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"Maybe we'll get our Cutie Marks in stupidest ideas of all time."

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Tales gets a cutie mark in image memes.

1. Babs Seed Okay first off, her name annoys me. "Babs" is short for "Barbara." So her name is Barbara Seed. I'm sure that fits in perfectly next to names like "Shining Armor," "Big Macintosh" and "Berry Punch."

Pony Joe.

Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Gilda.

Just sayin'.

3. Political Correctness Warning! And this is the big problem. MLP was just not equipped to handle a bullying story without being all annoyingly PC. So naturally, it tries to pull the "oh, the bully is actually someone who is bullied herself," and tries to make Barbara Seed all sympathetic. No. If she's been bullied, then she should know better than to pass it on, and deserves punishment all the more for knowing full well what she was subjecting others to. This idea that we should all develop Stockholm Syndrome for our tormentors is one reason bullying stories simply should not be told... at least as long as the media is the way it is now.

4. Political Correctness Warning Part Two! On top of that, the show goes with the tired moral that the proper response to bullying is to tell somebody--a parent or other authority figure. Did none of the writer's go through high school? Or did the moral guardians stand there with guns to their heads and force them to teach kids to do the thing that only ensures they will never stop being professional victims for as long as they live? Because that's really what dependency on authority will do to you in the long run--make you weak. Sorry, but Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had the right idea when they decided revenge was better.

Ugh, can we retire the term "political correctness" please? Even advertisers are getting tired of Rush Limbaugh. You want the truth about bullying? It's complex! Far more than could be addressed in a 22 minute episode that needs to fit in some jokes between the serious bits. Truth is, bullies ARE sometimes bullied. Not always, but sometimes.

Really, I think you make some fair points dude. Some of them I thought of myself, but coming in with "political correctness" and "stockholm syndrome" and all these fancy two bit words hurts you more than it helps.

Truth is, the proper response to a bully really depends. There's no magic bullet. Sometimes, it IS to ignore them. Sometimes bullies just intensify when you try it. Sometimes, beating the bully up makes them stop. Sometimes, the buly get friends and intensifies (or is someone you cant beat up to begin with). And sometimes, telling an adult DOES get you help, while other times, the adult is incapable or unwilling to solve the problem.

All of these fancy platitudes about "relying on authority is bad" or "children should rely on adults as part of a support network" are too simplistic to address the ENTIRE spectrum of bullying (Not all kids HAVE a network, after all. We live in a sad world).

Truth be told, a kid can only do so much about a bully before he's out of options. If we want to end bullying, it's up to us as ADULTS to put a stop to it. If the world was full of responsible Applejacks, we'd be solid. But it isn't. Sometimes the people who should be responsible don't know what to do, or are intimidated by the bullies themselves, or simply say "it's just kids being kids" and ignore it.

Like, I knew this guy who would come to a Skype group I was in and intentionally try to start fights. He would also pretend in the background to be everyone's friend so he could learn things about them, then spread it to others in private to create dissent and cause more dramas. When I figured out his game, I blocked him and then kickbanned him from the Skype chat, not even asking anyone else if it was okay.

You used your authority to stop bullying. What would you have done if you could not kickban him? If you answer "get the mod to ban him," you're a hypocrite.

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I liked this episode.

First Babs: Interesting character. The voice at first was a little iffy, but I got used to it. Very Brooklyn/ Long Island like.

The bullying part: Although it was clear the message the episode was trying to send, I liked the twist that Babs was bullying so as not to be bullied herself. Although this further lends credence to how bad Diamond and Silver are when comparing why they bully versus Babs. Having been bullied in Elementary/ Middle School, I like that there was an episode of how to (and not to) deal with bullies.

Cloud Kicker and Dr. Hooves. Does Derpy know about this?

Apple Bloom dressed as Sailor Moon?

The Gold Dust.

Building Montage!

Sweetie Belle crying (not a favorite).

Dr. Hooves dressed as a pear?

The song is catchy as was the three running around to escape Babs. Kind of like a chase scene from Scooby Doo.

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Thanks, Dessa. It's nice to hear a reasoned response rather than extremism.

I'll admit that "political correctness" and "stockholm syndrome" were bad choices of words. I was ticked off when I wrote my review and really not thinking carefully about my words. I stand by the ultimate message though, which--as we both said--that ultimately the episode dealt with a complex issue too simplistically and offered an answer that truly helps no one.

As for my Skype anecdote, I honestly don't know how I would've dealt with the situation if I didn't have the options I did.

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I can't help but feel you must've lived an extremely blessed life. That's the only way you can hear of everyday things like corruption, apathy, incompetence, human bias or plain 'ol laziness and think they can only happen in extreme or fantastic scenarios.

Ineffective authority can exist anywhere in any position of power, but trying to create strawman scenarios to justify vigilante justice towards bullying is IMHO not the answer. Assuming a bullied kid has unsympathetic parents, teachers, and cops all around him or her, they are still better off either finding a support group or seeking out any other adult they can find.

That's all I have to say on this specific issue in this thread.

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Thanks, Dessa. It's nice to hear a reasoned response rather than extremism.

I'll admit that "political correctness" and "stockholm syndrome" were bad choices of words. I was ticked off when I wrote my review and really not thinking carefully about my words. I stand by the ultimate message though, which--as we both said--that ultimately the episode dealt with a complex issue too simplistically and offered an answer that truly helps no one.

As for my Skype anecdote, I honestly don't know how I would've dealt with the situation if I didn't have the options I did.

No, it helps some folks. Often, telling a adult is precisely what you should do. Just not always. Depends on the adult.

Really, the best solution is to implement curricula, procedures, and teacher/admin education on how to handle bullying within school grounds. Part of that would be teaching kids, but part of that would be taking kids seriously and insultaing them from the potential consequences of snitching. Kids need to know they can snitch without consequence.

And teachers need to know that corrective behavior should alawys be regulared by adults. There is no "bullies are helping him learn how to behave." That's a major problem.

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Not a bad episode, but not a good one either. The song was pretty catchy I have to say. I didn't laugh too much. Pinkie's puns didn't surprise me, and they did get a laugh out of me at least a bit. I facepalmed on the fight fire with fire bit, ESPECIALLY with how they decided to do it. That is probably what singularly annoyed me the most, they chose to rig a float to fail and thus roll down a hill. That isn't fighting back, that is fighting dirty and dangerous. If something had gone wrong and the the parade went slower than expected, it could have ended up in the crowd or a building, causing damage and injuries, not only to Babs, but to others as well. That is not cool, and they should have thought of that before they rigged something mechanized to fail. That is like rigging breaks to fail on a car. Things can and do go wrong and unexpected and dangerous consequences can occur. Honestly, I had wished AJ would have been more annoyed with them in how they chose to handle it, and then went into the resolution, because what they did was NOT OK. Honestly, that alone soured the episode for me. Had the prank been a harmless one (like say the ones Pinkie did in Griffon the Brush-off) I'd have been fine, but no, they chose to endanger the well being of not only their target, but others as well.

Now on to my thoughts about bullying...

Over the years, I've seen a litany of bullying-centric episodes from a number of cartoons. They all handle it differently, but at the same time exactly the same. The moral has almost always been "tell an adult." Realistically it depends on the bully, and there are several bully mentalities. This actually kind of touched on that. There are bullies who become bullies to avoid bullying. I know this because a former friend did exactly that. I got that to stop by direct force (in front of a nun no less, whom instead of disciplining me, told the bully he had it coming). Unfortunately he didn't change for the better and our friendship, obviously, ended, but he did stop. However, they took the acceptance route, which for those kinds of bullies can sometimes work. And yes, in this case, telling an authority figure would have likely helped. However, there are bullies who do what they do because of the attention, despite it being negative. Telling an authority figure in those cases reinforces their negative behavior. Sometimes there is no easy way to deal with those types of bullies, sometimes ignoring them works, other times it doesn't. There are those bullies whom are insecure in themselves, and there are ways to deal with those types. I could go on, but like dealing with people, there is no perfect way and it must be played by ear.

tl;dr: Telling an adult doesn't always help, and sometimes enforces the bully's behavior. Ignoring doesn't always work, because of other motives for the bully to engage in bullying. Standing up doesn't always work, due to the bully's mentality or the mentality of the one being bullied. Sometimes accepting the bully as a friend helps. All situations are different.

Naturally you can't teach psychology to children and have them analyze the bully that is antagonizing them, so sometimes trying different things is the only way to go. However, in almost all situations telling an adult should be the first act, and then should be played by ear from there depending on how the situation progresses (assuming the adult actually does something). Like Dessa said, there is no magic bullet, and figuring out what will work is the first step to figuring out how to successfully deal with a bully. They did at least show a good way and a bad way, and explained the (perceived) "right" way.

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I believe we have now officially exhausted the topic re: whether the episode's moral is applicable to real life. Every possible point-of-view that can be presented on that, has been, and I too am looking to retire that topic.

I just hope that the next time we see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it'll be in a "fun" episode, and that we no longer get episodes that try to tackle serious issues. Being a children's cartoon, it is simply not equipped to deal with strong subject matter.

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I can't help but feel you must've lived an extremely blessed life. That's the only way you can hear of everyday things like corruption, apathy, incompetence, human bias or plain 'ol laziness and think they can only happen in extreme or fantastic scenarios.

As I said, I dealt with all of these things--and continue to do so--and I live in the good ol U S of A.

I must add my voice to SteelEagle's.

You are not the only one who has lived a life full of hardship and experienced apathy or corruption in places where I should have been able to find comfort and help. But that doesn't mean that, because of those experiences, I will make the assumption that there is no help to be found in authorities. In fact I think that's vastly unfair to those in positions of authority who really do try their hardest to help and protect. I do agree that, in some cases, there is little worth in seeking help from authority and there are certainly times where very few people - or perhaps no one at all - will help, but those situations are rare. You and I are unfortunate enough to have experienced them, but in working with fellow victims of abuse, I have heard more stories of people finding help than stories of people scorned by authorities.

I understand the importance of standing on one's four hooves, but I think what SteelEagle is saying (which you don't aseem to have acknowledged) is that it is extremely rare that there is absolutely no one from whom you could seek help. The first time I tried to find help, I wasn't taken seriously, but I didn't just give up and write authority off as useless layabouts who don't care ... I kept trying and eventually people helped, I got better and I am happier for the experience.

If help can be found, I believe it is worth seeking it out even if that hunt might not be fruitful at first. You wouldn't tell someone with a broken leg to give up on doctors because the first one didn't set the cast properly. You wouldn't tell an addict to give up on rehab because they relapsed. And you certainly don't send the message to a child that every parent, teacher, etc. doesn't give a hoot just because the first one they told about being bullied didn't do anything. The notion that relying on authority to help makes you weak or creates dependency flies in the face of people with mended limbs, ex-addicts and children who learned to deal with their tormentors in a mature and responsible way. I would ask you to think outside your own experience instead of drawing assumptions based solely on what you have seen, rather than what the norm really is. I think you will find a slightly different view lies with acknowledging the facts of the matter.

~~~

All in al I liked this episode. It was pretty heavy-handed, and Babs was a bit one-dimensional, but it is a kids show, after all. It's target audience woud find it particularly relevant, as I don't know a single child who has not been bullied at least once. Being afraid to tell someone of your suffering is something I can relate to, even in my adult life, so I can well understand the prominence of this theme in the episode.

On a less serious note, I loved the song and how full of references this whole thing was. I mean, Goldfinger, A-team, all of Pinkie's puns ... it was pretty adorable, and I'm glad to see the Crusaders finally getting a good song.

As far as them being out of character for bending over, I think that makes them more complex characters. Everyone will react differently, and especially to bullying, as opposed to potential danger in other forms. The fear of not fitting in and direct teasing from other kids will get a different reaction than teasing from someone who's only going to be there for a few days. They're just being sensible in not bothering to start a fight when distance will end it for them very shortly.

Apple Bloom's face when Babs turns to the dark side was equal parts adorable and heart-wrenching. D:

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However, there are bullies who do what they do because of the attention, despite it being negative. Telling an authority figure in those cases reinforces their negative behavior. Sometimes there is no easy way to deal with those types of bullies, sometimes ignoring them works, other times it doesn't. There are those bullies whom are insecure in themselves, and there are ways to deal with those types. I could go on, but like dealing with people, there is no perfect way and it must be played by ear.

Actually if you look at the Diamond Tiara episodes most of them could have been alleviated by talking to an adult. Ponyville Confidential could have been directly intervened with by alerting the authorities. As far as the others if Applebloom would have sought advice instead of trying to fix things she probably would have at least gotten some reassurance by her elders that things wouldn't have been as bad as they could have.

Speaking as a formal authority figure over young people, letting me know bullying was going on was the best way to make sure it didn't continue. Typically there wasn't a quick solution but being aware meant being able to be vigilant. I also dealt with many people who tried to deal with being bullied on their own and were the ones caught and got in trouble

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Not a bad episode, but not a good one either. The song was pretty catchy I have to say. I didn't laugh too much. Pinkie's puns didn't surprise me, and they did get a laugh out of me at least a bit. I facepalmed on the fight fire with fire bit, ESPECIALLY with how they decided to do it. That is probably what singularly annoyed me the most, they chose to rig a float to fail and thus roll down a hill. That isn't fighting back, that is fighting dirty and dangerous. If something had gone wrong and the the parade went slower than expected, it could have ended up in the crowd or a building, causing damage and injuries, not only to Babs, but to others as well. That is not cool, and they should have thought of that before they rigged something mechanized to fail. That is like rigging breaks to fail on a car. Things can and do go wrong and unexpected and dangerous consequences can occur. Honestly, I had wished AJ would have been more annoyed with them in how they chose to handle it, and then went into the resolution, because what they did was NOT OK. Honestly, that alone soured the episode for me. Had the prank been a harmless one (like say the ones Pinkie did in Griffon the Brush-off) I'd have been fine, but no, they chose to endanger the well being of not only their target, but others as well.

I thought about this and realized it could easily be chalked up to kids being stupid and not really thinking the plans and certainly not the potential consequences if something went horrible wrong, through. This is what I believe happened here, kids so sure their goofy little plan will work just as designed, they didn't really conceive how potentially awful it was and how likely it was to occur and in this case they were just very lucky no one was in front of the float, or down in the river bank (although I was pretty sure that pig got squashed before it popped up again).

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I thought about this and realized it could easily be chalked up to kids being stupid and not really thinking the plans and certainly not the potential consequences if something went horrible wrong, through. This is what I believe happened here, kids so sure their goofy little plan will work just as designed, they didn't really conceive how potentially awful it was and how likely it was to occur and in this case they were just very lucky no one was in front of the float, or down in the river bank (although I was pretty sure that pig got squashed before it popped up again).

That is just it though... they rigged the machine to fail, not something to just humiliate her... They were expecting it to go into the mud, because that is childish humiliation, to be covered in mud. However it could have been done a much better way. Every other show I have ever seen do pranks, they were at least childish pranks. Water balloon, pies, sneezing powder, buckets of mud... you know, small direct nonlethal and nondangerous pranks to humiliate. Messing with mechanics is never a good idea. And they wrote it off like it was nothing. That annoys me. Whether or not it was kids expecting it to go as planned, or anything, the writers could have chosen any other time released device that would have humiliated Babs, and pushed her out of the way in the nick of time, subjecting themselves to the humiliation. However rigging the steering to make the float lose control? It didn't even look to me like it had any actual function, but rather random turning of the wheel. Honestly, people complained about Too Many Pinkies having writing issues... I feel this was much worse in how they portrayed it. They could have chosen any prank in the book, and believe me, I've seen enough cartoons to know there is no shortage of humiliating pranks that can be time lapsed that would have achieved the job. And not even a word was said to their recklessness. Sure they made it a point to show that isn't the right way to deal with a bully, and it isn't. But that is horrible, even by pranking standards. In fact, in the real world, that could potentially land them in juvenile detention for reckless endangerment and other crimes relating to intentionally sabotaging a motor vehicle. That isn't just some prank. That is rather serious.

To me, that isn't just being a bully.... that is being down right vindictive. I know that isn't the intent, and that isn't how a lot of kids will view it, but that is how I personally see it. To not even make a point of how far they went to get back at her and touch upon it. I'm sorry, but that isn't right. She played mean spirited pranks, took things of theirs, took over their club house. Never once did she endanger them or the well being of others like the CMC did.

Mind you, I'm not blaming the CMC for this... I'm blaming the writer, Cindy Morrow. What is worse is that I know she can do better. We have seen her do better. She wrote Griffon the Brush-off! I know she is a good writer, she has only done two episodes that I personally didn't like entirely! Heck, even this episode I can't say that I hated, but honestly, for them to make light of sabotage as a prank? Just... no. Sorry, I cannot do that. The episode was pretty decent before that. That whole thing pretty much ruined it for me. And it was planned out, they knew they were sabotaging the FLOAT, not something small inside the float to humiliate her.

Besides... How would THAT humiliate her? That would only garner her pity. If you rig something to crash, the person isn't going to be humiliated, they will be pitied because THEY CRASHED and they were in danger! We saw that because everyone was worried about the CMC! Why would Babs have been any different? No one laughed at the CMC, because accidents aren't funny. That whole thing just angers me. I haven't been this angry at a conclusion of an episode since MMDW. (though MMDW had many more issues imho than this one)

If someone can tell me how rigging a float to crash is humiliating, please let me know, because I fail to see how that could humiliate anyone. People tend to get worried when a vehicle careens off an embankment into a river. (or anywhere, if it really was meant to go off earlier, which again, probably would have endangered other ponies, not only Babs) And even if the intent was to make Babs look bad by endangering others (again, their intent was to humiliate, not deface and get her into trouble), all anyone would need to do is look at the steering column and see that it was rigged clearing her of the suspicions and placing blame on the CMC since it was originally their float.

Sorry for ranting... this seriously has me peeved.

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Good episode! Some of the dialogue didn't quite work for me, and I'm a little on the fence about the song, but that's normal. The fear and helplessness that the song sequence displayed worked very well.

I'm really, really glad that they took a swipe at the Code of Silence that apparently exists in some schools. Keeping that sort of behaviour a secret doesn't help anypony at all. Now, I'll agree that running straight to an authority figure might, occasionally, not be the best move. However, telling someone older and wiser is never a bad idea. In fact, if I had kids being bullied in school, I'd probably prefer them to come to me before telling a teacher, so I could advise them on the best move. That move would probably be to talk to a teacher, sure, but I could help them with the subtleties of a situation, being an adult. Kids just aren't good at making decisions, especially when they're the ones in the emotionally traumatic situation. Also, while telling a teacher may get you a bad reputation at school, telling a parent generally won't, and you have the added bonus that he or she (hopefully) has your welfare as their #1 priority.

I was a bit surprised that Scootaloo wasn't more physically aggressive towards Babs when she started bullying them. They're good kids, but they s**** with each other all the time, so I'm not sure why she didn't try to take it to the next level with Babs. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle probably would have stopped her, but still. Also, I guess Babs would actually probably be more than a match for the Crusaders when she had Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon backing her up "Ponyville Confidential" showed that Diamond Tiara is no slouch physically.

I really like the display of group psychology and dynamics in this episode, similar to what we saw in "Dragon Quest". In the barn scene with the pumpkin float, Babs got to choose between being in the "in" group and being in the "out" group. She knew what being in the "out" group was like, and didn't want a bit of it. She seemed to take to the bullying role pretty easily, though - I suspect there was a fair bit of to and fro in her social dynamics in Manehattan, rather than her being all victim, all the time. There were lots of hints throughout the episode that she wasn't comfortable, though - she continued to be self-conscious about her blank flank even when she was in with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and she looked shocked when ruining the axle of the pumpkin float resulted in destroying the entire thing.

I appreciate that giving Babs a sympathetic backstory made the Crusaders feel worse about their counter-bullying attempt, but what they did would have been wrong regardless of the circumstances. Maybe it would have been nice to show that, but... I think the message got across pretty well. Look at the expression on Apple Bloom's face when she's plotting their revenge - it's not a face that she should be making, and I think kids will realise that.

I have to admit, watching this episode was very satisfying, as it vindicated one of my recent fanfics, wherein Diamond Tiara genuinely feels that she is the victim of Apple Bloom's bullying rather than the other way around. She's wrong, naturally, but it makes the point that counter-bullying is neither right nor effective, and it's impossible to know what's going through the mind of the other party, so being the bigger pony is always the right way forward.

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I just hope that the next time we see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it'll be in a "fun" episode, and that we no longer get episodes that try to tackle serious issues. Being a children's cartoon, it is simply not equipped to deal with strong subject matter.

I disagree wholeheartedly. This show is at its best when it tackles big issues (and this isn't the first big issue they've dealt with -- heck, this isn't even the first time they've addressed bullies).

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I disagree wholeheartedly. This show is at its best when it tackles big issues (and this isn't the first big issue they've dealt with -- heck, this isn't even the first time they've addressed bullies).

This is like the 4th time (at least off the top of my head). Though this is the first time they did it directly and suggested ways to deal with it.

Gilda's episode, sonic rain boom, hurricane fluttershy. All three dealt with bullying on some level.

Oh one thing I forgot to mention before. As a native New Yorker, I hated Babs's accent. It was a poor shot at a Brooklyn accent. You could tell what they were going for, but it wasn't right. I think it sounded closer to Boston accent than NY Brooklyn accent. I'll confirm that on second watching probably. But there was something definitely off about her accent. Perhaps I'm just too used to hearing the real thing...

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I like how this episode is getting a strong response, especially with its message. That tells me it was an important, and worthwhile episode, especially for the target audience. It came across loud and clear. I've been bullied before, and I've acted like one before as a coping response -- that is what it essentially is, after all. I think it was handled and presented well. Remember that people act or behave a certain way for a reason, and it's not always clear why. That is why the benefit of the doubt is so important.

As for the episode quality itself, the animation, character poses and action, etc. are all wonderful. The CMCs were cute as ever. The song was great; I especially loved the theater. I thought I saw Whooves and Derpy there for a moment, but it was another mare with a yellow mane, and there were lots of cute theater culture shout outs (the soda cup, the Godzilla montage). The parade scene was nothing but BG pony shipping -- I love it! Babs as a character was interesting and -- while she may be a one trick pony -- I think she'll make an interesting character right here in the Canterlot RP.

Keep discussing this, everypony! Just don't lose focus of what this episode was telling us, and why, because we each share different, real experiences with this social problem.

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You are not the only one who has lived a life full of hardship and experienced apathy or corruption in places where I should have been able to find comfort and help. But that doesn't mean that, because of those experiences, I will make the assumption that there is no help to be found in authorities. In fact I think that's vastly unfair to those in positions of authority who really do try their hardest to help and protect. I do agree that, in some cases, there is little worth in seeking help from authority and there are certainly times where very few people - or perhaps no one at all - will help, but those situations are rare. You and I are unfortunate enough to have experienced them, but in working with fellow victims of abuse, I have heard more stories of people finding help than stories of people scorned by authorities.

I understand the importance of standing on one's four hooves, but I think what SteelEagle is saying (which you don't aseem to have acknowledged) is that it is extremely rare that there is absolutely no one from whom you could seek help. The first time I tried to find help, I wasn't taken seriously, but I didn't just give up and write authority off as useless layabouts who don't care ... I kept trying and eventually people helped, I got better and I am happier for the experience.

If help can be found, I believe it is worth seeking it out even if that hunt might not be fruitful at first. You wouldn't tell someone with a broken leg to give up on doctors because the first one didn't set the cast properly. You wouldn't tell an addict to give up on rehab because they relapsed. And you certainly don't send the message to a child that every parent, teacher, etc. doesn't give a hoot just because the first one they told about being bullied didn't do anything. The notion that relying on authority to help makes you weak or creates dependency flies in the face of people with mended limbs, ex-addicts and children who learned to deal with their tormentors in a mature and responsible way. I would ask you to think outside your own experience instead of drawing assumptions based solely on what you have seen, rather than what the norm really is. I think you will find a slightly different view lies with acknowledging the facts of the matter.

I actually agree with a lot you say.

I know this is partially my fault for posting a first-draft review in the heat of emotion, but I feel like my stance here has been misrepresented and blown out of proportion. To get back to basics, all I was saying was that "go to an adult" is not okay as a one-size-fits-all answer to bullying. As others have said, it depends on a lot of things. By all means, try going to an adult (or if you're adult, the nearest authority) if its an option, but life loves putting people in situations where they have to do things for themselves.

People need to be prepared for when that happens, and teaching kids to rely on authority is ultimately going to hurt them in the long run. One day, they're going to be adults and then they will be the authority, but how will they manage it if they've never had to be independent?

To put it another way, imagine if Ponyville solved all its problems--Parasprites, Pinkie Clones, love potions gone wrong, poison joke--by simply writing to Celestia and asking her to intervene. Yes, I know that happened precisely once, but that was an unusual circumstance where there was clearly no other alternative. It's because the mane six do most things themselves that they're able to take on gods, diamond dogs, and their own neurotic tendencies.

I think some people are reading me as "wah get gun start shooting people wah!" And that's not what I'm saying at all.

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Hey Giant, remember that this is a cartoon designed for kids, with content and messages that are designed to be relevant to them. I like how FiM has transcended itself as something everyone can enjoy, but the writers must also honor their intended target audience. There's nothing wrong with seeking authority to problem solve; this will (hopefully) teach kids important methods of handling problems from their parents, so when they are one day parents themselves, they can pass on those tools. It's a trigger for a learning experience. While I agree everyone is in a different life situation with parents that teach differently (or not at all), that should not devalue telling children they should communicate with an adult if they have a problem.

Part of the problem is to be part of the solution, so make sure you are using your experiences -- both good and bad -- as a means to help others understand how to deal with problems when they happen.

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hi hi

This episode was pure genius. I have to admit, I was worried when the first three episodes of the season were so shallow... Oh Sweetie Belle, how right you are, why does life have to be so ironic? In season 1, the cutie mark crusader episodes were some of the weaker episodes, and now its the one that is actually going for some substance.

Sweetie Belle: "Then... why do I feel like crying?" touche.

I was going to write up a list of all the things that I loved about this episode, but after reading some of the comments here, I think my time will be better served addressing what has already been said.

On the topic of having children tell an adult:

This is not just a kids show, this is a family show. Yes, sometimes adults don't help kids when they are being bullied. That is not a lesson for kids, they don't need to be saddled with learned helplessness, that is a lesson for adults. Adults need to realize that kids aren't typically capable of handling these things on their own, and that they can't get help from rational adults, then they will often have no where else to turn but to aggression of their own.

You say that some places don't have functioning social networks to help kids? Congratulations, there's a lesson to be learned right there. You can't just sit around and wait for problems to reveal themselves to you, you need to be pro-active. You need to discuss bullying, even when you don't think its a problem. Stop it before it starts, if possible, or intervene before someone gets hurt.

On the topic of how the CMC's plan was not just humiliating but outright dangerous:

I'm pretty sure that this was intentional.

Conflict does tend to escalate as people reciprocate. People will pay the other party back and then some. This is such a huge problem in human civilization that there are entire religions that were founded on ways to avoid this phenomenon and de-escalate aggression. Without conscious effort, people who are abused often become abusers themselves. More than 3 times as likely, in some cases.[1]

This episode was about bullying, but it was also about stopping the cycle of violence. They showed that the CMC's were perfectly capable of bullying themselves, just like anyone, and then showed that they were also capable of breaking the cycle, just like anyone.

I'm glad they were able to stick with Lauren Faust's vision for the show.

Cartoons for girls don’t have to be a puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness. Girls like stories with real conflict; girls are smart enough to understand complex plots; girls aren’t as easily frightened as everyone seems to think. Girls are complex human beings, and they can be brave, strong, kind and independent–but they can also be uncertain, awkward, silly, arrogant or stubborn. They shouldn’t have to succumb to pressure to be perfect.
- Lauren Faust

The Cutie Mark Crusaders did make a big mistake in this episode, and did something that was potentially dangerous. (though not as dangerous as being hit in the head with an anvil) But they learned from their mistake, and the issue wasn't left hanging. (unlike any of the moral quandaries in the last episode.)

1. Links Between Being a Victim and Becoming a Perpetrator, M. Glasser, I. Kolvin, D. Campbell, A Glasser, I. Leitch, and S. Farrelly, The British Journal of Psychiatry (2001) ((not linked because it covers some not safe for work types of abuse))

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I am never opposed to a Faust quote to make a point -- especially when it's to remind people that "it's a show for little girls" isn't a good reason to avoid the big issues.

I actually agree with a lot you say.

People need to be prepared for when that happens, and teaching kids to rely on authority is ultimately going to hurt them in the long run. One day, they're going to be adults and then they will be the authority, but how will they manage it if they've never had to be independent?

To put it another way, imagine if Ponyville solved all its problems--Parasprites, Pinkie Clones, love potions gone wrong, poison joke--by simply writing to Celestia and asking her to intervene. Yes, I know that happened precisely once, but that was an unusual circumstance where there was clearly no other alternative. It's because the mane six do most things themselves that they're able to take on gods, diamond dogs, and their own neurotic tendencies.

I think some people are reading me as "wah get gun start shooting people wah!" And that's not what I'm saying at all.

As adults, you are rarely the highest authority. There are bosses, cops, respected elders, presidents, CIA agents, the media, the local chapter of the Crips, and large dogs out there all more powerful than you. Heck, one of the whole purposes of cops is to stop people from threatening and beating each other up.

It feels to me, and I could very well be mistaken, that this episode rubs you the wrong way because it clashes with your ideology of individualism. Part of being an adult, I'd argue, IS knowing that there's nothing wrong with appealing to authority and relying on others. It can be overdone, like anything, but it oughtn't be taken as a sign of weakness to admit that we need help. Humans are social creatures after all. It's one of the things that makes us the awesomest creatures on the planet.

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Sing along:

♪~♫

HOOF!

Bad Seed! Whatcha wan'? Whatcha wan', watcha gonna do?

When Auntie AJ come for you?

Tell me! Whatcha gonna do!?

Whatcha gonna do-ooh?

Yeeah!

Babs Seed, Babs seed, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Babs Seed, Babs seed, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Tiara now give ya no bre-eak

And Silver won' give ya no break

Hometown bullies won' give ya no break

Not even Crusaders gon' give ya no break

Neigh-hey!

Babs Seed, Babs seed, a-whatcha gonna do, a-whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Babs Seed, Babs seed, a-whatcha gonna do, a-whatcha gonna do when they come for yooou!?

C.L.O.P.S. IS FILMED ON LOCATION, AS IT HAPPENS.

ALL SUSPECTS ARE CONSIDERED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW

♪~♫

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