• Pony Community Soapbox #152 - Unhelpful Princesses, Cheerilee Episodes, and More!


    We need more soapboxes! Submit them ye foals.

    Community soapbox time, where opinions from around the fandom are dropped down below for you all to discuss and debate! Expect these posts normally when not late every Tuesday at 2:00 PM PST. To submit your own, see this post.

    Headlines this week:

    • Marble Pie and Sugar Belle could become friends
    • If you think about it, they literally almost never help.
    • More Episodes for Cheerilee
    • Selfish generosity

    And get your soapboxes below! 


    Marble Pie and Sugar Belle could become friends
    By: Not-Yet-A-Brony



    There exists the possibility that Marble Pie and Sugar Belle could become best friends much to Big Mac’s shock and surprise. It would not be beyond imagination for both mares to cross paths in Ponyville. Marble Pie could arrive in Ponyville to spend “Pie Sisters Surprise Swap Day” with Pinkie Pie and instead end up meeting Sugar Belle at Sugarcube Corner. Both mares could bond with each other over their mutual relationships with both Big Mac and Pinkie Pie.

    Such a friendship could be beneficial for both Sugar Belle and Marble Pie’s character developments. Sugar Belle could play a significant role in encouraging Marble Pie to overcome her shy and quiet nature and open up to other ponies. And Marble Pie could move on from her heartbreak in Best Gift Ever and give her wholehearted blessings to Sugar Belle and Big Mac’s relationship. There could also be bonus continuity points if Sugar Belle and Marble Pie interacted with Cheerilee.

    Hilarity could also ensue from witnessing Big Mac’s awkward reaction towards seeing both his girlfriend / wife and ex-crush bonding together. But it would also be an opportunity for Big Mac to learn to accept Marble Pie and Sugar Belle’s blossoming friendship. It would also enable Big Mac and Marble Pie to reconnect and accept each other as both friends and family. Finally, it would help reaffirm Big Mac and Sugar Belle’s love for each other.

    Even if such a friendship between Marble Pie and Sugar Belle does not occur in Season Nine before the show ends, it could still potentially happen in the comic books or chapter books before the end of Generation Four. The Brony fandom could also envision such friendship happening in either fan art or fan fiction.


    If you think about it, they literally almost never help.
    By: TrianguloY


    "Twilight Sparkle: You're all acting so calm! But this is a big deal! What do we do if something big happens and the princesses aren't there to help?!

    Rainbow Dash: Um, if you think about it, they literally almost never help.
    [beat]
    Applejack: Huh."

    You most probably remember this, it was one of the most commented dialogs from the Premier of season 9 (9x01). It was hilarious, and very interesting to see how the writers were self aware of this 'issue'. However almost all comments I saw stopped here, and didn't notice (or didn't say anything) about the second part of this dialog:

    "Rainbow Dash: See? We've almost always done things without the princesses' help! Which makes sense now, because it was all just training for you to take over!

    In case you didn't notice, this changes the original sentence from a self-aware joke to a self-aware explanation. The writers were trying to give a credible canon meaning to the 'missing princesses' from previous seasons. Which then they also did with Discord in the second part, but using a different and more 'Discord' approach.

    And these are not the first time the staff put effort into explaining plot holes, they have been doing it more and more in later seasons (some more successful than others) adding another evidence to the maturity of the show.


    More Episodes for Cheerilee
    By: FlareGun45


    Yunno a character who hasn't really been given ANYTHING other than just a supporting role? Other than Zecora, we already know that! No, Miss Cheerilee. She's basically just known as the teacher of Ponyville School. Much like what the CMCs say, she is very sweet and kind, and the best teacher they could hope for, so they helped her find a special somepony.... well, more like FORCED her to, but that's basically the only plot she's ever had. You'd think that somepony like Cheerilee coulda had more episodes starring her.

    Like maybe an episode where she's so busy all the time, the CMCs decide to help her let loose and have a good time, and then she eventually does let loose but too much that she's avoiding her responsibilities? How about about this one: the School of Friendship is stealing her students away to the point where her school is about to go outta business. Maybe one about Filthy Rich trying to buy the school off her, tear it down, and make way for a bigger school? Maybe learn a bit about Cheerilee's wild past in the 80s? There coulda been alota episodes starring Cheerilee if the writers actually took the chance to think about her, instead of constantly making new characters we don't care about get alota appearances or just make a buncha one-time characters we'll never see again.

    Really, y'think maybe Cheerilee shoulda gotten more content, other than just being known as the teacher for Ponyville School? She used to appear commonly in the series in the earlier seasons.


    Selfish generosity
    By:indiana


    Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? And yet this is exactly what Rarity is and she was always like this. But there is a reason for this. You don't become generous just like that. First you have to always have something to offer for that generosity to be able to manifest in the first place and second, a generous person has to always find the balance between giving too much and not giving at all. Those who are too generous end up on the streets with nothing more to offer while on the other spectrum we have uncle Scrooge. I would go as far as to say that Rarity herself is a less rich and more generous version of Scrooge McDuck. Last week's episode was a perfect example of that struggle. I really don't know how to put it into words at this moment but I think Rarity's character invites a lot of misunderstanding and even hate sometimes but when you are able to put yourself into her shoes, you may see that she always had this inner battle going on and I can't help but admire that. Rarity will always be a generous pony but at the same time she will always need to receive the love and attention of those around her to be able to give back what only she can offer in return. Her unique brand of selfish generosity.