This blog is mostly a response to this comment chain.
I love Pinkie Pie. She's my second favorite of the Mane 6 (at this point it should be obvious who's first). I've loved her ever since I started watching the show. Wait, scratch that. She's the character that actually drew me to MLP. Naturally, I have a personal connection to her as a character. This will be explaining why I like her, while also addressing a few complaints against her I've seen recently.
Come on and smile![]
Pinkie is both cute and funny. She almost never fails to make me smile, and I rarely ever find her annoying. I'd even say she's tied with Fluttershy as the most adorable Mane character. Her innocent optimism and desire to make others smile is so endearing I can't help but smile myself. Of course, I'm sure that's completely intentional. You know how so many people say that smiling/laughing is contagious? Pinkie is a strong example of that. Chances are you have cracked a smile duing at least a few of her jokes, unless you laugh on the inside! In a lot of grim situations in the show, you can always count on Pinkie to lighten the mood and give you that much needed smile.
Yet despite all these childlike traits, Pinkie can be very intelligent (one has to wonder where all those unique contraptions come from) and aware of trouble (Swarm of the Century and Cutie Map) when she wants to be. The best part? She doesn't lose her trademark comedy even when she's being "serious"! She, along with Rarity, is definitely the funniest of the Mane 6. However, comedy is not her only trait, which brings us to the next point.
Surprising complexity[]
Pinkie in my eyes is anything but the typical eccentric and hyperactive character. There is just so much more beneath the surface. A few people in the comment chain say that laughter is Pinkie's defining trait, and I strongly disagree. Besides the fact that I really dislike it when people define characters by their element, or any single trait, I think more than a single word is needed to describe truly good characters. This goes back to what I said in my Applejack blog:
"Those short phrases don't define any of those characters any more than "pony fan on the internet" defines me or any of you. Those are tiny portions of their characters. Can I name any traits of Applejack that don't relate to her being country? Yes, I can."
I could say the same for Pinkie. I can name several traits of hers that don't neccesarily relate to her element. She's a very smart and kind pony who always uses her talents for the benefit of others. She is quite sociable and willing to go out of her way to make friends with just about anyone, or help other ponies become friends with each other (Maud Pie). She's not one to hold a grudge and can be just as forgiving as Fluttershy. This is best shown in Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, where there's absolutely no sign of hostility or resentment towards Gilda. She has an insecure side too. Like Spike, she is afraid of losing her place among her friends (Party of One) and/or being replaced by somepony "better" (Pinkie Pride). While usually optimistic, she has the tendency to jump to worst case scenarios when her insecure side comes into play.
INCOMPLETE; ADDING MORE!