@MadVillain  
The difference is that only a couple of ponies tried to take over Equestria. Ponies aren’t a species who are widely infamous for trying to take over Equestria. They’re not lumping together dragons and griffons because a few of them are mean, that is what dragons and griffons behave like in general. It’s not just judging the species on one or two of them.

@PurpleWonderPower  

 
It is. change the word species to race and that’s the textbook excuse for most racists. Lumping together every member of a race/species and judging them based on others and not as individuals is racist.
 
Also It’s like saying no other species should trust Ponies because a couple of Ponies tried to take over the world at one point in time.

@QueenCold  
While I am happy with what we got, as far as the School goes (I suppose since I think I can see what they were going for, especially considering it was an idea Hasbro foisted upon them) I can’t deny that your ideas have a lot of merit.

@QueenCold  
What are you talking about? I know ponies wouldn’t be taught that now, since the dragons and griffons have become allies with Equestria, and wouldn’t hurt them anymore, I’m just saying it was then, back when they were enemies, and dragons and griffons would harm Equestrians, that ponies should be taught to be wary of them. Not since they became allies. The Crystal Empire was being very wary of changelings in Season 6, because the changeling kingdom were still evil back then. They wouldn’t worry about changelings now, since the S6 finale.

@PurpleWonderPower  
Didn’t realize it was you, Neighsay

@Jonny Manz  

 
Glad I’m not the only one who noticed that. The school of friendship was a really poorly executed idea in every aspect, tbh. You can’t teach friendship this way, friendship has to happen. Top-down instruction and limiting freedom isn’t only counterproductive for fostering real friendships, it also facilitates this cultural imperialism. The latter is only exacerbated by the lack of things ponies have learned from other creatures (zero!) and the fact that Twilight actually teaches pony history from an Equestrian perspective.  
The school of friendship should have operated a lot like a summer camp. They could have had the structure, but they should have given the students complete freedom to choose their activities and who they do these activities with. Not to mention that having the school operate during the summer months would have given passionate teachers and other instructors the opportunity to host classes in their spare time, rather than forcing the Mane 6 to fill these roles. This would have solved every issue with the school and would have eliminated any concern any of the leaders may have that the students are learning propaganda.

@QueenCold  
Like I said before, Pinkie Pie didn’t mean “monster” as in “horrible person”, she meant “monster” as in “creature”, like a chimera or a manticore. And yes, I do think it’s perfectly reasonable that ponies should be taught to be wary of dangerous creatures like dragons, who will try to rob and hurt them, and that griffons are known for being nasty.
 
And I didn’t say every single dragon/griffon, I just said griffons and dragons in general. Like I said, there are some exceptions, it’s just majority.

@PurpleWonderPower  
So I guess mules deserve being called ugly by ponies standing next to them, minotaurs deserve to be called monsters for looking different, you can say about dragons what you want despite having no information in your libraries about them because you never interact with them and it’s fine to teach little fillies that every griffon she’ll ever meet will be bad, even though you’re already letting them attend your flight schools…
 
Sounds reasonable to me!

@QueenCold  
Frankly, that’s one area that gives me hope for G5 - if the rumors are true, and it is being targeted to an older demographic (pre-teen to teen), perhaps there can be more nuance, because I feel like a big part of the problem with that aspect is the show is too black-and-white - it feels the need to prop ponies up on a pedestal at the expense of the other species. I think there needs to be more gray area, of the ponies being portrayed as morally questionable. I mean, I think Neighsay was a start, but it’s a topic worth exploring further.
 
Like, if the show as it is now was more equipped to handle it, I think it could explore the cultural imperialism potentially present in such a conceit as the School of Friendship - namely, enrolling representatives from other cultures, so they might spread the pony way, which of course then gets muddied by the fact that friendship is certainly a good thing.vObviously, that’s not what they’re going for - I think it’s more along the lines of “friends can come in all shapes and sizes”, that sort of thing, and fair enough, I do love the group they brought together to represent that (I know I’ve said many times that the Young Six are easily my favorite part of season 8), and I also really like the School.
 
 
@QueenCold  
Fair point.

@QueenCold  
Well, it’s true! Griffons are notoriously mean, and dragons are infamous for being destructive and violent! That’s why ponies dislike them, not just because they aren’t ponies. I think a lot of bronies don’t quite grasp the definition of the word “racism”. It means being unfairly prejudiced against someone JUST because they are not your race/species. If they dislike a certain species because of the bad things they do, that’s not racism.

 

@QueenCold  
He was teaching ponies to be rude, aggressive, violent bullies. I’d call that “in the wrong”. Also, I think Pinkie Pie just called him a monster because she didn’t really know what kind of creature he was. I don’t think she meant “monster” as in “horrible person”. I’d say a minotaur would class as a kind of monster, being a mix-up of different creatures, like a chimera or a manticore.

@Jonny Manz  
I’d go so far as to say it doesn’t even apply to Iron Will.
 
Let me show you a part of the transcript:  
Pinkie Pie: Who’s next please? And what can I get for you today?  
Fluttershy: What do you think you’re doing?! Didn’t you see me?  
Shoeshine: Uh, I guess maybe.  
Fluttershy: ‘Maybe’? “Maybes are for babies!” [growling] Now go to the back of the line where you belong!  
[ponies gasp]  
[VCR rewind sound]  
Pinkie Pie: Heyyy, look at you!  
Rarity: Oh, your attitude is so feisty, it’s fabulous.  
Pinkie Pie: Looks like that monster’s workshop really paid off!  
Fluttershy: Iron Will’s not a monster. He’s a minotaur, and a true inspiration. His techniques really work.  
Rarity: Well, they’ve certainly made a difference in the way you carry yourself. You truly are a whole new Fluttershy.
 
He’s already being called a monster before Fluttershy goes on a rampage.  
I also don’t think Iron Will is treated fairly after this. Fluttershy goes on this rampage without Iron Will forcing this. She took his seminars entirely the wrong way. His advice was bad at worst, but it wasn’t his fault Fluttershy took it as far as she did. None of the other ponies who attended the seminar went nuts.  
In the end Iron Will even honored is refund policy. It wasn’t until Once Upon A Zeppelin that you could really make an argument for him being wrong.

@Jonny Manz  
Dragons are known for being notoriously dangerous as well. And griffons are infamous for being jerks. It’s not racism if it’s true. Certainly there are some exceptions, like Gabby for the griffons, and Ember for the dragons, and Thorax for the changelings, but it’s correct for the majority. Because that is what those creatures are like in general.

@PurpleWonderPower  
That’s immaterial - as QueenCold points out, those remarks are made before any villainy is known by the ponies, and even then, it only applies to Iron Will and the teenaged dragons. Sweetie Belle quite clearly assumes that Gabby will be a jerk, simply because she believes, or has been told, that all griffons are jerks. I really don’t see what’s so hard to understand about that.
 
I suppose it’s odd to see it coming from the mouths of good characters, characters that we know and love - but xenophobia is xenophobia is xenophobia.

@PurpleWonderPower  
It’s a false equivalence and you are making generalizing statements as well.  
But I don’t blame you the show is handling these topics incredibly poorly.

@Jonny Manz  
Sorry for butting in. I don’t disagree with what you’re saying about Smolder. I think you understand what they were going for with her. You just gave me an excuse to talk about Father Knows Beast.
 
Personally, my main gripe with FKB is that it really didn’t need to happen. I took issue with the whole thing, but the resolution was the most disappointing. It was all tell, no show. It would have been nice to see the actual family interactions that Smolder was lecturing Sludge and Spike about instead of this, especially after Molt Down.  
Right now it just feels like “you say that, Smolder, but the show says otherwise… repeatedly”.

@Jonny Manz  
But that’s not racism. They don’t dislike the creatures just because they aren’t ponies, they dislike them because they’ve done bad things. The fact that they also happen to be non-ponies does not change anything.

@QueenCold  

 
Very true - I almost hope that the show addresses it in season 9 - but I doubt it will. I mean, I won’t begrudge it not being addressed or anything like that - just, it would make me miss the show even more once s9 ends, is a sort of roundabout way of saying what I’m getting at, I suppose? Or perhaps I could say that I would have an even greater respect for the show.

@QueenCold  
No, you’re completely missing my point here. I’m not comparing black people to dragons, I’m just saying that the concept of racism is the same: that it’s only racism if you hate them BECAUSE they’re not your race. Sweetie Belle was distrustful of Gabby at first because griffons are notoriously mean. Not just because Gabby wasn’t a pony.

@Daneasaur  
In regards to example “A”, I feel it’s clearly good natured teasing, the kind of interaction typical of, well, siblings, for one. Obviously Smolder didn’t pick up on Spike’s discomfort because of having been brought up in the dragon lands, where the culture would seem to make it so that having an empathetic, or even sympathetic, side would be frowned upon, and perhaps even exploited as a weakness - or at least that part is my interpretation. Even if you suppose there was malicious intent behind it, which I don’t see but I guess is a reasonable enough interpretation, I really do think it’s more just a cultural issue, and Smolder is at least somewhat explaining things out of kindness.
 
In response to “B” all I can say is, wow, you’re really twisting the material so that the narrative suits your expectations, rather than what is actually depicted. I don’t even think she was being that much of a grump - she’s just stating, matter-of-factly, that dragons don’t typically use pillows, that there aren’t really such a thing as pillows in the dragon lands. I mean, there are numerous things backing up this supposition, from that one dragon back in Gauntlet of Fire pledging to pillage Equestria for their pillows (even stating that dragons sleep on rocks!), to more implied stuff, such as Ember stating in Triple Threat that in the dragon lands, everything’s rocks or the color of ash (and then demonstrating why when one of her sneezes sets fire to the banner hung up on the Ponyville town hall - and considering that pillows are typically flammable if you put a strong enough flame to them…).
 
And it’s not like she even rejects the pillow either - she doesn’t hand it back to Spike, and is in fact still holding it when she dives out of the way of Sludge’s crash landing, whereupon it gets incinerated by the heat of said landing. Also, look at her concern when Spike picks up the ashes of the pillow - either it’s due to “Aww, but I was planning on using that pillow!” Or else it’s more along the lines of “Poor Spike, all that work - wasted.” Either way, she certainly doesn’t look happy, or indifferent, or anything like that.
 
Plus, just focusing on that one scene is ignoring all the great interactions she and Spike have in that episode - for all the faults I find with it (namely, focusing too much on Sludge’s antics, especially once it becomes painfully clear that he’s not Spike’s actual father, and as a result perhaps sacrificing a bit too much of the exploration that Twilight’s and Spike’s relationship could’ve benefitted from), one of its strong suits is the Smolder-Spike interactions, really characterizing that relationship well. From her teaching him more advanced flying techniques in the beginning, to showing concern for him and helping to out Sludge as a fraud, and then awkwardly trying to comfort him in the end (which, as an aside, I think is consistent with where her character would be at that point - she would’ve developed/nurtured a sympathetic/empathetic side from being in the School of Friendship, she just wouldn’t have had a chance to put it into practice much), the episode is a veritable gold mine for people who see them as not just friends, but sibling figures to one another - such as myself.
 
Having said all that, what I’m hoping this episode reveals is that 1) they do see each other as sibling like figures (it would come off as rather silly if they’re biologically related, unless it’s done really well) and 2) Garble is the brother Smolder mentioned in Molt Down, because that would cause some hilarious (and also tense) dynamics. Also, what if the episode ends up forcing Smolder to choose between Spike and Garble - new and old, a peaceful life amongst those where she can nurture her latent softer side versus the lifestyle she’s known all her life. I mean, I doubt it will, and it’ll probably end with Smolder admonishing Garble and Spike for putting her in such a position. Then, they realize how much they both care about her - thereby they agree to bury the hatchet and get along, however grudgingly. Still, though, with this being the final season, you never know… Obviously this also presumes that what I wrote above about the episode is what it’s actually about. Though from the above image, it looks as solid as any other theory.
 
P.S. There’s another interaction that solidifies the fact that Smolder and Spike are, at the very least, friends- remember, in A Rockhoof and a Hard Place, how the school fire that Rockhoof puts out was caused by Smolder and Spike having a fire breathing competition - something Twilight even mentions is a regular occurrence. Everything about it screams competition between friends or *ahem* sibling-figures. Go ahead and call it addendum “C”, onto my response list.

@PurpleWonderPower  
You want to compare dragons to black people? Because I am not comfortable with the idea of white people sitting in a trench and watching black people with binoculars while whispering about how formidable they are, before asking the black kid why he’d want to act like the other black people. The same black kid who was once told by one of his adoptive mom’s friends that she didn’t know black people could talk.
 
I think I made my point.
 
There are many instances of ponies making blanket statements about other creatures. It started in season 1.  
In Dragon Quest alone Twilight tells Spike he doesn’t have to act like other dragons, before admitting later that she has no information about them because ponies don’t talk to dragons. Later Rarity calls the teenaged dragons “awful”, but this was before the egg raid and after a party they threw him to make him feel welcome.
 
Iron Will was called a monster for being a minotaur, Sweetie Belle was distrustful of gabby because Sweetie believed all griffons were supposed to be jerks, mules are called ugly in their presence… it’s actually a theme that runs through the show and it culminated in Neighsay.

@QueenCold  
How are ponies xenophobic? They hate dragons because dragons are cruel and nasty and violent. Xenophobia means they hate dragons for the SOLE fact that they aren’t ponies. Like how Neighsay did. I mean, there’s a black person at my school that I really hate, but I hate him because he bullies me, not because he’s black, therefore it isn’t racism. It’s the same with ponies and dragons. It’s only xenophobia if they hate them BECAUSE they’re different species.

@PurpleWonderPower  
Gonna have to disagree. Their intentions aside, what they said was very insensitive and the fact that they didn’t realize that speaks volumes of how unaware of their own xenophobia ponies are. Dragons aren’t the only creatures ponies have said overly generalizing and downright insulting things about. (those poor mules)
 
As for this comment:  

 
In the case of dragons this unfortunately isn’t supported by the evidence in the show. As Daneasaur noted, Torch seems to be an exception. Besides being somewhat protective of Ember, he is also by far the most reasonable adult dragon on the show to date.  
Smolder explicitly stated that dragons kick out their young when they molt. Smolder also suggested that Spike finds a cave or terrorizes a village before realizing her mistake and saying that’s off the table now that ponies are friends. This not only hints at the kids being kicked out permanently, but it provides even more evidence that Garble’s disrespect for ponies is a result of him growing up with like-minded dragons.  
I had to come up with an extremely contrived fan explanation to make dragons more responsible parents, so I could keep writing the parents the way I have written them for years.
 
@Daneasaur  
You are right.
 
Chances are Garble is utterly confused by the concept of altruism. He was brought up in an unforgiving culture where cautionary tales about kindness ruining your life literally win awards.

@PurpleWonderPower  
That’s what I’m trying to say; Torch and Ember’s relationship is unique among dragons. Was it because her mother died and he had to care for her egg on his own, thus he became fiercely protective of her to the point that even the molt didn’t make him back off?
 
There are possibilities, however it seems Torch is unique and as FKB showcased, an older dragon will happily abuse younger dragons just because they can.