Filli Vanilli

{{Infobox television episode | series = [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]] | image = Fluttershy singing and Big Mac sweating S4E14.png | caption = The Pony Tones perform ''(left)'' while [[Fluttershy]] sings in the backstage ''(right)'' | season = 4 | episode = 14 | writer = [[Amy Keating Rogers]] | director = * [[Jayson Thiessen]] * Jim Miller (co-director) | music = "[[List of songs in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic#Season 4 (2013–14)|Music in the Treetops]]" and "[[List of songs in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic#Season 4 (2013–14)|Find the Music in You]]" by [[Daniel Ingram (composer)|Daniel Ingram]] | editor = | airdate = {{Start date|2014|02|15}} | length = 22 minutes | guests = * Danny Balkwill as Toe-Tapper * [[Cathy Weseluck]] as Torch Song * Jerrica Santos as Torch Song (singing voice) * Alvin Sanders as Flutterguy * Marcus Mosley as Flutterguy (singing voice) | prev = [[Simple Ways]] | next = [[Twilight Time (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Twilight Time]] | season_article = My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (season 4) | episode_list = List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes }} "'''Filli Vanilli'''" is the fourteenth episode of [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 4|the fourth season]] of [[animated series|animated]] television series ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'', as well as the seventy-ninth overall. Written by [[Amy Keating Rogers]], directed by [[Jayson Thiessen]], and co-directed by Jim Miller, the episode centers around [[Fluttershy]] secretly standing-in for [[List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters#Big McIntosh|Big McIntosh]] in a few concerts. Big Mac lip-syncs on stage to hide it, but they are caught when Fluttershy accidentally knocks the curtain down. Aired on February 15, 2014, on [[Discovery Family|The Hub]], the episode was viewed by 584,000 people.

== Plot == {{External media |headerimage=[[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|center]] |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCrBhAu3zI Filli Vanilli (full episode)] — Official upload of the episode onto [[YouTube]] | float= left| }} {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}} [[Fluttershy]] sings her animals a beautiful song in the morning. Hearing this, her [[Mane Six|friends]] suggest that she should perform with the Pony Tones vocal quartet at a benefit concert. She refuses this due to her stage fright, even though she is a big fan of the Pony Tones. The next morning, the group comes together for a [[rehearsal]]. However, [[List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters#Big McIntosh|Big McIntosh]], a member of the group who is supposed to sing bass at the concert, lost his voice during a [[turkey call]] competition. Now, with a member less, the group has to find a replacement for him.

Fluttershy decides to consult shaman and herbalist [[Zecora]]. Zecora says that she can cure Big Mac, but not in time for the concert. However, she reminds Fluttershy of her [[Bridle Gossip|Poison Joke]] effect that deepened Fluttershy's voice, turning it into masculine "Flutterguy", and says that she can recreate it. Fluttershy is still nervous about singing on-stage, but [[Rarity (My Little Pony)|Rarity]] suggests a solution: Fluttershy sings backstage, and Big Mac lip-syncs to her performance.

The concert goes perfectly, and requests for more performances keep pouring in. Fluttershy insists on continuing to sing for Big Mac out of sight as she enjoys being able to sing. After Big Mac recovers his voice, Rarity informs her that she is no longer required to sing. Seeing her disappointment, they allow her to perform one last time. During the song, Fluttershy accidentally knocks the curtain down, which reveals her. Even though the audience cheers for her, Fluttershy runs off in embarrassment.

Her friends find her at her cottage and convince her that facing her worst fear was not as bad as she had imagined because the audience loved her performance. Fluttershy agrees to perform privately for her friends with the Pony Tones and agrees to permanently join the band once she fully overcomes her stage fright.

== Production == [[File:Amy keating rogers bronycon summer 2012 cropped.png|175px|right|thumb|The episode was written by [[Amy Keating Rogers]]]] [[Amy Keating Rogers]], the episode's writer, said that she pitched the idea for the episode back in September 2012. She added that initial name of the episode was "The Return of Flutterguy", which was changed to "Flutterfear" because the previous title gave "too much information." The title was later changed to "Filli Vanilli", a reference to the German-French R&B duo [[Milli Vanilli]], who were caught in a scandal that exposed them lip-syncing their performances.<ref>Multiple sources: *{{cite tweet|user=KeatingRogers|number=434711135334318080|title=I pitched the idea for today's episode back in September 2012|author=Amy Keating Rogers|date=February 15, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2021}} *{{cite tweet|user=KeatingRogers|number=434724568658239488|title=Pitched this as "The Return of Flutterguy"|author=Amy Keating Rogers|date=February 15, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2021}} *{{cite tweet|user=KeatingRogers|number=434729845470158848|title=In the 80s there was a group called Milli Vanilli|author=Amy Keating Rogers|date=February 15, 2014|accessdate=November 6, 2021}} *{{cite news | title=Pop duo Milli Vanilli didn't sing hit album| newspaper=Washington Post | date=November 16, 1990 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/11/16/pop-duo-milli-vanilli-didnt-sing-hit-album/aee6720b-3459-40cd-8b52-1f1e387d337e/ | access-date=July 6, 2019}}</ref>

=== Featured songs === Both songs featured in the episode were composed by the series songwriter, [[Daniel Ingram (composer)|Daniel Ingram]]. The [[orchestration]] of "Music in the Treetops" was done by Trevor Hoffmann. "Find the Music in You" was orchestrated and arranged by Hoffman and Caleb Chan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/dannyimusic/posts/652826081431634|title=Filli Vanilli aired today|via=Facebook|date=February 15, 2014|author=Daniel Ingram|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818143805/https://www.facebook.com/dannyimusic/posts/652826081431634|archive-date=August 18, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

# Music in the Treetops # Find the Music in You

== Broadcast and reception == On February 14, 2014, a day before the episode aired, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' released a preview of the episode showing [[Fluttershy]] singing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/02/14/friendship-is-magic-fluttershy-sings/|title='My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic': Fluttershy sings|author=Hillary Busis|website=EW.com|date=February 14, 2014|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=July 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729062009/https://ew.com/article/2014/02/14/friendship-is-magic-fluttershy-sings/|url-status=live}}</ref> The episode aired the following day on [[Discovery Family|The Hub]]. According to the [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen household ratings]], the episode was watched by approximately 0.3 percent of American households and had 584,000 viewers.<ref name="Pucci 2014-02-20">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tvratings/41027/hub-network-ratings-scorecard-week-of-february-10-2014/|title=Hub Network Ratings Scorecard—Week of Feb. 10, 2014|publisher=TV Media Insights|date=2014-02-20|access-date=2014-02-22|last=Pucci|first=Douglas|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140309090013/http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tvratings/41027/hub-network-ratings-scorecard-week-of-february-10-2014/|archive-date=March 9, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Reviews of the episode were mixed. Sherilyn Connelly, the author of ''Ponyville Confidential'', panned the episode, giving it a "D-" rating.<ref>{{harvp|Connelly|2017|p=81}}</ref> Sofie Liv of ''The Agony Booth'' gave the episode a rating of 3 out of 5 and called it "slightly above average" for the show, praising it as well told and well written with funny jokes and good musical numbers. She noted that while it was a very enjoyable watch, it was not really anything new since they had done this kind of episode with Fluttershy overcoming her fears before.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agonybooth.com/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-filli-vanilli-s04e14-20290|title=My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic "Filli Vanilli"|website=The Agony Booth|first=Sofie|last=Liv|date=2014-02-21|access-date=2025-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809142107/https://www.agonybooth.com/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-filli-vanilli-s04e14-20290|archive-date=2020-08-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> Daniel Alvarez of ''Unleash the Fanboy'' gave the episode 4.5 out of 5 stars. He praised the writing and said that "the message of stage fright/fear in general was greatly handled." Alvarez further added that the episode "should and probably will go down as a classic", however he said that Pinkie Pie was annoying in the episode according to him.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Daniel Alvarez|url=http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/news/little-pony-friendship-magic-filli-vanilli-review/89714|title=My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 'Filli Vanilli' Review|date=February 16, 2014|access-date=November 6, 2021|website=Unleash the Fanboy|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030152142/http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/news/little-pony-friendship-magic-filli-vanilli-review/89714|url-status=live}}</ref> Raymond Gallant of ''Freakin' Awesome Network'' gave the episode a rating of 8 out of 10 and called it "a fun episode" with lots of great humor, praising the "got the music in you" song as "one of the show's catchiest so far." However, Gallant criticized Pinkie Pie's portrayal as too mean-spirited, noting it felt out of character compared to previous episodes where she was blunt but not hurtful.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freakinawesomenetwork.net:80/2014/02/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-4-episode-14-review|title=My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 4, Episode 14 Review|website=Freakin' Awesome Network|first=Raymond|last=Gallant|date=2014-02-23|access-date=2025-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311013839/http://www.freakinawesomenetwork.net:80/2014/02/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-4-episode-14-review|archive-date=2014-03-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a critical analysis of the episode, author Jen A. Blue praised "Filli Vanilli" as "a pitch-perfect example" of the difference between helping and saving and wrote that the episode demonstrates what genuine support looks like by allowing Fluttershy to set the pace for dealing with her [[stage fright]]. Blue analyzed how the other ponies, particularly Rarity and Big Mac, offer resources and opportunities without asserting control and treat Fluttershy as a friend rather than a project in need of supervision. Blue contrasted this with Pinkie Pie's behavior, remarking that while Pinkie is trying to help, she fails because she cannot grasp the key principle that "often the hardest part of helping someone is doing nothing, standing by quietly while someone you care about struggles, because they do not need or do not want the particular kind of help you're able to give." Blue concluded that the episode succeeds by showing the [[Mane Six]] accepting that Fluttershy can reject their offered opportunities, which respects her autonomy and allows her to work through her issues on her own terms.<ref name="Blue-S4-FV">{{cite book |last=Blue |first=Jen A. |title=My Little Po-Mo: Unauthorized Critical Essays on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season Four and Beyond|pages=114–118|date=2021-12-27 |chapter=But, you know, whatever you want to do is fine (Filli Vanilli)}}</ref>

[[Andrea Libman]], who voiced Pinkie Pie and [[Fluttershy]], won the [[ACTRA Award#UBCP/ACTRA Awards (Vancouver)|2014 UBCP/ACTRA Award]] in the "Best Voice" category for her work in this episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ubcp.com/ubcpactra-awards-nominees/|title=2014 UBCP/ACTRA Awards Nominees Media Release|publisher=UBCP/ACTRA|date=2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305001524/http://www.ubcp.com/ubcpactra-awards-nominees/|archive-date=March 5, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ubcp.com/press-releases/2014/11/top-bc-talent-honoured-at-the-2014-ubcpactra-awards-in-vancouver/ |title=Top BC Talent Honoured At The 2014 UBCP/ACTRA Awards In Vancouver |date=November 22, 2014 |publisher=[[ACTRA|UBCP/ACTRA]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527230606/http://www.ubcp.com/press-releases/2014/11/top-bc-talent-honoured-at-the-2014-ubcpactra-awards-in-vancouver/ |archive-date=May 27, 2019 |access-date=May 27, 2019}}</ref>

== Home media == The episode is part of the complete [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] Season 4 DVD Set by [[Shout! Factory]], which was made available in stores on December 2, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season Four |url=https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-four?product_id=4801 |publisher=[[Shout! Factory]] |access-date=May 26, 2021 |archive-date=May 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526023926/https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-season-four?product_id=4801 |url-status=live }}</ref> Under the title "Flutterfear", it was also a part of the "My Little Pony: Maud Pie" DVD, released on January 8, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic/dp/B01F000X0G/|title=My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Maud Pie|date=January 8, 2018|via=Amazon|accessdate=November 7, 2021|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107103407/https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic/dp/B01F000X0G/|archive-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography=== * {{Cite book |last=Connelly |first=Sherilyn |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ponyville_Confidential/E3VPDgAAQBAJ |title=Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016 |date=2017-04-01 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-6209-1 |language=en}}

== External links == * {{IMDb episode|3099898|Filli Vanilli}}

{{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes|4|state=expanded}}

[[Category:My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes]] [[Category:2014 American television episodes]] [[Category:2014 Canadian television episodes]]