Commenter Pteryxx observed on the guest post by Jacqueline S. Homan a few days ago that there were a total of four identified targets of misogynist sentiment in the original guest post and my in-line observation, and that they could therefore be the four horsewomen of the feminist skeptical apocalypse. Of course, there are much more than four women on the forefront of this fourth-wave feminism, even if you restrict yourself to the secular/atheist movements — there were at least eight identified in those comments at last count, and I could probably rattle off a half dozen more.
The comment thread did what comment threads do, and it eventually became a list of feminist women in the secular movement, and which My Little Pony character they’d be riding into battle astride.
Then embertine decided to draw them.
Here’s the first four she’s drawn. I hear she’s working on more, including possibly Maryam Namazie and Taslima Nasreen, Rebecca Watson on Pinkie Pie, and Stephanie Zvan on Applejack. (This is good because Applejack is the best pony. I even have a blog tag for that.)
Greta Christina with whip, on Rainbow Dash
Ophelia Benson with sword, on Twilight Sparkle
Natalie Reed with twin daggers, on Fluttershy
Sikivu Hutchinson with mace, on Rarity
Just to make it absolutely clear, these are not “The Four Horsewomen”. There are more than four. This is too big a job for four women to take on unsupported.
And for further lulz, manboobz discovered MRA bronies, so don’t think they’re afraid of MLP or anything. If anything, they’re afraid of the women themselves. Why else would they be rallying so fiercely?
Update: And here’s Rebecca Watson.
Rebecca Watson with chainsaw, on Pinkie Pie (updated)
Update2: And Jen McCreight!
Jen McCreight with mattock, on Derpy Hooves
Update3: Now Taslima Nasreen!
Taslima Nasreen with nunchaku, on Cherilee
Update4: Stephanie Zvan!
Stephanie Zvan with mallet, on Applejack
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embertine
June 17, 2012 at 2:06 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
How timely, as I have completed the next one:
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL2133/2404248/13003380/403072681.jpg
Thanks for putting these up, Jason – I must admit though, that it was not me that originally labelled the Horsewomen, I think it was Pteryxx?
Emily
June 17, 2012 at 3:10 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is one of the greatest things ever. I feel better about impending doom knowing that they’re On It.
Jason Thibeault
June 17, 2012 at 3:22 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
embertine: Added. Also, you’re right, my memory failed on that one.
Giliell, not to be confused with The Borg
June 17, 2012 at 3:40 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Embertine, they’re brilliant
Robert B.
June 17, 2012 at 3:53 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sikivu Hutchinson with a mace is just too perfect. That’s exactly how badass she is with the language.
Jason Thibeault
June 17, 2012 at 4:04 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Do not take this as in any way critical, considering you’re light-years away from my meager drawing abilities, but I think Pinkie-Pie’s face is a little on the small side compared to her body and the head-body ratios on the other ponies. I’m not actually a brony though, so I don’t know if that’s intentional.
Also, Rebecca’s colored her hair blue recently.
I expect when you do the photoshop versions both will be relatively easy to ameliorate?
Greta Christina
June 17, 2012 at 4:04 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Jen McCreight needs one!
And these are awesome. I’m tempted to make it my new headshot.
Jason Thibeault
June 17, 2012 at 4:05 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Careful, Greta, with that whip-cracking! :)
embertine
June 17, 2012 at 4:35 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is Jen:
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL2133/2404248/13003380/403074959.jpg
DISCLAIMER: I do not think Jen is in any way Derpy. Except in the good way.
I know what you mean about the ratios, this is my first time drawing MLPs from the cartoon and I can easily change them in the final versions. I will try to do the coloured lines as edges instead of the black as well. Ha, I wondered if the pics I was taking the faces from were recent! I guess not.
Melody
June 17, 2012 at 5:01 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m loving Derpy Hooves. :3
Jennifer Ouellette
June 17, 2012 at 5:52 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am almost embarrassed at how much I love these.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 6:00 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Jen McCreight rocking the warhammer. That’s how you do it, yo!
Susannah
June 17, 2012 at 6:04 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
These are wonderful!
ednaz
June 17, 2012 at 6:19 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
These are every kind of awesome.
Thank You, Jason.
Thank You, Embertine.
ellison
June 17, 2012 at 6:21 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Jen McCreight, that’s a horsewoman alright.
ellison
June 17, 2012 at 6:25 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What is the definition of 4th wave feminism?
I know the first wave was all about empowering women, equal rights and such
From everything i’ve experienced, this fourth wave seems to be about creating victims out of women, then expecting an ‘affirmative action’ on behalf of everyone else to protect these victims of horrible acts by society.
The Women’s Rights Movement has evolved into the Women’s Privilege Movement.
Boxer
June 17, 2012 at 6:38 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
When i read the title, i was thinking more along the lines of this.
http://oi45.tinypic.com/21j7p50.jpg
boselecta
June 17, 2012 at 6:47 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I created my facebook avatar using General Zoi’s Pony Creator, completely unaware that it was linked to a cartoon show with pre-existing equine characters. Now it turns out that Ophelia’s steed is strikingly similar to what I came up with.
Well, I guess she’s someone I’d be honoured to carry into battle…
julian
June 17, 2012 at 7:22 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hey, Smith, keep your fucks out of other people’s doorstep. You may love to belittle others based on their looks but a good many of us aren’t such petty and vindictive bullies.
A nym too
June 17, 2012 at 7:25 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
My Little Pony : Feminism is Mighty!
ps- Ellison, cry moar.
Ellison
June 17, 2012 at 7:41 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hey, Smith, keep your fucks out of other people’s doorstep. You may love to belittle others based on their looks but a good many of us aren’t such petty and vindictive bullies.
I will totally admit that my comment was rude and petty. I have seen your posts around here, you appear to have used more ad hominem and personal attacks than any other person on these blogs. So spare me the high and mighty bullshit.
ps- Ellison, cry moar.
Not crying, just observing. I doubt this movement within skepticism will last the long term, as more and more prominent skeptics and organizers are marginalized by personal attacks and character assassinations, eventually you people will alienate yourselves from anyone who matters.
Then we can work on treating and respecting each other as individual human beings.
Ellison
June 17, 2012 at 7:46 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I do completely see the irony in my last comment considering my first one, it is not lost on me.
I do believe we can reach that goal though, once all this bullshit is over.
Jason Thibeault
June 17, 2012 at 7:48 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ellison: but first you want to make sure that the people drummed out of the movement are the people saying we have problems.
Enjoy your stagnance.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 7:48 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Don’t pretend to care or view others with respect, you festering sore. You made it abundantly clear already what you think so don’t try to play human now. You’re clearly not very good at it.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 7:53 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Personal attacks. What a joke.
Grothe fucks up. Denies the existence of reports of harassment at TAM. Calls women warning each other of unsettling behavior they’ve endured as lover room banter and sharing sexual exploits. And blames any decrease in women at TAM squarely on bloggers like McCreight, Benson and Watson.
But call him out on it and you’re villyfing him.
Yeah, no.
BrianX
June 17, 2012 at 8:23 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ellison, please FOADIAF. The unexamined misogyny within the skeptical movement is one of the most blatant forms of woo we have to deal with right now.
carlie
June 17, 2012 at 9:06 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ellison – thank you for your concern! It has been noted.
Ellison
June 17, 2012 at 9:42 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
you festering sore
#mencallmethings.
Ellison: but first you want to make sure that the people drummed out of the movement are the people saying we have problems.
I will have little to do with what happens, this unravelling will be of your own device. The adversarial us vs them, anyone who disagrees is a “horrible misogynist privileged mansplainer/ boys club stepford cheerleader” mentality is not something that can last.
Personal attacks. What a joke.
Grothe fucks up. Denies the existence of reports of harassment at TAM. Calls women warning each other of unsettling behavior they’ve endured as lover room banter and sharing sexual exploits. And blames any decrease in women at TAM squarely on bloggers like McCreight, Benson and Watson.
But call him out on it and you’re villyfing him.
Yeah, no.
Calling him out on it is fine, if he has fucked up, and it really looks like he has. But the attacks straight away went personal. Which was not surprising considering the attack dog culture that has grown here in the past year.
Grothe, though is just one in a line of people attacked personally for minor things, and dissenting views. He will surely not be the last.
Check this gem out for example https://twitter.com/nataliereed84/status/213620699846295553
This is objective, it deals with the issues and is not a personal attack. But we shouldn’t expect anything less.
And yes, if I had never been to tam, and I read every post on FTB about sexual harassment. (While the actual physical numbers are extremely low), I would probably get the impression that these conferences were a cesspit of sexism and rape, where you’d better rug up in a burkha lest you want to get groped or propositioned.
Jason Thibeault
June 17, 2012 at 9:46 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Notwithstanding every other wrong thing you’ve said, this needs to be corrected:
Nobody’s EVER said that.
NOBODY.
What we HAVE said, however, is that when harassment happens, it’s pretty fucking obvious that it’ll get swept under the rug and forgotten about, despite TAM having a decent harassment policy in place last year. The question is, will one be in place this year, and will it be enforced so when those instances (rare though they may be) of harassment happen, they’re damn well dealt with appropriately?
And that’s where DJ screwed the pooch.
Stacy
June 17, 2012 at 9:57 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
He said. Then took FtB to task for “personal attacks.”
You mean like what you said, above? Or like the year-long verbal abuse that’s been heaped on Rebecca Watson at ERV?
Fortunately, most skeptics are not you, and have decent reading comprehension skills.
lorimakesquilts
June 17, 2012 at 10:24 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I heart Greta’s argyle tights.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 10:52 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Lying about reports of harassment at TAM. Minor thing.
Calling Grothe a douchebag for that. Worst thing ever.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 10:56 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh save it, you pus filled sac. None of you have found error in anything Grothe has done so please don’t pretend to now.
julian
June 17, 2012 at 11:04 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Being the dishonest shit she is, ellison has ignored every time someone has pointed out clothes don’t discourage sexual harassment or rape.
Jason Thibeault
June 18, 2012 at 12:18 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
julian: “she”? When I see Ellison post, I always imagine I’m talking to Harlan Ellison himself. It’s not much of a stretch given the sanctimony coupled with the misogyny!
ellison
June 18, 2012 at 1:23 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Being the dishonest shit she is, ellison has ignored every time someone has pointed out clothes don’t discourage sexual harassment or rape.
I have come to understand that satire and sarcasm is not to be used on FTB, as everything someone says is absolutely literal and must be attacked as so. But fuck man, it was fucking hyperbole.
Oh save it, you pus filled sac. None of you have found error in anything Grothe has done so please don’t pretend to now.
I am me, I am not “none of you/them”, i have my own opinions and thoughts on the matter. Free-thought dude, you heard of it? This is that shitty “us vs them” mentality where everything is binary. If i don’t agree with all these feminists, then i am a “horrible misogynist privileged mansplainer/ boys club stepford cheerleader”.
You don’t get to place other people’s views on to me, and attack them as my own.
Jen McCreight, that’s a horsewoman alright.
He said. Then took FtB to task for “personal attacks.”
Haha nice one ya got me par’ner. no really, read my posts next time, I pointed out my own Hypocrisy many many posts ago.
as more and more prominent skeptics and organizers are marginalized by personal attacks and character assassinations
You mean like what you said, above? Or like the year-long verbal abuse that’s been heaped on Rebecca Watson at ERV?
Yep, Rebecca Watson has been given a hard time over this last year, far far more than what was deserved. But are we playing a game of “Moooooooom! They did it first!”?
What we HAVE said, however, is that when harassment happens, it’s pretty fucking obvious that it’ll get swept under the rug and forgotten about, despite TAM having a decent harassment policy in place last year. The question is, will one be in place this year, and will it be enforced so when those instances (rare though they may be) of harassment happen, they’re damn well dealt with appropriately?
This tam stuff is pretty recent, but the constant blogging about sexual harassment has been constant for at least 6 months and ongoing for at least a year.
Do you know what the Amber alert is? It was a system for reporting child abductions on electronic road signs, the idea was to give people information to look out for abducted children. Unfortunately as well as not working, it gave the public the sense that child abduction was a very common occurence. This is because even though at any given time, it is a rare event, over a large enough area, it is occuring regularly, and when people are exposed to this nearly daily, they begin to get the sense that it is a common occurence.
I’m not saying that I know DJ Grothe was right. But at no point has anyone here that I have seen reflected on the mere possibility that it might be true. It seems like that would be a heretical thought on FTB to entertain the idea that there are unintended consequences and just because someone may have good intentions and trying to create a welcoming environment for women, things may have effects not predicted.
Jen
June 18, 2012 at 2:28 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Omfg Derpy Hooves. This is the best
embertine
June 18, 2012 at 4:07 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
P.S. It is actually a mattock. Jen requested a mallet but Stephanie had already bagsied that one, so I gave her something close.
I love how even a thread consisting of silly, amateurish cartoons has turned into a discussion about how we’re all shrill harpies and the inevitable demise of our movement. Oh wait, did I say “love”? I meant “am immensely wearied by”.
julian
June 18, 2012 at 5:23 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You’re right. What’s that Namazie thinking? Doesn’t she get constantly writing about sexism makes it look as if there’s way more of it than there actually is?
Rebecca Watson
June 18, 2012 at 9:20 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
These are hilarious! Well done, embertine!
Stephanie Zvan
June 18, 2012 at 10:12 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ahem.
Asking for more information on whether it was true was, in fact, the very first response. It has produced a decent amount of data, even if there may be selection bias. The responses overwhelmingly suggest it’s not true.
David Marjanović
June 18, 2012 at 10:49 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
The chainsaw! So perfect! I laughed so hard…
embertine
June 18, 2012 at 11:30 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks Rebecca. As I need to re-do yours anyway, can I confirm you now have a short blue bob? I am envious as I’ve always wanted blue hait but if I bleached mine it would fall out.
embertine
June 18, 2012 at 3:39 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Here’s Taslima:
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL2133/2404248/13003380/403088075.jpg
You’re going to get SCHOOLED!! Because Cheerilee is a teacher. It’s… I’ll get my coat.
Jason Thibeault
June 18, 2012 at 3:49 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
*snerk*
embertine
June 18, 2012 at 5:14 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Stephanie:
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL2133/2404248/13003380/403089478.jpg
“Ah like to spread love an’ chew hay. An Ah’m all outta hay.”
Stephanie Zvan
June 18, 2012 at 5:38 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hee.
taslima
June 18, 2012 at 5:47 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wow! Great. Thanks. Mmmmm.
Alyson Miers
June 18, 2012 at 6:18 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
These are fabulous and amazing.
Ophelia Benson
June 18, 2012 at 6:44 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Wo!
Ian Andreas Miller
June 18, 2012 at 8:11 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Ha ha, Greta Christina with Rainbow Dash! Brilliant pairing!!
Deen
June 19, 2012 at 8:13 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome :) If there’s going to be a digital rework, can we have more sparkle on the weapons?
Lyanna
June 19, 2012 at 10:43 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
These are LOVELY!
Lyanna
June 19, 2012 at 10:44 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I especially love how the ponies look disgruntled, like they’re annoyed at the sexist asshats too.
dianne
June 19, 2012 at 12:33 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love Rebecca Watson and Pinkie Pie’s expressions. “We’ve got a chainsaw and we’re going to use it!”
Musical Atheist
June 19, 2012 at 1:10 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome and fabulous!
Ugh
June 20, 2012 at 5:13 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Isn’t “Derpy Hooves” that really ableist fan name, and the pony is really called “Ditzy Doo?”
ismenia
June 20, 2012 at 5:56 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Those are great!
Applejack is best pony? What madness is this. Twilight Sparkle is obviously best pony.
embertine
June 20, 2012 at 10:20 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Hey Jason, I’ve re-done Rebecca’s:
http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL2133/2404248/13003380/403111593.jpg
Hopefully a bit more accurate!
Anri
June 20, 2012 at 11:02 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Not as I recall.
Ditzy Do/Doo was a referenced but (as far as I know) unseen pony named in “Winter Wrap-Up” as having gone the wrong direction to b ring back the migrating birds.
At least in the initial version of the show where the grey wall-eyed mare in question was voiced, (I forget the episode title), Rainbow Dash explicitly referred to her as “Derpy”. That may have been changed when they altered the audio.
It was initially a fan name, but has been ascended into canon, IIRC. Arguments over it being ableist continue to this day.
Jason Thibeault
June 20, 2012 at 11:39 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh that is epic, embertine. Want me to photoshop-splice that over the original so the logo/names are still there?
embertine
June 20, 2012 at 11:59 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
If you can – I lost the ability to do bubble writing sometime yesterday so decided not to do it again!
Solaris Phlox
June 23, 2012 at 12:00 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Moahaha!
Nice read. Thanks. :D
Jason Thibeault
June 23, 2012 at 12:02 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oh shit, I knew I was forgetting something. I still have to splice Rebecca’s horse and logo!
Jason Thibeault
June 23, 2012 at 12:49 am CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
There we go, all better.
I finally have a pony | Butterflies and Wheels
June 18, 2012 at 7:06 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] set is at Jason’s – Greta, Natalie, Sikivu, Rebecca, Taslima, Jen, Stephanie – The Horsewomen of the Feminist Apocalypse. [...]
Linkspam Of Unusual Size (22nd June, 2012) | Geek Feminism Blog
June 22, 2012 at 5:03 pm CDT (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] The Horsewomen of the Feminist Apocalypse | Lousy Canuck : Skeptic feminists riding My Little Ponies [...]