Wrapped in her tacky pink nightgown adorned with a flying, rainbow striped Pegasus, my sweet, innocent little 3.5 year old is laying in bed this morning as she looks up at me with a dreamy expression, smiles and says “Mommy? Today can I PLEASE get Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” See, my 3 year old DAUGHTER has a little obsession with My Little Ponies. She loves the cartoon, the books and will spend hours combing the tails of her collection of bright colored ponies. But? She’s 3. And a GIRL.
Last night Jason told me about this hilarious video he found. “It’s a mash-up of the My Little Pony cartoon and the Watchmen movie – it’s hilarious.” Then I get in a Twitter-sation with an old colleague about Toys R US and I mention My Little Pony (or MLP as I will soon learn it’s referenced as) and she asks if I knew about “Bronies.” Not really knowing what it was, and thinking it was maybe boy versions of the popular toy, the first thing that popped up was an article from Wired.com posted last week talking about the “Fanboys” of My Little Pony that call themselves “Bronies.”
With websites dedicated to fan art and fan stories, these are men in their twenties, thirties and forties that are just as obsessed with MLP as my 3 year old daughter.
“First we can’t believe this show is so good, then we can’t believe we’ve become fans for life, then we can’t believe we’re walking down the pink aisle at Toys R Us or asking for the girl’s toy in our Happy Meal,” Allen said in an e-mail to Wired.com. “Then we can’t believe our friends haven’t seen it yet, then we can’t believe they’re becoming bronies too.”
Is ANYONE else as disturbed by this as I am?! I mean yes, everyone has the right to have a cult fascination. Many women in this same age group are obsessed with teenage sparkly vampires, but these are grown men coveting the same toys as my preschooler. The popular Bronie website Equestia Daily, even proudly proclaims to be “corrupting little girls television.” Hasbro (the toy manufacturer) and The Hub (the cable network the show airs on) seem to be OK with this new fanbase. Quoted in the Wired.com article, Lauren Faust, the shows producer argues that the Bronies are “might be bucking the gender socialization of things considered to be “for girls” or “for boys.”
To this point, I will say that my 7.5 year old son, and some of his other friends with little sisters, also really like the show. It’s actually been a great compromise during TV time since both kids want to watch it. But the difference? MY SON IS SEVEN.
Looking at my daughter this morning, still glassy-eyed from her pony dreams, I realized why this bothers me so much…to me, it’s a step away from some kind of child molestation. I see these 30 year old men sitting there with pink plastic ponies and envision them getting turned on. Or worse – are they getting turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.
Then again, I tend to take things a bit to the extreme. Maybe it is just a innocent, stupid thing for these men, a new fad to obsess over since comic books have become so mainstream and acceptable. One Bronie was even quoted saying:
“As a person with Asperger syndrome, I learned more about theory of mind, friendships and social interactions from this season than I had in the previous 31 years of life.”
What do you think? Is this an innocent fad? Are Bronies just bored “geeks” Or does it leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Update: The pony artist asked me to remove the images of the custom ponies in lingerie. I apologize for using her images in my post. If you would like to view examples of her work, please feel free to visit: http://my-little-modified-pony.tumblr.com/post/896632175/jukebox-julie-by-lisa-stanley-woosie-someone
UPDATE: The comments to this article are being closed because of threatening and hostile comments. The comments have only proven to me that this whole bronie trend leaves a bad taste in my mouth. - Theresa
About HipMamaB
I think it’s weird for sure but I have heard about this. I guess on the movie site rottentomatoes there is a whole group of bronies. I will not be one of them.
So, Bronies seem a little creepy, especially to identify so strongly with My Little Ponies. Now that said, there is a retro cool thing to /any/ of those old 80′s cartoons.
However, this is not creepy and especially cool. My Little Ponies help teach science! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muVfidujxRg
I heard about Bronies on the radio while on my commute to work and I think peed my pants a little because I laughed so hard. Then I saw the photo of the dude who is like the head Bronie and I was TOTALLY creeped out! I mean really? REALLY! I will watch a cartoon because I have to, not because I opt to. I don’t care so much about gender stereo typing of shows, but REALLY?!?!?! These are grown men. It is just creepy.
That man isn’t the head bronie. bronies are not lead by one individual so there is no leader at all. i am 23 a bronie i go to college and I am studying to be a computer systems tech. so I am normal and not mentally challenged in anyway nor am i a pedophile. you also shouldn’t judge by physical appearance.
My two sons are 14 and 21, high school and college students and best buds. They went from playing violent games like Halo and Dead Space to watching My Little Pony. Now they are collaborating on an illustrated story based on the characters. Me, I found their interest in Halo and Dead Space much more disturbing even though playing those games might be considered more acceptable, typically “masculine” pursuits. The younger son was NOT allowed to even watch his brother play Dead Space – that’s how gruesome I thought it was!
I think the world could be a better place if we give men the space to try out gentler interests without criticism and judgment.
And, about bringing sex into children’s programming and toys, that did not begin with MLP and will not end with it. Think of Barbie and every beautiful princess ever created. If some pervert gets turned on by your daughter playing with her pink pony, neither the child or her toy are the issue.
Well said!
He is a good reason like they like it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1751105/
Being a Brony has nothing to do with pedophilia or anything. The only reason people like it is because the show is actually well put together. I am 14 and I’m am personally a huge fan of the show because its clever, has pretty well thought out characters, and the animation is fantastic.
Here’s a video explaining how it got popular http://www.rocketboom.com/bronies/
Also for further reference and to quell any fears check out know your meme MLP
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic
Do you think it’s weird for adult men to like say Pixar movies? Do you think it’s weird that a small, maladjusted subset get obsessed with these movies? Really it’s too bad that what this show is had to be under the MLP banner. There’s almost no brand in the world that is more damaged outside of its target demographic. Personally I like it pretty much like I enjoy Pixar movies, catch each one, not obsessed, don’t buy toys or make fan art or anything (and yes I have a job and get out of the house regularly).
But I am doing some extra posting around this show to debate people who have issues with it. Probably because I remember a decade or two ago, pre-Pixar, when adults weren’t “allowed” to like any cartoons at all. As for the creepy angle… well, you just have to learn to deal with the fact that rule 34 (if it exists, there is porn of it) is probably the most ironclad rule of the internet. It doesn’t mean anything about the broad swath of the fanbase, which is above average as far as internet fanbases go imo.
“What do you think?”
As a brony myself, I’m probably somewhat biased. However, I don’t question the values of people unless it directly applies to hurting others. And even though we like a show directed toward little girls, it doesn’t mean we are attracted to little girls. Personally, I like adult women. That’s who I have dated, and that all I’d like to date.
“Is this an innocent fad?”
Sure is. It’s weird. I’m not blind to that. However, I’m a little more surprised people aren’t creeped out by the sheer number of men who enjoy video games *actually playing as* characters who shoot men while being rewarded for acts like shooting your opponents’ heads off. That’s society for you though. It’s better to be “manly” and overly aggressive than to be a man who merely enjoys child-like things outside of his assigned gender.
“Are Bronies just bored ‘geeks’…”
So it seems. When I first learned of the phenomenon (and I mean “phenomenon” in a neutral way,) first though that various men who were less “geeky” (e.g., don’t spend time on 4chan, didn’t play Dungeons and Dragons, was involved in school) enjoyed the show, but no. We’re mostly geeks. Haha. Personally, I identify as a geek. Although I was voted most likely to succeed in high school (generally a driven, motivated individual,) played three years of football (a stereotypically manly sport,) and was school president (which, you know, is essentially a popularity contest,) I’ve always like light-hearted video games and cartoons. As a graduate student now, I can tell you I *stay* bored. I spend time away from family and friends, and I don’t have time to be as social as I was when I was younger. It’s a fun way to pass the time (and to meet people online who won’t call me creepy because of it.)
“…or does it leave a bad taste in your mouth?”
Again, I am biased, but I can only say what I’ve seen in my own perception of the community, and since you don’t know me (or anyone from the community,) there’s no way for you to know for sure. And even though you ask for others’ opinion, I get the feeling as if you’re merely looking for confirmation of your first opinion. That’s disappointing, if that’s the case, but we’re different and hard to understand. We know that.
We are geeky guys (and some women) who like the latest generation of My Little Pony. For a massive majority of us, we’ve never liked a show targeting the young girls demographic before, including previous incarnations of My Little Pony. I don’t think we’re dangerous or creepy. I’m not dangerous or creepy. What does bother me is that I’ve spent more than two decades of my life maintaining a personal reputation as a stellar student, an open-minded dude, and a Christian with no record of wrong-doing only to be deemed any adjective with a connotation worse than weird.
I’ll conclude with a brief quote by C.S. Lewis. It floats around the community a bit especially in response to this common opinion. I hope it helps you to feel a bit better about the fact that men like us exist, but mostly, I hope it helps you to realize that men enjoying a girls’ cartoon isn’t a sign of being a pedophile.
“When I became a man I put away childish things…Including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” Have a nice day.
Thanks Josh for helping us understand a little better!
Thanks for your thoughts, Josh. I do appreciate your point of view and am sorry if I offended you personally. As a mom we see things from the view of our kids – so many of us moms see MLP as the cheesy plastic toys we are forced to buy at Target and the show that’s clogging our DVR. Maybe as we become moms we become biased towards sub-cultures around things that attract our kids? Our over protective nature kicks in and we jump to conclusions.
But also being an adult that has “played” with the toys, memorized all the names of the ponies, read the books and watched all 18 episodes, I will say I still don’t get it. But? I hope all Bronies are like you… NOTHING would make me happier than to be proven wrong on this!
I’m a little late to the party ain’t I?
Anyway, onto my reply!
There certainly is a huge demographic of adult men who watch this show, though most of the demographic is ages 18~25 statistically. When we watch the show, we are reminded of those old shows that never come on anymore, such as PowerPuff Girls or Dexter’s Laboratory. In fact, the same person who did PPG did My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Lauren Faust is behind this huge phenomenon we know as bronies. It uses the same slapstick comedy style as the old cartoons, the randomness of them and has a very cute style to it. Shows are presented in a plot-less style, just like a normal cartoon, though these are written very well, given much thought into them, much like the older cartoons of the nineties and eighties, though with My Little Pony it was an exception.
When you look back to the old MLPs, do you see a huge colt (cwutididthar?) following of adult men? Nope, you sure did not, this was because it was designed for little girls and given that respect, it was all cutesy and rainbows, nothing more than a little storyline, extremely simple plot, all the characters were the same in retrospect, just about the same voices. Same body shapes, same face shape, the only thing different about the ponies was the hair, color, and cutie marks. They were given a multi-layered style which gave them a cute look, though it turned away most of the older demographic because of the style used, it was just TOO girly I guess. Not to mention that everything was all about frills and flowers from what I have seen looking back onto the show. What they did with FiM, they changed the whole look of it, getting rid of the multi-layered, DragonBall-Z style stuff, and given them a much simpler look, which, still looking cute, appealed to many more people, including older guys who watched the shows with about the same style back in the 80s and 90s. The eyes in FiM are dynamic, there are different shapes of the eyes, such as the difference between Pinkie Pie and Rarity, Pinkie Pie has big round eyes while Rarity has kind of slanted “sophisticated” looking eyes with many more eyelashes than Pinkie. Also what I have noticed from the differences in the styles is the outlining, in the previous generations, they used the black line effect to outline the various ponies, while in the newest verion, FiM, they used a pastel, slightly darker shade of the character to outline, giving them a much softer and more appealing look. But enough about the art style of the show, let’s move on to the general storylines.
Storylines, storylines… where to begin with them, ok, the shows as I have stated before don’t really have a general plot, as most cartoons over the ages did this same exact thing, but with FiM, it did something right. They were beautifully written, the characters were always in character of course, well executed, and throughout the series, there was a certain story “arc” that continued throughout. Episode 2, The Ticket Master, the Princess sends Twilight Sparkle 2 tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, the biggest party of the year held at Canterlot. And well, with there being 6 ponies, and only two tickets, you can probably get what happens next if you have watched older cartoons. Then moving on to the next episode in the arc, Suited for Success, which was episode 14, Rarity makes all the ponies their own dresses for the Gala. Then episode 26, the season fanale was the Gala, which featured the ponies in their cute little dresses and their dreams of what would finally happen at the Gala, of course, things go wrong, and hilarity ensues. Though another thing I wanted to mention about the stories was the comedic relief, not everything about the show is ramming morals down your throat, it’s an actual show that you can just sit down and enjoy without things being shoved in your face. Pinkie Pie is the one where most of the comedy comes from, if there’s something happening, you can be sure that she will be there to give you a laugh or a song, she appears at the most random of times, almost all of them funny. She is known for “breaking the fourth wall” as some people put it, by looking out to the audience or bouncing out of the screen one way then entering back in the opposite way. Mixed with the random and slapstick style of it, it gives it a very light-hearted feel to it that anyone can enjoy, not just little girls.
Though, if you watch the episodes, there are MANY references that little girls would not get but older people would, such as references to Star Wars and many other things, girls won’t get it, but adults sure get the nods. As for Hasbro, they are thrilled with the massive amount of good response they are getting from the show and are plugging out more episodes as I’m writing this. Actually they are finishing up the next season and I am thrilled about it. Though all this would not have happened if not for Lauren Faust, the big mastermind behind FiM, and I have her to thank for it or this summer would have been excruciatingly boring.
Haha that 31 year old brony from the interview is a bit of a creeper ill admit, but bronys just watch the show because its actually really good. Im 17, completely straight, have a job as a builder, live a normal life and i watch these ponies… Hell when my mates first heard bowt me watching these ponies they all cracked up at me but i got them to watch it and now all my other mates are bronies too.
I don’t have much to say and it’s not very nice, so I contemplated whether or not to speak my mind. But then my very important message wouldn’t get out. We are bronies. MLP has taught us the magic of friendship. Expect us to forgive and forget, and we will love and tolerate the shit outta you no matter your opinion.
As a brony and an otaku, a fan of japanese animation (hince the name), I think in additon to the quality animation, well developed characters, and witty and at times ironic humor some of the appeal of this show for guys my age can be explained by a concept we call moe. To simplify the idea, these little ponies are cute and small and sweet, and somewhere in our male minds, buried below the repressed feelings and pointless displays of masculinty, is an instinct to protect the cute, the small, the helpless. To prove my point ask any brony how he felt when Gilda made Fluttershy cry.
Poor Fluttershy! Whyyy Gilda, WHHYYYY!
The only thing I really can do right now is love and tolerate the crap out of you because you are clearly misinformed about Friendship is Magic. I’m a 21-year-old female brony and never really cared much for MLP when I was a youngster. I had some, but they weren’t my favorites. First off, bronies are pretty much only interested in the Friendship is Magic TV Show, as we think previous incarnations are mindless, girly, sexist, shit. Watch a few episodes of the new show and you’ll understand why we love it so much.
I’ve always had love for MLP since I was little and I’m 16 now. I don’t mind older men liking it since it is a great show, but I know some who take it a bit too far. One of my friends showed me some disturbing pics of some of ponies doing some naughty things >..<. My poor Pinkie Pie TT-TT…
Speaking as a mother and an adult I see nothing wrong with it. We do watch a lot of cartoons in our house and we find them more entertaining than most other things on TV. It is a well animated and written cartoon, just like Disney and Pixar. I suppose it would be strange to you that although I hold two degrees and work within the technology and educational field I am an avid video gamer, attend gamecons and science fiction cons, and collect action figures ( when I speak to students at various places they get a kick out of my gaming knowledge) . It is a hobby, it is innocent and fun. Don’t stereotype or try to pigeon hole people.
Glad to see there are good moms out there. Unlike the mom here who views her daughter in a semi-sexual light, because she’s paranoid of pedophiles.
There are many reasons to be upset with this or not depending on your view at the end of this comment. One, girls are allowed to have fun with what are labeled boy’s toys, and can be easily considered a tomboy if she proceeds to interact with them (mind you, this sentence is suppose to be innocent). Two, we have “manned-up” our males to where if they play with girl toys they are either destroying them or stealing them from a girl. Because, it is unthinkable to think that: three, what if the boy decides to play with the toys? The responsible adult therefore takes the toy away claiming that the toy is a “girl toy and not for boys”.
There are such things as Princess Boy where a young boy for no apparent reason will dress, act and play with girl’s belongings. Of course, the parent can always hope that the boy will grow out of it, and eventually “man up”. Proceeding into this stage will lead to death of an ideal child for the parent. The child has no idea the consequences that embracing of what he accepts who he is will ripple in the future of his life time.
The adult male, however, is (in my opinion with no poll or stat to prove to this) the advance Princess Boy without the dress. These men like My Little Pony. If a girl likes wrestling or G.I. Joe then she is easily slowly accepted. Moving forward, if a woman likes sports or cars then she is slowly accepted into the male society, but even then this comes at a great length of time and showing. If a man has any interest in a female domain then he is considered metrosexual, gay or some other queer name.
Any fascination becomes “too-much” when it becomes a fetish or attracted to a sexual motive. Besides, there will always be something much stranger in the world when it includes humans.
While I can’t say that I personally know any Bronies, labeling the practice as something pedophile is not something I would do. I am certain there are people who would use MLP (or anything, really) to lure children or be sexually stimulated. However, to assume every Brony is a pedophile in disguise is rather depressing. Life does not revolve around sex; to assume a hobby is sexually based just because I do not share it would be like saying some people scrapbook just because they become sexually stimulated by gluing chipboard to paper. I don’t understand the draw, but I am positive it is mainly done in innocence. Also, would the sentiment be the same if it were grown women playing with ponies? The implication that it is ok for your daughter to be obsessed is pretty clear; therefore, would the practice of being a Wony be acceptable?
How about it’s a fun cartoon that overturns expectations of it being commercial dreck, and bronies then throw in a dash of “embarrassed male self-amusement for being entertained by it?”
Fuck you thats why
JK
love and tolerance
Ok, I have to jump in here. Are you people even reading the article? No where does HipMamaB mention the word pedophile! No one is calling the bronies pedophiles. Just creepy.
I’ve seen the cartoon as a child and as an adult. It never hit me as something fabulous. Actually, I’ve always thought it was kind of dumb.
No, but she does call them child molesters, is that supposed to be better?
im 16 in highschool, i volumteer at the hospital each week, im 6’3″ good looking, and i LOVE these stupid little things not sure why, I am not a pedo or girly at all. but the art, voice acting, and well the art are just awesome MLP:FIM FTW. oh and i dont have any figurines, just draw fan art.
“…to me, it’s a step away from some kind of child molestation. I see these 30 year old men sitting there with pink plastic ponies and envision them getting turned on. Or worse – turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.”
So yeah. It was pretty clear she was implying that. lol xD
This article is much more accurate than most bronies would like to admit. The whole “brony” thing got started on 4chan, which is sort of the a-hole of the internet, on the /co/- comics and cartoons – board. /co/ is for general discussion of western comics and cartoons. Think of it as a forum for guys like the comic book geek from the simpsons. I was around when the new MLP kind of took off. /co/ was the catalyst for all this. I’ve been around the brony fandom from its websites since the beginning.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m pretty much done with them. HipMamaB, you’re right to be cautious about this. Most bronies ARE sexually attracted to this cartoon, but they’d be loathe to admit it to anyone that isn’t in their perverted little tribe. Keep your kids away. Lauren Faust was too optimistic. It isn’t about smashing gender roles or anything like that for most “bronies.” It’s about getting their rocks off. To a cartoon for little girls. Lots of us aren’t like this, but we’re leaving.
Uh, what?
Maybe I’m biased ‘cuz I got into this from people who weren’t anywhere near the 4chan stuff. Except a little sometimes. But… I know, personally, upwards of a dozen adults (male and female alike) who are big fans of the show. And they all find the notion of people sexualizing it pretty creepy. Because, you know:
1. Those are ponies.
2. They’re clearly underage.
I’m 39. I’ve been happily married 17ish years. I have a bunch of ponies on my monitor. This isn’t about sex, it’s about a really funny, well-written, TV show. I liked Powerpuff Girls, too. I also liked Invader Zim. And Get Smart. I just like funny television; if people do good, funny, TV, I’ll watch it and be a bit of a fan, and if there’s cool toys for it, I’ll usually get some of them.
I am willing to believe that there are people who are all about the sex, but then, that’s true of basically anything humans do. I don’t think it seems at all likely that “most” adult fans of any given show are sexually attracted to it, especially if there’s nothing remotely similar to adult humans in the show. It’d be one thing to claim that adult fans of something like She-Ra or He-Man were sexualizing the characters, because they have recognizably adult human bodies. But PONIES? Ponies that are drawn as little jellybeans with wobbly cylindrical limbs? No. That’s not about sex, that’s about funny dialogue.
I wish I could agree with you, but if you took this part of your statement-
“1. Those are ponies.
2. They’re clearly underage.”
-and put it on any of the more popular brony websites or forums it would be immediately either censored, flamed, downvoted if possible, and you would face text walls of rationalizations about how the main characters are all adults and not childlike in any way. The more honest bronies will tend to chastise you for “not being tolerant and loving” (code words for “stop rocking the boat”) of the fans who “clop” (masturbate to the characters) while skirting around the elephant in the room, namely that the characters they’re fantasizing about bear a striking resemblance to 12 year old human girls. If you press the issue you’ll be labeled a troll and then either censored or banned. Fans like you, your friends, and I have been leaving in droves since June at least, because of this.
Sorry mate, but most bronies are not sexually attracted to the characters.
You’re thinking of furries. Though there are inetevetibly going to be some people that sexualize it, but for the most part, there aren’t a lot of bronies that sexualize it.
Get your facts straight.
Arex is on a disinformation campaign and can be safely disregarded. I would recommend anyone who doubts what I’ve said here to try what I was talking about in my reply to seebs. I’ve even left a link to ponychan.net, the brony website. NSFW images aren’t officially allowed there, but the moderators are lax. Verbalize a position against adult men masturbating to My Little Pony and see what kind of response you get.
I’m with Arex. If you can name a single series or character from the past four decades that HASN’T been perverted somewhere online, then I will be astounded. It’s purposeless and misleading to bring that up here.
Myself, my girlfriend of four years, and everyone I know who enjoys the show either had it recommended to them by a friend, or investigated it themselves after the fervor online caught their attention. Perverting the series is not what should ever be associated with calling someone a “Bronie,” nor is projecting any impression from 4chan onto the rest of the world.
Don- There are “shoulds” and there are “is”es.
Good for you, you take a stand against the big bad meanies! Those of us who are true adults, and can handle big boy and big girl stuff will stay. We don’t want babies like you in our community anyways.
Don’t feed the parasprite eh?
“it’s a step away from some kind of child molestation. I see these 30 year old men sitting there with pink plastic ponies and envision them getting turned on. Or worse – turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.”
What kind of sick twisted pervert are you? People can’t enjoy a well made cartoon without it being sexual? You are a disgusting person. Maybe the show is just cute. Maybe it is funny. Maybe it is just really really good. The fact that show transends age and gender boundaries just demonstrates how good the show is. Men, women, kids, adults, everyone can enjoy this show. The fact that men actually speak out and say “yeah, I’m secure enough in my manhood to admit I likes ponies” makes them pedophiles? I feel sorry for your children and the traditional gender steryotypes you must be imposing upon them to quelch your own idiotic fears.
Exactly, that’s what the problem is here. The mom doesn’t realize the only one putting her daughter in a sexual light is her.
I like the characters, and it’s a pleasant diversion from the real world of rampant unemployment and a faltering economy. Plus, you learn a little something about friendship every episode. I don’t really have friends – but ponies won’t judge me. They can’t – they’re plastic.
One last thing. Try to see the best in people. It’s good for you.
That’s right!
Go watch “Bridle Gossip”.
This may be blunt of me ma’am, but something I strongly believe is that nobody should be ashamed to enjoy simple fun in life. Josh, one of the posters above, beat me to the C. S. Lewis quote that feels the most relevant here, but I’ll expand on it with the line that came immediately before that quote; “When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly.”
For many of us growing up in the eighties, nineties, and early 2000′s, myself included, cartoons like Dexter’s Lab, Ed, Edd, and Eddie, and even old Loony Toons reruns are a big chunk of nostalgia. Then, when my sister was little, the TV would be playing Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, or Codename: Kids Nextdoor and I would be more than happy to sit with her and laugh at the same style of humor and the same clever double-entendres that I remembered from when I was younger.
Now, at 22 and preparing to go into grad school, it’s socially acceptable to be nostalgic about cartoons that we may not have been open about in our teens. When nobody was in the house, would I happily sit down with a bowl of ice-cream and watch Kids Nextdoor? In a heartbeat. Would I have admitted to it? Never. The recent popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the result of millions of young men and women who loved cartoons their entire childhood finally being confidant enough in themselves to admit to liking something simple, funny, and reminiscent of older cartoons.
It bears noting that not all cartoons are intended only for children, and that many writers and producers intentionally tailor their series so that they appeal to more than one age demographic. They have no reason not to, as they stand to profit from more viewers. It should also be pointed out, though I realize this has already been mentioned, that This new series, developed, directed, and produced by Lauren Faust, is absolutely nothing like the original My Little Pony series in style, story quality, character development, type of humor, or art. Lauren Faust previously wrote both Foster’s Home for Imaginary Kids, and Powerpuff Girls and had a hand in Codename: Kids Next Door. Many of us, men and women, remember those series fondly, and her style of humor comes across in MLP. Mrs. Faust has even voiced her own opinion on her Brony following:
“The fact that they (gave the show a chance) and that they were open-minded and cool enough and secure in their masculinity enough to embrace it and love it and go online and talk about how much they love it – I’m kind of proud” http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0269260/bio#quotes
Am I suggesting that MLP has hidden messages and jokes intended only for older viewers? Not at all. The appeal of the show for me is that while many cartoons, as well as live-actions series, feel copy-pasted from some overused blueprint of laughable drama and tired plots, MLP is simple, cute, and has both characters and plot that are remarkably creative, indicative of Mrs. Faust’s influence.
For sake of civility, I’ll put aside the implication that myself, my friends, three of my cousins, and countless acquaintances would connect this show to any form of pedophilia, if only because that comes across as a baseless personal fear on your part.
Just to humor me, I’d like you to take a look at the lineup of crime, medical, supernatural, and standard social dramas on television for the past few years, and count up how many of them include a female lead being raped as a major plot development. Then consider why many of us might want to enjoy some simple nostalgic entertainment that w can laugh at each other over.
If it’s just a small handful of creepy guys, I’d say it’d be creepy. But this brony phenomenon is so widespread I’m more inclined to think these guys really enjoy the show for its own sake. Lucky is the woman whose husband enjoys watching MLP with the daughter. I’m not a brony, I don’t get it, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. Live and let live.
It’s not just a small handful. As I said earlier, go to ponychan- the of the brony websites- and articulate a position against guys being sexually attracted to ponies. They’ll come down on you like an avalanche, because the overwhelming majority of bronies ARE that way.
And if anyone does try my proposed exercise, make sure you do what I said- verbalize a position against these guys masturbating to the show, and pornographic drawings of the characters. If you merely ask if anyone there getting their rocks off to it you’ll be recognized as an “outsider” and recieve denials up and down, much like what is happening here.
That should have read “go to ponychan- the most conservative of the brony websites”
Oh come on. I’m in the furry community and, while true, furries find plenty of fap material, MLP is NOT one of them. Everyone I’ve talked to enjoys the show, not just for its outstanding writing and musical numbers, but because the show is so innocent and reminds us of what cartoons used to be like when we were kids. It gives us a fan base to show off another side of our creativity.
“…I’m in the furry community…”
I haven’t said anything about this particular fetish at all. Well, perhaps I have, if you consider bronies to be furries. In the future you should refrain from talking about your kinks to people that haven’t explicitly asked about them.
“…furries find plenty of fap material, MLP is NOT one of them…”
Considering how your mind appears to have raced to this topic right off the bat, I think you’re lying.
“…the show is so innocent and reminds us of what cartoons used to be like when we were kids…”
That must be a big turn-on for furries.
Looks like mommy has someone joining her team in tin foil hat paranoid land!
Well, honestly, I think you might be misinterpretating why people start yelling at you, perhaps you’re structuring your message wrong? Did you ever think it’s possible that they think YOU’RE one of the people getting you’re rocks off to it, and perhaps, that is why you are immediately shunned and yelled at?
You know… it’s just a thought, I’ve seen the topic before, and a larger part of the fanbase seems to get mad about it, rather then talk of it in a positive light. The few talking about it in a positive light…. lets just say every group has it’s freaks, and they probably condemn those activities just as much as the next group does.
Hey… So I’m a brony, it’s a pretty sweet subculture. People’ve said that it’s all about sex and stuff, but it’s totally not. I’m thinking with people’s references to Ponychan and all those other websites is that they’re getting a heaping load of selection bias… a huge part of the internet’s population is into making sexual jokes, that’s true with any topic you give ‘em… and I’m thinking a lot of people joke about sex without actually feeling any desire or anything, a huge part of the time. Humor’s a cultural thing, and as far as TV shows go, I don’t think it was MLP that did much of any culture’s sexualizing. Tons of internet people look at whatever’s in front of them, make it into sex. It’d be true with anything, so long as it’s online.
Er… I don’t mean to offend or anything, and I don’t sexualize cartoonish ponies for one (that sounds a little funny when you type it out
), but if it’s about sexualizing your child, maybe there are other shows she watches? Going on a limb, I’m thinking that you’re okay with the current population of male fans for those shows… I find it hard to imagine that most guys would watch a little girl’s cartoon just to be aroused at some little girl that they’re not even seeing, hearing, anything… maybe a few would do this, but I’d think they’d have other material a bit more poignant with their tastes? You might want to be creeped out regardless of being a one of us 
. Lots of people just click a vid on youtube and start watching, no questions asked. Just a show.
tl;dr
Just get creeped out from the creepy bronies, maybe?
MLP really is a sweet show.
Dude, you need to get over yourself. Compartmentalising humans is one of the biggest things wrong with the world. We’re expected to live by strict codes laid out by people like you who think, like machines, our minds should keep resetting as we advance in years in accordance with these imposed biased social norms.
Well fuck that bro. Bronies are here to stay!
Says the guy with the Furby Avatar
What the hell is wrong with you, woman!
These dudes like a kids show. Why does “like a kid’s show”=”get turned on by it?”
I don’t understand why you’re jumping to that connection.
Frankly, I think it’s very harmful (not to mention ridiculous) to even suggest that a man is a child molestor because he likes something “feminine” or “childish”. I’m a woman in her 30s; I’ve collected MLPs for years and never been given grief for it. Would I have been considered a creepy pervert if I had been a male collector? Why is okay for a woman to like a child’s toy but not a man?
There are certainly some pony collectors (male or otherwise) who are creepy, obsessed, or interested in sexualizing the content of the show, or whatever. But that is true of everything ever created.
Incidentally, that corsetted custom pony was not created by a “brony”, but by a female pony customizer. Several talented ladies make them.
Great, another paranoid mommy who thinks that everything wants to rape her precious little girl. Just what we needed.
Why is it that all these sites and blogs that focus on ‘moms’ and “family life” have the same tone. Every mom blogger thinks that any guy over the age of 25 is a pedophile, out on the prowl, looking for the slightest opportunity to rape every 3 year old girl in site.
Why is it that all these sites and blogs that focus on ‘moms’ and “family life” have the same tone. Every mom blogger thinks that any guy over the age of 25 is a pedophile, out on the prowl, looking for the slightest opportunity to rape every 3 year old girl in sight.
I’m not obsessed with the show, but I do enjoy the community I’ve found in it. Free food at gatherings, the message behind the show, and little internet memes that are dropped in the show like chocolate rain, and a parody of snoop’s “California Girls” song with shout-out to Bronies in it!
PONY VERSION (CLEAN SONG):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A003jMT4CMw&feature=related
ORIGINAL SONG BY SNOOP DOG (NOT AS CLEAN):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4&ob=av3n
Friendship and Harmony are things this world is in great need for, so I’m not surprised at all by the extending demographic, especially when the creators themselves pay attention to the fan-base. Now I can understand the collection of dolls and girl toys being a bit weird, but I honestly have not met a single person in the communities that are being harmful.
Actually It was just ft. Snoop Dogg, song was actually done by Katy Perry… still you can see that the creators are absolutely trying to reach a higher demographic and man are they ever cashing in.
I found this to be pretty interesting, the voice actress of “Applejack” and “Rainbow Dash” from the show approves of Bronies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBHEb4UWpIc&feature=related
I would say, this is most defiantly a wide-spread phenomenon, but not a harmful one. It’s nice to see people being peaceful for once.
If your biggest problem in life is the fact that your toddler and a bunch of 20-something men share a common interest, then you live a pretty charmed life. I think it’s great that grown guys are interested in something not only made “for kids” but “for girls.” I think it’s a positive step away from the “pink is for girls, blue is for boys” gender nonsense.
And hey, guess what? There are a lot of grown men who work in industrial design and in animation, so odds are very good that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie and all the other characters that your daughter adores were designed and animated by men in the same age group as Bronies. Some of them may be Bronies themselves.
Maybe it’s a fad, maybe it’ll stick. Believe it or not, adults ARE allowed to enjoy things like cartoons and toys. I bet this wouldn’t bother you if women were showing such a huge interest in these Ponies. Since, you know, women can never be child molesters. Just men.
Signed,
A proud Brony with a big pile of Ponies
Wow. My 4 and a half year old enjoys the show, and I completely get why she likes it. I can tolerate it because the message is good and it reminds me of being a child….but I do still have a hard time understanding why adult men would like to watch it. I would think it odd if I came home and my husband was watching it sans kiddos.
When my fiance started watching MLP, I thought he was crazy. But then he made me watch the first episode, and actually, they’re really good. Partly, for him, it’s about an escape – he’s suffering from depression and MLP makes him happy. For me, it’s because it’s good TV (a rarity) even if it is a little simplistic. In terms of bronies in general, I think for the main part it’s fairly innocent. People enjoy the stories, and in fairness some of the enemies the ponies face are pretty badass. There will always be people who fetishise things, whether that’s MLP or pokemon or sparkly vampires, you can’t escape that, but it seems to be minority. Mostly I’ve just seen fanart of the ponies and people drawing themselves or well known characters from other shows as ponies, all perfectly innocently.
I am in physical possession of a vagina and I can’t stand My Little Pony. I didn’t even like it back when the dinosaurs were my nanny.
Am I going to freak out if my sons like MLP? No. Am I going to freak out if he opens the blister pack and ruins the collectible value? YES! Call me a freak if you must, but pull the stick out of your ass, lay off the spray tan, and join the rest of us in the current age.
What kids like is what they like. It’s what your bigoted, shortsighted self does at that point that matters. Turn off whatever mainstream media you’re suckling from and join everyone else in logical reason-land. We won’t make fun of you – much.
”
to me, it’s a step away from some kind of child molestation. I see these 30 year old men sitting there with pink plastic ponies and envision them getting turned on. Or worse – turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.
Then again, I tend to take things a bit to the extreme.
”
Heh, “a bit extreme” indeed. This could fill en entire conference for classic Freudian psychoanalysts. And by this, I don’t mean the bronies.
Ithink to accuse a man of being a pedo purely because he is interested in a girls toy is disgusting, small minded, offensive and dangerous. We already have pedo-fever in our society, and the stupid hype about it does NOT help. I think you have a sick and dirty mind to assume that men are getting off thinking of yourdaughter playing with her ponies…perhaps YOU are the one who needs your head checked. Its a free country, if a man wants to collect “pink plastic ponies” that is his right, and to brand him a pedo just because he does is completely disgusting and could easily lead to innocent people getting hurt. Broaden your mind, there are all sorts of people in the world and just because they have unusual interests does not make them dangerous. No doubt you are one of these “mamma bears” who glares at any man who comes within twenty feet of your child even when he has no choice to do so. The world is not obsessed with your child. Get over it.
I haven’t interjected here in awhile… You all seem to be doing just fine proving my points of why someone could/should be a little concerned.
But being attacked here in the last few comments, I thought I would respond the post I wrote 6 months ago.
A few points – I have probably seen season 1 of MLP 10x more times than any of you have. I know every character. Every song and have EVERY SINGLE FREAKING PONY living in my house. Canterlot at Target? I visit weekly. Because of my daughter. I am a fan of MLP.
I have nothing against grown men liking cartoons. I have nothing against boys liking cartoons. I have NOTHING against my 7.5 YO son watching and LIKING MLP also. That being said, I personally don’t get why a GROWN UP MAN OR WOMAN would like this show to the point that some of you seem to.
YES. It’s an adorable show. YES, the animation is good. YES, it is one of the better CHILDRENS shows out at the moment. I am thrilled my 3YO daughter likes it, and thrilled that my 7.5 son will watch it with her. Now, if I came home and my husband was watching it and drawing pictures of Rainbow Dash in lingerie ? YES. That would concern me.
PEOPLE. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN. I’M NOT TALKING GENDER LINES. I’M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE GRAPHIC ART OF THE SHOW. I’m talking about the fact that when I first heard about Bronies in APRIL, the first thing that I saw was innocent ponies being depicted in corsets and having sex.
YES parents have a right to be worried. If my 7 YO googles My Little Pony to find pictures for his sister and he comes across these pictures I WILL be upset. I have a RIGHT to be concerned.
Yesterday when the My Little Pony app came out in iTunes, it was put right next to another MLP app. When you look at the other one it says “NOT FOR CHILDREN – ADULT APP” – that is worrisome. We can put all the parental controls out there and monitor our kids website time, but when these things are out there and so easily visible and searchable to our children, it DOES raise a red flag. As parents, we need to know what is out there, and why it can be dangerous. What if my kid stumbled on a Bronie chat room? What if they YouTube something thinking it’s part of a show and it’s not? As a parent, I need to know what is out there so I can do what I can do to keep my kids away from it. I’m not trying to censor you from doing what you do – I’m trying to keep it away from my children at this point in their lives.
The thing that upsets me most is that I’m being accused of being small minded with a stick up my ass. That’s really not the case. You all can argue and protest all you want, but you are a fringe society, and there are people out there that don’t get it. I’m not close minded – I’m writing about what I have seen and WHY it makes me nervous. I’ve accepted your comments, but to be honest, only a few of these posts made me think I was wrong…
AND – FACT – there is a sector of the Bronie population that DOES use this sexually.
Hey, whatever floats your boat. I really don’t care what gets you off, whether it be pink ponies or dressing up as a stuffed animal. I don’t get it, but I don’t really care – as long as no harm comes to my children in the process of your orgasm.
Yes, there are sick people, and there are people who aren’t. But this could be taken out of the context of the show and but into everyday reality too… As an example just because people go to Church doesn’t mean there aren’t bad people there.
The perversion of innocence goes beyond sexuality and traverses history too. I just hope you can have peace of mind that there are people monitoring certain things in communities. Don’t be so quick to judge others.
As Albert Einstein once said “Anger Dwells Only on the Bosom of Fools”.
“but into everyday reality too… ” uh I meant “put into everyday reality”
no edit button ah well…
I see what the problem is. How dare adults on the internet not do your job for you, right? How dare they sexualize cartoon characters, making you have to suffer and martyr yourself trying to find a Net Nanny type of device for your child. Most parents understand that you are supposed to supervise your child while on the internet. Not throw a tantrum and lash out because people aren’t offering a free babysitting service.
This isn’t about you being right or wrong. This is about you learning to put your big girl panties on, and learning how to mind your own business. Be a parent, supervise the media your children see. Don’t act as if you’re a helpless victim. Is this all because you were sexually abused? Since that’s what I’m starting to bet on now. That this all is your little way of pretending you can keep your daughter safe from the world. The only person who has considered your daughter in a sexual means is you. Think about that, that you are suggesting people would consider your daughter in a sexual way. Don’t you think that is wrong? That maybe instead of attacking people who already feel outcasted, you should be asking why you’re so obsessed with what some pervert might think of a small girl? I think you need some mental help, that this is a result of unresolved issues.
I sincerely doubt you’ve watched Season 1 of MLP 10x more than any single of us. Just within iTunes, I have at least 20+ views, per episode. That’s just within iTunes and I have HD versions elsewhere on my computer. Also, every single one of those background ponies has a fan-name and I know for a fact that you do NOT have them in your house because they don’t have official figures.
Believe it or not, the Brony community is no more anti-social than any other section of society. If you get any like-minded group of people together, be they sports fans, religious fundamentalists, corporate executives, lawyers or, yes, even bronies, you will ALWAYS find that there are 1% or less who make the other 99% look like total raging and gaping assholes.
What you refuse to admit is that you fixated on this small percentage and have applied a blanket statement covering them all (pedophile/sicko/pervert/etc). You say that the first thing you saw was “innocent ponies being depicted in corsets and having sex”. You have then fixated on that and applied this assumption that they ALL do it. That is probably the biggest problem that most of the people here have with both your article and you.
Do you have a right to be worried about MLP sexualized on the internet? Sure, I’ll admit that. However, in all honesty, if you’re worried about your 7 year old finding nasty pictures on the internet, you SHOULDN’T LET HIM ON THE INTERNET AT ALL. The internet as a whole isn’t exactly a safe place for an unattended child to begin with. Heck, it’s barely safe enough for ADULTS who are idiots and give out their SSN and credit card numbers to anyone who asks (yes, it happens). You say you’re protecting your children. Fine, I can deal with that. Most of your worries can go away from simply not letting your children on the internet, which is where all this stuff lives. You will NEVER see it on your TV because Hasbro wouldn’t let it on their network.
You say you need to know what’s out there; I say your focus should be on learning the parental locks that are built into just about everything. iTunes has Parental Locks, as does everything else Apple makes. Every DVR out there made within the past 10 years has some form of Larental Lock. As for the internet, I think a good share of your concerns are with your kids on the internet. Word of advice? Don’t give them access to begin with. Problem solved.
In this most recent post, you neglect the comment you made about how you see “these 30 year old men sitting there with pink plastic ponies and envision them getting turned on. Or worse – turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.” I’d like to point out that YOU are the one who came to this conclusion BY YOURSELF. Yes, the pictures exist. However, it is YOU and YOU ALONE who have made this connection that ANY man would see your daughter playing with her ponies and be turned on by it. YOU ALONE are the one who came up with the POSSIBILITY that Bronies are somehow equal to that of child molesters. I’d like to point out that the string of attackers were mostly irritated at your comments about men liking MLP being child molesters. Which you completely and totally ignored.
I stand by the people who have accused you of being closed-minded and have a stick up your ass because they’re right. You have taken this prejudice that “men can’t like cute things” and connected this with another prejudice that “men who like cute things must be child molesters and/or perverts.” You write about what you’ve seen but to be honest, you’ve seen very little and you don’t even want to see anything more.
Yeah, there’s a percentage who uses ponies sexually. I’d like to point back to my original point that you’re taking this small percentage and applying a blanket statement to all of them. Contrary to whatever you have fooled yourself into believing, bronies are not an anti-social group of maladjusted misfits.
I’ve noticed that a few of the Bronies have pointed out that there is a “huge” demographic of adult male My Little Pony fans. I’m guessing your math is a bit skewed; in any case, that number is likely dwarfed by the number of adult males and females who think that men who are obsessed with a show aimed at 4-year-olds are a bunch of fuckwits.
Everyone who is commenting on this article are such faggots.
…and that folks is a contradiction in itself, give a round of applause to the moron.
As some others have stated, your sweeping generalizations or assumptions are quite offensive when seen from the surface, but I am sympathetic to your stance as a mother. Nonetheless, I see it in a similar manner to those who assume gay men are predators to children. Again, not saying you personally believe that, but I think they are similar notions.
I am straight. I am also an individual with a master’s degree and a full-time, professional position. I have never had the slightest shred of attraction to any children or other men. However, lo and behold, I am enamored by this TV show.
Seeing the world for what it REALLY is and understanding that the notion of “Childishness” and “male / female likes” is outdated. We live in a world that is bigger than us and our preconceived notions. Humans have fashioned their own silly ideas and “rules” for what is appropriate. Anybody can appreciate a well-animated, heartwarming, funny show whether it is MLP, Spongebob, Simpsons. Art and music should not adhere to age ranges.
I watched the show expecting to “not get it” when I heard the hype. Instead, I was sucked in after a couple episodes.The characters are delightful. If only the world would be more open to new ideas and challenge their beliefs, we would be in a better society.
I am a brony, or what some in the community call a pegasister. There is nothing wrong at all with the men who visit the community. The majority are nicer than most men you would find around the ages of 20-30. It seems you have some sort of paranoid conspiracy going on, that if older men like things deemed for little girls, somehow that makes them a pedophile. You just sound like a paranoid nutjob, why aren’t you going after your son and making sure he doesn’t watch the show, what if he ends up playing “doctor” with one of the sister’s friends? Which according to your belief that the show encourages men to fetishize MLP and little girls, would be likely to happen? I mean if you’re going to go tin-hat wearing consipiracy about this, why not go all the way?
You parents are making life harder for boys who don’t want to strictly fit in to their gender role. Since our society has been extremely anti-gay up until recently, they’ve had no choice but to act male. Now suddenly they like the same things girls do, and they’re pedophiles? Really? So if an adult woman plays video games by your logic, she’s another Debra LaFave? Where does it end for parents like you. Maybe instead of fetishizing that grown men are going to come after your daughter, because they like My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, and using that fetishization to put yourself into the helpless victim role, you should be parenting instead. This is nothing more, than barely cloaked ageist and misandric points of view. If a boy from another family aged around 7 came over and liked the show, would you assume they’re a burgeoning pedophile too?
It’s bad enough that most of the bronies have felt outcasted most of their life, now they have to put up with busybody “parents” like you, spreading your paranoid hate about them. Why don’t you go see a psychatrist before posting again, because it seems you’d have to be mentally ill to really believe this enough to post about it. I mean, do you really think a pedophile would be that f**king obvious? Really? Oh wait I see what this is about now. You’re comforting yourself with the thought that you’d be able to spot the boogeyman. Well attacking bronies, is not going to make your daughter any safer. If you had even thought about this for more than a second before reacting, you’d realize that anyone could be a pedophile. They don’t look or behave any differently then the rest of the people out there. You really think someone is going to be all “Hey I’m a brony and I like girls huh huh” and get away with it? You think bronies would stand for that?
It’s clear that bronies have more morals than you, throwing out harmful accusations, just because you can’t wrap your mind around the idea that bad guys don’t look like bad guys. Does this have something to do with what seems to be the phenomena of parents having a child, then regressing to thinking like children themselves? Do you believe your daughter when she says she’s got monsters hiding under her bed? The problem seems to be our society saying it’s okay for emotionally unstable paranoiacs to be parents. You’re responsible for another life, and your putting your children at risk by trying to hide away in fantasyland about the reality of pedophiles, by demonizing bronies? Grow the f**k up, and start acting like the adult you’re supposed to be. We need more moms who don’t throw tantrums and point fingers calling people “poopy-heads”, because something makes them uncomfortable. There is nothing wrong with bronies, the problem is with people like you. If your son should be an outcast, and joins a group that is somewhat controversial, would you like it if people attacked the group he belonged to calling them pedophiles? Oh I forgot, only your children are the only ones who exsist in this world, everyone else’s parents just better look out, cause mommys taking her widdle stand.
Also, I happen to be female, and I feel mothers like you make the rest of the female race look bad. Is it too much to ask for moms to handle reality, without resorting to such nonsense? Maybe it’s just that those moms are busy actually parenting, rather than trying to attention whore with sob stories on the internet.
…did you seriously just imply that I’m a child molester because I like a cartoon?
Lady, you’ve got some nerve.
“as a mom we”
WE ARE THE MOM
WE HAVE BECOME THE MOM
WE ARE MOM, DESTROYER OF WORLD.
Tyler, yeah if she doesn’t feel she’s a part of a collective, she might have to realize she has to start parenting and stop being a paranoid nutcase.
I’m 21 male straight and love the show in a non sexual way.
Problem, women?
llololol
Basically, since child molesters watch cartoons, RESPAWNSIBBLE MUTHERS should band together to all be disturbed in the same place about the same thing. Presumably, this will not only do SOMETHING productive, but it will also keep all of their children safe from the threat of bad icky strangers.
Let’s be frank about sexuality.
I am one of the minority of bronies who find (some of) the characters sexually attractive. The main cast are all capable, courageous adults, who work hard to achieve their goals. Even the weakest among them is strong enough to rise up and face down great evil to protect their loved ones. They’re also quite pretty — pretty eyes, pretty hair, attractive voices. I’m drawn to positive qualities, and the FiM characters have them in spades.
Frankly, I don’t understand why this is considered strange. Sure, they’re not human, but neither is Arwen. Sure, they’re drawn, but so is the Mona Lisa. Sure, they’re fictional, but so is Ellen Ripley. (Heck, Aphrodite hits all three points (not human, drawn, fictional), and she is literally a sex goddess.) No, I’m not going to pine for Spitfire’s love; fictional characters are fictional. But IF they existed, I might take romantic interest in one of them, just as you might take romantic interest in, say, Han Solo.
Watching the show is NOT a sexual experience for me, because the show isn’t sexual. But the characters are awesome young adults, and I make no apologies for being attracted to awesomeness.
Bah, most of them seem like harmless college kids and hipsters doing this to be ironic. I think you’re overreacting.
I would kindly ask all of you fellow bronies to simmer down and chill. Raging around is a bad way to disagree, it makes all of us look bad and you should feel bad about it.
I understand your concern, HIPMAMAB. I have a little sister. However, you did label us bronies as child molesters here – and that’s sad and hurtful. Our love for MLP:FiM is based on the fact it’s a very good show, with excellent animation and well-developed characters. It’s cute, funny, and makes us happy.
The next part of this post will delve into pathos, I’m afraid, but I don’t really have any other way of speaking my mind here.
We live in a cynical, hostile world, where another person is viewed as an enemy first and human being second. On the Net, it’s even more pronounced. But the ever-growing community of bronies serves as a point of light. We are supportive, loving, accepting. While the rest of the Net laugh at each other’s misery in a dazzling spectacle of Shadenfreude, we care and try to help. Did you know us bronies organized a blood donation event? This can be found on EquestriaDaily. I’ve seen depressed, even suicidal people – I know one personally – regain the joy of life by the simple fact of enjoying this show.
This is why we enjoy the MLP:FiM. Because it makes us happy. When the day was awful, traffic jams made us grit our teeth, people annoy us, deadlines took the last ounce of strength out of us, something bad happened, we can relax and charge our batteries thanks to this awesome show.
And if the sexualisation is what you worry about, I’ll have you known that it’s a common thing to actually have our sex drives inhibited since watching the show. That is also a reason why you can find fanart of ponies in sexualised manner. Because they are so completely asexual to the vast majority of us (I’ll get back to this later), we find amusement in the irony. Those are inside jokes of the community.
Now, for the unsavory parts. I cannot say there are no bronies who find ponies sexually arousing. Then again, werd fetishes and deviants are a part of every community, be it bronies, bikers, chavs, metalheads, geeks, jocks, or broader – politics, workers, teachers, clergy et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. You cannot judge the whole lot of people by the actions of a few of them, after all!
Myself, I do worry sometimes about some of the content we produce. I know not all of MLP:FiM things on the Net are children-friendly. Then again this is internet, and the internet is not for children. Nothing is sacred here. It is a truism, but children’s acces to the World Wide Web must be supervised, because the Net is not made for children and never will be. There is no point in getting upset over that.
I am glad I’ve stumbled upon MLP:FiM and was able to introduce it to my little sister. I know it’s good for her, and if the brony community will be around when she’ll become a preteen, I’ll gladly introduce her into it. Why? Because I know no harm will come to her from it, quite the contrary.
I am a 21 year old male, straight, studying, working and having a wonderful girlfriend. We are both bronies and we’re proud of it.
And, last but not least, I’d like to apologise for all the angry and/or insulting comments on our behalf here. Still, you must understand you’ve hurt quite a lot of people with your assumptions and they are voicing it.
Have a nice day.
Hello friend… The bronies are going to hit you just as hard with fact-checks as we did that CNN Marquee writer’s first article on the show. My understanding of this little Equine-loving subculture, is that the show brings us back to our childhoods when the majority of TV was as good as this FiM, with the crap being the outliers, rather than the reverse as now.
“Or worse – turned on by my daughter playing with her beloved Apple Jack or Pinkie Pie.” Why the fuck can’t grown men like little kid stuff without being labelled pedophiles? THAT is what disturbs ME, friend.
I have been far more calm about this comment than usual, because I believe replying in rage would only further your negative stereotyping. I sincerely hope you don’t catch the fury of the less self-controlled Bronies.
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I am a 15 year old brony and is disgusted by the thought of child molestation, well any molestation, and I’m confused on how you would relate bronies to anything like that. It’s just a fad and will die someday but just like any show you watch you talk to your friends about it. Because you like to thats pretty much what we are doing it will die out eventually, but untill then i will continue to enjoy the show, and laugh with the haters.
Did you put any thought in this article or did you just literally translate your every single prejudice to text form?
Seems like another overprotective parent who has put on her “children hypothetically endangered? SHUT DOWN ALL BRAIN ACTIVITY”-mode.
Yes, there is porn of the cartoon, and people who get aroused of ponies, and there might be also child molesters watching it.
This fact is no different from any other show that has ever aired on television. Or any other product of fiction for that matter.
..This is what happens when people don’t have any real problems to deal with, just invent your own stupid concerns!
Everything else that is important has probably been said.
So… complain about men only liking mindless, violent things. Complain when men like cute, pastel coloured ponies?
I’ll take it you don’t believe in equal rights or any of that, you just want every gender to stay to their ill-defined boundries. Or maybe it’s just men? Will I see an article from you complaining about “girls who like Resident Evil”? No?
My god you’re sexist.
I am 14 years old doing my GCSE’s and a brony. I love my little pony and i got my family into it aswell; my dad is 50 and he is brony – that does not mean we are homosexual or we are ‘camp’. It does not mean we suddenly change personality and hate ‘manly’ stuff such as zombie killing and cars. We just like it because the animation is great and it has a moral of friendship and love that some people need to re-learn.
WOW! That’s a reach. Try again.
Too much for your placenta brain to handle?
I find your sexism extremely disappointing. If you had done any research or knew anything about art, design, or animation, you’d be able to recognize why MLP has grown a fanbase outside its intended audience. The art direction and animation are superb, especially when compared to other animated TV shows these days. The creator of this revamp was already known for her work on other popular series. For many of these bronies, she was responsible for some of the best cartoons of their childhood.
This fandom is breaking gender norms, and I can see it makes you uncomfortable. Sexism goes both ways, though. Real men aren’t afraid of pink and don’t feel the need to assert their masculinity by avoiding “girly.” It’s become socially acceptable for girls to do boy things, but we’re still struggling for it to be acceptable the other way around because of the stigmas people like you hold.
p.s. Brony is a gender neutral term. Not all bronies are male. Are female bronies scary to you, too?
Yes, yes they do.
“The popular Bronie website Equestia Daily, even proudly proclaims to be “corrupting little girls television.””
Looks like HipMamaB can’t seem to recognise tongue-in-cheek when she sees it. Perhaps writing is a career choice she ought to re-consider.
Oh it’s this thread again..
This pedophile paranoia of the 21th century is one of the stupidest moral panics in history. While none of your children or you have probably never been threatened by or have encountered pedophiles, you still must panic about something just in case?
What is it this time? Lets see.. oh, adult men who like lighthearted entertainment for a change?
While i understand that concerned parents are probably the most ignorant type of people to write on the internet (ITS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS) let me try to explain the popularity of this show.
The show has high production values and good plot devices and characters. These are the building blocks of almost every successful TV show that has ever been made. Watching the show does not insult your intelligence just because you are an adult/teenager.
However, the show is also mostly lighthearted without adult themes. Wow, suddenly a show is enjoyable by both children and their parents alike! Even the developers say the show was developed with this in mind.
For some people it is just an good TV show among others.
For some people it is even more, and not in a negative way. I’ve seen how this show works as an great antidepressant, because it channels your thoughts to the positive aspects of life in general and might just be greatly inspirational to people down on their luck.
Watching an episode is a good pause from real life and it’s hardships.
And that is just why escapist people get a little obsessed on the show and how the whole fanculture with the artwork, music, fanfiction etc. is born. I don’t think it’s bad.
For most people, it is not in a sexual way and the majority of bronies don’t care about the sexualized art. The people who do that are just an small minority you always have, no matter what the show is.
Even smaller minority are the potential pedophiles, the amount is so small compared to the total fandom you can’t even associate them with the rest.
Still afraid? Oh well, there is no arguing with concerned parents on the internet but at least i tried. Still nobody likes to be called a pedophile for no good reason.
TL;DR: The show has gained massive popularity since it caters to many kinds of people. Pedophiles are not involved in any of this.
You mean there’s no reasoning with parents on the internet or in real life. Seems once they have a child, they mentally regress.
Ahem, here is why this article is stupid and illogical, I ask you take the time to read this. Older people / men enjoy this show because of it’s sweet innocence, quirky characters, and some jokes / references that only older viewers catch. You reasoning is that because people have found a show that all people or all kinds can enjoy it’s wrong and you even go as far as saying that it’s a step away from child molesting. What a horrible thing to say, this is a very innocent show with a kind fanbase and people who enjoy a show that was intended for little girls, but has now grown into much more. You are very ignorant, and I dislike you negative view at something sweet and innocent with nothing but good to teach us, but I will love and tolerate the hell out of you.