26, 2011


I have been watching Animaniacs recently. It. Is. Terrible. So forced and unfunny.

Wait is this true? I have fond memories of that show.

This reminds me of that time my freshman roommate and I decided to watch an episode of Duck Tales! because we loved it so much and it it turned out it was the stupidest. Thing. Ever.
posted by shakespeherian at 6:58 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


I know about Hasbro's business model of getting little girls to spend their family's money on toys made in sweatshops. And I know it's not supergreat, but it's an artifact of our capitalist culture. If Hasbro didn't exist, something would be created to replace it with the exact same business model.

With or without Lauren Faust, My Little Pony would still exist. What's great is that Faust took a property that's known for saccharine sweet shows low on plot and characterization, and added interesting characters (who aren't total gender stereotypes like most girl shows) and interesting situations. What's interesting is that it's not like most kids cartoons that appeal to adults that are loaded with hipster irony and winking self-awareness that gets cloying (I can only take Adventure Time and Regular Show in small doses because of this). Instead, it's just an upbeat and enjoyable show with smooth animation and pretty colors.

I'm not saying it's deep or profoundly fascinating, but not everything needs to be like that. I'd say if anyone on the outside needs something similar to this as a reference, the popular anime Azumanga Daioh is probably most like it. It's a show about girls with distinct personalities going through high school. That's actually good.

Interestingly enough, it was a blog post from Cartoon Brew that was bemoaning talented animators like Faust getting involved with the Hub as the end of creator-driven animation that got 4chan's /co/ interested in MLP in the first place. Your complaints only make MLP stronger! And if you think the new cartoons from other creators are hard to merchandise, let me tell you about a store called Hot Topic...
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:59 AM on May 26, 2011 [8 favorites]


Oh man, I have been contemplating making a post about MLP:FiM and how it's a nerd hit, but it seemed to be too insider-baseball. This is as good a place as any to dump this link:

My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic breaks both /co/ and /b/, necessitates a "peace treaty."

I have heard really good things about this show from seriously everyone who has watched ti. I'm not surprised, since Powerpuff Girls was probably the best crossover kids/adults cartoon on TV.
posted by muddgirl at 6:59 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Yeah, Animaniacs overall hasn't aged well. Pinky and the Brain might have, but I haven't watched it in a long time. Tried watching some Animaniacs with my nieces a while back and...yeah. It's basically the template for Shrek and every other annoying pop culture-referencing cartoon.

I think Mindy and Buttons might hold up pretty well, though. That was more of a classic cartoon setup.
posted by HostBryan at 7:00 AM on May 26, 2011


I haven't seen Regular Show, but Adventure Time is awesome. I don't see what's so winky about it. It's certainly no more winky than classic WB cartoons were. It's just a funny show set in a post-apocalyptic landscape with creative bendy animation.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:03 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Also, MLP is a great source of gifs and fanedits.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:05 AM on May 26, 2011


As opposed to...what other show?
posted by ShutterBun at 7:08 AM on May 26, 2011


I'll come out and say it - kids these days have, on average, much better cartoons than a lot of what was on when we were growing up. Spongebob Squarepants alone is a work of absurdist genius that is better than every single one of the original Nicktoons (possibly excepting Rocko's Modern Life).

Honestly, I think this generation is lucky in that the things it will be nostalgic for will actually be things worth getting nostalgic about.
posted by HostBryan at 7:08 AM on May 26, 2011 [7 favorites]


Yeah, but we had the motherfucking Muppet Show.
posted by ShutterBun at 7:13 AM on May 26, 2011 [14 favorites]


My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic breaks both /co/ and /b/, necessitates a "peace treaty."

Yeah, Something Awful went through a brief Pony explosion too and they banned discussion of the show. So we ended up with Ponygoons, which is actually the best place on the net to discuss it and avoid the 4chan weirdness.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 7:16 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


The geekosphere has instead zeroed in on a merchandising cartoon as it's new Buffy.

Right, because Buffy is very magical and unique from all other television shows ever


XQ- I think it's very likely that the aspect of Buffy that the person you were replying to found relevant was not a lack of merchandising; it was its huge popularity within geekdom.

There is not a single cartoon produced in the last forty years, perhaps longer, that was not made with merchandising sales in mind.

I am skeptical. I don't remember any Aeon Flux merchandise, and googling for "Aeon Flux merchandise" shows a bunch of cafepress crap, which I am going to go out on a limb and say was not produced by anyone actually involved with the show.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:18 AM on May 26, 2011


Shouldn't that be conservation of angular momentum that's violated in the seesaw scene, not linear momentum?

</nerd> </pedant>
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:20 AM on May 26, 2011


Aeon Flux is not really a cartoon in the way MLP is a cartoon. I mean yes, they are both animated.
posted by muddgirl at 7:22 AM on May 26, 2011


Aeon Flux existed to sell advertising time, the image of MTV as a place for cool and edgy things, and weird little canisters that go in your missing vertebra.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:24 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


Someone needs to analyse the physics involved in the "Care Bear Stare" now.
posted by orange swan at 7:24 AM on May 26, 2011


I'm tempted to watch an episode now, but I just cannot escape the feeling that this is all an elaborate hoax.
posted by ShutterBun at 7:29 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


I get it, no true Scotsman, etc.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:29 AM on May 26, 2011


Yeah, Animaniacs overall hasn't aged well.

BLASPHEMER

You show me the cartoon show today that cracks jokes about special relativity (can't find the clip on Youtube in English, but it was "acme" written backward to sloppily spell out "e mca, to which Einstein shakily added a = ) AND comes up with a weaponized national anthem (sung by Perry Como!) in the same episode. Which doesn't even touch on Pinky & The Brain, Slappy the Squirrel, or Mindy & Buttons. It was a smart and funny show that didn't talk down to its younger audience, though I admit it was laced with pop-culture gags that haven't aged well (as is the case with most mid-90's entertainment).

Nothing in its time could compete with it, and it's head and shoulders over this rebooted My Little Pony dreck.
posted by Mayor West at 7:30 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


ShutterBun, it's hard to keep hating on it after watching an episode or two. I wanted to watch one to be like "LOL, 4chan is silly for liking girl shows!" And then I found myself defending it on MetaFilter a few weeks later.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:30 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


I'm tempted to watch an episode now, but I just cannot escape the feeling that this is all an elaborate hoax.

This is a good one to start with. (Go back and watch the pilot if you like it.) This is my prediction of your reaction.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 7:33 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


I should probably start thinking of tasty shoe recipes, but my skepticism keeps telling me that "eh, it was OK, for a kid's show" is about as good as I ought to expect.
posted by ShutterBun at 7:36 AM on May 26, 2011


It was a smart and funny show that didn't talk down to its younger audience

It also included a pretty offcolor joke about fingering Prince, if I recall correctly.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:38 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


I get it, no true Scotsman, etc.

Not at all. Can we really classify all animated television shows as cartoons? To me, that would be like classifying all drawn books as "comic books," despite the vast differences in subject matter.

In other words, the "No True Scotsman" fallacy can't apply to all attempts at classification.
posted by muddgirl at 7:39 AM on May 26, 2011


I don't really get being upset at MLP's fanbase (although I do get people spamming message boards with ponies being hated), especially since it's a project Faust willingly took on (so it's not like she was forced by some corporate entity to take on a crappy project that would "waste her potential" or whatever). We live in a world where Regular Show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spongebob Squarepants, Family Guy, the Venture Bros, and Superjail can coexist in harmony. Incidentally, they all exist to make their networks and creators a profit through one way or another.

Getting worked up over a fanbase for a show you don't care about is like saying ice cream parlors should get rid of all the flavors you aren't interested in trying. Nerds like what nerds like, and sometimes it'll be a thing that wasn't made to appeal to their gender. For example, I took up knitting for the geekiness of mathematical patterns in the craft. And I took up canning as I dig food science. Am I your grandmother? No, I'm a guy in college. I also like TF2, Mass Effect, Star Trek and shows on Discovery Channel like your average nerd. I don't need to apologize for my genitals not always correlating with what I like.

Also, this needs to be left here.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [7 favorites]


Rocko's Modern Life is really a sort of Ur-show when it comes to this next generation of animated programing.

I started to type out all the connections, but really, this calls for a relationship map. You can tie a whole slew of shows, from Spongebob to Adventure Time (with stops at The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Chowder) together, using those links to backtrack to Dexter, Powerpuff, and so on.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:40 AM on May 26, 2011


Hopefully you're referencing Dexter's Lab since Dexter is a whole different show...
posted by hudders at 7:42 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


my freshman roommate and I decided to watch an episode of Duck Tales!

Which reminds me. In college we used to looooove DarkWing Duck. "Suck gas, evil-doers!" Now this show sucks even worse than Animaniacs.
posted by DU at 7:44 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Is there a site where you can plug in two shows and see which cast and crew they have in common? I thought IMDB did this, but it looks like that search feature was scrapped.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:50 AM on May 26, 2011


I like to think that this student thought he was being subversive but then found himself actually doing some physics and (maybe) learning some of the content that the instructor wanted him to learn.

I wish I could find a little more info. I downloaded the slides but still cannot find: What school was this at? What was the assignment? I like to think it was an open-ended "go out and find some physics and present it to us" sort of assignment.

As a physics instructor myself, I applaud giving students a chance to create their own engagement. As for his actual analysis, I find the first video to be very well analyzed; the second video really calls for an energy rather than momentum perspective; the third video analysis shows ignorance of the concept of impulse (which would typically be part of the curriculum of a course like this). Not bad, but I wish he'd have visited during office hours and gotten some pointers.
posted by secretseasons at 7:52 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


OK, I admit it, I took the bait. Got about halfway through Episode 7 (a "good introductory episode," as it's described.)

So, um, what's all the fuss about, really? Seriously. This is exquisitely unspectacular. It's like an episode of the Smurfs with better animation. (oh, wait, are the Smurfs considered high art now?)

I'm really not gettin' it here. (is that part of the joke?)
posted by ShutterBun at 7:52 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Maybe it's just not for you? That's allowed you know.
posted by minifigs at 7:55 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


For the love of the sweet zombie Jesus, it's not a joke.

It's not a hoax.

It's not some kind of faux-hipster "I watch it ironically" thing.

People watch it because they think it's a genuinely good show and enjoy watching it.

I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand, especially when the show produces moments like this.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:03 AM on May 26, 2011 [11 favorites]


Can we really classify all animated television shows as cartoons?

While I would say that I could, I can understand why others might not be able to, and in any case a terminology difference like this isn't something I should get worked up about. Thanks for clarifying your perspective.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 8:09 AM on May 26, 2011


Oh man, I have been contemplating making a post about MLP:FiM and how it's a nerd hit, but it seemed to be too insider-baseball.

There've been several posts about it... the first one was this, I think. And some other lighter posts like this.
posted by kmz at 8:21 AM on May 26, 2011


Seems as good a place as any to post the Kij Johnson short story "Ponies" (which won a Nebula award)
posted by gwint at 8:21 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's not a hoax.

Problem Solverz, on the other hand, may totally be a hoax. I'm just not sure who the hoaxer and hoaxee is and will keep watching until I can figure it out.

Seriously, I think I'm one of five people on the internet that like this show.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:22 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


So, um, what's all the fuss about, really? Seriously. This is exquisitely unspectacular. It's like an episode of the Smurfs with better animation. (oh, wait, are the Smurfs considered high art now?)

It's suggested as an intro because it is a good introduction to the personality types of the main characters and the style of humor. The personalities do get a bit deeper than Fashion Smurfpony, Party Smurfpony, etc. later on, but if you don't like them so far the show probably isn't for you.

I have seen a lot of people take a few episodes to really like it though.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:27 AM on May 26, 2011


ShutterBun -- All is cool. We do not demand that you appreciate My Little Pony. But those of us that like it are really doing so unironically.
posted by kyrademon at 8:28 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Seems as good a place as any to post the Kij Johnson short story "Ponies" (which won a Nebula award)
Oh my god, gwint.. I think that story may have scarred my pony-loving self for life.
posted by ashirys at 8:31 AM on May 26, 2011


As much as I hate to say it - I've caught a few episodes of the new MLP on Treehouse up here in Canada (which, as far as I can tell, is the only station showing it) and it's pretty entertaining and watchable, much moreso than many of the shows otherwise on Treehouse or Disney Junior, the only two channels my two year old son will allow on for his hour of TV downtime. Unfortunately, he's just a bit too young to enjoy MLP, so more often than not if he sees the ponies (or, really, ANY OTHER SHOW), he turns to me and says "Mickey? Mickey? Mickey? MickeyMickeyMickeyMickey? Mickey?" - the boy knows what he likes, and what he likes is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I mean, it could be worse, it could be In The Night Garden... - made by the creators of the Teletubbies. Ugh.
posted by antifuse at 8:35 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Oh, hey, the animator for this also did Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends? That was a great kids show! Wilt was just this sweetheart, I loved him.

There was one episode where the imaginary friends go to a store to buy birthday supplies and Wilt, ever courteous, spends the entire show stuck at the front entrance because he just has to hold the door open for every customer that comes in to the store.

What? Oh, yeah. I haven't seen MLP: FIM, but anything that encourages Science! is okay by me.

And Lauren Faust is working with her husband, animator Craig McCraken, again, so this is a family deal? Sounds like a winner.
posted by misha at 8:35 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


I think that we're all missing the real point here, which is that pegasus magic is the generation of inertial damping fields. There are very few flight-related phenomena on the show that this does not explain.
posted by darksasami at 8:36 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


I'm meh on the MLP phenomenon. It seems like it's a decent show and sooner or later I'll probably have to watch it with my daughter but I'm extremely leery of something that is so clearly tied into the Hasbro marketing machine. That and I don't have very good memories of the original show.

What is interesting is that between MLP and Homestuck or as some people like to call it Homesuck it's become much harder to discuss comics on /co/ outside of scan threads. I wouldn't be surprised if moot creates a new /mlp/ group like he did pokemon but thus far it seems to be below his level of caring.
posted by vuron at 8:38 AM on May 26, 2011


As a wee bookrack I was obsessed with horses in general and the original My Little Ponies in particular. Playing with dolls bored me, but I owned a big herd of MLPonies that I used to stage epic battle, alone or with friends: pony against pony or against comparatively huge stuffed animals, with lots of hoof-kicking and neighing and unicorn-horn-stabbing, and victory celebrations over plastic hay.

MLP epitomized my horsey fantasies of colorful, magical horses (& unicorns! pegasi! sea ponies!) that could talk, fly, cast spells, and sing catchy songs (but were not above occasional crankiness, Cute Animal Proximity, and cupcake cravings). They were more girl-welcoming than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I also loved TMNT) & Transformers, but more badass than the Care Bears--I wore out my tapes of "Firefly's Adventure" and The Movie, with ponies that used the Power Of Friendship to totally hoofsmash evil dragons and toxic smooze.

TL;DR: I'm been thrilled by the revival of my childhood favorite Cartoon Calculated To Sell ToysTM through the vibrant custom ponies modding scene. And I'm happy that the funny, clever new MLP toon is as good or better as my nostalgia-toon at the things I loved about it: pretty ponies who HOOFSMASH FOR JUSTICE (with a little help from their friends).
posted by nicebookrack at 8:40 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


Oh, and the new MLP is FAR AND AWAY better than the new Strawberry Shortcake. Just sayin'.
posted by antifuse at 8:40 AM on May 26, 2011


he gives area in m^3 more than once. I hope his teacher marked him down for that
posted by jermsplan at 8:42 AM on May 26, 2011


Aeon Flux existed to sell advertising time, the image of MTV as a place for cool and edgy things, and weird little canisters that go in your missing vertebra.

Well, of course there's going to be some kind of ultimate expected monetary gain- animation is labor-intensive- but if mere branding is itself considered merchandising than XQ's original statement becomes almost tautological.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 8:46 AM on May 26, 2011


My personal fondness for the show tends, I think, to spring from two factors.

1) It is significantly better, in many regards, than almost all other cartoons aimed at girls. For example, it has:

- Characters with distinct personalities (as opposed to all being GENERICALLY NICE)
- Who are sometimes allowed to be obnoxious, imperfect, or wrong (instead of GENERICALLY NICE), even if they are not villains,
- And who are allowed to overcome real problems (rather than face completely unmotivated GENERIC VILLAINY)
- Using actual methods, such as cleverness or steadfastness (rather than using GENERIC NICENESS or simply begging for help)

It may be difficult to understand why these things are so remarkable if you were raised on cartoons for boys, which often have at least some or sometimes all of these features. I assure you, that is not the case for cartoons targeted at girls, and MLP would have earned my respect if it were only left at that.

However, I also think that --

2) It is not just a good kid's show, but actually a good show. This is because it features such elements as:

- Characters I actually care about and enjoy watching
- Humor that is actually funny, and sometimes quite sophisticated (e.g. Rarity having a Greta Garbo moment, Twilight Sparkle forgetting for a second that they are all horses, etc.)
- Clever, subtle internal references to a variety of classic animation

I will admit that not everything about the show is perfect. I've found their handling of racial issues a bit heavy handed and simplistic, for example, and most of the episodes with the younger ponies are a little too cutesy for my tastes.

But all in all ... yeah, I genuinely think it's a good show. Surely not everyone's cup of tea, but I wasn't at all surprised when I found out that quite a lot of people apparently agree with me.
posted by kyrademon at 8:51 AM on May 26, 2011 [5 favorites]


So this My Little Pony show is a hit among adult geeks? How did I miss this? I have a TV and everything! I'm totally out of the loop these days.
posted by brundlefly at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2011


The success among adult nerds is most driven by online communities. It's shown on The Hub (Hasboro's own network) during the day on Friday, so it's not exactly something you are gonna notice flipping around the channels that easily.

I'll probably have to watch it with my daughter but I'm extremely leery of something that is so clearly tied into the Hasbro marketing machine.

It's pretty self aware of what it is (partly a toy ad) and still manages to be good. Faust herself was a fan of MLP when she was younger. I'll always remember this excellent comment from the original thread here on Mefi and how a few weeks later there was an episode that was LOADED with references to how crappy the flutterwings were.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 9:06 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


It should also be noted that Pinkie Pie is better at being Katy Perry than Katy Perry ever was.
posted by darksasami at 9:08 AM on May 26, 2011 [3 favorites]


Back then:

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,

Now: My Little Pony is the latest Geek obsession.

I cant decide which situation is worse.
posted by happyroach at 9:12 AM on May 26, 2011


COBRA!: "Nothing- and I mean nothing- has made me feel more alienated from my own culture than this My Little Pony revival. It's like I woke up one morning and everyone was speaking Urdu. I just don't understand."

If I woke up one morning and everyone was speaking Urdu, I would make the effort to learn Urdu. I will make no effort to understand My Little Pony. Although I will make the effort to avoid it.
posted by Splunge at 9:13 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Step One: Don't read threads about it.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 9:15 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


the new MLP is FAR AND AWAY better than the new Strawberry Shortcake

New Strawberry Shortcake? Really? Yipes.
posted by epersonae at 9:16 AM on May 26, 2011


The geekosphere has instead zeroed in on a merchandising cartoon as it's new Buffy.

Isn't it kind of similar, though? Way back before hundreds of masters theses were spawned, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a show whose appeal was not just that it was as good as it was, but that it was better than it had any right to be. It was a Xena knockoff based on a really mediocre teen movie named "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"! The My Little Pony show (pretty decent, from what I've seen) has got a similar dynamic of overcoming terrible expectations.
posted by furiousthought at 9:28 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a show whose appeal was not just that it was as good as it was, but that it was better than it had any right to be. It was a Xena knockoff based on a really mediocre teen movie named "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"!

....Actually, it was more like a do-over of the movie. From what I understand, what Joss Whedon had in mind with the movie script was something much more like the show; but the movie script fell prey to some meddling, and by the time it came out he was no longer satisfied. One of the reasons he launched the show was "dammit, I want people to see what this was supposed to be like."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:40 AM on May 26, 2011


Sure, but I was talking from the viewer's perspective. I didn't watch the show for a while because my reaction was "they made a show out of that movie? Are you fucking kidding me?"
posted by furiousthought at 9:42 AM on May 26, 2011


Every first year physics student knows unicorns shoot rainbows out of their asses.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:45 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Even if we pretend the Buffy movie never happened, it seems pretty clear that Whedon's strategy involved setting low expectations as the ground floor. The name of the show itself is obviously meant to evoke a chuckle. The show then gets its claws into you by constantly raising the bar as to what you'd think a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer should be doing. It's a neat trick.

Tangent: I think that's also part of why Dollhouse was less successful. Dollhouse began with maybe too much street cred, and the whole production felt like it was trying to do something Smart and Important. The sheen obscured the show's real qualities, especially when its real strengths were in the off-hand quippiness and the loopy plotting, as opposed to any deep statements about human nature, especially when the dolls barely had any to begin with.
posted by Sticherbeast at 10:02 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


That Katy Parody is an ad? Officially for the show? Awesome.
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:15 AM on May 26, 2011


I haven't checked the show out but I must say I really like Lauren Faust.
posted by aldurtregi at 10:19 AM on May 26, 2011


She's absolutely right, you know. I bet if a He-Man reboot were as good as the MLP reboot ostensibly is, no one would think much of its fandom in the nerd world. The fact that it's a show "for girls" places extra scrutiny and disbelief on the whole enterprise, and that sort of stinks. Also illustrating the point, Adventure Time has male leads, but it's not seen as weird when female nerds like it. People talk about MLP existing only for Hasbro merchandising, but it's not as if there's a lack of DC/Marvel merch out there.

I think that there is, in general, a level of disbelief that anything explicitly directed at "girlish" things could be good. And hell, good on the nerds for seeing through that haze and liking what they like.
posted by Sticherbeast at 10:27 AM on May 26, 2011 [6 favorites]


Okay, after reading this thread, I must know:

Where can I watch this show?

(I'm in Canada and don't have a cable and must admit that my curiosity is horribly horribly piqued.)
posted by Kitteh at 10:36 AM on May 26, 2011


Ahem, don't have CABLE, not "a cable." Oopsie.
posted by Kitteh at 10:36 AM on May 26, 2011


Here you go, everypony! The whole series in a handy YouTube playlist.
posted by Freyja at 10:39 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


My curiosity was even more piqued after watching an episode. The Emperor has clothes, but it's just a nicely pressed pair of slacks and a tasteful polo shirt. I saw NONE of the attributes being praised upthread, apart from non-crappy animation and art direction.

It's easy to acknowledge popular things that are simply "not for me," at least when there's something there. At least I can look at it and say "oh, supernatural love story, metaphysical stuff, mysterious backstory..." or whatever. But in this case it really just seems like an "OK for kids" cartoon with cookie cutter characters who suddenly break type in order to teach a lesson about friendship.

It's a real head-scratcher.
posted by ShutterBun at 10:48 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


especially since it's a project Faust willingly took on (so it's not like she was forced by some corporate entity to take on a crappy project that would "waste her potential" or whatever).

Wait a second, her name is actually Faust??? That is freakin hilarious.
posted by fungible at 10:51 AM on May 26, 2011


ShutterBun - either there's something "there" that you don't care about, or there's a whole lot of idiots.

The second option is more tempting, but less fruitful.
posted by muddgirl at 10:59 AM on May 26, 2011


There is a degree of cookie-cutter, you kind of have to be with a show that has everyone's destiny stamped on their ass, but there is a lot more character development than you would expect as the show moves on. You can't judge too much from one episode of any TV show, either you see enough to be intrigued enough to check out more or you don't.

But still, it's a kids show so it's not gonna get too sophisticated with the plots.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:09 AM on May 26, 2011


I think what might be confusing you here is the lack of second level or irony or kitsch or whatever it is that usually makes kids' cartoons stoner-friendly. It's a lot closer to Powerpuff Girls than Adult Swim, that way.
That earnestness is actually the appeal. These ponies aren't trying to be hip, they're not spouting references to keep grown-ups interested, they're just going about their magical pony business, learning about friendship in a well-written, funny, disarmingly cute way. I don't know how much more you want from a cartoon, but it really does the job for me.
posted by Freyja at 11:13 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


I like this show much more than I expected to (and I was not a fan of the originals, because as a kid I was into REAL model horses from Breyer, not little pink plastic bastardizations of same).

But it's quite funny! And I am not sure I've ever seen a kids' show with two likeable, yet different jock characters who were girls. And yet the Applejack v. Rainbow Dash rivalry episode had exactly that, and it was funny.

And I think it's been mentioned before, but the "angst over finally getting your cutie mark" drama for the younger ponies is treated exactly like "angst over finally getting your period" and THAT is pure genius.
posted by emjaybee at 11:15 AM on May 26, 2011 [4 favorites]


Gonna chalk it up to pure meme-level appeal and leave it at that. It's really the only answer that makes sense to me (right or wrong) at this point.
posted by ShutterBun at 11:23 AM on May 26, 2011


/facepalm
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:23 AM on May 26, 2011 [5 favorites]


Although, you'd think that if this spate of adult targeted cartoons really wanted to grow that market, they'd change their DVD releases from infuriating "collections" to actual seasons. Adults have the ability to fileshare and burn episodes to DVD, kids do not.

The programmers (and I assume therefore Hasbro) has been extremely happy for people to upload whole episodes to YouTube, which is interesting in itself - compare that with, e.g. Transformers Prime, which started on The Hub at about the same time and really hasn't penetrated in the same way at all. There's clearly been a decision to sacrifice ad views to market awareness. So, if you want, you can make your own Friendship is Magic DVD set with just Evom and a bit of spare time, or you can watch them straight off the Internet. With your child, obvs.
posted by running order squabble fest at 11:28 AM on May 26, 2011


IIRC, the first season is available on iTunes as well if you don't want to pirate.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:29 AM on May 26, 2011


Gonna chalk it up to pure meme-level appeal and leave it at that. It's really the only answer that makes sense to me (right or wrong) at this point.

I suspect that the answer is too simple for you to recognize. It's a fun, unabashedly cute show with interesting characters. That's it.

Give it another try. ShutterBun sounds too much like Fluttershy's cousin for you not to be a brony.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 11:30 AM on May 26, 2011


New Strawberry Shortcake? Really? Yipes.

Strawberry Shortcake on Disney Junior - and it's hard to tell from the Wikipedia page, but this is either the second, or possibly the third reboot of Strawberry Shortcake in the last 10 years.
posted by antifuse at 11:32 AM on May 26, 2011


"Gonna chalk it up to pure meme-level appeal ..."

Which ... doesn't seem likely for those of us who found out it was a "meme" significantly *after* we started watching and enjoying it ...
posted by kyrademon at 11:32 AM on May 26, 2011


ShutterBun sounds too much like Fluttershy's cousin for you not to be a brony.

Check for cutie marks!

NOT IN PUBLIC!
posted by running order squabble fest at 11:39 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Call me Buttershy.

Which ... doesn't seem likely for those of us who found out it was a "meme" significantly *after* we started watching and enjoying it ...

That's OK. I'm not trying to come up with a unified field theory here, just trying to find something that makes sense for the moment.
posted by ShutterBun at 11:45 AM on May 26, 2011


My favorite episode is A Bird in the Hoof. It's a generic comedy plot of "huge train wreck that could have been prevented with a quick chat," but it's executed so well. The visual humor is great (even though Pinkie Pie is barely in this episode at all). Off the top of my head, I remember references to Hemingway, Alice in Wonderland and Benny Hill.

Speaking of memes, I love Derpy Hooves. Derpy's existence lets us know that people who make the show are actually in touch with their (unintended) audience.
posted by giraffe at 11:49 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


A lot of the spread in popularity was definitely based on the evolution of the show to meme status, but that's just advertising. It got to be a meme because people got really enthusiastic about how much they liked the show. You probably couldn't get people to watch an entire season of "All Your Base".
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:52 AM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


Here's twenty three pages of testimony on why people ended up liking it, if you are intending to continue your research into this mystery.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:56 AM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


I don't think it is irony that is the real difference between MLP and all the other smart cartoons out there that stoners like at 2am. Adventure Time definitely has "wink and nod" moments, but I and everyone I know likes the show for unabashedly unirionic reasons. Ice ninjas are just awesome! Ancient Psychic Tandem War Elephant? Awesome! (yeah, yeah).

Honestly, MLP is just not as weird as all those other shows. Nowhere near as creepy and dark, either. Makes it feel like something is missing, if you are used to wall-to-wall surreality.

Another thing is that MLP has a giant ensemble cast, and the ponies themselves are basically a whole, thriving society, with each of the characters an active member in it. They aren't outsiders in any real sense, so you don't really get the "fish out of water" thing. Geeks naturally are attracted to outsiders and misfits, but there just isn't any of that with MLP (Twilight Sparkle doesn't count). I think that the folks who like the show find all of this refreshing, so it seems incongruous to those of us who don't.

Personally, I think the MLP online meme thing owes a lot to Robot Unicorn Attack.
posted by Theodore Sign at 12:00 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


Yeah, I don't think Adventure Time is a particularly ironic show. Kinda loopy, sure, but nowhere near standard Adult Swim brand ironic.
posted by furiousthought at 12:08 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]


MY LITTLE PONIES: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC A CABAL
posted by everichon at 1:35 PM on May 26, 2011


I'm too old to like anything "ironically." I either like something, or I do not like it. There's not pose or pretense involved. I simply don't have the time or patience anymore.

That said, I love MLP.

Good family-programming can be written in such a way that the whole family can watch it together, but everyone will have seen something different. The kids might get slapstick, a fable, a morality play, or a sly, but simplified, glimpse into adult life. The adults might get satire of current events or public figures, wordplay, or a wink-and-nod at more adult themes. The old Loony Tunes did this, the Muppets did this, and Friendship is Magic does this too. MLP:FiM isn't nearly as risque as the old Looney Tunes, or as satirical as the Muppets, but it comes close. It delivers on a levels that both my daughter and I can enjoy.

She laughs when a pony gets an anvil dropped on her head, I laugh when a pony lets off a three-level pun. She smiles when the problem is solved and everybody is still friends, I smile when I see an homage to a classic film. She sees a parable of Pinkie Pie's sadness at being rejected by her friends, and I see Pinkie Pie slowly slipping into madness (and going derp-eyed). The writing is clever and nuanced, and the comedic timing is tight as a metronome.

Yeah, it's cute, but it isn't saccharine. Yeah, it's selling toys to little girls, but my little girl was obsessed with pony toys before she even saw the show.
posted by lekvar at 2:54 PM on May 26, 2011 [7 favorites]


furiousxgeorge: "Step One: Don't read threads about it."

I'm here for the snark.
posted by Splunge at 3:40 PM on May 26, 2011


Much as I'd like to be able to find out if I enjoy MLP, I first need to find the control that lets me turn down the color saturation by 66.67 percent. OW!~
posted by Twang at 4:02 PM on May 26, 2011


Kind of turned off MLP after the Settlers v. Indians (Indians are not ponies, they are buffalo) and Zecora the Zebra (Afrian people are not ponies, they are zebras) episodes. Too bad, because I really liked the main characters.
posted by subdee at 4:59 PM on May 26, 2011


Well, they are trying to avoid racializing the Pony characters. (Look at fan art of Twilight Sparkle as human as you see her depicted as White, Black, Asian or whatever the artist feels like)

So it's either shift away from that a bit when depicting other cultures or use a different species. The deceptions were a bit stereotypical but pretty sensitive as far as I could tell.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 5:59 PM on May 26, 2011


...it's either shift away from that a bit when depicting other cultures or use a different species. The deceptions were a bit stereotypical but pretty sensitive as far as I could tell.

Indeed.

The cows on the other hand are kind of disturbing if you overthink it...
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:49 PM on May 26, 2011


Well, if you take on a vegan perspective, the cows are presumably giving consent to being milked. They're not killed, as the ponies are vegetarians (save for a moment where Pinkie Pie mentions hot dogs*) who only keep livestock for milk, eggs, and truffles (with the help of the pigs), according to Faust. So, by talking to the cows, presumably Applejack or whoever the dairy farmer is is a better farmer in terms of animal welfare than any human farmer.

*A fan theory is that Pinkie Pie mentioned hot dogs just to confuse bronies and break the fourth wall indirectly, considering spike is weirded out by the reference, implying he could have never even heard of hot dogs. Or maybe the writer just didn't remember the vegetarian bit. Eh.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:56 PM on May 26, 2011


Is dark matter actually any denser than regular matter? I thought there was just a lot more of it.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:07 PM on May 26, 2011


I just assumed they were Tofu dogs.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:26 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]


What? No "overthinking" tag?

also...

Metafilter: Overthinking a plate of "Physical Impossibilities in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"
posted by hambone at 9:34 PM on May 26, 2011


Look, friendship IS magic, OK?

Also, who made this and why are the ponies visiting the Civil War?
posted by maryr at 9:56 PM on May 26, 2011


It's been fascinating and hilarious to watch various online communities, who've long since managed to cope with the notion that they're adults enjoying shows aimed at small children (Clone Wars, Transformers etc etc) and extremely frilly-girly shows that get a pass because they're Japanese (Rozen Maiden leaps disturbingly to mind, but there are so many more), completely and utterly lose their shit over My Little Pony.

I've actually been sort of surprised how many nerd/geek guys seem to work incredibly hard to retain an internal image of themselves as appropriately masculine despite literally almost everything they like running contrary to that, outside their own subcultures' standards. I guess it's a defensive reaction to past ostracism, but it's bizarre how these guys use the same disbelieving 'you're watching a show made for five-year-old GIRLS!' argument toward the bronies that's inevitably been levelled at them when some non-gaming acquaintance saw happy singing dinosaurs in Yoshi's Island or whatever.

They draw so many arbitrary lines you do not cross in their heads they tie themselves in hypocritical knots when something like MLP comes along.
posted by emmtee at 1:43 AM on May 27, 2011 [3 favorites]


Forget it, Jake. It's Ponyville.
posted by running order squabble fest at 2:32 AM on May 27, 2011 [3 favorites]


Oh wow, they made a full version of the Katy Perry song. And reference things like "bronies" and DJ PON-3 (the stage name for the DJ pony normally called "Vinyl Scratch" by the fans bobs her head to music).
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:08 AM on May 27, 2011 [3 favorites]


darksasami: "It should also be noted that Pinkie Pie is better at being Katy Perry than Katy Perry ever was"

Special Extended Equestria Girls, now with more brony shout outs!
posted by ShawnStruck at 10:09 AM on May 27, 2011


Hah, good luck trying to beat mccarty.tim to a pony video.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 10:17 AM on May 27, 2011


Whoops. I guess I was being served an older cache. Sorry.
posted by ShawnStruck at 10:21 AM on May 27, 2011


I'm late to the pony show as usual....

Clever, subtle internal references to a variety of classic animation

This in spades. In Griffin the Brush Off, there's a whole section near the beginning that is a straight-up riff of Pepe Le Pew cartoons, right down to the hopping gait of the pursuer (Pinkie). Once you start looking for them, there are Warner Bros. references everywhere.

I have been watching Animaniacs recently. It. Is. Terrible. So forced and unfunny.

It depends. People tend to remember shows based on the quality of the best episodes, and there definitely are excellent episodes of Animaniacs. For every great Warner Brothers and Dot bit though, there's one with a candle telling of the founding of the United States, or there's an inexorable Rita and Runt. I find that the ratio of so-so bits to truly excellent ones goes up as you go through the series. They figure out that Slappy Squirrel is something special midway through, the Warners become more self-referential and not just merry pranksters, Chicken Boo, Minerva Mink and Katie Kaboom get used better, and so on.

Pinky and the Brain is the same way. There are a couple of really great episodes in like the very first two stories, then they're loaded down with a lot of stupid "historical" episodes. I could probably write a paper on the number of ways Pinky and the Brain fails here, which is a shame because the premise is so great. When it does work, and the writers hit their stride, Pinky and the Brain is one of the best-written cartoons ever. There's an episode late in the show's run that is a full-on parody of Man of La Mancha that has to be seen to be believed.

Freakazoid, by way of contrast, is a show that was too hip for the audience when it first started. It's actually improved with age. The Tick was the same way.

I bet if a He-Man reboot were as good as the MLP reboot ostensibly is, no one would think much of its fandom in the nerd world.

There was one. It was quite excellent, but still didn't last long.

I'm really not gettin' it here.

Obligatory.
posted by JHarris at 4:01 AM on June 24, 2011


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