weesh

I'd love to get these, but 1) I'd prefer to not see what I am getting (Surprise!) and 2) I am too shy to purchase these when people are around.

That's what the internet is for! (it's hilarious that I'm willing to cosplay Rainbow Dash in public, but I also am not willing to buy or even look at the toys in-store... even when wearing a shirt that screams BRONY!!!)

I get Danton's first point, but the second one applies also to me.

I could do anything at a convention, but I would be pretty self-conscious everywhere else.

Wait...It occurs to me that this is the PERFECT time of year to buy MLP stuff for yourself! It will be assumed to be a present!

Supposedly there are almost 700,000 of us, but I suspect people are counting their sled dogs. Actually taking a census is difficult here. We have the worst participation rate in the nation (less than 60% responded).

Pixar and Dreamworks are blurring the lines are they not? Toys 3 was up for best picture (King's Speech deserved it), and How to Train your Dragon was almost as good.

My impression was that she was enjoying it as much as Rarity, but it took way less pampering for her to get that same amount of enjoyment. However, that was just one example. I see where you are coming from regarding letting others walk over her.

I see a lot of Fluttershy in myself. I have conversations with people where I say less than 10% of the words.

but being a good listener is more than just staying quiet, you have to actually prompt people to keep talking

That, consequently, hits pretty close to home. I'm good at listening, and need some work at the responding part.

I disagree that just letting her friends walk all over her somehow makes Fluttershy a better friend. Rarity brings Fluttershy to the spa because she's trying to share something that she enjoys with her. Fluttershy pretending to enjoy it for Rarity's sake is just another example of the comminication problems that were central to that episode.

Likewise, Fluttershy is quiet, but being a good listener is more than just staying quiet, you have to actually prompt people to keep talking. Fluttershy only really shines when she gets excited about something and her actual personality comes through, something which has only really happened maybe 5 times total over the course of the show.

You think Fluttershy was pretending to enjoy it? Sure she got much less pampering than Rarity, but...

Its times like these that I wish I had seen the episodes more than once.

I hereby christen thee 'Spock'! *smacks you on the head with a champagne bottle* hummm... it didnt break, so what was that loud CRACK sound? O_o (lol)

On that note, I just realized that by showing the airship christening, alcohol is now canon...

Yeah, I have almost no connection to star trek, seeing as I burned myself out on sci-fi with SG-1.

If I recall correctly, the bottle didn't break! Isn't that supposed to spell doom and gloom for the airship? Also, maybe it was sparkling apple juice?

I love kids, and I am so glad that there are three locally that have adopted me as an uncle. I'm almost as excited to be a father one day as I am to eventually be a husband. Playing small games, or reading stories, or just sitting next to each other while watching fun animated movies is wonderful. But teaching them stuff is the best! Regarding the spock comment (on a different thread), I taught them rock-paper-scissors-lizzard-spock just to get the adults around them to do double takes.

NO! Fanfic is not the answer! I think we need a poll!

And it would be the best kind of poll: one that makes a wild assumption and then asks for everyone to make guesses to explain the first assumption, the results of which are entertaining and completely useless!

There's this phrase that I used to hear growing up as a warning...something to the effect of "beware the man who doesn't like children or dogs".

The point being that...I'm not really sure but the implication was that there was something wrong with him. I've never been clear if I needed to like both or just one to not be creepy.

It has haunted me somewhat since the dog thing totally applies.

My personal opinion is Dash's mane and tail are jagged not from styling but because she cuts them herself

I find that quite amusing...but do you think it is because she is trying to make it look cool, or because she doesn't care enough to go to a real stylist?

Poor Winona.

She really needs to appear more...

If I cared about animals at all, and if I liked dogs, and if real dogs looked and acted like Winona, and I wasn't allergic to them, I could imagine thinking about getting a dog.

Huh, I think that is the second closest I have ever gotten to getting a pet.

You tried to base a cartoon about ponies on logic?

I am an engineer! What else would I use to analyze the minutia of a cartoon about ponies?

Oh you guys are making me so happy! I live around a bunch of people that are really critical of the unique things I like.

Actually, I think Rarity gives Rainbow Dash a run for her money...

But yeah, I am much more drawn to the more relaxed and carefree style.

Earth pony magic! No, seriously. All of the ponies have some magic of their own. Unicorns can harness it, Pegasi can walk on and move clouds and control the weather, and Earth ponies are naturally good at farming and understanding animals, along with other things to do with the earth/ground. Faust may have even spoken on this, though I can't recall at the moment.

Af for your apple bucking comments, it never seemed all that odd to me. I mean, it's not realistic, but where is the FIM world ever particularly realistic? And with the latest episode confirming that the magic of earth ponies is in growing and harvesting food, apple bucking probably taps into some kind of magic to work as it does, which makes it even more reasonable to me.

That....

Actually helps a little bit. It is awfully lame, but it is way better than trying to logically piece the thing together.

I remember loving Milo and Otis as a kid, and when I saw it for a steal I picked it up recently. I have never met anyone else who could stand to be in the same room as it.

Oh, and way to make me feel old by including the emperor's new groove on that list. I had no idea that was 11 years ago.

Due to budget cuts, there is only enough funding for 5 elements of harmony next season. But don't worry, the ponies work pretty cheap, we aren't loosing anyone important.

Who do you send packing and why?

Also, I just really don't get the Fluttershy thing. She's always been towards the bottom of the bunch for me (goes between her and Pinkie for least favorite). She's cute and nice and all, but I just don't find her personality very compelling. I'm only really endeared to her in the moments when she breaks from her usual act and becomes aggressive. Like Tempest Rime said, she really is just kind of boring.

Of the 6, Fluttershy is the furthest on the path to ideal friendship. She is the best listener, and is unlikely to jump to conclusions. Thus, she isn't going to spawn much conflict on her own. The others flaws and personalities may be more dynamic, and so too is the drama that their idiosyncrasies cause. Boring? That is not inaccurate, but it is looking at her from the wrong angle.

AJ though? She seems like a good friend, though a bit stubborn.

But...I...just...can't...get...past...applebucking.

Pinkie Sense is more logical.

Really? You are going to slam your hooves into a tree without damaging it, or even the leaves, but every single apple is going to fall precisely into prearranged buckets without bruising the fruit? And it is really hard to forget it when you see it at the start of every episode. I just can't give her a fair judgement because she is a walking reminder of applebucking.

Similarly, I can't take harry potter seriously because Quidditch makes no sense either.

[/rant]

...My complaint about the sales is that they can make little tweaks that WONT EFFECT their kiddy sales, but will persuade more ponies to buy - namely Show-accurate ponies.

Is that not the truth!

At first I thought the selection was just poor due to my location (also true) but after looking online I was surprised that I couldn't find any ponies that look like the ones that I love.

i think the princes ponys r bettr than the rest, as they can do magic and fly, lik harry potter when he has th broom stick

Sure those would be benefits for most, but...

I love that being a Pegasus is a liability for Fluttershy. She would be content as an earth pony, but since she has wings there are certain expectations that she needs to try and live up to. Like actually flying...

Your 6 year old niece's parents buy them that stuff, and parents definitely do spend on their children. I'm not privy to the numbers, but most indications are that adult fans are a small fraction of product sales. We have money to spend, but we're not huge in numbers (yet).

I'd be interested in the numbers, but I suspect they are at least a little deceptive...

It would be hard to separate gifts given from interested and disinterested adults.

I don't get why people like Fluttershy so much. Rainbow Dash is obviously the best.

Firstly, yeah I really like rainbow dash, and for a while she was top pony for me.

However, what is not to like about the kindest pony?

Or the pony with more loyalty (at least when the chips are down) than the loyalty pony?

Or the one who gives the most to the generosity pony? FS certainly doesn't get much out of her weekly spa trips. That is a beautiful gift to Rarity.

I think it would be interesting to hear what criteria people are using to define "best". For me it is "who do I want around me when I am doing well, AND when I am doing poorly"?

Rarity is best pony. FACT.

Fluttershy is boring.

But the question wasn't "which pony is the most dramatic" : )

Honestly I find it hard to understand anyone putting her in the top two. If not for her shoving her head in the trash to protect Pinkie (so my second favorite memory of her was her covering up a lie?), and her jumping in the mud for her sister (and my first favorite involves deception), she would be at the bottom for me.

Surely its not just looks right? 'Cause she certainly wins that contest. WHAT AM I MISSING?!

How they decide to pay us back, however, is another question. They've done things just for the adult fanbase, and they certainly don't have to. It doesn't make them any extra money to give us shout outs. It's just there to maintain relations, because they'd rather have us than not have us.

Really? It doesn't do them any good to acknowledge the part of their fan base that have jobs and money? Perhaps my 6 year old niece wants more stuff than I do, but it will be a long time before she can drop $40 on an iTunes season. Either we are a big part of their revenue, or we could be. Either way, I imagine the shout outs are strategic and necessary form their point of view.

Fluttershy is most huggable pony.

And what other criteria matters?

awww... I'm the only one who thinks Rainbow Dash is best pony? *huggles the Dashie* If you look past her rough exterior there's a heart of gold in there!

Maybe, but she is a very close second for me.