@Crystal Neighybánya  
Not really a running gag, but it’s a fan parody series called How Equestria was Made. Some of them are on this site too.

@Beau Skunky  
It highlights the logical inconsistency of One Bad Apple quite nicely - and in three panels, too.
 
I wonder if Gilda harassing those two is a running joke in this artists comics? If so, I need to find more.

@Background Pony #C5B2  
Well, she didn’t push them into the mud, she just threatened to tell their parents on them, (Tiara & Spoon looked kinda adorable all scared) and kinda “death stared” them into it. (Babs is one scary filly.) I guess that was supposed to be their retribution for encouraging Babs to become bad, and turned her against the CMC, but still it wasn’t just them to blame, as I said. Alot of Babs actions were her own doing.
 
Also, to be fair Tiara & Spoon were probably ready to pick on Babs to, until they heard she was from the big city Manehatten, then they kinda started to change their tune, and then when Babs then used the situation to turn against the CMC, in order to become “accepted” by the two.
 
@Crystal Neighybánya  
Hehe I remember that comic.

@Beau Skunky  
I agree with everything you said.
 
@Background Pony #C5B2  

@Beau Skunky  
Main problem with Babs wasn’t just what she did to the CMC.  
It’s that she clearly didn’t learn anything and as she was leaving town and the two first friends she seemed to have spend most of her time in ponyville came to see her off, she bullied them. But I guess its not bullying when it happens to ponies you don’t like. Even the adult ponies present don’t seem to care when the big filly is pushing smaller fillies into mud.  
Its particularly galling since we saw DT and SS treat Babs as a friend right away and never picked on Babs for being a blankflank.

@Crystal Neighybánya  
That, and she did apologize/pull a heel-face-turn, which is why Babs is more easily forgiven. (The duo on the other hand haven’t really appologized for anything, nor shown much positive sides, aside from Spoon applauding Granny Smith, Tiara complimenting Pinkie Pie in song, and some of the things they did in “Twilight Time.”)
 
Though, Babs was also using the bullying to become “accepted/popular/not bullied,” (like some IRL bullies) but regardless of her “woobie” excuse, (nothing against Babs, in fact I do like her) she was even more relentless with her bullying them the “evil duo.” She did things even they wouldn’t dare do to the CMC. While they encouraged her, they just seemed like flunkies/cheering squad to Babs basically. Babs is still responsible for her own actions, I feel. She was so bad, the CMC nearly took it in their own hooves to “nock her down a peg,” and get revenge. (Even Tiara, & Spoon haven’t pissed them off that bad yet, so that’s saying something. If the CMC wanted to, they could easily overpower, or prank the two themselves if they wanted to.)
 
Some consider Tiara mocking Scootaloo’s flightlessness, (“Flight to the Finish”) and ruining her self-confidence temporarily to be her crossing the “moral event horizon,” (therefore seeing her irredeemable) and a way worse offense. They forget she (and Spoon, they forget Spoony was in on it too) only did that to “sabotage” the CMC, so they could win the compatition. (Some also consider it like mocking a “disabled” kid, but the episode never said Scoots was “disabled.” Scoots remark about her “wings” seemed to imply they were undergrown, or something, and that she could possibly eventually fly when she gets older. So she’s possibly not “crippled.”)  
Also, sense Tiara & Spoon didn’t get any come-uppens for their actions in said episode (aside from possibly having their ego-crushed, and looking very upset by losing to the CMC) many feel they didn’t get what they truely deserved for their actions in said episode. This is why some don’t like the ep’.  
(Though, some fans kinda go overboard thinking they deserve to “die a horrible death” for it. Worst I’d like to see is them having to do heavy chores, fall in the mud, having others laugh at their expense, or something.)
 
Though, the same could be said for Babs. While still very very low of them to do that to Scoots, I honestly still think all the things Babs did were way worse then the things the “sugar lump” duo usually do to them. As you said they’re only “effective” villains on a rare occasion.

@Beau Skunky  
Exactly. The main antagonist of that episode was Babs - not either of the Sugar Lump Rumpers. The only reason she got away with what she did was that she was a member of the Apple Family; if anything, that makes her several circles of hell lower than Tiara, ‘cause she’s abusing a member of her own family and then using her blood to get away with it.

@Crystal Neighybánya  
Yeah, in fact I felt Babs (regardless of her woobie “excuse/backstory,” and heel-face-turn) was actually worse to the CMC then Tiara & Spoon ever were. (Yet, due to Babs being reformed/forgiven, nobody cares what she did wrong, even though she got away with it, making her kinda a “karmiac houdini” in a way.)
 
At least Tiara & Spoon are just verbal, Babs actually got physical, stole their shakes, threw food/things at them, pranked them, stalked/chased them, stole their treehouse, scared them, and even threaten them if they told on her.  
I’m pretty sure all those nasty things were her own doing/ideas, and not Tiara’s, or Spoon’s. (If they were why don’t they do all those things to them?) Sure Tiara & Spoon went along with it and enjoyed laughing at the CMC’s expense, (which encouraged Babs to keep it up, or become worse) but they didn’t do any of those things to them prior, and at times it looked like Babs was practically the “leader,” with them as the followers.
 
Looking back, all those things were kinda worse then Tiara’s verbal-annoyance, or one-time blackmail, I feel.
 
Though, I like Babs, don’t get me wrong. I just find it ironic fans easily forgive her for the ton of nasty things she did, yet want Tiara turned into glue over every petty/minor thing she does.

@Beau Skunky  
Exactly. Aside from Flight to the Finish, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are not even all that effective as bullies. They’re annoying - yes - but they’re not a threat. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are like a ponified Sherri and Terri as opposed to a ponified Nelson Muntz (aka. Babs Seed).
 
I did this pic as a joke (it was based off the premise of a creepypasta I toyed with writing), but it seems people took it seriously.

@JustTheBast  
I got to say Tiara may be an stuck-up brat, but no way is she that “evil.” That’s rather exaggerating… (Plus it’s like fans forget she’s a li’l kid basically.)
 
I kinda wish the show would show something positive about Tiara, or show a different side to her, ‘cause some fans are oddly getting the idea she’s some kinda eldritch abomination with no redeeming qualities.
 
(Maybe said fans were bullied to much as a child, and take it to personally as a result. Therefore projecting their own personal repressed hate of their bullies onto Tiara.)
 
@PonyPon  
I recall, even being called “blank-flanks” doesn’t phase them to much anymore. They seem to consider Tiara & Spoon just a mere annoyance now then their own worst enemy.
 
@Kazapsky  
Actually, they did tell her off in “Twilight Time,” and Tiara has been bitten by karma several times in the show. (Falling in mud, forced to wear embarrassing bunny ears, and covered in ink, having Twilight call her out on her B.S.)
 
I’d say the CMC have gotten away with more then she has honestly.
 
@Background Pony #C5B2  
Actually, Cheerilee looked quite angry with Tiara, >>29168 and judging by Tiara’s face she got chewed-out by her.

@Background Pony #CDE3  
The episode where she was demoted for being too good at her job as the new editor and because Cheerilee paid no attention what so ever to what the school newspaper got up to.  
Also because 3 journalists who had just admitted to spreading lies and slander about pretty much everyone said she made them do it.  
Not really sure why any pony would believe their excuses at that point…  
Oh, and her partner who took all the clandestine photos and stalked half the city, got promoted for that too.

@Kazapsky  
DT got her comeuppance pretty well in Ponyville Confidential.

@PonyPon
 
I haven’t seen the CMC ever pulling one over on DT without being punished for it. And they have yet to stand up to her directly.

@SuperSupermario24  
I’m no Scootahater; infact, she’s actually my favorite Crusader. I just happen to have a dark sense of humor.
 
@JustTheBast  
I’d like to think Diamond Tiara is above cannibalism.

@Kazapsky  
And the Cmc can’t defend themselves? And don’t consistently one-up her?

@Kazapsky  
i though child abusers/rapists are the bottom of the barrel

@PonyPon
 
Bullies get their jollies from the misery they inflict on those who can’t defend themselves. They’re already at the bottom of the moral spectrum. This would be a lateral move.

Sounds finger licking good to me.

@PonyPon  
The idea that you think that way is infinitely scarier.

@JustTheBast  
No, actually, I’m sure many would say that.

I have no idea whether to hate this or like it.  
I mean, I hate Scootahaters, but just something about the way this image is done is funny to me.

The scary thing is that this is not in any way out of character. They wouldn’t put it in the show, sure – but if they could, nobody would say, “No, that’s so unlike Diamond Tiara!”

 
@Alex Vostox  
He also compared the gravy to “sludge” and the mashed potatoes to “wallpaper paste.”

@TricksterWolf
 
Yeah, even the REAL late Col. Sanders said the KFC secret recipes is a lowly watered down of his own original recipes.