Anyone else expecting(dreading) a "Very Special Episode"?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

I'm surprised nopony has mentioned Martha Speaks yet. It was developed by our beloved Studio B/DHX, features some MLP VA talent in it as well, and in many ways its technology and bright, high quality animation set the stage for what would become FiM.

Because most of us grew out of watching PBS before Martha Speaks aired.

[Ashton]

Wishbone is excellent as well. (We had an antenna on our TV for awhile that got some channels, one being PBS. Wishbone had long since stopped airing (I hadn't seen it since I was a kid), but one day the kids turned on the channel and there it was again. I was surprised, but happy.)

I still on occasion will watch clips of it on youtube, it was just so adorable seeing the puppy's antics... it was the predecessor to lolcats!

I'm surprised nopony has mentioned Martha Speaks yet. It was developed by our beloved Studio B/DHX, features some MLP VA talent in it as well, and in many ways its technology and bright, high quality animation set the stage for what would become FiM.

I knew only that it existed (and that was only because Scootaloo's VA was on Everfree and mentioned it) I didnt even know if it was animated or not...

Hmm, well as for Ashton's idea of Rainbow Dash hearing about something that could improve her performance could be handled well if it's a spell or potion that would increase her speed/energy for a time but then deciding against it after hearing that it can have negative side effects and deciding that it wouldn't be the same if she didn't win on her own. Then during the competition there could be somepony that she's really been worried about facing that turns out to have been using the spell/potion/whatever it is and it wears off too quickly and it turns out that it causes you to be exhaused after it wears off because you use a huge amount of energy in a short period of time

I think this is the best way, because it portrays Dash in a positive light "If I do drugs, even if I win it means I wasnt good enough/that I cheated" and it portrays drugs in a bad light.

Actually Dinosaurs had two anti-drug episodes, one where Robby tried taking the equivilent of steroids because he thought a girl would be interested in him if her were muscular but it caused him to be a jerk and grow thorns (until his friend stopped him taking then and the effects wore off). The other had a plant that initially caused the consumer to be giddy, but then had negative side effects

The first one with Robby was the one I remembered seeing, the second must have been later after the local station stopped syndicating it (I hear it wasnt exactly popular) I cant exactly argue, it wasnt one of my favorites either (though to be fair I was like 8-10 when it was on and probably missed 2/3 of the humor)

(actually if they had an anti-drug episode like that it would be hilarious, I'd love to see two characters singing and dancing a parody of "Most Unususal Day" and at the end Pinkie could break the forth wall and tell people that they shouldn't take drugs because they lead to preachy T.V. specials like the one they just acted in) I have the first half of the series on DVD, they actually handled it in a really fun way and commented in the end on how other shows aren't always as lucky as they were making this episode (It's on youtube and the episode is called "A New Leaf")

I'm going to have to go watch that, sounds amusing

For alchohol one really good idea would probably only be done as a fan-made work with several characters doing an intervention for Berry Punch

not gonna happen, unless it's a major character we'll never see it...

Another one that could be good is an energy drink comes out (or Twilight discovers a formula) that increases energy and focus, but one pony dosen't try it and finds out that it has side effects perhaps making the consumer's behaviour the opposite of what it usually is (not the way they did in "Return Of Harmony" more Fluttershy enjoying attention, Pinkie Pie being lethargic, Rarity having some sort messy hobby or being really relaxed, Rainbow Dash being neurotic, Applejack being a germaphobe, Twilight having trouble focusing, of course they probably wouldn't all be effected at once) then after the effects have been discovered which ever characters are unaffected or brought out of the effect work together to gather and dispose of all the bottles of the drink and create an antidote to instantly return the drinker to normal. Meanwhile the entire town is going through withdrawl and has formed a mob to get the energy drink they're then tricked into drinking the antidote and everything returns to normal

I love this idea! Hasbro you need to take notes here! (lol)

Though to be fair, I think Dash *is* a hair neurotic... I mean she is the first to be suspicious of EVERYONE (Twilight in 102, rarity in "sweet and elite", Applejack in "the last roundup" and I think I've missed atleast 2 more instances)

[SirShadowdeath]

I highly doubt MLP will end up like "Sonic Says".

I still remember that....

[starswirlthebearded]

I personally do not think it will happen ever. Here are my main reasons:

1) MLP focuses on friendship and associated things, but always tries to stay positive and all issues are created by people, not things. Even Super Cider Squeezy 6000, it was really the Flim Flam brothers, and not really the cider that created the issue.

2) The current time. PSAs were a thing of the 80s and 90s. They started to die out in the early 2000s. The PSAs now have to deal with a lot of things, but drugs and alcohol are seldom one, unless it involves driving. Even smoking seems to be focused on the stopping of smoking rather than prevention.

3) Most of those aforementioned PSAs had nothing to do with characters. Those that did seem to be forgotten... Does anyone remember the Cartoon All-Stars PSA? Or Just One Beer from the Tiny Toons? What about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' PSA? What about Thundercats? Yeah, I didn't either until the internet reminded me. Personally I think producers realized, even if the intent was good, associating characters with negative things was not beneficial in any way. Hell the only ones I think most of us remember were the GI Joe ones and Sonic sez segments at the ends of their episodes. And does anyone remember the content of any of those? Me neither (except that one Sonic Sez on being touched, but that is due to the internet).

4) Age of target audience. Really this is the kicker. Drug PSAs are aimed at 12-18 demographic, preteen and teenage audiences, because they are most likely to be exposed to drugs and alcohol. And every study on the effectiveness of PSAs have been done using those demographics. The target audience of MLP:FiM is 5-12 (at least that is my understanding).

5) Studies on the effectiveness are highly polarizing. No one knows how effective they are or are not. And almost every study has said that PSAs are effective also say they need to be repeated constantly to be effective. One episode isn't going to do much, and it is probably too risky to try.

Now could they write it well and make it work? I have no doubts that this creative team can do almost anything. Will they do it? I have zero doubt in my mind that they will leave it well alone. It just isn't done anymore. It was a product of the times than anything. The last time that characters were used in an episode for an antidrug PSA that I can recall was the Tiny Toons one, and again that got banned and quick back in 1991.

So to answer the OP's question, no I am not worried. It isn't going to happen. I highly doubt I'll be proven wrong because the last time it happened was over 20 years ago. And I am happy about that. Cartoons should be about having fun. If you can insert a meaningful message or moral and even possibly educate, awesome, but it shouldn't be heavy handed as a anti-[insert issue here]. That takes all the fun out of it, and really makes you feel like you are being preached to. I don't want that, nor do I think anyone else does. It would hurt MLP:FiM than anything.

If you are still not convinced, let me to put it to you another way... Just look at the Derpy debacle. That was pretty harmless, and yet people are up in arms over it. Now imagine if they did an entire episode on drugs or alcohol, even with a positive ending... Do you really think some vocal people won't react negatively?

[Ashton]

@ Starswirl:

(Just too much to quote)

I'm more than a little out-of-touch with kids television and have been since the 90s, The only 'kids' series I watch is MLP:Fim (Nope, not a fan of spongebob or edd, or any of the others, just FiM (though to be fair I may pick up the new Thundercats sometime...)) and that I get over the internet - I've not turned on live TV in years (mostly because I cant afford cable and get ZERO ota broadcasts now) so, yeah, I may be stuck in a bit of a time-warp, I assumed those were still going on. (And I do remember quite a few anti-drug PSAs, including the aformentioned "Cartoon Allstars to the Rescue" (mainly because it was bucking awful) I can still recall lyrics to some of the "anti-drug" songs from them even >.<) I was a child of the 80s, so I got bombarded with these things, they left a bit of a scar...

I'm not even going to address the effectiveness, I know ZERO about the statistics

It amuses me that one of the last Anti-drug PSAs got banned, says something about the changing times. (I seriously wonder if the old shows that did them were paid extra by the Govt to run them or soemthing, some of those shows had good writers that surely knew they were dealing with a severe horseapple of a script...) I hope that you (all of you) are right, that this isn't going to happen. And you have a good point about the Derpy thing, however that was not at the level of severity as drugs (or is it? I've seen some very casual attitudes lately about drugs...) honestly I think parents would object less to an anti-drug eppisode than they did the derpy one --- though it would also likely plunge the ratings down and take a while to recover, so from that angle it also seems unlikely

[SirShadowdeath]

Actually, even though they probably won't do it, I think they could pull it off.

Fairly Odd Parents did. Yes they did. In secret. There was an episode where Timmy and three others were sent to a "rehab" (it was called a prison or school or something) because they could no longer achieve things without magic. (Magic Addiction!?) Over time, they hve to face many trials without magic and they all fail. They eventually escape the "rehab" togethor and learn that the point of the "rehab" all along was to teach them that they could face difficult situations like escaping without magic.

It was a good episode, and it wasn't a direct legend. If they could do it, MLP can also.

[starswirlthebearded]

While drugs and alcohol are totally out of the scope of the target audience, I think the writers could hit a bigger lesson with addiction itself. Maybe one of the Mane Six will pick up an unhealthy hobby or habit and become obsessed with it; she'll end up giving up a lot of other stuff -- even friendship. This is a good lesson to learn, and I would not be surprised if we see it later this season, or next season.

I could see that, but technically they kinda sorta already touched on that... albeit not outright. And right there in the first two episodes. Twilight Sparkle was obsessed with studying to the point of being a near recluse. She didn't go out with friend (she had none, save Spike), she never went to any parties, and only studied. And Celestia intervened by throwing her into the situation she reported on. And at the end she realized her obsession with studying was overwhelming and prevented her from enjoying life and having real friends. Actually... I think that MIGHT have been part of the moral. "Sometimes I think she is more interested in books than friends" "Stop reading those dusty old books and make some friends" ... "But you said it was just an old ponytale" ... "I never said that, only to make friends, nothing more." Read that as differently as you like, but to me Twilight learned not to be obsessed to the point of being a recluse and to enjoy friendship and life.

However, I could see them doing that more succinctly and making it more obvious than the current undertones. (Fluttershy's obsession with animals, and effective shyness keeping her away from other ponies, Rarity's obsession with everything being just so, driving away her sister, and also being obsessed with being accepted by high class...) There is plenty obsession in this show already. Is it obvious and stated in the moral? No, but I don't think the writers want that to be the exact point of the moral. Obsession is something everyone has to deal with, and it isn't always bad, but it can be if not kept in check.

[Rosewind]

I did think about the pilot as well, Starswirl, but I think the direction it was taken wasn't really about addiction, it was about Twilight torn between making some new friends or protecting everypony. She later found out she could have both, which resolved the story and set the tone for the series itself.

While we're talking about cartoons teaching morales, I think it's important to realize that nothing, absolutely nothing, can replace involved parenting. Kids will learn more from their parents watching something with them and discussing it, answering questions, and really making their kids think about it than any show can do by itself with a little blurb at the end, period.

[starswirlthebearded]

I did think about the pilot as well, Starswirl, but I think the direction it was taken wasn't really about addiction, it was about Twilight torn between making some new friends or protecting everypony. She later found out she could have both, which resolved the story and set the tone for the series itself.

While we're talking about cartoons teaching morales, I think it's important to realize that nothing, absolutely nothing, can replace involved parenting. Kids will learn more from their parents watching something with them and discussing it, answering questions, and really making their kids think about it than any show can do by itself with a little blurb at the end, period.

Which is exactly why I said "kinda sorta." They never said it out right, but obsession has been a problem for all the ponies at some point. While it wouldn't surprise me that they would do it, I get the feeling they are running out of things to do without creating something new.

And yeah, nothing replaces actual parenting. NOTHING. Tv should never bring up kids, and parents seem to forget that now a days.

[deadshort]

It wasn't planned, AFAIK, but one of the older human cast members, and a prominent one, named Mr. Hooper passed away, and it was decided that instead of letting his character fade into obscurity the best way to honour his legacy was to address it in a lesson.

Note that this episode happened way before I ever was born, so I'm going off what information I can find. The only cartoon I personally saw addressing tough issues was Arthur.

I actually remember when that happened, and whjen they addressed that. I was little.. but I remember.

[Ashton]

While we're talking about cartoons teaching morales, I think it's important to realize that nothing, absolutely nothing, can replace involved parenting. Kids will learn more from their parents watching something with them and discussing it, answering questions, and really making their kids think about it than any show can do by itself with a little blurb at the end, period.

And yeah, nothing replaces actual parenting. NOTHING. Tv should never bring up kids, and parents seem to forget that now a days.

*GASP* Social Blasphemy! Dont you know it's the government (school) and TV's job to raise kids?! </sarcasm>

I wanna know what planet you two are from so I can move there, Everyone I talk to seems to think I'm crazy when I say that parents need to be more active in their kids lives... T_T

[accountdeleted]

I doubt that an episode like this would eventuate.

Though, if it does, I think it likely that it would involve dashie.

Part of me sees her as wanting to win, but to play fair above all. The other part says Fall Weather Friends.

I dunno- the writers have surprised me before, so I do think that they could make an episode maturely discuss those types of things.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Dude, totally watching Arthur, and one of the characters has cancer. O_o Arthur really DOES get srs bsns.

[Bronynumber299]

They can't do it it would be a horrible episode and stuff.But I do like the punch has been spiked joke in that one episode but pinkie pie said it and she's the party character so only she would work for drugs or alcohol not RD that just ruin me.It's not like I don't like Pinkie but you'd expect am I right plus RD is too cocky to do anythin to herself

[Ashton]

They can't do it it would be a horrible episode and stuff.But I do like the punch has been spiked joke in that one episode but pinkie pie said it and she's the party character so only she would work for drugs or alcohol not RD that just ruin me.It's not like I don't like Pinkie but you'd expect am I right plus RD is too cocky to do anythin to herself

If it were more realistic, I would dissagree - I could see Rainbow getting into a Campbell's Soup when she got nervous like at the Best Young Fliers Competition, but the way the series is set up, I fully agree - She would see that as "cheating" either herself or the contest (most likely herself) and though she might consider I feel she'd never actually do it.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Skye
Edited to remove drug reference. See Rules on Drug References.

[Ashton]

I just want to make SURE everyone sees that my last post was EDITED by SKYE (with good reason - my appologies) Just to clarify I was referencing something... calming... (that should be an allowed description) Not something to boost her performance

[MyLittlePonyTales]

I just want to make SURE everyone sees that my last post was EDITED by SKYE (with good reason - my appologies) Just to clarify I was referencing something... calming... (that should be an allowed description) Not something to boost her performance

(References to illegal drugs are not allowed on the board. Thanks. )

[ChancellorPuddinghead]

You know Rainbow Dash was awfully anxious to get her hooves on some cider. She even ate the dirt it had fallen on.

Then she is flying and has an accident?

F.U.I.

Flying under the influence.

*sigh* She even turned to a life of crime shortly afterwards. Thank Celestia she has good friends to be there for her!

[meconate]

I wouldn't say I was dreading an episode on awareness. If it's too bad, I'll just avoid it and act like it never happened.

[cuddrefeeshbrony]

na, i just can't see such a creative team with such a vast amount of imagination caving into such a gimmick. Fim is all about morality and companionship, the message in the show is clear and can apply and appeal to everyone. no need to go the cartoon allstars route and make a PSA episode