Suited for Success
Intro
[The director enters the studio. A few members of the cast and crew are already there- Applejack and Tou-Mou are putting the finishing touches on the stage for a scene in the episode, Twilight is going over her lines, Hoity Toity is harassing Carl, Pinkie Pie is in the effects booth with Felicity, and Rarity is on-set with a woman the Director has never seen before, checking through the different racks of clothes and costumes.]
Director: Rarity, for crying out loud, you know we aren't allowed to bring guests into the studio.
Pinkie: [from inside the booth] Since when has that been a rule?!
Director: Since I decided I hated other people.
Rarity: Well you needn't worry, because this isn't a guest. My friend Rina was hired to be my partner in the costume department.
Director: Oh, that's right- God I suck at remembering people- I still can't believe one of the lead actors has to work in costumes.
Rarity: Oh, it's really no trouble; I love the work I do there. I'm a professional designer- the least I could do is lend you my skills.
Rina: I've been anticipating this episode right from the start; it will be an honor to present my craftsmanship to you all during production.
[Carl comes past, wheeling a trash bin.]
Carl: She's not Rarity-level good with clothes, but she made us all these neat hats, sir. [Carl is wearing a purple beanie with the words 'I'm a Member of the Herd' stitched into it.]
Rarity: [Levitates another hat onto the Director's head] Here you go. Purple suits you, sir.
Director: [grumbles] I know…
[Pinkie pops out of the bin Carl is wheeling, freaking the janitor out. She is also wearing one of the hats, somehow managing to keep it on over her extremely poofy mane.]
Pinkie: Are you ready to start recording? I can't wait to wear the dresses!
Director: We need Rainbow Dash for the first scene, and as usual, she isn't here on time.
Rainbow: Hey! I'm right here! [Rainbow emerges from the dressing rooms.]
Director: Oh how delightful. Now I don't have an excuse to be miffed at you all day.
Rainbow: Come on! I'm late and you're mad, I'm on time and you're disappointed! What do I have to do?!
Director: I dunno, save my life or something?
Rainbow: Well knowing this studio, that won't take too long to happen.
Director: And on that depressing note, let's begin!
Cat's The Way to Do It
[Rarity stuffs a pincushion into her cat, Opalescence's mouth. The cat immediately hacks and spits it out]
Director: [Still wearing his new beanie] Cut!
Pierre: [Also wearing a beanie] Why is this happening? Who thought it was a good idea to use a cat for this? It's super hard to train a cat.
Applejack: Yeah, maybe Rarity could have an entitled pomeranian?
Pinkie: Or a monkey!
Rarity: Absolutely not!
Director: Guys, I've said this a dozen times, but we have to-
Everyone: [droning] Stick to the script.
Cat Abuse
Opalescence: [growls whilst holding the pincushion in her mouth]
Rarity: What's that? You want to help me more? Oh, aren't you the sweetest thing?
[Offscreen, using her magic, Rarity somehow gets Opal to stand on one hind leg, balancing spools of thread, a bottle of glue, a measuring tape, and two pairs of scissors]
Rarity: [Takes the end of one of the threads and quickly sews some fabric together] Careful now. Don't move. This shouldn't take long at all.
Director: ...okay that's good enough. Get the sharp stuff away from the cat!
Rarity: Of course. [She quickly gets Opal out of harm's way and levitates the cat over to sit on the floor beside her]
Felicity: Poor Opal…
Twilight: Don't worry- Opal is an Equestrian Curl. They're much more flexible than cats from your world.
Pierre: Oh good, I was wondering if we could get shut down for animal abuse.
Rainbow: Well you've put us ponies through a lot of torture so far and you're still in business. I don't think you need to worry about a cat being the straw that breaks the griffin's back.
Hoofing It
Rarity: Twilight Sparkle, I insist on making you a new dress.
Twilight: But-
[Rarity waves a hoof in front of Twilight's face]
Rarity: Not another-
Twilight: OW! [clutches her muzzle as Rarity accidentally smacks it]
Rarity: Oh dear! I'm sorry!
Director: Cut!
(Credit to mlpgirl2002)
Damage Already
[Applejack has just given Rarity permission to spruce up her old work attire for the Gala.]
Rainbow: [from outside] Look out below!
[Everyone flinches as Rainbow crashes through Rarity's ceiling, but instead of bouncing off the floor, the pegasus smashes right through the floor]
Director: CUT! Holy pepperoni, look what you've done to the set!
Rainbow: [from somewhere inside the hole she made in the set floor] OW! My freakin' rump hurts!
Rarity: [Gently levitates Rainbow out of the hole] I'll take her to the nurse. It doesn't look like the hole will be too hard to repair.
Director: Alright, you heard the mare. Applejack, Peng- get to work fixing that hole.
Tou-Mou: With pleasure [joins Applejack on the set with a toolbox.]
Applejack: Dang, you actually seem… happy about workin'.
Tou-Mou: Well obviously. I love fixing stuff; I wouldn't have accepted this job if I didn't.
Carl: [grumbling] It must be nice to like your job...
Buckets- How Scandalous!
[Rainbow manages to successfully crash into the ponyquins near the back of the room. When she stands up from the rough landing, there is some cloth wrapped around her neck, one of her wings and one foreleg. However, instead of a bucket ending up on her head, Rainbow has somehow gotten the bucket stuck on her face.]
Director: Ugh. CUT!
Rainbow: [Makes muffled noises as she tries to get the bucket off her face]
Twilight: Oh boy. Applejack, hold onto Rainbow. I'll get the bucket.
Rainbow: [Starts to sound distressed as Applejack grabs her around the middle]
Twilight: Okay… pull!
[Twilight tugs at the bucket, and after a small amount of effort, the bucket comes loose and Rainbow gasps]
Rainbow: Yeesh, that hurt! [rubs her cheeks] Why does Rarity even need a bucket? She's a seamstress!
Rarity: Um… I do hate to tell you, Rainbow, but that's actually a trash can.
Rainbow: … [shudders] At least it was empty.
Say Yes to the Mess
Rarity: [Levitating rolls of fabric down from a shelf] Oh, it'll be a little bit of work, but it will be a wonderful boost for my business. Plus fun!
Rainbow: [still covered in fabric] Oh, I love fun things!
Rarity: [Spreading some fabric over her work table] Then it's-
Rainbow: Actually, hold up. Can we cut?
Director: Dash, are you making me cut on purpose?
Rainbow: I know we can't change anything, but I have a teeny issue with that line I just said.
Director: [sigh] Fine. Go ahead and say what's on your mind.
Rainbow: I'm not exactly a fashion show kinda person. I mean, us sports ponies do dress up on occasion, but that's only for like, elite parties and stuff- sometimes not even then.
Director: Dash, the dress you wear is gorgeous. Nobody will care.
Rainbow: Can't we at least change the dress a tiny bit?
Director: Well… a little bit. There wasn't a concrete description of the dress in the notes.
Rarity: I could get Rina to adjust the dress while we rehearse. What would you like done to the dress, Rainbow Dash?
Rainbow: I was kinda hoping the dress could be aerodynamic. It needs to make my wings stand out, 'cause come on, they're obviously my coolest feature.
Rarity: [hesitantly] Mmmhmm… Rainbow Dash, it's a dress; it's meant to be flowy and elegant.
Rainbow: But that would drag when I fly 'cause the wind would fly up into it! Could you at least put, I dunno, a cone on the front or something?
Rarity: A… a cone?
Rainbow: Yeah, to deflect the air.
Rarity: Let's get back to rehearsing because my mind can't take these mental images I'm getting.
Rainbow: But-
Rarity: NOW!
Applejack is Still Bad At Math
Applejack: So all ya have to do is make a different, stunning, original, amazing outfit for one, two, three, four- plus yourself- five ponies? And lickety-split?
Director: Cut! Try again, AJ.
Applejack: Huh? What's wrong?
Director: Seriously? There are six ponies, not five.
Applejack: Oh… yeah, that's right.
Twilight: Er… Applejack? Which one of us did you forget about?
Applejack: Let's try that again then.
Twilight: [Eyes bulging out of her skull] Applejack, which one of us did you forget?!
Almost-Song
[The music for the song Art of the Dress starts to play as Rarity begins working on Twilight's outfit]
Rarity:
Thread by thread, st-
[The thread being used to stitch the outfit almost immediately gets caught in the sewing machine]
Rarity: Oh really? I was prepared to sing my heart out!
Director: Cut! Just fix it!
More Cat Abuse
Rarity: [As she sings she levitates a long roll of fabric over in Opalescence's direction.]
Twilight's dress, cutting out the pattern snip by snip,
Making sure the fabric falls-
[As the fabric falls down towards Opal, the cat leaps out of the way]
Director: CUT!
Pierre: Sir, what do we do? A cat isn't gonna take this kinda stuff… I actually feel cruel filming it.
Director: Oh man up! It's a cat! We'll just try this again.
Fluttershy: Well, um… I'm not surprised that Opal would want to get out of the way of the fabric…
Director: Nobody cares, Fluttershy. Cats are abused far worse than this in other studios.
Fluttershy: [Tears beginning to run down her face] I know!
Why is there so much cat torment in this episode? It's starting to make me angry!
Rarity: [Tugging rolls of fabric out from beneath Opal as she tries to sleep]
Yard by yard, fussing on the details-
[As she pulls the third roll, Opal loses her footing and topples backwards off the table, flipping over in the air and managing to land on her feet]
Director: Cut!
Fluttershy: I think… I'm going… to snap!
Twilight: Whoa there, Fluttershy. Calm down, I'm sure nothing else will happen to Opal.
Fluttershy: [biting the end of one hoof] Oh, I hope so. Twilight, promise me that if I can't take it anymore and I try to rush onto the set to help her, you'll hold me back?
Twilight: Of course. Just relax, okay.
A Matter of Colour
[Rarity is ready to start colouring in some of her sketches.]
Rarity:
Dressmaking's easy, for Pinkie Pie something pink-
[Rarity picks up a marker and scrawls some colour onto the sketch of Pinkie's dress, however she realises too late that she had picked up a green marker my mistake]
Rarity: Oh fiddlesticks! [throws the marker across the set.]
Director: Cut!
This One Isn't Good Enough to Have a Title
[Rarity has finished making the dresses and everypony has come over to the boutique to check them out. They all have their eyes closed because Rarity wants to surprise them]
Rarity: [Leading her friends across her room] That's it, keep them closed-
[Pinkie Pie, who is spronking (yes that's the name of that cute little bounce she does) across the room bumps into Fluttershy, who is walking in front of her]
Fluttershy: EEP!
Pinkie: Whoops! Sorry, Fluttershy.
Director: Cut.
Training Cats
[Rarity levitates Opal up onto the ponyquin wearing Pinkie's dress in preparation for one of the shots]
Pierre: Okay, we ready to roll?
[Opal instantly hops down from the ponyquin and starts wandering off.
Rarity: [sigh] No Opal, you have to stay right here. [Puts the cat back on the ponyquin]
[Beat]
[Opal jumps down again and flops down on her side next to Rarity]
Director: [Takes a long breath] This is painful.
An Adjustment Is Needed
[Fluttershy has tried on Rarity's second attempt at a dress for her and is clearly less than pleased with it.]
Rarity: If you don't like it, you should just tell me.
Fluttershy: Oh, but I do like it.
Rarity: [A little aggressively] Like it or love it?
Fluttershy: Um… both?
Rarity: [Walks towards Fluttershy, making the pegasus back away] Which is it?
Fluttershy: Please stop asking me this, I- EEK!
[Fluttershy steps on the bottom of her dress and tumbles backwards, landing on her back]
Director: CUT!
Rarity: Oh dear… shall we take a break whilst Rina makes this dress a little shorter.
Director: Sounds good to me.
Fluttershy: [weakly] My spine...
(Credit to AkaiKamiRyu)
Scrambled Ramble
Fluttershy: I… like it.
Rarity: [getting hysterical] Tell me, tell me tell me tell me tell me!
Fluttershy: Alright… since you really wanna know. [Takes a deep breath] The armscye's tight, the middy collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine-stitched, the pleats are uneven, the fabric looks…
Everyone: …
Fluttershy: …
Everyone: …?
Fluttershy: [hanging her head] I don't remember what comes after that…
Director: [sigh] Cut!
Curtain Call
[Rarity has begun the reprise of Art of the Dress and is working on Pinkie's dress.]
Rarity:
Pinkie Pie, that color's too obtrusive,
Wait until you see it in the light-
[Rarity tries to pull open her curtains, but finds that the cord is stuck]
Director: Seriously?! Cut!
A Bird in the Face
[Twilight is showing Rarity some constellations]
Twilight: That constellation is Canis Major, not minor.
[Then two birds carrying some paper fly over to Rarity, but instead of stopping in front of her, then fly over her and the paper smacks Rarity in the face]
Rarity: UGH!
Director: Cut.
Pierre: Sir, I think Rarity is more annoyed than you, for once.
Director: That's a hard feat to pull off.
(Credit to Dbzfreak60 and AkaiKamiRyu)
Pink Hour
[Rarity is trying to keep up with the things Pinkie wants on her dress]
Pinkie: More balloons!
[Rarity grabs some balloons]
Pinkie: Oh no, that's too many balloons.
[Scowling, Rarity releases the balloons]
Pinkie: More candy!
[Rarity grabs some sweets]
Pinkie: Oh, less candy.
[Rarity drops the candy]
Pinkie: Oh wait, I know. Streamers!
Rarity: Streamers?
Pinkie: Yeah! Lots of streamers! And personally, I think the dress would look amazing if there was even more pink on it-
Director: CUT!
Pinkie: [Ignoring him] -and actually on second thought, I would like some more candy on it, but not anything in a wrapper because I want everypony to be able to smell the dress. And they'll all be like "Hmm? I wonder where that delicious sweet smell is coming from." and then they'll follow the candy scent and it's me! And everypony would wanna party with me because who wouldn't wanna party with someone who smells like jelly beans!?
[Rarity just stares blankly at Pinkie].
Pinkie: What's wrong, Rarity? Did you understand it all?
[More blank staring, this time accompanied by a twitching eye]
Pinkie: Rarity, do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
Director: Pinkie Pie, nobody even cares about the words coming out of your mouth. Now shut up and stick to the script!
Pinkie: But how do I stick to the script if you want me to shut up?
[The director forcefully throws his megaphone at Pinkie]
(Credit to Maelstrom)
What Do You Meme?
[Rarity is asking Rainbow about what she'd like changed about her dress]
Rarity: Do you not like the colour?
Rainbow: The colours fine, just make it look cooler.
Rarity: Do you not like the shape?
Rainbow: The shape's fine, just make the whole thing… ya know, cooler.
[The music stops]
Rainbow: It needs to be about 20% cooler.
[The music begins to start up again but suddenly a record scratch is heard. Everyone looks over at the sound mixer, who is sitting behind a sound board near the right side of the set.]
Director: CUT! Damn it, Vinyl Scratch! Aren't you meant to be a professional?
[Vinyl Scratch grins smugly and nods]
Director: So why are you playing the song on a turntable instead of using the laptop that's right in front of you! [He gestures to the turntables that had somehow been placed next to the soundboard without anyone noticing.]
[Vinyl shrugs before moving her hooves and twitching her ears in a sequential manner.]
Director: Twilight, you know Equestrian sign language, right? What did she just say?
Twilight: She said, "That's just how I roll."
Director: [sigh] Just use the computer, please. Those turntables are for a later scene anyway.
[Vinyl huffs through her nose and pouts]
Pinkie Pie's Early-to-Mid-Life Crisis
[The other ponies sing the next part of the song]
Pinkie:
All we ever want is indecision,
Rainbow:
All we really like is what we know,
Fluttershy:
Making sure we make a good appearance,
Applejack:
Even if ya simply have to fudge it,
Everyone but Rarity:
Make sure that it stays within our budget.
Pinkie: Whoa, what?! We have to pay for these?! I thought this was a free favour!
Director: CUT! Pinkie, couldn't this have waited until later?
Pinkie: No way! How the hoo-ha am I supposed to pay for a dress? Dresses are expensive and what little money I do earn I spend on parties!
Director: Pinkie, I appreciate that you're staying in character but this really isn't-
Pinkie: I spend the rest of the money on food and necessities and sometimes I steal cakes from Sugar Cube Corner because I spend too much money on parties because whilst everyone is having fun and enjoying what I do I can escape from the truth that I'm just a cashier!
[Everyone looks silently around at each other, not quite knowing how to respond to this. Pierre awkwardly turns off the camera]
I Wanted to Cheer Myself Up, Okay?!
[Rarity has unveiled the hideous dresses for her friends.]
Everyone but Rarity: It's exactly what I asked for!
Rarity: [sighs in relief]
[Twilight and Pinkie approach Rarity]
Twilight: Thank you, Rarity.
[Pinkie Pie bounces over to stand in front of Rarity, but instead of saying her line, she leans in and gives Rarity a quick kiss on the end of her nose.]
Director: CUT!
Pierre: No.
Director: Pierre!
[Rarity looks a little surprised at Pinkie, her face slightly flushed.]
Rarity: That... was not in the script...
Pinkie: You made me a dress with candy on it! That's worthy of a li'l smooch in my book.
Rainbow: Apparently not in Show-Pinkie's book.
Pinkie: I guess so. That's just disgraceful!
Director: Pierre, just cut!
Pierre: Oh, fine!
Promo Time!
[The fashion show is about to begin and Rarity is freaking out.]
Rarity: Okay. Relax, Rarity. Your friends like their outfits and so will he.
[The lights dim]
Rarity: GWAHH! What's wrong with the lights?! Oh, yes. That means the show's starting. Good. [She ducks behind the curtains]
[To the side of the stage, Vinyl Scratch stands behind her turntables. She levitates the needle onto the record and music begins to play. However, instead of playing the music she is meant to play, some loud hip hop music blares out and Vinyl begins headbanging in time to the beat]
Director: CUUUUUUT! And stop that music!
[Vinyl doesn't listen and instead swishes her tail and moves her hooves around]
Twilight: She says it's to promote her new album!
Director: I don't care, just shut her up!
Pierre: Do you realise how ironic it is that you're saying that to a mute pony?
Director: [pulls Pierre's beanie over his eyes.]
Fluttercringe
[The curtains raise and the ponies begin to walk out onto the stage to show off their hideous outfits. Twilight and Applejack trot out onto the catwalk, followed by Rainbow Dash-]
Director: CUT! Where's Fluttershy?!
Fluttershy: [from backstage] I'm still preparing myself! Can you give me a few more minutes?
Director: [rubs temples] Couldn't you have done this earlier?
Fluttershy: I'm sorry, I just feel so silly. This is really, truly embarrassing…
Pierre: Yeah, that's kinda the point, Fluttershy!
Fluttershy: Oh, Show-Fluttershy would never be a part of a fashion show anyway… can't we just say I chickened out?
Director: No… and why wouldn't Fluttershy do this?
Rainbow: Because she's shy, duh!
Director: [long pause]
Fluttershy: There is a bird's nest on my head and it itches!
Director: C'mon Fluttershy, just get it over with. You're the cute one so people will forgive anything you do. Now let's go!
Fluttershy: [whimper]
The Dark Side of Mattresses
[Rarity's friends are failing to cheer her up. Rarity dramatically throws herself backwards onto her bed.]
Rarity: Leave me alo-OH! [Rarity bounces off the bed and onto the floor]
Everyone: [winces]
Director: Cut! Nurse!
Nancy: I heard that crash from all the way over there- this mare needs help.
Rarity: You aren't making me feel any better...
Cat Abuse Limit
[Rarity hears meowing coming from outside her window and opens it. She glances around and sees Opal clinging to the branch of a tree, looking completely petrified.]
Rarity: Opal, how did you get up there-
?: NOOOOOOOOOOO!
[Quick as a flash, Fluttershy whizzes into the air and plucks Opal off the branch, holding her close to her chest and hovering towards the ground.]
Fluttershy: It's okay, little kitty, you're on the ground now. Nothing will ever hurt you again-
Director: Fluttershy, what is the matter with you?!
Twilight: I tried to hold her back, but she was too strong!
Pierre: It's Fluttershy, how hard could keeping ahold of her be?
[Twilight holds up a bunch of pink hair]
Twilight: I grabbed her tail and she just flew off like I was barely restraining her. And my magic is strong, sir.
Applejack: Dang! Never get between Fluttershy and a cute critter, I guess.
Director: Fluttershy, we have to film that scene. Just… okay, you can hang out under the tree and catch her if she falls. Deal?
Fluttershy: [burying her face in Opal's fur] Okay...
The Last Straw
[Hoity Toity is inside the boutique with Rarity. Opal is playfully batting his mane with one paw.]
Hoity Toity: Take two: [shoves Opal away from him]
Fluttershy: DIE!
[Fluttershy tackles Hotiy Toity off the ground and rolls off the set with him.]
Director: CUT! Fluttershy, you crazy horse! [rushes off to deal with the pegasus.]
Pierre: [sigh] And here I thought Pinkie would be the one who'd get us sued for bodily harm first.
(Credit to mlpgirl2002)
Clowning Around
[During the second fashion show, Twilight's dress is unveiled. It's absolutely gorgeous, but it's all ruined thanks to the clown wig that had somehow ended up on Twilight's head.]
Director: CUT!
Rarity: RAINBOW DASH!
[From backstage, Rainbow cackles at her "hilarious" prank.]
Twilight: [wide-eyed and confused] How did I not notice her putting that wig on me…?
(Credit to AkaiKamiRyu)
Sugar Pile
[Before Pinkie's dress is fully revealed, candy falls from the sky and lands on the dress in a pattern. The camera zooms out as Pinkie catches one of the sweets in her mouth and strikes a pose.]
Hoity Toity: Brilliant!
?: Look out below!
[Suddenly an enormous amount of candy cascades down from above the set. It lands around and on top of Pinkie, burying her in a pile of sweets.]
Director: Cut! Derpy! You didn't need to pour that much candy down here
Derpy: Oops! My bad!
[Pinkie's head pops out from the pile of candy- she licks her lips and picks up several of the treats.]
Pinkie: Not bad at all, Derpy! This is the best mistake you've ever made!
Derpy: Thank you! I… I think…?
(Credit to AkaiKamiRyu)
A Dash of Lightning
[Lightning strikes as Rarity builds up to the reveal of Rainbow's dress]
Rainbow: WHOA! WH-WHOA! Watch where you're directly those lightning bolts, Felicity!
Director: What is it with you and lightning, Fliss?!
Felicity: Hey, at least I didn't hit anyone this time!
Pierre: It's sad that this is a legit improvement for her.
Rarity: [recalling what had happened to her the last time Felicity had been in charge of lightning effects] Let's just get this scene finished as, if you please… with me standing all the way over there.
[Rarity gallops to the far side of the room.]
Felicity: [sadly] Thanks for the confidence boost…
Mike: Great, n-now I'm too scared to let her know that she zapped th-the mic... [the mic fizzles with electricity.]
Phrase Craze
[Twilight and Spike are writing the friendship report for Princess Celestia]
Twilight: Dear Princess Celestia, this week, my very talented friend Rarity learned that if you try to please everypony, you often times end up pleasing nopony, especially yourself. And I learned this: when somepony offers to do you a favor, like making you a beautiful dress, you shouldn't be overly critical of something generously given to you. In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Pierre: B-but, they are horses!
Director: CUT! Was that interruption really necessary, Pierre?!
Pierre: Yes! That line makes no sense! They're ponies! How does-
[The Director bonks Pierre on the head with his copy of the script.]
Feline Fine Now
Hoity Toity: Rarity, my congratulations to you on a most impressive fashion debut- Oh!
[Opal begins weaving in and out between the stallion's front legs, purring contentedly.]
Hoity Toity: Um… this wasn't in the script.
[Fluttershy approaches, eyeing Hoity Toity warily. He looks down at the cat, who is looking back up at him with big, round eyes, and smiles. He pets Opal on the head and Fluttershy nods in approval, sitting down next to him and cooing over Opal.]
Pierre: We're almost done, sir. How are you holding up?
Director: Surprisingly okay? The nice thing about this episode is that it takes place mostly in the same set so there's no hassle with moving stuff around, ya know?
Pierre: That's right. I wondered why I've felt more relaxed this week. Will the next episode be like this, too?
Director: Nah, we gotta do a lot of outdoors work for it. Espinosa's gonna be working on a lot of stunts as well.
Pierre: Espinosa? Who's that?
Director: Veronica. I don't like her enough to call her by her first name.
Pierre: That's kinda harsh…
Director: Anyway, you remember I told you about that episode where Twilight gets trounced by the universe?
Pierre: [gasps] Oh my God, is that the next episode?
Director: Mmm hmm, [chuckles] I've been waiting for this one...
Author's Note: Everyone, it's time! Feeling Pinkie Keen is the next episode! The ultimate Twilight torture chapter is upon us! Send in your bloopers in the reviews or through a PM 'cause I wanna have as much fun with this as possible (As a clarification, I actually really love Twilight. I'm just kind of a sadist.)
Mouse's Musings: So this was the first Rarity-centric episode of the show, and boy did it change my opinion on Rarity. When I first started watching MLP I was still stuck in that phase a lot of teen girls go through where "girly stuff is icky; femininity is weak!" Six years later I groan in shame recalling my stupid, edgy younger self. Nowadays I may be more butch than femme, but I do have those days where I wanna wear something pink or put on makeup, and Rarity was probably the thing that made me start to get that femininity doesn't make someone weak. At first, I thought Rarity was just going to be a prissy stereotype pandering to the little girls, so she started off as my least favourite character. However, Rarity is now one of my favourite characters in the series, and my second-favourite member of the mane cast- I know this was the case for a lot of people who didn't like Rarity at first, and believe me at a later point in this series I will bring this point up again.
Speaking of favourite things, this episode's song is one of my favourites of the first season- not my absolute favourite, but it's definitely a high-ranking one. Rarity's singing voice is amazing and really makes the song stand out. I didn't know this until I did a bit of research, but Art of the Dress is actually an homage to the song Putting it Together from Sunday In the Park With George, a musical I'd never heard of. The fashion show at the end of the episode stands out as one of the best scenes in season one- I remember watching it for the first time and being absolutely blown away by the animation in that sequence. Also, Rarity's dresses are absolutely incredible; she gave me this insane appreciation for designers. That being said, Rarity should have told Applejack that her galoshes were ridiculous and that Fluttershy wearing a birds nest on her head was stupid.
The message of this episode is one that I really adore. The obvious one is that you shouldn't take advantage of someone who is doing a favour for you, or be overly critical of something someone has given to you, but the other moral of this episode is one that, as a creator, I wholeheartedly approve of. Creators often struggle with pleasing their readers or customers whilst also pleasing themselves- very often it's not possible to do both at the same time- but this episode shows that if you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. You shouldn't think less of yourself because of a bad review or a poor decision; you should find the courage to try again, and next time you might get a much more favourable result like Rarity did here. The only issues I have with this episode are the demanding behaviour of Rarity's friends (especially Fluttershy. How dare she call Rarity's dress "prêt-à-porter"!) and the weird inconsistencies with the pony world, e.g. the "gift horse" phrase at the end, and Fluttershy asking for "French haute couture". Does France exist in Equestria?
I have been waiting to write Feeling Pinkie Keen for a long time because the opportunities for slapstick bloopers seem almost infinite! I'll get to work on it soon. In other news, I started writing a different MLP story the other day that I'm growing quite fond of. It's a dark-fic centered around Queen Chrysalis and the town of Ponyville descending into madness and paranoia as they fear that any one of them could be the Changeling Queen in disguise. I wonder how Chryssi is doing at this point in the show? Is anypony worried that she's on the loose? I guess I'll find out someday...