Concerning Ponies and the People Who Like Them, or, "I am Not Convinced"

[mechanixis]

Right. So. My Little Pony. It's apparently taken the internet by storm. You were skeptical at first, but then you started watching it yourself, and now you're completely hooked. And yes, I believe you: you genuinely enjoy the show. It's not all some big dumb farce. It must fill some psychological niche that the rest of mainstream culture fails to address - something about the cuteness or humor or change of pace from male-targeted programming. I'll admit: it's a well-written, well-acted, and well-animated production, certainly better than most other children's programs.

Now, that said, you all seem to have taken this as adequate justification to go completely fucking apeshit over it.

I've watched some of the show. I thought it was good; not the children's cartoon answer to Firefly, but good. Personally I set it aside after a sampling, but it's perfectly reasonable for you to enjoy it. What I don't understand is how this show inspired you all to completely redefine yourselves. Entire online communities are cropping up around this show, with an entire arsenal of memes for their own internal use - people are rebuilding their entire identities relative to My Little Pony.

I like a lot of things; some things, I would say I appreciate an inordinate amount. But I try very hard to make sure that I don't lose perspective. Does My Little Pony warrant this sort of ravenous following, with homebrew terms like "Brony" and "the Herd" and whatever else to describe it? There comes a point when the argument that "it's just a good show" fails to cover it. As I see it, your avatar is an extension of yourself; it's what we substitute for a face when we read your post. Even just the act of making that an image of My Little Pony - or any direct culture reference, really - is something that strikes me as odd. It's like saying, "The most important element of my personality is my appreciation of this show/character/game/etc." This seems unreasonable to me.

So I suppose this is more a critique of fandom and obsession as a cultural phenomenon, but the query stands. And as much as we enjoy glib dismissive responses around here, do try to think critically about it. For me. I'm genuinely interested in what the deal is.

 

[Pinky]

People like simplistic fun.

As with Princess Bubblegum in Adventure Time, you are "being too smart to see the answer"

EDIT: Oh I should mention my avatar is definitely not my face... or representative of me? It was just a dude I was building in zbrush.

 

[Bags159]

Well you have to admit, "Brony" and "the Herd" are fun puns. Though I could never bring myself to refer to myself as a brony. Yeah, I agree some people are taking this a little far but who are we to judge? It's their life.

Entire communities popping up around it is nothing unique to the show. Maybe the extent is unrivaled, but to suggest that only MLP has multiple communities within the fandom is absurd.

And yeah, no. I don't consider my avatar my face. I mean, my previous avatar was a penguin and the one before that a Terran Republic soldier from Planetside. Best part is that this critique is coming from someone with an xbox character as an avatar. I choose my avatar to be something that I believe will amuse me and hopefully others. You can be worried when people start replacing their facebook profile pictures with ponies, okie?

It's a fun show, it has great facial expressions which leads to funny images, and posting and looking at said images is fun.

Obligatory pony thread image dump:

Finally, you're in luck. The first season just ended and there aren't supposed to be new episodes until late fall / winter so I imagine the craze should die down a bit for now.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Unless there's something I'm missing, using terms like "brony" and "herd" is done simply for amusement. It's not an identity shift, but rather that this show lends itself well to "shits and giggles" antics.

 

[mjc0961]

Oh look. This thread again. Somebody needs to find a way to turn the search bar into a meme that everyone can't wait to check out. I swear, it feels like there are more pony threads than anything else on the forum these days. Nearly every time I look at the "latest posts" box, there's at least two pony threads in it because nobody uses the existing ones and just creates more and more and more.

As I see it, your avatar is an extension of yourself; it's what we substitute for a face when we read your post. Even just the act of making that an image of My Little Pony - or any direct culture reference, really - is something that strikes me as odd. It's like saying, "The most important element of my personality is my appreciation of this show/character/game/etc." This seems unreasonable to me.

I also think you're reading way, way, WAY too much into forum avatars.

I don't understand your surprise anyway. This sort of thing happens for so many shows, games, and other forums of media that it'd be stranger if this didn't happen. Pick a brand, any brand, and go to google. I bet you find all kinds of fansites and communities about whatever you pick. Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Wars, any anime you want... This is really nothing new at all. It's not some strange thing that only fans of My Little Pony are doing that warrants study.

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

As I see it, your avatar is an extension of yourself; it's what we substitute for a face when we read your post. Even just the act of making that an image of My Little Pony - or any direct culture reference, really - is something that strikes me as odd. It's like saying, "The most important element of my personality is my appreciation of this show/character/game/etc." This seems unreasonable to me.

I'm sorry, but I must disagree.
Some people do use their avatar as an extension of their online personality, that I'll agree with you on.

But as far as I've seen, the majority of people have an avatar off a show (or something else) just because it's something they enjoy, or saw and thought "Wow. That's cool." Currently, a lot of people have seen MLP:FiM and enjoyed it.
Unless The Escapist starts saying that your avatar must relate to how you see yourself/would like to be seen, why shouldn't they put it as their avatar? (A rule like that would annoy more than just those who have MLP avatars, too. Also, I know you're not suggesting a rule like this, I'm just using it as an example to illustrate my point. ^_^ )

As for the rest of your post, the above responses say what I'd want to say, and articulated better. So I refer you to them for my response.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

It's a good show, the meme fandom just seems to come from silly fun. I'm sure it'll pass at some point.

But yes I watched it and join the Brony group on the forum. Fuck it, I wanted to have some fun too.

 

[WolfEdge]

Didn't we just do this? Didn't we JUST do this?

No really. I SWEAR I posted in a thread EXACTLY like this not two or three hours ago. C'mon guys, I love ponies as much as the NEXT guy(?) but it's hard keeping track of four fucking pony threads at once.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

What I don't understand is how this show inspired you all to completely redefine yourselves. Entire online communities are cropping up around this show, with an entire arsenal of memes for their own internal use - people are rebuilding their entire identities relative to My Little Pony.

So I suppose this is more a critique of fandom and obsession as a cultural phenomenon, but the query stands. And as much as we enjoy glib dismissive responses around here, do try to think critically about it. For me. I'm genuinely interested in what the deal is.

**blink**

I didn't redefine anything. I've been a My Little Pony fan since the 80s cartoon. I have a rather notable collection of the 80s toys.

Of course, I'm a girl, so I'm probably not who you're talking to. Still, though, I don't think anyone really changed who they were - it's just a fun show.

Personally, I think it has more to do with the male audience banding together to defend their choice. So much of the world says "it's a little girl's show" that they go overboard trying to defend their enjoyment of the show. If no one bothered them, then these "bronies" wouldn't have to be so over the top.

I'm in the MLP Group with the Bronies and they generally seem like normal people. There've been asides into various video-games, current events, and other stuff. It's just that they happen to also like MLP.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Well I know that for the most part, much of the fervor for the show appears to be due to the equally fervent hate that the show and fandom receives. While there are plenty of people who become very enthusiastic about the show (just like nearly every other fandom) I think the hate only fuels the interest fans have in the show.

Seriously, I don't see this as being that different then most other fandoms. Sure for now it's sweeping the internet, but give it some time and the excitement will die down some. The fandom will still be around, but there won't be so much craziness going on because of it. And that's how it goes with some fandoms. People go "THIS IS SO AMAZING!" and they get really excited about it, but eventually calm down. As for the jokes, it's the same as most other fandoms as well. Inside jokes pop up along with slang (trekkies, Femshep, tank, noobtube; the list goes on and on). And the avatars? Well some people put up MLP avatars, other Stars Wars, other FF, others Mass Effect, others just artwork.

 

[Bags159]

On another note, your title makes me think of Dr. Strangelove.

"My Little Pony or: How I learned to Stop Worrying About What Other People Derive Enjoyment From and Love the Magic of Friendship"

 

[Small Waves]

If there is one thing that I can remove from the fandom, it's how seriously people treat this show. I'll take on a slew of other shitty memes if it was possible to cut out this part of the fanbase.

Terms like "brony" were made up early on, and have been discarded and even shunned in some communities, including /co/, the birthplace of the FiM fanbase. Fandom is tricky business where separate factions will become combative around other fans based on which side of the tracks they hail from. The original MLP hate the FiM communities because of them pushing this generation in a limelight previous others have not had. /co/ hates every single major community, especially /b/ because of their incessant RPers and OC DO NOT STEAL recolors. Ponychan is seen as a new /r9k/ and referred to has a hugbox, representing the worst of the fandom. Equestria Daily is also received negatively by the community ultimately responsible for it after the person who ran it was shown to be a hypocrite by refusing male slash while green-lighting everything else. It may sound complicated, but it's not. There are really two types of fans: Those who like it, and those who are unbearably obnoxious about liking it.

I prefer to break it apart into several segments since I'll be fucked if I'm going to be associated with those that weep for joy when watching a children's cartoon or spam images at every chance, regardless of how annoying it is. The only reason why I'm responding is because OP opened up with a topic for discussion, thankfully sparing me from having to read HATERS GONNA HATE replies or what have you. It's an incredibly solid show that had no right to even be passable, not the savior of western animation. As for my full opinion of the show, you'll just have to wait for the review that I'll probably never post.

 

[Bags159]

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I have no idea what the fuck the post above me just said. (No offense to you, I just don't know much about any fandoms)

 

[Knife-28]

Well I know that for the most part, much of the fervor for the show appears to be due to the equally fervent hate that the show and fandom receives. While there are plenty of people who become very enthusiastic about the show (just like nearly every other fandom) I think the hate only fuels the interest fans have in the show.

Seriously, I don't see this as being that different then most other fandoms. Sure for now it's sweeping the internet, but give it some time and the excitement will die down some. The fandom will still be around, but there won't be so much craziness going on because of it. And that's how it goes with some fandoms. People go "THIS IS SO AMAZING!" and they get really excited about it, but eventually calm down. As for the jokes, it's the same as most other fandoms as well. Inside jokes pop up along with slang (trekkies, Femshep, tank, noobtube; the list goes on and on). And the avatars? Well some people put up MLP avatars, other Stars Wars, other FF, others Mass Effect, others just artwork.

You sir, win the thread.

That is all.

 

[War Monkey]

You sir, win the thread.

That is all.

I am compelled to disagree.

It's definitely got a bit of a colt following.

Clearly this man wins the thread

 

[Salad Is Murder]

Stop with the yapping and make with the ponies. Salad demands it.

 

[Knife-28]

You sir, win the thread.

That is all.

I am compelled to disagree.

It's definitely got a bit of a colt following.

Clearly this man wins the thread

They can both win the thread, after all,

 

[DJDarque]

What I don't understand is how this show inspired you all to completely redefine yourselves.

I don't know where you get this idea that we have completely redefined ourselves based on this show. I sure as hell I haven't. Being a fan of this show hasn't changed how I act at all in the real world. Even my online persona, which you still don't really know, isn't that different. I have a pony avatar, yes, but I don't act any different in the forums than I did before I became a fan of the show.

As I see it, your avatar is an extension of yourself; it's what we substitute for a face when we read your post.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here, as well. My avatar, just like most people's avatar is just a picture from a show/game/movie that I happen to enjoy.