S03 E04: "One Bad Apple"

[elsporko]

I wouldn't be surprised to see an episode where Diamond Tiara goes to far and Silver Spoon gets tired of her, leaving Tiara all alone, and she eventually learns that there are ways she can use her leadership skills to get positive.

[FlammingHeart]

Alright, I think you guys are missing a point about the lesson in this episode.

There are 2 importent lessons in this episode

1: If you got a problem go to adults

2. Do not bully, it is bad, Help those bulying and those being bullied.

As mentioned many times in this thread children needs adults to raise them. To show them how to solve problems they will encounter many times in their lives. In order for adults to guide and advise children they either have to witness the problems the children encounter or be told about the problem. As we all know chiildren are not always, cannot, will not, should not be under adult supervision. Therefor when children encounter a problem which they themself cannot solve they have to go to an adult for help.

Teaching children to seek adult help is in itself a task, They have to remember in situations not to lose their temper, remember going to an adult. This is not possible without the child trusting the adult. As we all know trust is earned not given.

If you as an adult start lecturing above the childs head or even worse scolding you will not be given this trust and lose the trust you got. You have to meet the child on its term, with care and understanding. Help the child but talking about the problem, find solutions and reflect about how to avoid ending up in the same situation again.

The cutie mark crusaders make the conclusions and discussion throughout the show themself, therefor Apple Jack does not have to do it. She does look cross when Diamon Tiara mocks Bad Seed. But Bad Seed solves the problem herself by standing up to herself and saying she tell her mother if she continues. Thereby reinfocing the message of the show to go to an adult.

Secondly remember not to overcomplicate and over analyze on the show. They have to keep it simple, remember the show is for small girls and the message is to importent to make it overcomplicated.

[Stainless Steel Fox]

Two things.

Why does the song make me thing of a Scooby Doo episode? Both the song and the visuals. Any Scooby Doo episode.

I wrote up my own take on the fact that Babs Seed got away with some pretty nasty stuff and somehow got out of it scot free. It's not so much the redemption as not having to work for it. Too much of that and you get into harry Potter territory, and then you just have to break out the flamethrower. I posted the fic 'Consequences - A Bad Apple Comedy of Justice'. in the writing section.

[NoGiantRobots1983]

Secondly remember not to overcomplicate and over analyze on the show. They have to keep it simple, remember the show is for small girls and the message is to importent to make it overcomplicated.

But but it's fun to over-analyze!!!

On a more serious note, I feel like saying "remember the target audience" is a cop-out. Especially since we've already had an episode ("Griffon the Brush-Off") that dealt with bullying, did it far more convincingly and it wasn't even the point of the episode. MLP is a show that's shown it can be well-written enough to deal with a subject in a way kids can understand, but that adults can still appreciate. Why should we let it off the hook if it falls short of the standard it set by itself?

[FlammingHeart]

But but it's fun to over-analyze!!!

On a more serious note, I feel like saying "remember the target audience" is a cop-out. Especially since we've already had an episode ("Griffon the Brush-Off") that dealt with bullying, did it far more convincingly and it wasn't even the point of the episode. MLP is a show that's shown it can be well-written enough to deal with a subject in a way kids can understand, but that adults can still appreciate. Why should we let it off the hook if it falls short of the standard it set by itself?

Some kids are more thick than other kids and it is a realy hard lesson to learn so by repeating it might stop some kids from bullying or make them go to adults for help. If theworld was so sweet a single cartoon with a griffon buly could stop bullying there would not be a need of a cartoon about the subject.

[elsporko]

But but it's fun to over-analyze!!!

On a more serious note, I feel like saying "remember the target audience" is a cop-out. Especially since we've already had an episode ("Griffon the Brush-Off") that dealt with bullying, did it far more convincingly and it wasn't even the point of the episode. MLP is a show that's shown it can be well-written enough to deal with a subject in a way kids can understand, but that adults can still appreciate. Why should we let it off the hook if it falls short of the standard it set by itself?

The lesson of Giffon Brush Off was confused at best If sombody is a bully sort of then you should be nice to them and they will be undone by being a jerk without actual interference by anybody

The lessong of this episode is far clearer and more direct when it comes to bullying

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

While Griffin the Brush-off did involve some bullying on the part of Gilda, it really wasn't the core of the episode.

Griffin the Brush-off was about choosing your friends wisely; not letting yourself be used or isolated by people who only have their own self interests at heart, how loving and tolerating someone who isn't very nice doesn't mean you have to enable their bad behavior, and in Twilight's own words "finding the difference between a true friend and a false friend."

[NoGiantRobots1983]

The point still stands though: there were ways the message could've been handled much, much better, that would've still been appropriate for kids.

The one thing it can't do, apparently, is come up with a message we can all agree on.

[Dessa]

The show's messages have been shoddy since season 2. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they miss.

[FlammingHeart]

Well the subject on how to bring up children is kinda a hot topic, tehre are alot of different ways to do it and even more oppinions how to do it we will never agree besides on a few basic points.

[NoGiantRobots1983]

True as that is, in the past I was always able to overlook the meanings and morals, because they always felt to me like they were tacked on last-minute. "Over a Barrel" and "Lesson Zero", among others, for example, I need to meet my comma quota, came off to me like the writers were saying "Just ignore this part. We're just pretending this show is educational to get funding from the CEO."

Part of the problem with this episode is that the message is front-and-center, so you can't just ignore it. Whatever the case elsewhere, they were clearly serious this time.

As other people have said, its a cartoon for little girls. Fine. But that's not an excuse for mishandling the message. That's more like a reason the episode was just a bad idea. It's offensive to people like me who actually have been bullied--and in fact tried the very thing the episode itself suggests--and got bad or no results from it. Might as well make an episode about the sinking of the Titanic which says everyone on board would've survived if they just swam to shore. Really, I sometimes wonder about Western Animation writers who say things like "Hmmm, its a cartoon about magical ponies who sing and dance and go to galas and have stare-downs with dragons... We should totally have an episode that features a serious discussion of a hot social issue!"

Totally waiting to see if they ever do an anti-drugs episode.