"Uh, one teensy thing to remember – have fun!"—Cherry Jubilee, "The Last Roundup"
From time to time, I get (usually at least semi-unwillingly) caught up in a discussion/argument about whether the standards of writing for Friendship is Magic have fallen since the early days. The more I think about this, the more I think that my answer would be that they probably have – but that this isn't actually the be-all and end-all, and that it hasn't made me like the show less.
There's certainly less attention paid now to keeping continuity perfect, and sometimes we get stuff that just doesn't seem to have been thought out at all and bears no real connection with the rest of Equestria: the Bunyip in "P. P. O. V." is a particularly egregious example. In that episode's case, I felt that part was actively harmful to the entertainment factor, but it certainly isn't always so.
Compare the works of Tolkien with Doctor Who. There's no doubt at all that Tolkien's writing is better – but for the most part, I would rather sit down with Doctor Who. It may play fast and loose with its continuity to an almost ridiculous degree, but to me it's generally a good deal more entertaining. The only Tolkien book I've truly loved is The Hobbit, and I don't think that's entirely an accident.
I watch My Little Pony for 22 minutes of entertainment, and I am more interested in the question "Did I have fun?" than in the question "Was it beautifully constructed?" My guess would be that there's a significant negative correlation between those who share my feelings and those who feel the show is a shadow of its former self. (I think S7 has been great, on the whole.)
Now, I am, to a very minor extent, a writer. And there have been times when I've felt that even I could do better than the show staff. (This isn't new, though: "Somepony to Watch Over Me", anyone?) The thing is, this doesn't ruin my enthusiasm for the show as a whole. As long as they keep churning out stuff that makes me happy to watch, that is good enough for me.
Maybe I should be more demanding. I would be with fanfic. But you know what? I don't care. I like Starlight, in spite of the obvious problems with her characterisation, notably the non-explanation of her extraordinary power level. I like the movie, in spite of its undoubted flaws. And why? Because in both cases, they contribute to my being entertained. And to me, that matters most of all.
Probably this is the wisest article you ever wrote Logan. I wish more people had that way of reasoning, but unfortunately the reality is very different... people seem to have forgot why things like movies, cartoons, videogames exist in the first place, and started to having more fun in finding what's wrong eith the productions instead of enjoying the productions themself... I will tell you about my experience of a while ago in a videogame site: during a wild debate on the comment section of a news, in which many users fought about which console is the best, I wrote something like "it's really sad to see that something created to have fun like videogames has become an instrument to violently argue online...".... I've been banned for having said that. It seems like that now bashing things indipendentely by their quality is the new way to have fun now and that is the law and if someone disagrees gets banned... what a shame... at least I'm glad there are people like you that still has a sane mind...
ReplyDeleteWell, I like having good-natured arguments with other fans. I don't like it when people get genuinely angry about a fun cartoon. That's over the top, and that's what annoys me. But I've always said, and I still believe, that the show is generally good and the fandom is generally good. To me, it's not one or the other. It's both. :)
Delete"Compare the works of Tolkien with Doctor Who."
ReplyDeleteThey both suck! :V
I maintain that season 5 is the best the show's had to offer, as a sum total. S7, it seems, might have been the writers realizing that's what they should be shooting for in terms of quality. Time will only tell with S8, of course. But if nothing else, it definitely was entertaining, even the slower, less explosive episodes. I mean, only two of them made me angry! That's no worse than S2! :V
S5 is top of my list as well. I was actually a little bit sad when "Amending Fences" got deposed from the UK of Equestria S5/6/7 summit by "A Royal Problem", not because I dislike the S7 episode (I don't!) but because I love "Amending Fences" so much.
DeleteI tend to go into each new season cautiously optimistic. Mike Vogel has writen for season 8, hasn't he? That bodes well to me. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I finally seem to have nailed down the habit of NOT watching episodes when I'm tired. Even if it means watching it a few days late.
I'm certainly looking forward to some more Vogel episodes, given how much I enjoyed his stuff in S6. Maybe another "A Hearth's Warming Tail" is too much to hope for, but most of the rest of the eps with his name on were fine ones, too. :)
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