Jump to content

Ginger Mint

RP Certified
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,671

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    43

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Ginger Mint

  1. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Trixie wasn't cheating in this episode. Using other things was explicitly part of the magic duel. Twilight Sparkle used her friends, they both used random bystanders. When Twilight Sparkle accuses Trixie of cheating, Twilight was baiting her. Space Ghost was hardly the first story to ever use a 5 act play structure. It worked for Shakespeare, it worked for Quintus Horatius Flaccus, it can work for ponies as far as I'm concerned. • Act 1 - Exposition: The shopkeeper explains the basic themes of the episode, power, danger and by blithely accepting the money, corruption as well. • Act 2 - Complications: Twilight is introduced, Trixie's nemesis for the story. We're shown that she is a powerful magician. And we get a glimpse of all the horrible things Trixie can do. • Act 3 - Climatic Action: The first magic duel is the scene with the most dramatic tension in the episode. The audience really has no way of knowing what the outcome will be. • Act 4 - Falling Action and Reversals: The consequences of the first magic duel are played out, we see how bad things in Ponyville become, momentum slows while Twilight studies, and the tension is heightened by false hopes and fears. For Trixie, it seems that all has been won, and for Twilight, all is lost. • Act 5 - Resolution: The conflict is resolved, Trixie meets her downfall as a result of the actions that took place in act 4, and both Twilight and Trixie reveal that they have been transformed by the events.
  2. Ginger Mint

    nap time

    Ginger Mint posted a gallery image in Canterlot Community Art

    nap time

    From the album: Ginger Mint's Thingamajigs

    Usually I have a plan when I make art, however this was just an attempt at saving a really good sketch. I must have tried a dozen different backgrounds, and I still don't like how the background turned out. Oh well.
  3. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Well, the mane RP can do whatever it wants, no argument here. I'm just using what I see to infer things about the magical land of Equestria. There's lots of different types of magic besides just unicorn magic, like Hearts Desire, which not only was a crucial ingredient in giving Applebloom lots of special talents, but it also bolstered a rooster's heart. (magically I might add) Someone's emotional state has a clear effect on their magic, and Discord showed us how magic can effect someone's emotional state. So its really just a matter of putting two and two together. Seems to me like the cruelty involved with the alicorn amulet might have been an integral part of the desire for power, and the ability to reach that power.
  4. Ginger Mint
    hi hi None of those artifacts may have been in and of itself a specifically magic enhancing artifact, but its just a matter of employing basic logic. If I'm not mistaken, syllogisms are valid logical constructs. a: Artifacts can mimic magic. b: Magic can enhance the magic of others. c: Artifacts can enhance the magic of others. If a then b, if b then c, therefore if a then c. The Crystal Heart was powered by the spirit of the people, however, the effect that it produced was something that the spirit of the people could not have produced without it. Furthermore, the Crystal Heart almost exactly mimicked the protective magic that Princess Cadence was using, and was only powered up once for an entire year before they needed to have another crystal fair. So there was an indeterminate period of time in which it could produce a magic effect without constant input. Princess Cadence's magic enhanced Shining Armor's ability in Canterlot Wedding, and Twilight specifically says that it is Cadence's spell. In look before you sleep, Twilight Sparkle had a magical lightning rod to protect her tree house from lightning, mimicking some of the weather control abilities of a pegasus. Additionally, in Cutie Mark chronicles, Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom was explicitly not unicorn magic, and at the time Rainbow Dash was not friends with any of the mane six except possibly Fluttershy, but it inspired everyone to get their cutie marks and improved Twilight's magic performance. (The alicorn amulet is even consistent with this, because it also conveys an emotion onto the user.)
  5. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Oh, mane RP. Why you so silly sometimes? Other than the Elements of Harmony, there's been a number of magic enhancing things in the show prior to this episode. You've got other individuals who can enhance magic (Canterlot Wedding, Cutie Mark Chronicles), you've got artifacts that can replicate individual talents (Look Before you Sleep, Crystal Empire), plants that magically improve talent with occasional consequences (Cutie Pox), and artifacts that are enhanced by magic (Best Night Ever, Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000). I guess I better stop here before I dig myself an early grave. Fluttershy seemed about as timid as she does around dragons, so maybe it would have been nice to have her mention exactly why she was so afraid rather than implying it, but I did like how her friends didn't have to try too hard to get her to go along with the plan. They just smiled and gave her the opportunity to join up on her own, and it made me smile when she put her hoof in. I was guessing that the delegates from Saddle Arabia were actually horses, not ponies. We've heard lots of references to horses existing in the past, so I think it'd be nice to actually see some that weren't mice originally.
  6. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Its a magical world, I'd be surprised if there weren't lots of different magical things, both big and small scattered about. A little creativity can go a long way, even if its just simple tricks and nonsense. Just look at what Twilight was able to do with some pink smoke and a little bit of paint.
  7. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I would not be surprised if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get an episode where we get a chance to see them in a sympathetic light, eventually. In fact, I think they're probably setting up the groundwork for it already. Silver Spoon wasn't entirely rotten in Family Appreciation Day, she was one of the first to applaud Granny Smith after her story, and we got to see that Diamond Tiara's behavior isn't entirely overlooked by her father. I think there's been some hints that Silver Spoon actually cares about what Diamond Tiara thinks, and that it might be part of the reason why she acts that way.
  8. Ginger Mint
    hi hi While I think they were trying to go for some kind of metaphorical "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon defeated themselves, because nopony laid a hoof on them," angle at the end, I think you're right anyways. It does sort of... muddy the issue. *ducks for cover.*
  9. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I think I'm just going to have to get used to the fast pace that the episodes in season 3 have been run at. Although I prefer the slower, more down to earth feel from the earlier episodes, I don't think I can say that its anything but personal opinion on my part. It kind of felt like the episode started, and then suddenly it was over, but that is far preferable to having it drag on and on like one episode I know. (which will not be named) I also have to admit that callbacks and shout outs don't really do anything for me, but as long as an episode can stand on its own, it doesn't feel weird. Does that mean I dislike the episode? Nope. At this point, comparing the new episodes to ones in the past seems like comparing apples to oranges. There was a lot of good stuff in this episode, like Fluttershy and her woodland creatures being awesome, Twilight's friends having to solve problems without Twilight as a leader, tons of cool new magic spells... Oh, and also, the message that power isn't everything. Seriously, I've been waiting for this episode ever since people started making a big fuss about Twilight's ability to pick a whole bunch of apples at once in Applebuck Season. I say, let big burly guys grunt at each other and banter endlessly about power levels in Dragon Ball Z, I'll take a show that demonstrates creativity and teamwork over brute strength any day. (also, coincidence that Spike got turned into a dragon ball? You be the judge.) Other stuff I liked: • The pen is mightier than the amulet. Sharing knowledge between each other was vital to winning. • Trixie was delightfully absurd, which I think helped the writers get away with what might have otherwise been some pretty dark stuff. • Twilight Sparkle refusing Trixie's taunts at first. Everything that people didn't like about the challenge in Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 wasn't a problem here. • Zecora. Everything about Zecora. Its nice that they give other kinds of magic besides unicorn magic a chance to shine. • Good characterizations, especially Twilight who I think is at her best when she is forced to really work to overcome her problems, rather than just zapping them away with a convenient spell. (even though spells were involved in the solution.) Also, new head canon on Princess Luna and Celestia: Their immortality is the product of age magic, which they are skilled enough to cast. Edit: Stuff I don't like - Aaaalicorns!
  10. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I've started digging a hole in my backyard, flutterscotch. The neighbors are starting to stare, but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end. (disclaimer: I am not actually digging a hole in my backyard.)
  11. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I don't know if anyone else has heard about this, but I was looking through some of my regular, non pony related news sources and I found this story hailing from North Korea. Supposedly archeologists have discovered a thousand year old unicorn lair. Gateway to Equestria soon to follow?
  12. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Maybe once Ember Spark gets back to the Stormfast proper, she'll have a chance to take a nice warm bath, but until then she'll probably be a little bit more uncoordinated than usual. (Chilled through flesh and bone has got to be moderate hypothermia if nothing else.)
  13. Ginger Mint
    [colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour] Ember Spark wrapped Pocket Change's cape around her as best as she could, though her movements were sluggish and her shaking hooves caused the fabric to continually slip out of her grasp as she tugged on it. [colour=#773344]"T-thanks, j-just allow m-me a moment-t to f-find some warmth t-t-to k-keep."[/colour] She forced a smile to her lips and remained laying on the ground for a while longer as the cold slowly released its grip on her heart. [colour=#773344]"I t-think that-t s-shadow has s-some mulling t-to do."[/colour] She saw Emerath out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to look away. Although she listened carefully to what he was saying, she still felt like giving him some semblance of privacy for the moment. [colour=#773344]Is this good or bad timing? I'll have to make sure to ask about that later. How does one know whether to wait for somepony to finish or whether to jump in the middle? Emerath would probably play it safe and wait, so its probably best to follow his lead and wait.[/colour] Once Pocket Change started packing up the armor, however, Ember Spark decided it was time to spur herself into motion. Slowly and laboriously, she picked herself up and got on her hooves. Without any feeling in her legs, it was a strange cross between walking on stilts and floating in midair. [colour=#773344]I wonder if its like this for pegasi when they're flying.[/colour] She stumbled a little as she made her way over to the remaining pieces of armor, pausing briefly with each step to re-test her balance. Pressing down with one hoof, she tipped the armored helmet onto its side and stooped over. When she stood back up, the helmet was resting loosely over her head, and being a couple sizes too large, it swayed back and forth a little as she shivered. [colour=#773344]"I've g-got this piece."[/colour] she chirped as enthusiastically as she could. She didn't trust her shaky hooves with anything that didn't come in a single piece. Before the trio left the room, she carefully lowered what was left of her little box of peanuts to the floor. It may have been only half full and partially crushed by now, but it was something. [colour=#773344]"Its not m-much..."[/colour] she spoke softly, [colour=#773344]"b-but that armor isn't-t yours."[/colour] As they left, Ember Spark struggled to keep pace with Emerath, figuring that she'd given him enough time to think. Her voice was solemn, although she tried not to sound too gloomy, [colour=#773344]"Loneliness and failure is what it knew, its been stuck down here brooding over this tin can for who knows how long,"[/colour] she tapped a hoof on the side of her helmet to for emphasis, and winced as she felt pins and needles shoot up her leg, [colour=#773344]"Maybe now it'll have a chance to move on, maybe meet some nice, friendly shadows? The iceguard certainly got along just fine without it all of these years."[/colour]
  14. Ginger Mint
    hi hi People tend not to think rationally when they're angry, especially not kids. They did state that they wanted to humiliate Babs, but the motivation and the intent was to pay her back for two weeks worth of suffering in a single moment. Furthermore, although Featherweight did take a photo of them after they crashed, it is worth pointing out that nobody in the crowd laughed at them when they crashed, onlookers were worried and concerned, so its not like the episode was implying that it actually would have been an embarrassment. The writer is acknowledging that it was a dumb idea and didn't make sense, which is pretty typical of revenge.
  15. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Not liking stories that portray revenge is fine. I'm not saying that anyone needs to like the episode. I just don't think its fair to the writer to say that these themes are a sign of bad writing. Personally, I didn't like The Return of Harmony, and I avoid sad fiction like the plague, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are poorly written or mistakes. Revenge is a powerful and primal motivation that lots of people understand, and I think that's why it has a place in so many well respected works of literature and film. (Like Hamlet) We can only guess at the writer's intent, because without an artist statement or a heavy handed letter to Celestia at the end to tell us the message we were supposed to learn, all we can really do is piece together what is said in character during the show. I certainly don't think anyone is arguing that Applejack was incorrect to suggest that talking to an adult is preferable to sabotaging a parade float, or that the plan was not dumb. --- In other news, film has been around in some form since at least Green Isn't Your colour. It may not have been motion picture, but they certainly weren't lugging around dry plate cameras. They probably could have done some things to make the theater more ponyesque, though they're clearly not too concerned about tech levels these days. Although the first public showing of a motion picture was all the way back in 1896, this place had more of the feel of the bowling alley from Cutie Pox. (Which I suspect is more the target feeling they're aiming for these days.) I suspect if this had been in early Season 1, it would have been a live performance of some kind, maybe a play or a concert, and instead of doing something to a drinking cup something would have happened to the performers.
  16. Ginger Mint
    hi hi The way I see it, malicious intent is an integral component of revenge. They could have done something else that didn't involve the Cutie Mark Crusaders being malicious, but I think the story is better because they chose to do so. When I was little, I did some incredibly stupid things too while trying to get back at my brother, like when I tried setting up a booby trap that involved a glass of water falling on him. Well, the glass tipped over on my mum instead, and I was left to explain what I had been doing. Kids get angry just like anyone, and people are notorious for making bad decisions when they're angry, and I think that is important to address. Yes, there could have been more serious repercussions at the end, but I didn't think the Cutie Mark Crusaders got away with it. They did end up rolling into a pile of mud, and I suspect that if I'd knocked my glass of water over on myself instead of my mum, I wouldn't have gotten in quite so much trouble either. They didn't have to tell anyone that they sabotaged the float, Applejack and Babs didn't know about it until Scootaloo said something, and by then, they'd already explained how they knew what they did was wrong, including their reasoning as proof. I think Applejack's backhanded, "If you'd have come to me in the first place," line was acknowledgment enough. Think of it like this, if you're going to the beach and there are sharks in the water, someone could say "Hey, don't go in the water you dummy," or "Hey, there are sharks in the water," but the latter example is more likely to produce the desired result and doesn't insult anyone's intelligence or independence. If the CMC's hadn't just gotten finished explaining why they realized they were wrong, then maybe it would have been different.
  17. Ginger Mint
    [colour=#222222]hi hi I can agree that the plan to crash the float was not a good plan for humiliation. It was dangerous and stupid. But I still don't see how that equals bad writing. The Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't write the script. Suppose if, at the end of the episode, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had said, "Aww shucks, Babs didn't deserve that, but if she had deserved it, it would have been a super duper plan." Would that not constitute a mixed message? I can't stress this enough: bullying hurts people. The injuries may not be as obvious as falling down a hill, but they are just as real, and often times longer lasting. (If I had to choose between getting hit by a car at low speeds while biking to work again or going through another day of middle school, I'd choose the former.) Television is a visual medium. In film, it is often better to show the audience something rather than telling them something. The sense of motion, the extreme camera angles, and the pacing were all crafted to emphasize and even exaggerate the danger. They showed us that thoughtlessness can lead to unintended consequences. They didn't intend for Pinkie Pie to get run off the road, they didn't intend to put any hapless pigs in danger at the end. They showed us how seeking revenge is reckless, stupid and dangerous; how retaliation can quickly escalate in a way that was crystal clear. I cannot imagine that this was a mistake, it seems far more likely to me that this was an intentional feature of the story. They already showed us how bullying can be emotionally hurtful in the first half of the episode by chronicling the plight of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I think that comparing the two and addressing how it can be physically hurtful as well was a good thing. This episode wasn't just about bullying, it was about revenge as well. I can't say much else about the premise that reckless and dangerous things shouldn't be in the show, except to say that reckless and dangerous things happen a lot in this show already, and that I fail to see how this in particular was contrarily unacceptable. [/colour]
  18. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I'm pretty sure that Griffin the Brush-off was controversial. Lots of people didn't like how Rainbow Dash treated Gilda, lots of people thought Gilda deserved worse, some people thought that the pranks were cruel, some people though the pranks were not. I didn't really care much for the episode when I first watched it, though it had nothing to do with controversy or anything. I appreciated it a bit better after going back and watching it again in the context of those arguments though. Also, what do you mean you're on nobody's side? I've never seen that musical, but the song provides precious little context. You don't really think that nobody can ever be trustworthy do you?
  19. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Well I'll be... I don't think the friends and family of someone who dies because they were bullied are going to be any less in pain than someone who dies because of a motor vehicle crash. It is still just as hurtful. But if we're going to compare the two: A parade float made out of wood and cloth traveling slower than a child can run is going to be significantly less dangerous than a 1.5 ton steel automobile. The average child can run 15 mph, and the even Sweetie Belle, who's not particularly athletic, was able to catch up to the float while on foot. Colliding with something at 15 miles per hour is roughly equivalent to falling off a step ladder. (7.5 foot drop) The risk of dying from a collision at 15 miles per hour is less than 1% ((Even for pedestrians with no safety devices!)) Furthermore, it is precisely the inelasticity of automobiles that causes the majority of injuries in low speed collisions, because the vehicle does not begin to crush and absorb the impact until 15-20 miles per hour.[1] However, a float made out of wood and cloth will not remain static at any impact speed. On the other hand, according to that link, around 11.5% of bullying victims have attempted suicide, but thankfully as few as 1% of those actually succeed. So the danger of being in such a low speed collision is actually quite comparable to... Aww, ok Rosewind. How can I say no to that? (Next time Gadget... next time.) 1. Navin FP, Romilly DP. An investigation into vehicle and occupancy response subjected to low-speed rear impacts. Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference VI, 1989.
  20. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Bullying is reckless and dangerous. Bullying kills people.
  21. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I would really like to know if there is anything good in this world that is needfully complicated and dangerous. Yes, rigging a vehicle to fail is not ok. Its not supposed to be ok, it wasn't praised as being ok. I've seen people do dangerous stunts in real life to pick on or get revenge on people, they were not ok. Dunking people in mud and humiliating them is not ok. (edit: screaming and causing an avalanche that almost crushes your friends is also not something that I expect from heroes in a story, but I figure not everyone is perfect.)
  22. Ginger Mint
    hi hi I would agree, starswirlthebearded that sabotaging mechanics can have unintended consequences. However, all actions are capable of having unintended consequences, and I'm pretty sure that sabotage would be a crime for its intended consequences alone, if there were nothing else. Similarly, Babs' goal was to avoid being bullied, and hurting the Cutie Mark Crusaders was a collateral consequence. Her motive was not to harm them, but to avoid harm herself. Harassment is also a crime here in the real world. For instance, I can't imagine that Dharun Ravi intended for anyone to die from harassment, but it happened anyway. Personally, I think the episode was better because what the Cutie Mark Crusaders did was potentially dangerous. It helps drive home the fact that bullying people is harmful. (edit: Sabotage is a deliberate, secretive action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were definitely trying to sabotage Babs. They were doing it in secret, and they were aiming to weaken her social standing.) --- Weesh, I can't speak for the last two points. (I thought the apple timer was shaking the steering system loose.) but I can definitely understand your issues with the first point. Its a lot like why I don't enjoy hearts and hooves day, even though everyone else seems to love it.
  23. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Vindictive: Disposed to seek revenge, intended for or involving revenge. Intended to cause anguish or hurt: spiteful. Revenge is wrong, period. It is by definition, vindictive. It doesn't matter if it was indirect sabotage or if they walked up to Babs and kicked her face. There may be no good reason to respect mechanics less than people, but I can't think of any reason to respect mechanics more than people either. You ought to respect people and you don't intentionally sabotage a person to fail. If someone is doing wrong, you press down on the breaks, you don't ruin them. I'm having a difficult time thinking of something that is needfully vindictive.
  24. Ginger Mint
    hi hi The way I saw it was that they learned what they did was wrong through experience. The show sets up the audience to sympathize with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, because of what they go through, and the revelation is supposed to be a shock to the characters if no one else else. There's a lot going on in the scene where they realize their plan was bad. • First Scootaloo recognizes that Babs had a motive. • Then Applebloom says "She didn't want to be bullied, so she became a bully instead." • Then Sweetie Belle says "Now we've turned into bullies too." When they realize that what they're doing is equitable to what had happened to them, they not only have their own actions to consider, but everything that happened previously in the episode as well. Because, while sudden, the two sides are now equated. They already established that what Babs was doing was wrong, and her having-a-motive-ness didn't excuse what she did. By getting into the same situation as Babs, the CMC's realized that what they were doing (the same thing) was wrong. So at the end of their reasoning, they realized that seeking revenge is wrong. It wasn't about giving Babs a convenient excuse for sympathy, rather it was about using Babs' excuse to negate their own. (Babs apologizes in the end as well.) They didn't feel like they deserved to be bullied, they realized that Babs didn't deserve to be bullied, but at that point in the episode, they were both being bullies too. However, if being bullied is a reason for being sympathetic with someone, then what happens if you bully someone, do they become sympathetic? That's the heart of the moral paradox, if bullying someone means they deserve being bullied themselves, then they would have deserved being bullied, but if they deserved it, then that would have negated the reason for their reprisal. (Why does life have to be so ironic?) After their float crashes, Applebloom remarks "Maybe we'll get our cutie marks in stupidest ideas of all time." Indicating that by that point she realized just how wrong they were. It didn't have to necessarily be driving Babs down a hill, it could have been anything really, and maybe it should have been something else. The point was that they didn't think about the consequences until it was too late, and because of that, they ended up suffering though. At least, that was my take on it.
  25. Ginger Mint
    hi hi Initiating cooling protocol... ...Now 20% cooler. I realize that nothing I say is going to make the parade scene better for you starswirlthebearded, its probably the same way with me and the test scene in Too Many Pinkies, but I hope it doesn't ruin the rest of the good stuff in the episode for you. I just want people to realize that humiliating others is also a bad thing, and just as worthy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders feeling ashamed of themselves. Moral luck at work I guess...
×
×
  • Create New...