Call of the Cutie

"You got a problem with "Blank Flanks"?"

- Scootaloo

Call of the Cutie is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episode from season one. In this episode, Apple Bloom's concern about her missing cutie mark sparks her to find a way to earn it before an upcoming party.

Episode Summary
When a pony discovers something it is talented or unique with, they will earn a cutie mark, a tattoo-like symbol magically placed above its flank. That is how it goes, and there is no way around it. However, some ponies lack this proud symbol.

Apple Bloom was one of them; a resident "Blank Flank" (a school nickname of a pony who has yet to earn a cutie mark) by a few of her classmates.

Two young school fillies, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, bragged about how pointless it was for their teacher, Cherilee, to discuss cutie marks, considering they already have theirs. They invited Apple Bloom and another "Blank Flank", Twist, to their "Cute-ceañera" (a coming-of-age-like party to those who just earned their mark), as a means to spite them. If Apple Bloom wasn't concerned over why she did not earn a cutie mark yet, she certainly was now...

Back in Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom discussed this with her big sister Applejack. AJ responded that it all takes patience. She and her family all received their cutie mark, but were always last in the class to do so. Bloom was upset about this, believing that being last for this 'runs in the family'. Realizing her last words, she believed her future cutie mark could be based on her namesake. After all, Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and AJ all had apple-related marks, which means she would have to do something apple-related to get hers. And so began a quest to find her mark before the party.

In the Ponyville town square, she "helped" her sister with the apple market. She showed the townsfolk the versatile uses for apples, while getting a few "customers" to buy some. Unfortunately, her poor marketing skills drove away more customers, wasted all the apples, and failed to make a decent profit. Ultimately, she was fired. Applejack asked her sister if there were other ponies without a cutie mark so she wouldn't be left out. Bloom decided to find Twist and ask if she wanted to go to Diamond Tiara's party since they both had something in common. To her dismay, Twist already managed to get her cutie mark earlier, a two candy-cane symbol, after discovering her skill with creating candies. Practically the only one in Ponyville with no mark now, a distraught Apple Bloom sulked during the afternoon.

Next, she met Rainbow Dash to ask her about her problem. Dash told her that she earned her cutie mark after discovering her need for speed, as well as being the first in her class. She then said that the secret to finding her mark was "trying as many things as possible, as quickly as possible". From hang-gliding to karate to kite-flying, Bloom's impatience got the better of her and was unable to handle any of these. The only thing she gained so far was exhaustion, and time was running out.

The little filly then helped Pinkie Pie with baking cupcakes in the Sugarcube Corner shop, hoping that her mark would involve baking (as opposed to getting it by eating cupcakes). Tried as she might, she only made a mess in the kitchen and burnt her share of the treats.

She resorted to begging Twilight, who was passing by, to magically create a cutie mark before the party, despite Twilight warning her that it was impossible. They gave it a shot and, as expected, one fake cutie mark after another disappeared. Finally giving up, Apple Bloom decided to not show up to the party. To her horror, however, she just remembered that Diamond Tiara's Cute-ceañera was set up right in the snack shop, and she walked right in the middle of it!

Bloom tried to hide herself (and her flank), from the ponies in the party, covering herself with a table cloth, and bumped into the two guests of honor. She lied that she already had her cutie mark earlier. When Tiara called her bluff, Bloom saved face by saying she didn't want to show off and overshadow the guest at her own party. Unfortunately, as she prepared to leave, her disguise was caught and her bare rear was exposed for all the party attendants to see.

Just as she was being ridiculed, two other "Blank Flanks", Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, arrived out of a nearby hiding spot to defend her. Neither of them had a cutie mark, saying that it just means that they still have the endless potential to find their calling. With almost all of the marked ponies in the party to support them, Diamond Tiara lost their attention to her own party.

Since then, Apple Bloom and her new friends formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with a purpose of finding their talents to earn their marks.

Major Events

 * Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Twist, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were formally introduced in this episode.
 * Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle formed the group called the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Quotes:

 * Diamond Tiara/Silver Spoon: Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump Rump!


 * Silver Spoon: See you this weekend...
 * Diamond Tiara/Silver Spoon: Blank Flanks!


 * Apple Bloom: (after hearing Applejack's story) I really don't see how that's supposed to make me feel better. It probably means that being last one in your class to get a cutie mark runs in the family... "Runs in the family"? "Runs in the family"! "RUNS IN THE FAMILY"! You got apples for your cutie mark... Granny Smith has an apple pie... Big Macintosh has an apple half... My unique talent has something to do with apples! Apples! Apples! Apples!


 * Apple Bloom: You sir! Care to buy some apples?
 * Dr. Whoof: Uh... No thanks.
 * Apple Bloom: Why not?
 * Dr. Whoof: I have plenty at home...
 * Apple Bloom: Are you sure?
 * Dr. Whoof: I'm pretty sure.
 * Apple Bloom: You're pretty sure, but you're not absolutely, positively, completely, super-duper sure, are you?
 * Dr. Whoof: Uh... If I buy some apples, will you please leave me alone?
 * Apple Bloom: All right!


 * Apple Bloom: So, what does my cutie mark look like? A shopping bag full of apples? A satisfied customer eating an apple? Hmm... Maybe I got to increase my sales figures first...


 * Apple Bloom: You touch it, you buy it! We take cash or credit...


 * Apple Bloom: (Pours apples in bag) That'll be 4 bits.
 * Bon Bon: I didn't put those in my bag!
 * Apple Bloom: Likely story. 4 bits, lady!
 * Applejack: Apple Bloom! I am really, really sorry about that... she's new.


 * Rainbow Dash: Looks like somepony's got a dark cloud hanging over her head. Let me take care of that for you... (moves dark cloud from over Apple Bloom)


 * Apple Bloom: (inhales) There's a Cute-ceañera this afternoon and everypony in my class will be there and they'll all have their cutie marks and I wanna get my cutie mark but I'm no good at selling apples but I really wanna go to the party but how can I go to the party with no cutie mark which my big sister says I'm gonna get eventually but... I WANT IT NOOOOW !


 * Rainbow Dash: I always liked flying an' all, but I was going nowhere in a hurry. It wasn't until my very first race that I discovered a serious need for speed, and KAZAAM! This sweet baby appeared as fast as lightning.


 * Apple Bloom: Twilight, you have to help me!
 * Twilight: What's the matter?
 * Apple Bloom: (inhales breath) Tiara's Cute-ceañera is today and everypony in my class will be there and they'll all have cutie marks and I wanna get my cutie mark but I'm no good at selling apples or hang gliding or making cupcakes but I wanna go to the party but how can I go to the party if I don't have a cutie mark which Pinkie Pie says I can't just make it appear but I need it to appear... RIIIGHT NOOOOW!
 * Twilight: Uh... I don't follow...


 * Apple Bloom: How could I've forgotten the time? How could I forgot Pinkie Pie was hosting the party?! How could I forgotten it was at Sugarcube Corner?!!
 * Pinkie Pie: Don't forget your party hat, Forgetty Forgetson!!!

Silver Spoon: The problem is, I mean, she's like, totally not special. Sweetie Belle: No, it means she's full of potential. Scootaloo: It means she could be great at anything. The possibilities are, [talks like Silver Spoon] like, endless. Sweetie Belle: She could be a great scientist, or an amazing artist, or a famous writer, she could even be mayor of Ponyville some day... Scootaloo: ...and she's not stuck being stuck-up like you two.
 * Scootaloo: I said, you got a problem with blank flanks?


 * Apple Bloom: You don't have any cutie marks either? I thought I was the only one!
 * Scootaloo: We thought we were the only two...
 * Twilight: I, for one, think you are three very lucky fillies...


 * Diamond Tiara: Hey! What's everypony doing?! This is my party! Everypony supposed to be paying attention to me!!
 * Silver Spoon: Well, we still think you're losers, right Diamond Tiara? Bump! Bump! Sugar Lump...?
 * Diamond Tiara: Not now, Silver Spoon!


 * Scootaloo: What do you say we celebrate with these delicious cupcakes?
 * Apple Bloom: Not the cupcakes! Trust me...

Trivia

 * The episode title might reference the title of a classic book called Call of the Wild, in which a dog has an internal struggle against his domestication in order to find itself as how he was meant to be. This mirrors the plot where Apple Bloom must go through personal struggles in order to find out who she really is inside. The title also resembles the common phrase "call of duty", possibly referring to Apple Bloom's obligation to find her cutie mark.
 * This episode focuses on Apple Bloom and puts the main characters in a supporting role. It is the first episode to switch the cast's roles in this manner.
 * Rarity does not appear in this episode. However, Apple Bloom is standing in front of Rarity's house/boutique when Pinkie appears and suggests she eat cupcakes. It can be assumed that Diamond Tiara had just picked up her new outfit from the boutique.
 * This is the second episode in which Fluttershy does not appear, and the third in which she has no speaking role. She does not appear in Look Before You Sleep, and has no lines in Boast Busters.
 * In the episode, money is referred to as "bits". "Bit" is a common colloquial term for certain coins, but it also refers to the mouthpiece on a horse's bridle.
 * Bon Bon makes her first speaking appeareance in this episode.
 * In the classroom, the unicorn pony next to Twist at about 01:16 transforms into Sweetie Belle!
 * As a filly, Applejack travels to Manehattan, a play on Manhattan, a borough of New York City. New York City is also known as the Big Apple.