/mlpol/ - My Little Politics

The whole AnonTheAnon controversy made me realize how easily Applejack could be made into a "hate symbol." Of any MLP character she's undoubtedly the most politically incorrect as she represents what cosmopolitans hate the most: traditionalist rural workers with strong family ties. After all, the American South is one of the few regions in the West where traditional values are still mainstream, where the ethos of blood & soil still lives on and where people are still somewhat racially conscious. Applejack doesn't represent us in the same way as Aryanne, of course, because Applejack isn't an explicitly political character, but she's more like Pepe who became the mascot for 4Chan. Pepe is the personification of old internet culture with a love of lighthearted mischief and idealism, and who doesn't fit in the modern world at all. Wojak, on the other hand, is an imageboard user who tries to get along in the world and be "normal," but knows that this is ultimately impossible because of how he's realized the world has changed. Pepe and Wojak are both extensions of ourselves in different ways which is why they can be drawn in endlessly different formats.

G4 Applejack is quite a bit different. However, even in her own show there's always been the popular impression that she's underrepresented and is a "background pony." There is truth to this as her character isn't as compelling from a story-based perspective, which comes as no surprise particularly in later episodes as her writers have no familiarity with the people she represents. There's a silver lining to that, as unlike the rest of the Mane 6 Applejack does represent a group irl like Pepe and Wojak, and her "lack of character development" simply means she is more flexibly suited for the role. Applejack positively represents that group of people most maligned in (((American media))) and embodies their beliefs, concerns, culture and attitudes. If Pepe and Wojak can become characterizations of anons why can't Applejack become a characterization of Southerners, or more broadly speaking traditionalists? She is brutally honest, devoted, hard-working, and even has sex appeal, while being cute and relatively innocent compared to Aryanne (not to throw shade on her but she's more of a pony for our board in particular). These things break the minds of "bronies" and horrify Hasbro's new "writers," and memetic warfare with Applejack will intensify the relationship between her and her ideals while resurrecting FiM as a nationalist show.

The best part is that our efforts are unlikely to be "diluted" by content generated either by Hasbro or by fans. Hasbro is effectively lobotomizing her character so there's no original content to compete, and it's unlikely Gen 5 will gain as much traction because it'll be ruined in other ways. Nor is Applejack very popular in the fandom except among those who love her ideals. Applejack is too good and pure for Hasbro and if she ever becomes a "hate symbol" she'll be immortalized.