Apathy Pony's Completely Unsolicited 13th Episode Update Extravaganza!

holy shit i've reviewd 13 of these things

Hello Reader!

It's been a long road getting even to this point, but here we are! Thirteen episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic have been reviewed by I, Apathy Pony! And it doesn't matter in the goddamn slightest!

AHAHAHAHAHA

But for real, if you're reading this blog, then that's the reason I keep doing these. Well, that and not wanting to offer a refund. MLP was not exactly the easiest thing to devote time and energy to when both have been in short supply, but knowing that there's an audience out there makes the difference in a way few understand. 

The knowledge that my words are not being shouted in vain into the cold, ceaseless void that is The Internet is probably as much or more of a reward than any monetary compensation I've received. So if you've read this far, I want to sincerely thank you for doing so. I especially encourage you to give me feedback so I can improve the blog so it's even more entertaining to read-- I've gone through more than one format change over the last several months, and while I've found one I can stick to for the time being, I want the audience to get the most out of it.

Okay, enough of that sappy crap! I asked some of the readers to give me some questions about the blog, my views on the show, or the first thing that came to mind, apparently. And I will answer them all. Here we go!

Ian C. asked:

"Obvious question first.What is your opinion of the show/fandom at this stage in the process? Do you look more kindly upon it? Do you see where it stems from?"

My opinion of the show? It's mostly mediocre with a standout episode or two every now and then. This is the first season though, and I understand that it takes one, two, or even three in some cases for the show to find it's voice, so I don't hold that against it. MLP still isn't the kind of show I'd find myself watching voluntarily, but it also isn't so dreadful that it makes me want to gouge my eyes out. I'm still holding out hope that the show improves soon, but from what I've been told that won't happen until the tailend of this season at best.

As for the fandom? I only know four Bronies personally, and they're all lovely individuals, but those individuals do not a fandom make. In the early days of the show's run I got exposed to some rather disturbing things from the darkest corners fandom, but that doesn't make the MLP fandom unique in the slightest. Like any other show with a following, you'll have your level-headed fans and disturbing weirdos, and it's just a consequence of sharing a love of something with other humans.

TL;DR -- I think the fans are people that like MLP, some to weirder degrees than other, but they're mostly harmless and some are quite pleasant. As for why the show has a following...I don't have the slightest fucking clue. All the elements (YOU SEE WHAT I ACCIDENTALLY DID THERE?!) that might have interested me got jettisoned after the pilot. To each their own, I guess.

"Do you get any warmth from the show? Or is it just another cartoon to you?"

Just another cartoon, unfortunately. 

"At this stage, who is best Pony?"

Are you fucking kidding me? Applejack, clearly. And Applebloom is right behind her out of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but they haven't had any follow up episodes yet so that's a tenuous position.

"Do you delight at the Derpy spotting?"

At first, yeah, though "delight" is a bit strong a word. I heard about all the drama surrounding how the character was handled after her first and seemingly only voiced appearance, so it was interesting to see that she was established as early as she was, but the novelty wore off after the first few times.

"Are you a Top or a Bottom?"

Versatile. Can't get fucked in the ass all the time, variety is the spice of life. 

Andrew S. Asked:

"Oh boy...question time :3 I'm wondering if he has (or is aware of) any brony friends. That and if there is any fan material he likes, or if so far he's only dealing with the show."

As stated earlier, I have a few brony friends, and they're great. :D Regarding the fan material...well. This may be me kicking a hornet's nest, but the only fan material I've seen is the animated version of the infamous "Cupcakes" fanfic on youtube. From what I know there's some context to it from some episode in the future, but I thought it was funny for the sheer fucked-upedness of it all. That's pretty much it though for fan works, I've just been watching the show.

Darrick H. asked:

"Would you willingly fight a bird the size of a horse?"

Why the fuck would I do that?! Well, wait, what kind of bird is it? I don't know. I guess?

Ed W. asked:

"Does apathy pony have Triskadekaphobia?" 

One of my favorite movie franchises is Friday the 13th, so no. Instead I have a healthy fear of fucking while black in a forest and getting impaled on a machete before I get to orgasm.

Caycee A. asked:

"Now that you have watched some of the episodes, do you find yourself with a higher opinion of the show than when you first started reviewing them? The same question, but about bronies?"

Truth told...not really. The good episodes were good, but not so good that it made watching the show something to look forward to. From what I knew of it, the show is living up to the expectations I had for it going in-- A'ight, nothing special. That could always change in the future, but for now my feelings on the show are a resounding "meh". 

My feelings on bronies are pretty much the same as when I started.

Adam Y. asked:

"Any headcanons so far?"

None that come to mind at this time. If I mentioned any before, I seem to have forgotten them. Mostly I just have the questions I asked in the reviews when something seemed odd or out of place. 

"Any other fandoms currently involved with or do you just tend to avoid them?"

I tend to avoid them. What I said about fandoms earlier is the reason I avoid them. As time goes on a show adds to the development of the plot, characters, and setting, which every fan has their own ideas about. Some fans are a little too emotionally invested in their show of choice, and others even moreso, and those opinions become dogma over time. 

Honestly, I'd rather just enjoy something on my own or discuss it with friends who are also watching, since I know I have a better chance of being civil with them about it than with a stranger. However, even I am not immune to the odd heated discussion every now and then.

"Does forcing yourself to write about something you have no vested interest in give you a new perspective you hadn't anticipated?" 

Sort of? It makes me pay attention to the details in order to find ANYTHING to grasp onto when watching the show, since I haven't been entirely entertained by it more often than not. Noticing weird shit or loose plot threads is something to do as a way of making me pay attention in the future to see if it gets followed up on later. 

"What minor character deserves their own background episode?" 

The Mayor of Ponyville. She doesn't even have a name yet as far as I know. She also tends to disappear for long stretches while Twilight Sparkle does her job, so I wonder what she gets up to, unless the writers really did just forget that she exists. 

"Who needs more development based on what you've seen?" 

Fluttershy and Rarity, FULL STOP. They're followed by Pinkie Pie, but those two need it the most. Fluttershy has only had one spotlight episode to herself, and Rarity had to share one with Applejack, so I'd give her the priority over any of them. 

"Any traits you would apply to specific characters that haven't/couldn't be explored on the show?" 

Nothing for specific characters, but maybe where the hell all these ponies parents are? People seem to have siblings, but no parents, except for Applejack who at least has Granny Smith. I'd also like to see the limits of what a unicorn's magic can do, because it seems to be really inconsistent. I guess if I'm going to get specific, I wonder what pushed Twilight Sparkle to be an overachiever. She pretty much popped up on the scene all smug and condescending, though she got better, but all the ponies could use a proper origin story. 

Well, that's it for questions that were submitted, but if you have any, be sure to post them in the comments section below and I'll respond ASAP! Well, as long as the question isn't too inappropriate or blatant trolling, in which case you can go and fuck yourself. :) 

See you next time for Suited for Success! (for real this time) -Apathy Pony