Talk:The Cutie Map - Part 2/@comment-26279959-20150405230950/@comment-4531340-20150406064636

Mmm, I disagree. I see her as more of a cult leader, with the equalized ponies being her cult, and then she gets defensive when her way of life is being challenged.

The key difference between what you've described and the unnamed equalist village (and any other cult, for that matter) is that for the former, nobody's forcing anybody to adopt a different opinion (through methods of brainwashing or otherwise); I mean, anybody could just say, "okay, if that's what you feel, then fine; I really don't care about your opinion" and then just leave, whereas with this, the ponies are restrained and forced to undergo that brainwashing (and also, if the Mane Six are any indication, forcibly have their cutie marks removed), and there are clear dissenters amongst the village ponies that don't feel comfortable with making their desires to have their cutie marks back again, if just for a little while, known, because they know that they'll be forced to stay in that house and listen to that PA on repeat until they're "cleansed" of such desires.

To further drive home the cult point, I think, it was a good choice having Starlight feel that, as the leader, she had the right to be exceptional.