I don't mind that Rainbow was 'handed the position,' since she was already in the Reserves and had flown with them before. But you don't hand a newbie a routine that you've all had week to rehearse and say 'you've got two days.'
Well.... it would stand to reason that the reservists were also familiar with the routine due to the nature of BEING a reservist ya should be capable of filling a position at any time. The thing they would need to learn would be flying in formation with the members of the Wonderbolts. They are still a team and would need to practice coordinating with each other and familiarizing with each persons voice, ques and presence. There may also be a few maneuvers that were more show specific and not on the normal practice schedule. it can be looked at like this. A QB transfers to a different team. The QB knows how to play and the new team knows how. The thing they need to know is how to play together. You could argue the QB would need to learn the new teams plays but a good player already knows the patterns any way. Most teams run basic similar plays. The determining factor is timing in calling the play and mostly how well the team does it together. So in all the new QB just needs to familiarize with the people he is working with and subtle style difference of each person.
Connor Thompson I wholeheartedly agree. Before I join the Navy in 2008 I was in my high school's njrotc unit. I was also the captain of our Color Guard drill team my senior year. I remember having to make on the Fly roster rearrangements sometimes even the day of the drill competition
Well, Discord would probably want Sliver's soul for a plaything, but Silver would only willingly give his soul to Luna, so... ~shrug~ (I personally vote for me, though. Or Cthulhu. Such a cute sea demon~)
+Silver Clode I'm really sorry, but I can't parse what you're getting at. Are you saying we can neither roast him nor Discord? Or are you trying to say something else?
Well, while RD is a bit cocky, she is actually right. The problem before with her joining the Wonderbolts wasn't her physical prowess, since she is by far the fastest pony in equestria. Performing the Sonic Rainboom, as far as we know, was a solely speed-based accomplishment, meaning that anyone else could in theory recreate it. But they haven't, since it's considered impossible. Since RD can, it would make her faster than the other wonderbolts
To be fair there's a lot of grown adults that need to be taught to look both ways before crossing the street. Start driving in any country and you'll see what I mean.
10:54 I’m a civilian who knows little about military life. But i feel that if, for those who have served, this seems “par for the course” while to everybody else it seems like bullying.. Does that not imply bullying has been normalized in the military?
I understand that there are many bronies in the military, but I simply couldn't care less about the parallels between the military and the wonderbolts as this is ultimately a cartoon aimed towards children. And as a cartoon for children, I can't stress enough how important it is to teach lessons that aren't potentially toxic to developing minds. I spend so much time blaming myself for the bullying I received. The teachers who were supposed to help me either didn't pay attention or told me to "just ignore it" as if that's gonna magically make the problem go away. They didn't say it directly, but were still heavily implying that I needed to suck it up or that it was my fault for being hurt. The pain I endured has become the source of many of my insecurities but nobody cared. So watching Newbie Dash felt like a gigantic slap in the face. I felt like I was being told all over again that my feelings didn't matter. Another thing is that just because everyone else has a name doesn't automatically make it okay. That's like saying you aren't racist because you have a black friend.
What right do the 'Bolts have to use the name-calling tactic on RD when she's done far more for Equestria in the last couple of years than the 'Bolts have in their entire existence
Yeah, while I agree that it was kinda sudden, I didn’t need a military person explain it. Especially not the explanation that josh gave, I’d have thought that was obvious. So she was definitely ready, but yeah, they could’ve handled the reveal better.
My only issue is that you'd think the pony leaving would have given enough notice that their replacement wouldn't be offered the position two days before an event. Unless there were some extenuating circumstances that caused them to retire on such short notice, which I guess there could have been? It's not like it would be any of Dash's business anyway.
I'm not either or American but I've been told by friends who were or had family in the NZDF that the commanders and trainers have too be frank, honest or upfront with recruits... more then one DI has ended up in traction!
Having been through military service myself, the name calling honestly did nothing but increase my aggressiveness towards my superiors and the people around me. This might be because I've been bullied in my childhood, so I associated this sort of treatment with bullying rather than trying to build up group mentality.
I'm guessing it's the other requirements. Maybe it's based on connections or displaying enough skill to be a part. That and passing something like the SATs. And considering RD is a flight school dropout, that probably meant she had to work harder. Hell, the only reason I'm not in Annapolis is because I have a hairline crack on one of my shins.
THANK YOU for bringing the Nickname problem to light! Seriously, as someone with low self-esteem (and being easily pissed off when I'm depressed does *not* help this) if I did one stupid mess up on day _one_ I would NOT want to continue being around people like that. Casual thing or not. I mean, Rainbow wasn't around those other members for a _day_ and didn't see anything she could actually do. Okay, one day, sure, fine, nickname, whatever. But say it, over and over, when it's clear she doesn't like it, and effects her in a negative way?! Seriously. Not COOL, WonderBolts!
There's one thing this episode made me realise and it's that I'm not cut out to be in the army. The idea of "break them down so you can build them up" doesn't work on me as I'm much more a person who needs validation that I'm doing a good job otherwise my low self esteem comes into play and wrecks my emotions further. That said, this episode was just kinda "meh" for me, since I don't really like the implication that because the nicknames are a tradition Rainbow Dash should just roll over and play along. Also the fact that this wouldn't even be an episode if either the Wonderbolts or Rainbow Dash would have just communicated properly. However this episode doesn't bother me as much as 28 pranks later does. That one irks me a lot more in the writing department. Newbie Dash was just kinda lack luster to me.
I agree. Both with your analysis and the first part. I can't handle the "break them down to build them up" philosophy either. It's one of the reasons I couldn't be a part of my school's Color Guard. One of their rules was "no crying", which is really stupid, and I am an avid cryer. It's how I handle things because after I let out the sadness, overwhelmingness, and anxiety, I'm ready to be a part. But NOOO, apparently I'm not allowed!
@@skyesnowfeather2427 I might be really late to the party, but I’ll say it anyway. The idea behind the whole build em up and break them down thing is to teach soldiers to keep their emotions in check and their heads together in an intense situation.
This episode is frustrating. It could have all been resolved if Rainbow Dash had expressed dislike for the name directly to the wonderbolts and then they would have explained what the name meant. That the name wasn't malicious but instead endearing. The moral of the episode should be be direct about your concerns with your superiors rather than jumping to conclusions. But this moral isn't clear. Adults don't understand this. How can we expect children to understand? This episode would have benefited from a return of the letters to Celestia or the diary entrees to have the moral spelled out because it is not clear here. The lack of clarity results in individuals thinking they should just tolerate bullying and that is a terrible lesson to send to children and by extension adults.
I was bullied in my first elementary since I'm very emotional and sensitive coaches made me cry to tuff me up but never work and made it worse then a teacher accuse me for stealing money instead of calming me down she just yell at me and made me feel unsecured so my parents saw what's going on in school and move to another school and home
I love this episode. I was bullied and there was a palpable difference between the truly mean-spirited insults I got, and the good-natured ribbing that Dash got. They key here is that while the Wonderbolts pressed the "Crash" nickname, they did so in combination with encouragement and praise. "Hey, Crash, I know it was a tough day today, but don't worry. You'll get the hang of it." "Now it's official. Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Crash!" These aren't things bullies would say. The Wonderbolts had no way of knowing the history Dash had with that nickname. They thought they'd come up with it, that it was a Wonderbolt thing. And while the Bolts could've explained the tradition, it was an easy one to miss. Maybe each Bolt thought somepony else had already explained it, maybe they thought it was self-explanatory. There was a pinch of poor communication in this episode, but not horrendous. The morals were about not assuming the worst of your friends/teammates, and about learning that in a team your own ego has to take a backseat. As for accusation that this was a "season 1" episode, I can't agree with that either. Dash let her bruised ego get the best of her, but character development doesn't mean that every flaw is eliminated forever, never to resurface (see Fluttershy in Fame and Misfortune). Dash is a work in progress, but she did way better than her S1 self ever could've. As for the rest of the Mane 6, they were just... themselves. I don't really see anything wrong there.
I'm late to this, but I want to throw in my two cents, particularly about Silver Quill's assumption that Misty Fly is the lowest rank based on her attitude. As an ex-military-brony myself (the ex belonging to the "military" part, specifically the Navy, not the "brony" part) I've had my share of problems from fellow low-rank sailors, but I found the situation actually got worse with the higher ranks, rather than better. One officer I worked for routinely told us to go shoot ourselves if we didn't like how he treated us, and he also repeatedly claimed he "had dirt" on all of us and threatened to blackmail us if we ever complained to anyone about him. Another officer screamed like a toddler because his office floor had the wrong colored speckles in it. A chief of mine witnessed and documented several instances of hazing and sexual harassment directed towards my friends and I in my berthing, but turned a blind eye to it. And when I asked her for help seeking out a therapist to cope with that ongoing abuse, she accused me of lying about it because she "knows how women think" and according to her, I cried too much to actually be a victim. These are just some of MY stories; based on what I've heard from others, I had it easy. Higher ranks are often told that they're held to a higher standard than the rest of us, which is a quote that they then use to justify their actions, but from what I've seen, they're actually not that much better. It's why I left. I'm aware that I only experienced a small, rotten fraction of the Navy, and a majority of the Navy (and I'm assuming the other branches, too) isn't as dishonorable or corrupt as the portion I lived through. The point of all this is: if someone told me that Misty Fly was second-in-command of the Wonderbolts, yet still had that attitude towards newbies, I'd believe it.
I, my self had a vary ruff time with being bullied. It got so bad I lost some emotions for about 15 years. I did get therapy, but he made it worst. I only started regaining my emotions after the fan animation "Lullaby for a Princess" broke though. It was far from the first tear jerkier I saw in though 15 years. But others I have seen in that time that I felt nothing over include, but not limited to; The note book, The Iron giant, were the red fern grows, Bambi, Armageddon, toy story 3, and many more. And after I cried at Lullaby for a Princess I began to cry at everything. The show and fandom is a constant reminder of what I now have that I went years with out. I also don't have a full handle on having full emotions yet.
“Listen up, cause we’re only going to do this once.” Rewatching cause this is an absolutely great review. One of the best, and does Silver have a more polished flight animation? Sweet!
Yaaaaay!! Finally get to see my boys together! My perspective on Newbie Dash is a wee bit different. While I grew up in a military family, I am not military myself. And while there was abuse in my past, I can't really say I've experienced much peer bullying in my life. Rather I see this episode as an error in communication. Yes, the Wonderbolts should have been more upfront that the names were not meant in malice. But Rainbow Dash also did not communicate how the nickname was hurting her. I give people nicknames all the time, usually as terms of affection and often I don't ask permission before doing so. Now if the name I gave them somehow was linked to childhood trauma, I'm not going to know unless they pipe up about it. What I meant as a term of endearment or playful ribbing might end up being perceived as bullying without my knowledge. On that level, I can see where the Wonderbolts are coming from. On the other side of the coin, when I am being picked on by authority figures, I usually keep it to myself. If I do find the courage to bring it up, I'm almost always met with "Why didn't you bring it up sooner?" And usually whatever answer I gave wasn't going to be good enough. Standing up to those "above" you can seem both intimidating and futile. So I can see where Rainbow is coming from too. I feel that's why I can appreciate this episode. I see it as stupid mistakes and miscommunications on both ends. Well.. except when Dash imitated her friends... can't really appreciate that so much.
Hey, I wasn't in the service either (and my health wouldn't let me join the RNZAF) but I was told by those in it or friends/family that clear and honest communications are vital and if a commander sees something odd that must look into it. Am I right? Then we're different, a guy I knew may or may not have beaten a Warrant Officer half too death.
I've experienced both sides of nicknaming for humor and bullying. There's a HUGE difference. Bullying is relentless and is always mean spirited. Nicknaming and joking can be there constantly, but the tone is only rarely mean. BTW: Nicknames I've gotten since I changed jobs last year have been: "Minuteman.", "Kung Fu Duck/Master Duck/Shaolin Ducky", "Tibetan Monk", and "Honey Badger". The first three, I don't mind at all, because it's obvious the guy who gave them to me is joking around at how I can be silly and joke around at times, or how I can say something ridiculous with a straight face without realizing it, or just the fact that I wore a fuzzy warm hat for a couple days to keep warm while I had a cold. Also, yeah. I agree with communication being a major problem in Newbie Dash. Had Rainbow brought up the problem, the nickname speech would have come MUCH earlier. But... 23 minutes and a mandatory lesson cause problems in the long run.
Like, I think, a lot of people, I have... mixed feelings about this episode. I really like the set-up - I like Rainbow becoming a Wonderbolt at the beginning of an episode instead of the end, because while it's unexpected, it emphasizes that this isn't an end so much as a new beginning, and that life doesn't just become all sunshine and rainbows (as it were) the moment one achieves their dream. I also like Rainbow struggling with suddenly being noticeably worse than her peers; this kind of story is one of the best you can give such an ego-driven character. That said, it does kinda fall apart for me after the first third. I don't necessarily have a problem with the Wonderbolts calling Rainbow names - they, for the most part, at least, think they're helping her feel more comfortable by demonstrating a sense of camaraderie, but they're so used to their own nicknames that they forget that a newcomer might not get it, which is a very real, relatable mistake to make. THE PROBLEM is that they never learn their lesson; the writers are going for a moral about how no one is the best at anything on their first day, which is a good moral, but it comes at the expense of really resolving the teasing conflict, and so that ends up being a major distraction that makes the Wonderbolts look like idiots at best and assholes at worst without so much as an apology. Plus, the bit in the middle with Rainbow imitating her friends was REALLY cringe. But, at the very least, this episode does open a lot of interesting discussions about bullying, hazing, and the line between friendly ribbing and hurtful mockery. Sure, the episode itself doesn't seem to have much to say on the subject, but it presented it with a degree of honesty, that while uncomfortable at times, makes the whole thing relatable and even somewhat compelling. The emotional core of the episode holds, even when the stuff around it is pretty flimsy. tl;dr I like the idea of the episode more than I like the episode itself, but the idea is strong enough to carry it for me.
I am SOOOOOOO glad the Spike suitcase thing was brought up. Honestly? That disgusted me more than anything else in this episode. Spike was reduced to a non existent joke, they treated him like a prop for a joke that wouldn't be funny no matter who was put in the suitcase. The fact none of his friends noticed him is the biggest disgrace to the name "friendship is magic." NO ONE noticed him being slammed into a suitcase, SERIOUSLY?!? That kind of indifference to someone's existence is perfect breeding ground for complexes and depression. That joke alone was almost as degrading as "Princess Spike"....almost.
12:45 *TRADITIO-O-ON,* TRADITION! TRADITION! (This part cracked me up so much that I interrupted watching the rest of the review just to repeat this part. Nice move, Silver!
Dustykatt, at 11:00 your story hits so close to home. What alot of people of don't realize is that there's a fine line between good humour and hazing. Unfortunately, too many of my fellow military brothers and sisters don't seem to understand this anymore.
Honestly, because of how mean and incompetent the wonderbolts had been in the past, I never felt that they behaved like a typical military force in this episode and more like a bunch unprofessional dummies like they usually do. The ending provided some much needed context, but that didn't come until after the episode left a bad taste in my mouth. Like maybe we see Spitfire scolded Misty and say something like "Hey, go easy on her. It's my job to make it hard." or something that. Incidentally, that context made Top Bolt, another wonderbolt episode, much better because we know how Spitfire was meant to act. I remember when she raised her voice at the recruits, then smiled after they left. I loved that moment. It worked there, but not here, because this episode just felt mean spirited.
I guess she thought 'Clipper' was more of an endearing nickname, since it wasn't fully explained. She may have dealt with it better other times, but yes, You may be right that she didn't want that kind of stigma from her new team.
Likey because of the original usage of that name. Clipper was the name given to the fastest sailing ship in the middle 19th century. (Look it up, it's kinda fascinating)
I'm going to present my thoughts on this episode in three parts. First I will look at my own interpretation of the episode as presented, then I will look at its unintended moral (and spotting morals is kind of a big thing in this show), and finally I will look at the response of military bronies to this episode. Now, I am not a serving member of the armed forces, nor a veteran, but I do know more than most civilians because it is a career path I intend to take in the near future. I perform extensive research and I regularly speak to serving members. I say this not to boast, or to claim some kind of authority to my information, but to explain how I know it and my personal background for it. I should also clarify that most (not all, but most) of my military awareness is *not* from the USA, because I am not from the USA. Disclaimer done, let's proceed. First, my first thought when I saw this episode, and one that has not changed, is that the intent of these nicknames is an attempt at giving the Wonderbolts call signs. These are common practice among military pilots. Many call signs also serve as a tongue-in-cheek reference to something in the pilot's past, or their name (Top Gun's 'Sobs', for example). However, a key element of call signs as I understand them is that the pilot is in on the joke. Rainbow wasn't in on the joke here, and it surprised me she didn't even know what call signs were since she had flown with the reserves for a while and had been a lifelong fan. Then, after the contrivance to stick her with 'Crash', all she has to do is ask Spitfire to talk to her alone for a second and explain *exactly* why 'Crash' is a bad for for her nickname - a call sign that is associated with emotional abuse by the one to whom it is applied is not a good choice. While complaining about one's call sign tends to make it stick, they are not meant to be actively hurtful. If Rainbow had just spoken up about the issue, the plot would be over - they'd stick her with a different (but still gentle-ribbing) nickname and all would be well. The first time I saw this episode I was absolutely sure that this was the resolution they were going to end on - Rainbow, after the quote-unquote 'comedy' hijinks are over, actually explains the problem and the other Wonderbolts immediately realise where the solution lies. But the writer didn't have the skill to create a better conflict for the plot, so this one appears contrived and falls flat while requiring everyone present to ignore the obvious problem, the obvious solution, or both. (See wikipedia article here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviator_call_sign - for more information on call signs.) Then there's the unintentional message of the piece - that bullying is something you should just put up with if you want to be part of a group. And that's *wrong,* dammit! Ignoring bullying is *never* the right idea. I thought we learned that in the 90s, people, what are we playing at here?! While those among us who share a military background have their own spin on things, this show is ultimately aimed at young girls (at a guess, between the ages of 4 and 8). They aren't going to be immersing themselves in military culture any time soon, they're not going to get call signs - their first exposure to name-calling is going to be as children, being called names by other children, which is the single most common method of bullying in schools. And along comes this episode, where the conflict is resolved by Rainbow deciding that, no matter how hurtful the nickname has been for her, no matter how she feels about it, she's just got to put up with it because it's part and parcel of being a Wonderbolt. Replace 'a Wonderbolt' with 'on the sports team', or 'in the group [of friends]'... Suddenly that seems like a very toxic message to me. Which leads me nicely to my third point. Many of the more military bronies out there have spoken of the way this feels familiar to them. And, as someone who will attend HMAS Creswell and serve as an officer, I have to say... That has me *worried.* I have spoken with both officers and non-commissioned personnel in two navies and three other branches of service across three nations about this, and they *all* agreed with my first reaction: if there is a culture of bullying or name-calling in your unit, that unit is ill-disciplined and displaying bad conduct. The appropriate response is to raise the issue with your non-commissioned officer and possibly your CO, and if they brush off the issue then it needs to be sent up the chain of command until someone does take action. A military unit runs on many things, but one of them is trust. If the members of a unit don't trust each other, if they shoot barbs at each other and mock perceived failings, then the unit has destroyed its own morale and cohesion. When called upon to work together, those personnel will fall apart. There is a reason most militaries actively prohibit hazing among new recruits these days. Military personnel have to work together in close quarters for extended periods of time. If they all hate each other, or if all of them gang up on one particular soldier/sailor/airman/marine, then they're not going to work together very well, now are they? Bullying and harassment don't 'toughen' people, they break them. They have no place in an institution like a nation's military. Not one of the military bronies I have seen discussing this episode mentioned aviator call signs anywhere. To them, this name-calling was hazing or was just a standard part of military life. All of them were from the United States armed forces. Draw what conclusions you will. This was a catastrophic mismanagement of the concept of a call sign with plot holes I could drive an airship through, it gives a downright dangerous message to the show's target demographic because it was aimed at the wrong group, and its most stalwart defenders appear, from my perspective, to be repeatedly and thoroughly missing the point so badly they score an own goal. ...Yeah, this episode sucks.
due you earned a slow clap form me. You got my entire issue. A teasing nickname, fine it happens every where. But the issue here is the history of the nickname. For Dash crash has rather negative history for her. Spitfire havign seen Dash perform before and seeing that somethign is really affecting her teams newest member should have talked one on one in private with her on what was going on then she learns the history of the that nickname. so drop it and use another. I am sure Dash will provide a new one in time.
Very nice video! I agree with you two, it was kind of hard watching the second part of this episode cause it was not only uncomfortable but also pulled at some personal memories myself.
Knowing how Dustykatt looks in real life its hard to imagine he was bullied but i can agree with him since i've had a hard time with bullying for a long time
Excellent point about the presentation of life after achieving your dream. It's not something we see often in fiction, and there's lots of material that's untapped there. That's actually why I got into the baseball anime "Major" for a while. It's a long one that starts with the protag as a preschooler and follows his life as he pursues his goal to become a professional pitcher. It doesn't just stop when he hits the majors though, instead letting the viewer get a sense of how much he has to adjust to if he's going to have a career, let alone become a great. Again, it's a long one, but it opened my eyes to what lesser-plumbed arcs can be accessed when you focus more on the characters than the genre tropes.
Phenomenal work as usual Silver! Can't wait to see "What about Discord?"! Btw, I talked to you at Everfree NW 2018, this is James :) the guy who's shirt you scanned. It was a real pleasure to interact with you as usual!
The nickname thing I feel was very hurtful...in that it brought back fillyhood memories for Dash and she felt she was being bullied again... I can relate to this a lot as I was bullied a lot in school and I get super defensive these days when I feel I’m being bullied...even when it’s not intended to be hurtful
MarissaFlynn527 I was also bullied in school. For eight years... changing schools didn't make a difference. I hated this episode. Especially since it is aimed at children. If it is something I react to it is bullying. I've held the role as an educator with the responsibility to make the students feel safe. Sure, I'm way more sensitive when it comes to this subject but has aided me when working. It gave me the ability to see problems much earlier on than the other teachers. Besides, having a thick skin doesn't mean you can't hurt when someone shots at you.
Same... I was always the outcast, and people mocked me, belittled me... It's gotten to the point where I close my emotions off when someone's mad just so I don't start crying. I hate this episode because of what it inadvertently tells little kids, and some reviews (Josh's particularly) remind me why I NEVER wanna join the military.
This episode of rainbow was really hard to watch. It was cruel to the main cast and to the wonderbolts as well. Because Soarin would never have picked on her after Rainbow was loyal to him after he was in the hospital during the pony games. And Spitfire would have trained Dash Perfectly I. The first place at the academy. I wonder if there are any writers or animators watching these types of things during quarantine. I kind of wish they'd write a different story for Dash and the others.
Hm..when apple bloom got struck by lightning or electricity it showed an apple with her body maybe that means she was born earth pony magic like Rainbow with a Cloud was born with Pegasus magic this kinda reminds me when Teric took magic from other ponies and they became so powerless maybe that is because what we saw with apple bloom and rainbow was the source of their magic idk what Unicorns have but I’m assuming it has to do something with a spark design or something but that’s what I’m thinking is the source of their magic
On the point of Rainbow having learned the runway safety lesson during basic training, I don't doubt it. But it is worth remembering, this is her first day as a full Wonderbolt. Excitement and nerves can mess with you. When I got made a Security Supervisor at my old job, and got my first shift back out on the floor after just 1 week in the office doing paperwork, I'd mess up things I learned on day one, just because I now felt there was more pressure on me, so my habitual memory didn't kick in (Often referred to as the Centipede Effect, where things that are normally done unconsciously become much harder when you concentrate on them)
I was never in the military nor have family in it and I was more of the kid that no one ever cared to talk to, only for group assignments and I loved this episode and I guess mostly because of a game that I played a lot, Ace Combat Zero and also watched let's plays of the other Ace Combat games. (In one of the games there's a character whose nickname is because he talks too much, Chopper, and there was a scene of teammates teasing one of them for taking too long to propose to his girlfriend in another game)
I'm glad Dusty Katt talked about his short-lived basketball days; one thing I'm personally getting tired of is everybody comparing this episode to military life. I have the utmost respect for the military (several of my relatives were in it), but when people use this as the only application to episodes like this, they're neglecting other areas where talks like this could be useful, like the NBA, the NFL, or anything else that would require a strong team. This was the first thing that popped into my head when I first watched this episode.
In all honestly though being former military specifically air force hazing has been trying to be taken out of the military lifestyle for new recruits it still happens but they are trying to take it out
0:20 Boy, a Hippogryph on a Applejack Daniels bender can sure do some crazy things. - Meanwhile on a boat headed for Greece - Barney: "Oh no! Not again! *Belch!*"
Oh boy, this episode, this episode. This is going to be fun. First and foremost this is my least favorite episode of the series and I can find in nearly everything at least something enjoyable. One of my biggest gripes with this episode is that no one, absolutely no one knows how to talk. Rainbow could defuse the situation by simply stating her problem with the nickname, ok it is Rainbow so we know that is not going to happen. Still, the problem could be resolved by Rainbow. But if we come to Spitfire, oh boy, she does not explain the tradition when it comes up and when she explains it she chooses the dumbest example, Clipper, even if she has a nickname like Slowpoke, which cannot be screwed into something positive. But no that would mean Spitfire has to be competent, something she has never shown to possess. Problem number two, continuity. This episode wants to show us that this namecalling in the Wonderbolts is something that helps the team, ok fine on its own I can tolerate that if you bring the portrait of the Wonderbolts through the series into this that falls apart. How were the Wonderbolts portrayed in the show until now? Bad, that’s how and especially Spitfire. First “Wonderbolt Academy”, Spitfire is unable to recognize the complete lack of the ability to work as a team of one of her students and a student has to spell it out for her. So if Rainbow hadn’t intervened she would have probably become a Wonderbolt at some point, being part of a team that needs to work together. It seems that ponies with these tendencies could have high chances to become Wonderbolts, but could be an isolated incident. Second Example “Rainbow Falls”, where Spitfire gets one of her teammates to play injured so she has a better chance at winning. Great teamwork there Spitfire, you are a great leader. So again it seems that ponies with these characteristics seem to appear in the Wonderbolts. And third example “Rarity Investigates”, was with not much evidence, they immediately turn on Rainbow with so much emotion that it is ludicrous. No problem taking her out of the show is ok, but not the way they did it. Great trust in your teammate there Wonderbolts. And the one responsible, an old Wonderbolt that didn’t want his record broken. That makes three, three Wonderbolts that show this kind of traits, out of three generations of Wonderbolts. Yeah, I think I can say that the Wonderbolts are a horrible team and it is nothing new. And now to the namecalling, yeah with how the Wonderbolts were portrayed up until now, I can not buy that this is something that benefits the team. By the way, Spitfire not noticing that Rainbow is acting wired shows just how great she is as a leader. Now to the impersonation part, it is awful, annoying, overstays its welcome and just is not funny. All in all, I would give this episode a 2/10, at least when it comes to me “objectively” locking at it. If I look at it from enjoyment value 1/10 and that only because of the stuff that comes before the trashcan scene. TL;DR: I hate this episode!
Note to all i’m using Siri to write this so please bear with me on the grammar errors that she provides while I’m driving home from work listening to this This was a hodgepodge of explanation for us. I will immense I too hated this episode a lot because I too was hazed a lot and abused in my former workplace as a wrangler which my phone my boss was from the army originally and he just forgot that seven young women who work as wranglers are not of the military so in the way it was in sufferable for me to watch the second half because of the cringing and all the mistakes that had actually happened but seeing all this going on and having a better understanding within two years after the release of this I suddenly have a better understanding especially after when I watch the season seven episode “flutter shy leans in” especially when I comes to my career is a wrangler. So thank you gentlemen for presenting this review I give you my two thumbs up and now how am I ever going to live up to my own review of newbie dash- after this LOL. Well done guys
Kyubbiman i’m sorry that my grammar has offended you but I was talking by Siri since I’m currently driving while listening to this episode so instead of crashing into the next person and possibly kill someone for just looking down to make sure things were correct instead of me doing the same thing by editing that later after I got home after a hard days work since 5 AM.
I feel I am in the middle here when it comes to this episode. I grew up in a Military family so I got that the teasing here was not meant to be hurtful. However, I was also a victim of bullying. Here's the major difference between bullying and teasing though: intentions. Wonderbolts I feel never intended to be hurtful to RD. Bullies intentionally hurt though. Plus, RD was ultimately the cause of her get that kind of attention. When I was bullied as a kid, overall my behavior wasn't just cause for all the cruelty I received from others. While this episode is the middle of the road for me, it is the only episode to get me to laugh out of my chair literally with that Raridash scene because all I could thing of was the shipping fuel that part generated lol.
I agree with you that the difference between bullying and teasing/hazing is intentions, and that RD's mockery was fully deserved. I have no military background, yet I come from the side that sees the insults Rainbow faced as normative of being part of an exclusive group. Were some of the things the Wonderbolts said harsh and demeaning? Sure. Were they taken as harsher than intended because of past experiences? Absolutely. Were the Wonderbolts wrong for mocking RD? Well, let me give an answer longer than yes or no. Rainbow joined a tight-knit group with its own micro-culture, and like many small groups, the members have nicknames that may or may not have originally derogatory based on their mistakes or odd characteristics. Kind of like in Holes. But here's the point: if Rainbow Dash, an adult who joined the military, can't handle being mocked for a mistake, she has no place in the military. She either needs to show she means business and actually get better, or leave. Hypothetical convos: _Oh, but the empty platitude of 'brush it off' doesn't really work. You need to talk to people and let them know your feelings have been hurt._ Oh, give me a break. Maybe that works for a normal group you're already part of, and even then it'd just need to be something like "hey, that wasn't cool." But if you're part of an elite group where it's the norm to call each other names, and you're offended by names, you're not cut out for it. _But the Wonderbolts should have explained that namecalling is what they do; they don't mean anything by it._ RD couldn't figure that out on her own? I mean, RD isn't the most socially apt, but she's an indomitable spirit, not a snowflake. Besides, she's an adult now, not a child needing lessons like "look before cro--" UGH....... Is 'turn mockery into strength' too deep a lesson for MLP at this point? They touched on the solution with RD's statement at the end "Because I'm a Wonderbolt!" _Have you been a victim of bullying? Do you understand what it's like to be put down all the time?_ Umm, I don't think so, or maybe I have and just don't care. I'm a Christian in an increasingly anti-Christian world; I'm a conservative in an increasingly liberal world; I'm a brony. Needless to say, I and my kind are targeted by all kinds of mean-spirited talk, but I don't let it get to me. But that aside, why would my lack of bully-victimhood negate my "military fan" position when I have no connection to the military? I don't get this "victim" mentality. My point is, to all who think the Wonderbolts were in the wrong for being harsh, and who criticize RD for not speaking up for herself, this is my message to you. Believing that telling others your "feelings have been hurt" exempts you from mockery is the epitome of entitled self-pridefulness and hinders actual growth. If you make a mistake and get derided for it, grow a backbone, suck it up, brush it off, act your age, and earn the respect you so wish to have.
You know what is ironic is that in S7 with Parental Glideance, RD in the show got 'villainized' there for something she was in the right in since her parents could have easily costed her her job due to their immaturity. It's no wonder why RD was originally cocky, her parents never disciplined her. This is why I am glad characters like Starlight are in the show because she questions authority when it needs to be.
Being a foreigner, I have always wanted to ask this: Is the bullying culture really that popular in America? Things like big kids in school ganging up on the weak "nerds", beating them, taking their money, locking them in the toilet or even more terrible things without anyone batting an eye, or things like when you fall and spill your food all over you, instead of helping the whole school laughs at you, to the bullying in military or other groups, I have seen them being depicted frequently in movies, cartoons and such. Is it really like that in real life in America?
Secret Moon As a homeschooler in America, I've asked the same question. Sure, it's depicted in movies like it happens all the time, and I hear about it from very vocal victims of bullying, but complaining about bullying in public seems to be a recent phenomenon with the advents of social media and the "victim" mentality. I may have been a bully victim in occasional situations, but I didn't care because I know people are mean sometimes and it's my responsibility to be though and take it. I may not have ever been the victim of violent bullying, but the point remains: the problem is kids are being taught to "be the victim"; the solution is not complaining, but taking it like strong men and women, and boys and girls. So to answer your question, yes, depicting bullies in media is popular, but I can't say if actual bullying is that prevalent, or if it is, why people complain so much instead of being strong.
Let me put it this way. If this was aimed at an adult audience a subject such as this could be fine. Adults usually understand subtext. However, this is a show aimed at children. Quite young children at that. At that age children don't have the ability to understand subtext. What they see is one of the main characters in the show being ridiculed and bullied. And then see that ridicule and bullying being justified. Children don't have the same frame of reference as adults do. Very few people try to hurt people intentionally. Even children is not sadistic on purpose. Bullying can come from many things. I have worked as a teacher and seen this first hand. Children can fly at each other for things we as adults would view as insignificant. They are often petty and tend to act out when they have issues at home. To have a kids show _justify_ name calling is not okay.
I love how Dusty is training Silver Quill even though he's got no wings... makes me wonder how he actually learned how to do anything for the Wonderbolts lol!
I think it's also worth pointing out that even hazing _within_ the military is being looked at as if it's actually healthy, malicious or otherwise, tradition be damned. Turns out progress and research like poking holes in these sorts of things.
I was never in the military and I WAS bullied, but even I caught the context that this is just what the experienced did to the rookies. Hazing is very bonding when all parties understand that no one is above it, and taking the time out to explain the point of it is like explaining a joke, it makes it more clear but ruins the experience. It's just something one has to naturally adapt to if they want to get the full experience. The Wonderbolts didn't intentionally put rainbow down and no one can control when someone else's feelings get hurt. I can't account for other people's experiences, but the message was very obvious to me. Didn't really care for the episode as a whole, but I definitely understood what the Wonderbolts were doing.
I hated this episode, but my friend, whose in the Army, really liked this episode. After we watched it, we talked it over and I think this best explains why we feel what we feel. In the military, they break you down, BUT they then build you back up, stronger then ever. However, when it comes to bullying, they break you down till your nothing but an empty shell. You don't get that build back up thing going on unless you happened to come in contact with the right people later on. That's how it was for me. Its interesting how an episode of MLP could cause me and my friend to really look at ourselves and see what makes us who we are. Also gave us more insight into each other as well.
Why is Dusty a flying drill instructor? He doesn't have wings! I'm just saying...shouldn't he be...uh...I got nothing. He does look good in the hat though!
Also even thou Rainbow is one of my least likeable characters I have to admit if someone calls me Andy I tend to react very badly to it....it's like Doug Walker's reaction to Doug's theme song times 10.
I was called Ponyboy at my first semester of university. This episode is one of my least favorite, not as cringey as Brotherhooves Special imo but it’s up there.
Nice work with this After the Fact to follow up the live version you did with Illustrious Q and Firebrand a couple years ago, Silver Quill. Keep up the hard work.
this episode hurt me a lot, it was so cringy i haf to stop watching for a few hours and when i went back i muted the volume to avoid screaming. it made me cry when it hit way to close to home, and i wish the writer put more thought into it
The problem with the “militaristic humor” in the Wonderbolts is that it has no reason to be there. If you watched the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, the jokes the soldiers make are, in our civilian society, considered racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, morbid, and dark. However they make those jokes because the environment they’re working in is one of the most stressful work environments ever. They need to have a good sense of humor, and harsh nicknames are par for the course over there. In this episode, it seems the writer was trying to emulate that culture in this show but the Wonderbolts don’t really work in a stressful environment. They don’t have to worry about suicide bombers, snipers, or guerrilla attacks. So this humor really does come across as bullying and harassment. This whole situation could’ve been resolved with a simple ten minute conversation about how the other WBs got their nicknames. But then again, we wouldn’t have an episode if that was the case.
10:37-12:20 Dustycat, I feel the same I was made fun of in my elementary school years for being a tattletale and a cry baby. So I know how you feel 18:21-18:35 *FOR SCIENCE!* YES! KILL HIM SILVER! GET REVENGE FOE RARITY! (*Gets some dissection tools*) AND ILL HELP WITH IT TO!
the thing that bothered me is that none of the ones that used the nickname noticed right after they called her that,she messes up, i mean what the hell you've got to notice one of the ponies that was named BEST FLIER IN EQUSTRIA is suddenly acting like she never flew after saying the nickname
The fact that something is a tradition doesn't mean it's right. How about ritual human sacrifices? It's a tradition after all.
Marta Tarasiuk Or forcing eight year old girls to marry adult men in their thirties because "tradition".
Exactly.
MLP should do an episode about that
Gol D. Luffy About human sacrifice or paedophilia? I don't think either belongs in a kids show.
actually they just converted to Paparazzi, have you watched TMZ?
scratch that don't watch TMZ
I don't mind that Rainbow was 'handed the position,' since she was already in the Reserves and had flown with them before. But you don't hand a newbie a routine that you've all had week to rehearse and say 'you've got two days.'
But she wasnt handed the position they even stated this she was at the top of the reserve list.
True.
Connor Thompson but you forget.....THIS IS R.A.I.N.B.O.W. D.A.S.H! SHE COULD LEARN IT NO TIME FAST (if the episode wasn't constrained by time.)
Well.... it would stand to reason that the reservists were also familiar with the routine due to the nature of BEING a reservist ya should be capable of filling a position at any time. The thing they would need to learn would be flying in formation with the members of the Wonderbolts. They are still a team and would need to practice coordinating with each other and familiarizing with each persons voice, ques and presence. There may also be a few maneuvers that were more show specific and not on the normal practice schedule.
it can be looked at like this. A QB transfers to a different team. The QB knows how to play and the new team knows how. The thing they need to know is how to play together. You could argue the QB would need to learn the new teams plays but a good player already knows the patterns any way. Most teams run basic similar plays. The determining factor is timing in calling the play and mostly how well the team does it together. So in all the new QB just needs to familiarize with the people he is working with and subtle style difference of each person.
Connor Thompson I wholeheartedly agree. Before I join the Navy in 2008 I was in my high school's njrotc unit. I was also the captain of our Color Guard drill team my senior year. I remember having to make on the Fly roster rearrangements sometimes even the day of the drill competition
“You okay Rainbow Dash?”
“More Like Rainbow Crash!”
More like “belongs in the trash!” Ha Ha Ha Ha!
HAHA SPONGEBOB REFERENCE
Will never read that in any other voice than it was originally spoken
*(my editor snaps her fingers and points off screen)* Corner. Now.
A backward flying animation, wing-up animation, _and_ idle flying animation?
Silver, who did you sell your soul to?
Alma Saon Patreon
did Silver quill sell his soul to discord
Well, Discord would probably want Sliver's soul for a plaything, but Silver would only willingly give his soul to Luna, so... ~shrug~
(I personally vote for me, though. Or Cthulhu. Such a cute sea demon~)
+Dial 666 wait we can't roast him can we or discord
+Silver Clode I'm really sorry, but I can't parse what you're getting at.
Are you saying we can neither roast him nor Discord? Or are you trying to say something else?
*Sees Silver Quill notification.*
*Drops literally everything.*
Also, a HISHE reference!! And A Fiddler on the Roof reference!! I was in that play!!
I love the hishe reference because I watch that channel as well as this one.
You need to control your drinking game, Silver
Nathan DeWitt only when he becomes a Alicorn will he get the control of his drinking..
ALICORN!!! ha ha ha, to control his drinking he need to at least become a god
MasterMX745 nah he'll just get an Alicorn liver and then somehow still find a way to blackout drunk
Dude, not even Dionysis can handle Silver's drinking games, and he's literally the Greek God of wine.
@@benjaminklaassen4722 What about Billious, the Oh-God of Hangovers?
Well, while RD is a bit cocky, she is actually right. The problem before with her joining the Wonderbolts wasn't her physical prowess, since she is by far the fastest pony in equestria. Performing the Sonic Rainboom, as far as we know, was a solely speed-based accomplishment, meaning that anyone else could in theory recreate it. But they haven't, since it's considered impossible. Since RD can, it would make her faster than the other wonderbolts
Can we just appreciate the rising quality of Silver Quill's videos? It really makes me happy
Agnesaugusta yeah, its come a long way
Hello from five years in the future.
To be fair there's a lot of grown adults that need to be taught to look both ways before crossing the street. Start driving in any country and you'll see what I mean.
"Listen up cadets! 'Cuz we're only going to do this once."
Welp. There go my plans to smash the replay button.
Brick Brony
Use the Power of Time and turn that clock back!
1:02 it's like how alot of babies can only crawl backwards at first lol
10:54 I’m a civilian who knows little about military life. But i feel that if, for those who have served, this seems “par for the course” while to everybody else it seems like bullying..
Does that not imply bullying has been normalized in the military?
Of course it has. They just relabeled it 'tradition' so you're not allowed to criticize it.
Ah I remember when my teacher laughed at me alongside the class. I feel Rainbow's pain.
PINKIE POOL FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!
I'm PinkiePool Bitch
Yes, just yes
Vivesection. Dissection is for things that are dead. Blueblood is clearly alive. So that was attempted vivisection. Much worse.
You're assuming he wasn't going to commit murder first.
Realized he has "blood" in his name
Eh, it IS Prince Blueblood he's trying to vivisect, so it's not like anyone's gonna miss him.
I understand that there are many bronies in the military, but I simply couldn't care less about the parallels between the military and the wonderbolts as this is ultimately a cartoon aimed towards children. And as a cartoon for children, I can't stress enough how important it is to teach lessons that aren't potentially toxic to developing minds.
I spend so much time blaming myself for the bullying I received. The teachers who were supposed to help me either didn't pay attention or told me to "just ignore it" as if that's gonna magically make the problem go away. They didn't say it directly, but were still heavily implying that I needed to suck it up or that it was my fault for being hurt. The pain I endured has become the source of many of my insecurities but nobody cared. So watching Newbie Dash felt like a gigantic slap in the face. I felt like I was being told all over again that my feelings didn't matter.
Another thing is that just because everyone else has a name doesn't automatically make it okay. That's like saying you aren't racist because you have a black friend.
What right do the 'Bolts have to use the name-calling tactic on RD when she's done far more for Equestria in the last couple of years than the 'Bolts have in their entire existence
Yeah, while I agree that it was kinda sudden, I didn’t need a military person explain it. Especially not the explanation that josh gave, I’d have thought that was obvious. So she was definitely ready, but yeah, they could’ve handled the reveal better.
My only issue is that you'd think the pony leaving would have given enough notice that their replacement wouldn't be offered the position two days before an event. Unless there were some extenuating circumstances that caused them to retire on such short notice, which I guess there could have been? It's not like it would be any of Dash's business anyway.
I'm not either or American but I've been told by friends who were or had family in the NZDF that the commanders and trainers have too be frank, honest or upfront with recruits... more then one DI has ended up in traction!
Having been through military service myself, the name calling honestly did nothing but increase my aggressiveness towards my superiors and the people around me. This might be because I've been bullied in my childhood, so I associated this sort of treatment with bullying rather than trying to build up group mentality.
Not sure why getting into the Wonderbolts is that hard. Thunderlane got in with not much effort by the looks of it.
SLICER THE HOMOCIDE
I'm guessing it's the other requirements. Maybe it's based on connections or displaying enough skill to be a part. That and passing something like the SATs. And considering RD is a flight school dropout, that probably meant she had to work harder. Hell, the only reason I'm not in Annapolis is because I have a hairline crack on one of my shins.
I suspect nepotism
THANK YOU for bringing the Nickname problem to light!
Seriously, as someone with low self-esteem (and being easily pissed off when I'm depressed does *not* help this) if I did one stupid mess up on day _one_ I would NOT want to continue being around people like that. Casual thing or not.
I mean, Rainbow wasn't around those other members for a _day_ and didn't see anything she could actually do.
Okay, one day, sure, fine, nickname, whatever.
But say it, over and over, when it's clear she doesn't like it, and effects her in a negative way?!
Seriously. Not COOL, WonderBolts!
There's one thing this episode made me realise and it's that I'm not cut out to be in the army. The idea of "break them down so you can build them up" doesn't work on me as I'm much more a person who needs validation that I'm doing a good job otherwise my low self esteem comes into play and wrecks my emotions further.
That said, this episode was just kinda "meh" for me, since I don't really like the implication that because the nicknames are a tradition Rainbow Dash should just roll over and play along. Also the fact that this wouldn't even be an episode if either the Wonderbolts or Rainbow Dash would have just communicated properly.
However this episode doesn't bother me as much as 28 pranks later does. That one irks me a lot more in the writing department. Newbie Dash was just kinda lack luster to me.
both are bad, just degrees
I agree. Both with your analysis and the first part. I can't handle the "break them down to build them up" philosophy either. It's one of the reasons I couldn't be a part of my school's Color Guard. One of their rules was "no crying", which is really stupid, and I am an avid cryer. It's how I handle things because after I let out the sadness, overwhelmingness, and anxiety, I'm ready to be a part. But NOOO, apparently I'm not allowed!
@@skyesnowfeather2427 I might be really late to the party, but I’ll say it anyway. The idea behind the whole build em up and break them down thing is to teach soldiers to keep their emotions in check and their heads together in an intense situation.
3:52 This reminds me of something...
"...Rabbits. ...I HATE rabbits. ...If there's one thing I hate more than a rabbit. ...It's TWO rabbits."
*(plays Avengers clip of Captain America)*
Cap: I understood that reference.
Don't worry, I did too.
This episode is frustrating. It could have all been resolved if Rainbow Dash had expressed dislike for the name directly to the wonderbolts and then they would have explained what the name meant. That the name wasn't malicious but instead endearing. The moral of the episode should be be direct about your concerns with your superiors rather than jumping to conclusions. But this moral isn't clear. Adults don't understand this. How can we expect children to understand? This episode would have benefited from a return of the letters to Celestia or the diary entrees to have the moral spelled out because it is not clear here. The lack of clarity results in individuals thinking they should just tolerate bullying and that is a terrible lesson to send to children and by extension adults.
As a former bullied kid, I agree.
I was bullied in my first elementary since I'm very emotional and sensitive coaches made me cry to tuff me up but never work and made it worse then a teacher accuse me for stealing money instead of calming me down she just yell at me and made me feel unsecured so my parents saw what's going on in school and move to another school and home
wwaai WAAAAAAAAA dont cry B dont cryyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I love this episode. I was bullied and there was a palpable difference between the truly mean-spirited insults I got, and the good-natured ribbing that Dash got. They key here is that while the Wonderbolts pressed the "Crash" nickname, they did so in combination with encouragement and praise.
"Hey, Crash, I know it was a tough day today, but don't worry. You'll get the hang of it."
"Now it's official. Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Crash!"
These aren't things bullies would say. The Wonderbolts had no way of knowing the history Dash had with that nickname. They thought they'd come up with it, that it was a Wonderbolt thing. And while the Bolts could've explained the tradition, it was an easy one to miss. Maybe each Bolt thought somepony else had already explained it, maybe they thought it was self-explanatory.
There was a pinch of poor communication in this episode, but not horrendous. The morals were about not assuming the worst of your friends/teammates, and about learning that in a team your own ego has to take a backseat.
As for accusation that this was a "season 1" episode, I can't agree with that either. Dash let her bruised ego get the best of her, but character development doesn't mean that every flaw is eliminated forever, never to resurface (see Fluttershy in Fame and Misfortune). Dash is a work in progress, but she did way better than her S1 self ever could've. As for the rest of the Mane 6, they were just... themselves. I don't really see anything wrong there.
I'm late to this, but I want to throw in my two cents, particularly about Silver Quill's assumption that Misty Fly is the lowest rank based on her attitude.
As an ex-military-brony myself (the ex belonging to the "military" part, specifically the Navy, not the "brony" part) I've had my share of problems from fellow low-rank sailors, but I found the situation actually got worse with the higher ranks, rather than better. One officer I worked for routinely told us to go shoot ourselves if we didn't like how he treated us, and he also repeatedly claimed he "had dirt" on all of us and threatened to blackmail us if we ever complained to anyone about him. Another officer screamed like a toddler because his office floor had the wrong colored speckles in it. A chief of mine witnessed and documented several instances of hazing and sexual harassment directed towards my friends and I in my berthing, but turned a blind eye to it. And when I asked her for help seeking out a therapist to cope with that ongoing abuse, she accused me of lying about it because she "knows how women think" and according to her, I cried too much to actually be a victim. These are just some of MY stories; based on what I've heard from others, I had it easy. Higher ranks are often told that they're held to a higher standard than the rest of us, which is a quote that they then use to justify their actions, but from what I've seen, they're actually not that much better. It's why I left.
I'm aware that I only experienced a small, rotten fraction of the Navy, and a majority of the Navy (and I'm assuming the other branches, too) isn't as dishonorable or corrupt as the portion I lived through. The point of all this is: if someone told me that Misty Fly was second-in-command of the Wonderbolts, yet still had that attitude towards newbies, I'd believe it.
22:45 Team Silver Quill is blasting off again!!!
I, my self had a vary ruff time with being bullied. It got so bad I lost some emotions for about 15 years. I did get therapy, but he made it worst. I only started regaining my emotions after the fan animation "Lullaby for a Princess" broke though.
It was far from the first tear jerkier I saw in though 15 years. But others I have seen in that time that I felt nothing over include, but not limited to; The note book, The Iron giant, were the red fern grows, Bambi, Armageddon, toy story 3, and many more.
And after I cried at Lullaby for a Princess I began to cry at everything. The show and fandom is a constant reminder of what I now have that I went years with out. I also don't have a full handle on having full emotions yet.
“Listen up, cause we’re only going to do this once.”
Rewatching cause this is an absolutely great review. One of the best, and does Silver have a more polished flight animation? Sweet!
Yaaaaay!! Finally get to see my boys together!
My perspective on Newbie Dash is a wee bit different. While I grew up in a military family, I am not military myself. And while there was abuse in my past, I can't really say I've experienced much peer bullying in my life. Rather I see this episode as an error in communication. Yes, the Wonderbolts should have been more upfront that the names were not meant in malice. But Rainbow Dash also did not communicate how the nickname was hurting her.
I give people nicknames all the time, usually as terms of affection and often I don't ask permission before doing so. Now if the name I gave them somehow was linked to childhood trauma, I'm not going to know unless they pipe up about it. What I meant as a term of endearment or playful ribbing might end up being perceived as bullying without my knowledge. On that level, I can see where the Wonderbolts are coming from.
On the other side of the coin, when I am being picked on by authority figures, I usually keep it to myself. If I do find the courage to bring it up, I'm almost always met with "Why didn't you bring it up sooner?" And usually whatever answer I gave wasn't going to be good enough. Standing up to those "above" you can seem both intimidating and futile. So I can see where Rainbow is coming from too.
I feel that's why I can appreciate this episode. I see it as stupid mistakes and miscommunications on both ends. Well.. except when Dash imitated her friends... can't really appreciate that so much.
Hey, I wasn't in the service either (and my health wouldn't let me join the RNZAF) but I was told by those in it or friends/family that clear and honest communications are vital and if a commander sees something odd that must look into it. Am I right? Then we're different, a guy I knew may or may not have beaten a Warrant Officer half too death.
I've experienced both sides of nicknaming for humor and bullying. There's a HUGE difference.
Bullying is relentless and is always mean spirited. Nicknaming and joking can be there constantly, but the tone is only rarely mean.
BTW: Nicknames I've gotten since I changed jobs last year have been: "Minuteman.", "Kung Fu Duck/Master Duck/Shaolin Ducky", "Tibetan Monk", and "Honey Badger". The first three, I don't mind at all, because it's obvious the guy who gave them to me is joking around at how I can be silly and joke around at times, or how I can say something ridiculous with a straight face without realizing it, or just the fact that I wore a fuzzy warm hat for a couple days to keep warm while I had a cold.
Also, yeah. I agree with communication being a major problem in Newbie Dash. Had Rainbow brought up the problem, the nickname speech would have come MUCH earlier.
But... 23 minutes and a mandatory lesson cause problems in the long run.
Well said, context is everything!
Yeeeeeeeeeey!
It's finally here!
Dusty's a ball as always.
I really like Pinkie-Pool too. GJ!
Like, I think, a lot of people, I have... mixed feelings about this episode. I really like the set-up - I like Rainbow becoming a Wonderbolt at the beginning of an episode instead of the end, because while it's unexpected, it emphasizes that this isn't an end so much as a new beginning, and that life doesn't just become all sunshine and rainbows (as it were) the moment one achieves their dream. I also like Rainbow struggling with suddenly being noticeably worse than her peers; this kind of story is one of the best you can give such an ego-driven character.
That said, it does kinda fall apart for me after the first third. I don't necessarily have a problem with the Wonderbolts calling Rainbow names - they, for the most part, at least, think they're helping her feel more comfortable by demonstrating a sense of camaraderie, but they're so used to their own nicknames that they forget that a newcomer might not get it, which is a very real, relatable mistake to make. THE PROBLEM is that they never learn their lesson; the writers are going for a moral about how no one is the best at anything on their first day, which is a good moral, but it comes at the expense of really resolving the teasing conflict, and so that ends up being a major distraction that makes the Wonderbolts look like idiots at best and assholes at worst without so much as an apology. Plus, the bit in the middle with Rainbow imitating her friends was REALLY cringe.
But, at the very least, this episode does open a lot of interesting discussions about bullying, hazing, and the line between friendly ribbing and hurtful mockery. Sure, the episode itself doesn't seem to have much to say on the subject, but it presented it with a degree of honesty, that while uncomfortable at times, makes the whole thing relatable and even somewhat compelling. The emotional core of the episode holds, even when the stuff around it is pretty flimsy.
tl;dr I like the idea of the episode more than I like the episode itself, but the idea is strong enough to carry it for me.
Sean Murphy The show overall has an issue with properly addressing bullying. I've seen this plenty of times and it has annoyed me a lot.
Ikajo So True. I mean look at one bad apple.
Luke Lichtenthal YES! That episode made me sooooo angry.
I am SOOOOOOO glad the Spike suitcase thing was brought up. Honestly? That disgusted me more than anything else in this episode. Spike was reduced to a non existent joke, they treated him like a prop for a joke that wouldn't be funny no matter who was put in the suitcase. The fact none of his friends noticed him is the biggest disgrace to the name "friendship is magic." NO ONE noticed him being slammed into a suitcase, SERIOUSLY?!? That kind of indifference to someone's existence is perfect breeding ground for complexes and depression. That joke alone was almost as degrading as "Princess Spike"....almost.
12:45 *TRADITIO-O-ON,* TRADITION!
TRADITION!
(This part cracked me up so much that I interrupted watching the rest of the review just to repeat this part. Nice move, Silver!
Dustykatt, at 11:00 your story hits so close to home. What alot of people of don't realize is that there's a fine line between good humour and hazing. Unfortunately, too many of my fellow military brothers and sisters don't seem to understand this anymore.
Honestly, because of how mean and incompetent the wonderbolts had been in the past, I never felt that they behaved like a typical military force in this episode and more like a bunch unprofessional dummies like they usually do. The ending provided some much needed context, but that didn't come until after the episode left a bad taste in my mouth. Like maybe we see Spitfire scolded Misty and say something like "Hey, go easy on her. It's my job to make it hard." or something that.
Incidentally, that context made Top Bolt, another wonderbolt episode, much better because we know how Spitfire was meant to act. I remember when she raised her voice at the recruits, then smiled after they left. I loved that moment. It worked there, but not here, because this episode just felt mean spirited.
I guess she thought 'Clipper' was more of an endearing nickname, since it wasn't fully explained. She may have dealt with it better other times, but yes, You may be right that she didn't want that kind of stigma from her new team.
Likey because of the original usage of that name.
Clipper was the name given to the fastest sailing ship in the middle 19th century. (Look it up, it's kinda fascinating)
9:05 Ed: Hi, Kevin!
No, seriously, that's Kevin from Ed Edd n Eddy's VA, Kathleen Barr.
I'm going to present my thoughts on this episode in three parts. First I will look at my own interpretation of the episode as presented, then I will look at its unintended moral (and spotting morals is kind of a big thing in this show), and finally I will look at the response of military bronies to this episode.
Now, I am not a serving member of the armed forces, nor a veteran, but I do know more than most civilians because it is a career path I intend to take in the near future. I perform extensive research and I regularly speak to serving members. I say this not to boast, or to claim some kind of authority to my information, but to explain how I know it and my personal background for it. I should also clarify that most (not all, but most) of my military awareness is *not* from the USA, because I am not from the USA.
Disclaimer done, let's proceed.
First, my first thought when I saw this episode, and one that has not changed, is that the intent of these nicknames is an attempt at giving the Wonderbolts call signs.
These are common practice among military pilots. Many call signs also serve as a tongue-in-cheek reference to something in the pilot's past, or their name (Top Gun's 'Sobs', for example). However, a key element of call signs as I understand them is that the pilot is in on the joke. Rainbow wasn't in on the joke here, and it surprised me she didn't even know what call signs were since she had flown with the reserves for a while and had been a lifelong fan. Then, after the contrivance to stick her with 'Crash', all she has to do is ask Spitfire to talk to her alone for a second and explain *exactly* why 'Crash' is a bad for for her nickname - a call sign that is associated with emotional abuse by the one to whom it is applied is not a good choice. While complaining about one's call sign tends to make it stick, they are not meant to be actively hurtful. If Rainbow had just spoken up about the issue, the plot would be over - they'd stick her with a different (but still gentle-ribbing) nickname and all would be well. The first time I saw this episode I was absolutely sure that this was the resolution they were going to end on - Rainbow, after the quote-unquote 'comedy' hijinks are over, actually explains the problem and the other Wonderbolts immediately realise where the solution lies.
But the writer didn't have the skill to create a better conflict for the plot, so this one appears contrived and falls flat while requiring everyone present to ignore the obvious problem, the obvious solution, or both.
(See wikipedia article here - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviator_call_sign - for more information on call signs.)
Then there's the unintentional message of the piece - that bullying is something you should just put up with if you want to be part of a group.
And that's *wrong,* dammit! Ignoring bullying is *never* the right idea. I thought we learned that in the 90s, people, what are we playing at here?!
While those among us who share a military background have their own spin on things, this show is ultimately aimed at young girls (at a guess, between the ages of 4 and 8). They aren't going to be immersing themselves in military culture any time soon, they're not going to get call signs - their first exposure to name-calling is going to be as children, being called names by other children, which is the single most common method of bullying in schools.
And along comes this episode, where the conflict is resolved by Rainbow deciding that, no matter how hurtful the nickname has been for her, no matter how she feels about it, she's just got to put up with it because it's part and parcel of being a Wonderbolt.
Replace 'a Wonderbolt' with 'on the sports team', or 'in the group [of friends]'... Suddenly that seems like a very toxic message to me.
Which leads me nicely to my third point.
Many of the more military bronies out there have spoken of the way this feels familiar to them. And, as someone who will attend HMAS Creswell and serve as an officer, I have to say...
That has me *worried.*
I have spoken with both officers and non-commissioned personnel in two navies and three other branches of service across three nations about this, and they *all* agreed with my first reaction: if there is a culture of bullying or name-calling in your unit, that unit is ill-disciplined and displaying bad conduct. The appropriate response is to raise the issue with your non-commissioned officer and possibly your CO, and if they brush off the issue then it needs to be sent up the chain of command until someone does take action.
A military unit runs on many things, but one of them is trust. If the members of a unit don't trust each other, if they shoot barbs at each other and mock perceived failings, then the unit has destroyed its own morale and cohesion. When called upon to work together, those personnel will fall apart. There is a reason most militaries actively prohibit hazing among new recruits these days.
Military personnel have to work together in close quarters for extended periods of time. If they all hate each other, or if all of them gang up on one particular soldier/sailor/airman/marine, then they're not going to work together very well, now are they?
Bullying and harassment don't 'toughen' people, they break them. They have no place in an institution like a nation's military.
Not one of the military bronies I have seen discussing this episode mentioned aviator call signs anywhere. To them, this name-calling was hazing or was just a standard part of military life.
All of them were from the United States armed forces.
Draw what conclusions you will.
This was a catastrophic mismanagement of the concept of a call sign with plot holes I could drive an airship through, it gives a downright dangerous message to the show's target demographic because it was aimed at the wrong group, and its most stalwart defenders appear, from my perspective, to be repeatedly and thoroughly missing the point so badly they score an own goal.
...Yeah, this episode sucks.
due you earned a slow clap form me. You got my entire issue. A teasing nickname, fine it happens every where. But the issue here is the history of the nickname. For Dash crash has rather negative history for her.
Spitfire havign seen Dash perform before and seeing that somethign is really affecting her teams newest member should have talked one on one in private with her on what was going on then she learns the history of the that nickname. so drop it and use another. I am sure Dash will provide a new one in time.
Very nice video! I agree with you two, it was kind of hard watching the second part of this episode cause it was not only uncomfortable but also pulled at some personal memories myself.
Knowing how Dustykatt looks in real life its hard to imagine he was bullied but i can agree with him since i've had a hard time with bullying for a long time
Finally someone else who didn't enjoy this episode because of the bullying part.
*Why is Dusty Kat an EARTH PONY teaching someone how to FLY.*
14:15 You'd think the Writers would have a board in their workplace, with notes reminding them where they are and what to continue from.
06:26 Thank you for saying that, this is exactly what makes that scene so sad and disturbing.
... for a moment I didn't recognize Dustykatt's voice. It somehow sounds way different into a mic, than it does when he's filmed home-video style.
12:47 is weird to watch now considering my senior show was Fiddler on the Roof last year
Bet his nickname would be either "horsefeathers" or "chatty Cathy" ;)
Rainbow Dash's face is all like "what in the name of Celestia?" at 1:53
don't worry Silver, i think we all espect you to now do after the fact video's on whatever episode you want
Excellent point about the presentation of life after achieving your dream. It's not something we see often in fiction, and there's lots of material that's untapped there.
That's actually why I got into the baseball anime "Major" for a while. It's a long one that starts with the protag as a preschooler and follows his life as he pursues his goal to become a professional pitcher. It doesn't just stop when he hits the majors though, instead letting the viewer get a sense of how much he has to adjust to if he's going to have a career, let alone become a great. Again, it's a long one, but it opened my eyes to what lesser-plumbed arcs can be accessed when you focus more on the characters than the genre tropes.
FINALLY!!!! your back one your :after the fact" videos on episodes Silver! :D
Phenomenal work as usual Silver! Can't wait to see "What about Discord?"! Btw, I talked to you at Everfree NW 2018, this is James :) the guy who's shirt you scanned. It was a real pleasure to interact with you as usual!
The nickname thing I feel was very hurtful...in that it brought back fillyhood memories for Dash and she felt she was being bullied again...
I can relate to this a lot as I was bullied a lot in school and I get super defensive these days when I feel I’m being bullied...even when it’s not intended to be hurtful
MarissaFlynn527 I was also bullied in school. For eight years... changing schools didn't make a difference. I hated this episode. Especially since it is aimed at children. If it is something I react to it is bullying. I've held the role as an educator with the responsibility to make the students feel safe. Sure, I'm way more sensitive when it comes to this subject but has aided me when working. It gave me the ability to see problems much earlier on than the other teachers.
Besides, having a thick skin doesn't mean you can't hurt when someone shots at you.
Same... I was always the outcast, and people mocked me, belittled me... It's gotten to the point where I close my emotions off when someone's mad just so I don't start crying.
I hate this episode because of what it inadvertently tells little kids, and some reviews (Josh's particularly) remind me why I NEVER wanna join the military.
This episode of rainbow was really hard to watch. It was cruel to the main cast and to the wonderbolts as well. Because Soarin would never have picked on her after Rainbow was loyal to him after he was in the hospital during the pony games. And Spitfire would have trained Dash Perfectly I. The first place at the academy.
I wonder if there are any writers or animators watching these types of things during quarantine. I kind of wish they'd write a different story for Dash and the others.
Hm..when apple bloom got struck by lightning or electricity it showed an apple with her body maybe that means she was born earth pony magic like Rainbow with a Cloud was born with Pegasus magic this kinda reminds me when Teric took magic from other ponies and they became so powerless maybe that is because what we saw with apple bloom and rainbow was the source of their magic idk what Unicorns have but I’m assuming it has to do something with a spark design or something but that’s what I’m thinking is the source of their magic
On the point of Rainbow having learned the runway safety lesson during basic training, I don't doubt it. But it is worth remembering, this is her first day as a full Wonderbolt. Excitement and nerves can mess with you. When I got made a Security Supervisor at my old job, and got my first shift back out on the floor after just 1 week in the office doing paperwork, I'd mess up things I learned on day one, just because I now felt there was more pressure on me, so my habitual memory didn't kick in (Often referred to as the Centipede Effect, where things that are normally done unconsciously become much harder when you concentrate on them)
THANK GOD! I was so worried you would have liked the writing. Dusty's idea was much better.
I was never in the military nor have family in it and I was more of the kid that no one ever cared to talk to, only for group assignments and I loved this episode and I guess mostly because of a game that I played a lot, Ace Combat Zero and also watched let's plays of the other Ace Combat games. (In one of the games there's a character whose nickname is because he talks too much, Chopper, and there was a scene of teammates teasing one of them for taking too long to propose to his girlfriend in another game)
I'm glad Dusty Katt talked about his short-lived basketball days; one thing I'm personally getting tired of is everybody comparing this episode to military life. I have the utmost respect for the military (several of my relatives were in it), but when people use this as the only application to episodes like this, they're neglecting other areas where talks like this could be useful, like the NBA, the NFL, or anything else that would require a strong team. This was the first thing that popped into my head when I first watched this episode.
Yay! You uploaded! I enjoy your content, Mr. Quill!
In all honestly though being former military specifically air force hazing has been trying to be taken out of the military lifestyle for new recruits it still happens but they are trying to take it out
6:30 Yay, someone else remembers Eek the Cat!
And I admit, I got a kick out of RD's Applejack impression as a nice bit meta-humor.
Eh, just do the whole game right now with this video.
3:29 - CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!
3:51 - [deceased]
0:20 Boy, a Hippogryph on a Applejack Daniels bender can sure do some crazy things.
- Meanwhile on a boat headed for Greece -
Barney: "Oh no! Not again! *Belch!*"
Oh boy, this episode, this episode. This is going to be fun.
First and foremost this is my least favorite episode of the series and I can find in nearly everything at least something enjoyable.
One of my biggest gripes with this episode is that no one, absolutely no one knows how to talk. Rainbow could defuse the situation by simply stating her problem with the nickname, ok it is Rainbow so we know that is not going to happen. Still, the problem could be resolved by Rainbow. But if we come to Spitfire, oh boy, she does not explain the tradition when it comes up and when she explains it she chooses the dumbest example, Clipper, even if she has a nickname like Slowpoke, which cannot be screwed into something positive. But no that would mean Spitfire has to be competent, something she has never shown to possess.
Problem number two, continuity. This episode wants to show us that this namecalling in the Wonderbolts is something that helps the team, ok fine on its own I can tolerate that if you bring the portrait of the Wonderbolts through the series into this that falls apart.
How were the Wonderbolts portrayed in the show until now? Bad, that’s how and especially Spitfire.
First “Wonderbolt Academy”, Spitfire is unable to recognize the complete lack of the ability to work as a team of one of her students and a student has to spell it out for her. So if Rainbow hadn’t intervened she would have probably become a Wonderbolt at some point, being part of a team that needs to work together. It seems that ponies with these tendencies could have high chances to become Wonderbolts, but could be an isolated incident.
Second Example “Rainbow Falls”, where Spitfire gets one of her teammates to play injured so she has a better chance at winning. Great teamwork there Spitfire, you are a great leader. So again it seems that ponies with these characteristics seem to appear in the Wonderbolts.
And third example “Rarity Investigates”, was with not much evidence, they immediately turn on Rainbow with so much emotion that it is ludicrous. No problem taking her out of the show is ok, but not the way they did it. Great trust in your teammate there Wonderbolts. And the one responsible, an old Wonderbolt that didn’t want his record broken. That makes three, three Wonderbolts that show this kind of traits, out of three generations of Wonderbolts. Yeah, I think I can say that the Wonderbolts are a horrible team and it is nothing new.
And now to the namecalling, yeah with how the Wonderbolts were portrayed up until now, I can not buy that this is something that benefits the team. By the way, Spitfire not noticing that Rainbow is acting wired shows just how great she is as a leader.
Now to the impersonation part, it is awful, annoying, overstays its welcome and just is not funny.
All in all, I would give this episode a 2/10, at least when it comes to me “objectively” locking at it. If I look at it from enjoyment value 1/10 and that only because of the stuff that comes before the trashcan scene.
TL;DR: I hate this episode!
Nice review! You and Dusty work well together. :-)
Loved the Super Hero Cafe reference.
Note to all i’m using Siri to write this so please bear with me on the grammar errors that she provides while I’m driving home from work listening to this
This was a hodgepodge of explanation for us. I will immense I too hated this episode a lot because I too was hazed a lot and abused in my former workplace as a wrangler which my phone my boss was from the army originally and he just forgot that seven young women who work as wranglers are not of the military so in the way it was in sufferable for me to watch the second half because of the cringing and all the mistakes that had actually happened but seeing all this going on and having a better understanding within two years after the release of this I suddenly have a better understanding especially after when I watch the season seven episode “flutter shy leans in” especially when I comes to my career is a wrangler. So thank you gentlemen for presenting this review I give you my two thumbs up and now how am I ever going to live up to my own review of newbie dash- after this LOL. Well done guys
For the love of god please work on your grammar.
Kyubbiman i’m sorry that my grammar has offended you but I was talking by Siri since I’m currently driving while listening to this episode so instead of crashing into the next person and possibly kill someone for just looking down to make sure things were correct instead of me doing the same thing by editing that later after I got home after a hard days work since 5 AM.
For the love of god, please read the first sentence of the post.
He has a flight animation!
And his rump no longer abducts him.
Unless it's because of Horatio going in reverse.
You both did an amazing job on the review. Hopefully I will see you both again sometime next year.
Awesome review.
cool After the Fact ep.
FINALLY A NEW VIDEO
now just wait a year
AwesomeQuill is here again! Great review!!
I feel I am in the middle here when it comes to this episode. I grew up in a Military family so I got that the teasing here was not meant to be hurtful. However, I was also a victim of bullying. Here's the major difference between bullying and teasing though: intentions. Wonderbolts I feel never intended to be hurtful to RD. Bullies intentionally hurt though. Plus, RD was ultimately the cause of her get that kind of attention. When I was bullied as a kid, overall my behavior wasn't just cause for all the cruelty I received from others. While this episode is the middle of the road for me, it is the only episode to get me to laugh out of my chair literally with that Raridash scene because all I could thing of was the shipping fuel that part generated lol.
I agree with you that the difference between bullying and teasing/hazing is intentions, and that RD's mockery was fully deserved.
I have no military background, yet I come from the side that sees the insults Rainbow faced as normative of being part of an exclusive group. Were some of the things the Wonderbolts said harsh and demeaning? Sure. Were they taken as harsher than intended because of past experiences? Absolutely. Were the Wonderbolts wrong for mocking RD? Well, let me give an answer longer than yes or no.
Rainbow joined a tight-knit group with its own micro-culture, and like many small groups, the members have nicknames that may or may not have originally derogatory based on their mistakes or odd characteristics. Kind of like in Holes. But here's the point: if Rainbow Dash, an adult who joined the military, can't handle being mocked for a mistake, she has no place in the military. She either needs to show she means business and actually get better, or leave.
Hypothetical convos:
_Oh, but the empty platitude of 'brush it off' doesn't really work. You need to talk to people and let them know your feelings have been hurt._
Oh, give me a break. Maybe that works for a normal group you're already part of, and even then it'd just need to be something like "hey, that wasn't cool." But if you're part of an elite group where it's the norm to call each other names, and you're offended by names, you're not cut out for it.
_But the Wonderbolts should have explained that namecalling is what they do; they don't mean anything by it._
RD couldn't figure that out on her own? I mean, RD isn't the most socially apt, but she's an indomitable spirit, not a snowflake. Besides, she's an adult now, not a child needing lessons like "look before cro--" UGH....... Is 'turn mockery into strength' too deep a lesson for MLP at this point? They touched on the solution with RD's statement at the end "Because I'm a Wonderbolt!"
_Have you been a victim of bullying? Do you understand what it's like to be put down all the time?_
Umm, I don't think so, or maybe I have and just don't care. I'm a Christian in an increasingly anti-Christian world; I'm a conservative in an increasingly liberal world; I'm a brony. Needless to say, I and my kind are targeted by all kinds of mean-spirited talk, but I don't let it get to me. But that aside, why would my lack of bully-victimhood negate my "military fan" position when I have no connection to the military? I don't get this "victim" mentality.
My point is, to all who think the Wonderbolts were in the wrong for being harsh, and who criticize RD for not speaking up for herself, this is my message to you. Believing that telling others your "feelings have been hurt" exempts you from mockery is the epitome of entitled self-pridefulness and hinders actual growth. If you make a mistake and get derided for it, grow a backbone, suck it up, brush it off, act your age, and earn the respect you so wish to have.
You know what is ironic is that in S7 with Parental Glideance, RD in the show got 'villainized' there for something she was in the right in since her parents could have easily costed her her job due to their immaturity. It's no wonder why RD was originally cocky, her parents never disciplined her. This is why I am glad characters like Starlight are in the show because she questions authority when it needs to be.
Being a foreigner, I have always wanted to ask this: Is the bullying culture really that popular in America? Things like big kids in school ganging up on the weak "nerds", beating them, taking their money, locking them in the toilet or even more terrible things without anyone batting an eye, or things like when you fall and spill your food all over you, instead of helping the whole school laughs at you, to the bullying in military or other groups, I have seen them being depicted frequently in movies, cartoons and such. Is it really like that in real life in America?
Secret Moon
As a homeschooler in America, I've asked the same question. Sure, it's depicted in movies like it happens all the time, and I hear about it from very vocal victims of bullying, but complaining about bullying in public seems to be a recent phenomenon with the advents of social media and the "victim" mentality. I may have been a bully victim in occasional situations, but I didn't care because I know people are mean sometimes and it's my responsibility to be though and take it. I may not have ever been the victim of violent bullying, but the point remains: the problem is kids are being taught to "be the victim"; the solution is not complaining, but taking it like strong men and women, and boys and girls.
So to answer your question, yes, depicting bullies in media is popular, but I can't say if actual bullying is that prevalent, or if it is, why people complain so much instead of being strong.
Let me put it this way. If this was aimed at an adult audience a subject such as this could be fine. Adults usually understand subtext. However, this is a show aimed at children. Quite young children at that. At that age children don't have the ability to understand subtext. What they see is one of the main characters in the show being ridiculed and bullied. And then see that ridicule and bullying being justified.
Children don't have the same frame of reference as adults do. Very few people try to hurt people intentionally. Even children is not sadistic on purpose. Bullying can come from many things. I have worked as a teacher and seen this first hand. Children can fly at each other for things we as adults would view as insignificant. They are often petty and tend to act out when they have issues at home.
To have a kids show _justify_ name calling is not okay.
I love how Dusty is training Silver Quill even though he's got no wings... makes me wonder how he actually learned how to do anything for the Wonderbolts lol!
I think it's also worth pointing out that even hazing _within_ the military is being looked at as if it's actually healthy, malicious or otherwise, tradition be damned.
Turns out progress and research like poking holes in these sorts of things.
I was never in the military and I WAS bullied, but even I caught the context that this is just what the experienced did to the rookies. Hazing is very bonding when all parties understand that no one is above it, and taking the time out to explain the point of it is like explaining a joke, it makes it more clear but ruins the experience. It's just something one has to naturally adapt to if they want to get the full experience. The Wonderbolts didn't intentionally put rainbow down and no one can control when someone else's feelings get hurt. I can't account for other people's experiences, but the message was very obvious to me. Didn't really care for the episode as a whole, but I definitely understood what the Wonderbolts were doing.
12:46 OH MY GOSH XD XD XD I literally just performed that musical at my school this last weekend. I laughed so hard at this XD
You have the best insights, Silver!
I hated this episode, but my friend, whose in the Army, really liked this episode. After we watched it, we talked it over and I think this best explains why we feel what we feel. In the military, they break you down, BUT they then build you back up, stronger then ever. However, when it comes to bullying, they break you down till your nothing but an empty shell. You don't get that build back up thing going on unless you happened to come in contact with the right people later on. That's how it was for me. Its interesting how an episode of MLP could cause me and my friend to really look at ourselves and see what makes us who we are. Also gave us more insight into each other as well.
Why is Dusty a flying drill instructor? He doesn't have wings! I'm just saying...shouldn't he be...uh...I got nothing. He does look good in the hat though!
Also even thou Rainbow is one of my least likeable characters I have to admit if someone calls me Andy I tend to react very badly to it....it's like Doug Walker's reaction to Doug's theme song times 10.
Because collab, and how often do we get to see Dusty in a review these days? Nicely done.
"If you can't, teach"
Did you SEE the air he got on those jumps when Silver was doing laps? He doesn't need wings to get airborne.
He is the worlds manliest Brony. he can do what ever he wants
I love your videos silver quill it was actually this video that got me into the brony fandom so thank u and keep up the good work!
This review was longer than the episode, and it was glorious.
Great review! both you and Dusty Katt!
I was called Ponyboy at my first semester of university. This episode is one of my least favorite, not as cringey as Brotherhooves Special imo but it’s up there.
Awesome job, Silver and Dusty.
Nice work with this After the Fact to follow up the live version you did with Illustrious Q and Firebrand a couple years ago, Silver Quill. Keep up the hard work.
Honestly, it looks like dustykatt would be a better commander then firebrand
I agree it does seem weird that spitfire just flies up and is like " Your a wonderbolt dashie" out of the blue !!!
12:55 that happens to me a lot, usually it is just in my head unless I am around theater people.
10:19 The lowest possible rank in the Air Force (at least the US Air Force) is Basic Airman. Privates are Army and Marines. Just sayin'...
Naming someone with a rank from another brance of a military is probably is even more insulting .,
Huh. You make a fair point!
7:11 Um, does Dusty know what the term "blue falcon" means in the military?
this episode hurt me a lot, it was so cringy i haf to stop watching for a few hours and when i went back i muted the volume to avoid screaming. it made me cry when it hit way to close to home, and i wish the writer put more thought into it
Great video guys. Terrific team up with a very objective wrap up /)
Wow this video is so great and well animated. 😍 I love it!
The problem with the “militaristic humor” in the Wonderbolts is that it has no reason to be there.
If you watched the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, the jokes the soldiers make are, in our civilian society, considered racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, morbid, and dark. However they make those jokes because the environment they’re working in is one of the most stressful work environments ever. They need to have a good sense of humor, and harsh nicknames are par for the course over there.
In this episode, it seems the writer was trying to emulate that culture in this show but the Wonderbolts don’t really work in a stressful environment. They don’t have to worry about suicide bombers, snipers, or guerrilla attacks. So this humor really does come across as bullying and harassment. This whole situation could’ve been resolved with a simple ten minute conversation about how the other WBs got their nicknames.
But then again, we wouldn’t have an episode if that was the case.
10:37-12:20 Dustycat, I feel the same I was made fun of in my elementary school years for being a tattletale and a cry baby. So I know how you feel
18:21-18:35
*FOR SCIENCE!*
YES! KILL HIM SILVER! GET REVENGE FOE RARITY! (*Gets some dissection tools*) AND ILL HELP WITH IT TO!
Woah! You got a flight animation!
the thing that bothered me is that none of the ones that used the nickname noticed right after they called her that,she messes up, i mean what the hell you've got to notice one of the ponies that was named BEST FLIER IN EQUSTRIA is suddenly acting like she never flew after saying the nickname
hmm...how is it that dusty in on the wonderbolts runway if he's not a pegasus.....especially since its clouds?
Hot air balloon up... After having the 'walk on clouds spell' put in him?