I am *NOT* a Brony.

[ArchAngel]

Nah, they old.

[Nate DaZombie]

Who is "they" in this case?

And by the way, if Phineas & Ferb wasn't so good, Gravity Falls would be the best show on Disney by far.

[ChickenSoup]

They as in ArcticFox and Sstavix. Because they have young daughters and, by association, the only real reason a grown man could be stuck watching this

[ArcticFox]

*sigh

I have 2 daughters, a 4 year old and a 13 year old. So I'm even older than you'd think just from the 4 year old.

[Sstavix]

Could you please elaborate on what you think is funniest part is of the writing? I'm not trying to argue with your opinion. I just felt the show was not as clever as bronies that I knew hyped it as. But maybe my standards are really high? I just felt most of the writing and humor targeted for adults was mostly pop culture references injected into the series. But maybe if someone can give me a different angle than just "the ponies act crazy" or "its got cultural references that go over the little kids' heads" I might see the appeal of its writing.

In comparison to alot of other kids shows that take themselves really seriously and even previous generations of MLP, I can see why MLP: FIP stands out. But I'm having a hard time seeing that when compared to say animated gems like Emepror's New Groove or even Adventure Time.

Hey, I didn't say MLP is the best animated series I've seen. I could name a dozen that are better, in my opinion (OK, half of them have to do with Transformers, but I'd have Teen Titans and Avatar: The Last Airbender on that list as well). But it's certainly a lot better than other shows on the airwaves (or Netflix) right now.

Like Spongebob. I LOATHE Spongebob.

[Drewsov]

SpongeBob used to be good.

But so did a ton of other stuff.

Oh, how I yearn for the days of Batman: The Animated Series and good Nickelodeon (Angry Beavers, Rocko, Ren and Stimpy, et al).

[ArchAngel]

The best cartoons will always be the classic Looney Tunes. Timeless. Long live Mel Blanc!

[Nate DaZombie]

Long live Mel Blanc!

Only in our hearts...

[ArcticFox]

The best cartoons will always be the classic Looney Tunes. Timeless. Long live Mel Blanc!

Seconded. Kill the Wabbit!

[Sstavix]

No argument here. My wife tends to turn on a Pepe LePew or Speedy Gonzales cartoon from YouTube to keep the girls' attention when braiding their hair. It works, and it's good to expose children to the classics.

[baconisgood23]

I think I've been spending too much time on these pony threads.

Case in point: Last night, this happened.

[LAVA89]

But it's certainly a lot better than other shows on the airwaves (or Netflix) right now.

I definitely wouldn't argue with that (as I mentioned in my original post). I'm just curious what you thought the best part of the writing is of the show? You said you thought it was funny and cleverly written, so what do you find clever and funny about it? Again, not trying to argue, just trying to understand why some people say this about the show.

[Chozon1]

SpongeBob used to be good.

But so did a ton of other stuff.

Oh, how I yearn for the days of Batman: The Animated Series and good Nickelodeon (Angry Beavers, Rocko, Ren and Stimpy, et al).

Yes. Very yes.

[Sstavix]

I definitely wouldn't argue with that (as I mentioned in my original post). I'm just curious what you thought the best part of the writing is of the show? You said you thought it was funny and cleverly written, so what do you find clever and funny about it? Again, not trying to argue, just trying to understand why some people say this about the show.

Oh, very well. I'll provide an example. But don't say that you weren't warned....

(He inhales and draws himself up to his full height, taking on an arrogant air. In the process, the scaly lizard-man somehow produces a brown blazer with patches on the elbows and, for some odd reason, a monocle. Because hey, smart guys wear monocles. A bow tie also appears at his neck because, as the Doctor insists, "bow ties are cool." With the aura of an experienced English professor preparing to speak to a group of impressionable college freshmen, he begins.)

It has been long established that children will emulate their parents. It is easy to observe children playing cops and robbers, or soldiers, or cooks, teachers, or what have you. There is a central characteristic of children playing to act like adults because they often long for physical maturity. They see adulthood as a form of escape from their own lives, since adults are capable of doing so many more things than they are allowed, such as staying up late at night, watching different television programmes, playing certain games, and other activities which are typically viewed as taboo - and rightly so - for younger minds. Children long for this perceived freedom and eagerly anticipate the day when they, too, can obtain the elusive, mysterious "adulthood."

In the television programme "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," maturity seems to be symbolized by the colourful symbols found upon the hindquarters of most of the characters. Dubbed "cutie marks," the appearance of these symbols is a sort of rite of passage for the colourful, fictitious characters - much in the same way that the first wisps of facial hair could be perceived in young human males of our society. The fact that these cutie marks apparently lock each recipient into a specific role in the pony society - a fate that they gleefully accept - and the possible implications of a caste system and the futility of fighting an inevitable fate will be topics to discuss during a future class.

Three of the secondary characters of the series are young ponies who have not yet obtained their cutie marks. Their appearances in the series are typically indicative of this small group - who call themselves the "Cutie Mark Crusaders" - consist of various schemes in an attempt to accelerate their physical maturity and earn these cutie marks. In much the same way that children strive to attain adulthood at an earlier age, these "Cutie Mark Crusaders" do likewise, typically in the form of dangerous stunts or using unusual methods - such as magic, which is prevalent in the show. As can be typical with most forms of entertainment, the writers create personality traits they believe would be common to the viewers in order to make them more likable, but with the "Cutie Mark Crusaders," they've created characters who also share the dreams and aspirations of their viewers.

In the greater majority of animated television programmes - particularly ones that are extremely episodic in nature (and I do hope I do not need to go over the definition of "episodic" again, since we spent nearly a week discussing this last month) it is unusual to see such mature themes discussed by minor characters of the cast. It is particularly unusual to see such themes depicted in a humorous, whimsical approach. The writers of "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" should be commended for addressing such weighty issues as physical maturity and the responsibilities of growing up in a manner that is as entertaining as it is enlightening.

Now class, armed with this knowledge, your assignment will be to view one episode of whichever animated series you've chosen to watch this semester. You can choose whatever episode you wish, but you need to watch for any signs of the characters demonstrating desires or aspirations of maturity that is not possible for them at their present state. Do they act in any sort of fashion to obtain this dream of being more mature? I know that a few of you - especially those who chose "Avatar: The Last Airbender" or "Rugrats" - will likely have an easier time of this than others - yes, I'm looking at you, George, who decided that "Catdog" is, for some reason, the pinnacle of animated entertainment. You have one week to present to me a 500-word essay of your findings and analysis.

(As he exhales, the blazer and bow tie vanish. The monocle slips from his face, but disappears before it hits the floor. Relaxed and slightly slumped, Sstavix looks around, confusion on his scaly face.)

Did I do anything ... weird during my "English professor" transformation? I tend to forget what I say during my little "episodes...."

[ChickenSoup]

I'm not sold