Well, you guys requested another article from me, so here it is! Instead of writing about anime, this time I'm going to write an analysis of the popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Don't worry if you're a fan/non-fan, this article is for both of you. Hold on securely to your masculinity, because here we go!
If you spend any amount of time on the internet, time outside of Facebook and YouTube (and even then, it may be unavoidable depending on the company you keep) you've probably heard something about a new My Little Pony series, and for some bizarre reason, everyone seems to be obsessed with it. And by "everyone", we're not talking young girls with a (possibly Freudian) love of all things horses. We're talking older males, probably the last people who you would expect to love a show about friendship, magic and ponies. Perhaps it's all part of some elaborate joke that they're all in on? Surely they can't actually like the series? If they do, why? What would they possibly find so appealing in a show made to sell dolls to young girls?
As bizarre as it is to imagine, a cartoon about cute ponies and their adventures that's part of the My Little Pony franchise is incredibly popular among older males
Let's start at the beginning. Lauren Faust, who worked on popular animated programs The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, was brought onboard by Hasbro, the creators of the My Little Pony toyline to create a new animated series for the toys. Faust, who felt that the typical animation produced for young girls, was "boring and un-relatable", was asked to take the show in a new direction. She wanted to forgo the usual "puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness" common in animation for girls, and instead give the characters more diverse personalities and a more interesting story. She wanted to make not just a show for young girls, but also for their parents to enjoy. And on October 10, 2010, the first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired.
But, you're not here for a history lesson are you? How is it possible to truly enjoy a cartoon, not only aimed at young girls, but one also intended to sell dolls? Well, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, Friendship is Magic is a cartoon with a young female audience in mind, and is suppose to sell toys. The show looks cute. It has musical numbers (though the show does poke fun at the tendency of girls cartoons to do this, with the cast quipping "Tell me she's not" when Pinkie Pie suddenly breaks into song in the second episode, and Pinkie herself later calling these musical outbursts a "random song outta nowhere")
Just another one of Pinkie Pie's "random song outta nowhere" musical numbers
But remember, the show's creator, Lauren Faust, normally makes traditional cartoons, and she has a knack for making ones that often appeal to audiences outside the intended one. And again, her purpose for Friendship is Magic was to make a cartoon for girls that wasn't the nauseatingly cute tripe that's normally associated with the genre. And finally, she wanted the show to also be enjoyable to more than just the core audience. If there's anyone who can pull this off, it's Faust, and from the overwhelmingly positive response to the show, I'd say she's been successful.
Another thing to note is that the show's flat art style would be very challenging to translate into a three-dimensional toy. I would think that if the show's sole purpose was to sell toys, Hasbro would have requested that the characters be designed to make the manufacturing process simpler.
The show's flat art style, as well as little details in the character designs (such as the highlights in Twilight's mane and the particular way Rarity's mane curls) would actually make process of creating toys from the show more difficult than if the show had been 100% dedicated to acting as a toy commercial
But what's the deal with "bronies"? Well, I think this may depend on the individual. Sure, I like the show, I've seen every episode and I'll continue watching it as new episodes become available. But has it changed my life and taught me things I never knew about friendship? Well, no. That's not to imply that the people who talk about how Friendship is Magic changed their lives are lying or anything like that, but personally, I didn't really find any messages in the show that I wasn't already aware of.
Important to some, less-so to others
Well, perhaps it's one of my favourite children's animations? Neee-ope. That honor goes to Daria. Or if we're not cheating by choosing a show technically aimed at teenagers, then Pinky and The Brain. But mostly Daria (seriously, I would drown several bags of kittens for new episodes of that show). Anyway, my point is, I can't hope to speak for all the fans of the show, but I think there are a few points where we all meet.
For me personally, the number one thing I find most appealing about Friendship is Magic is the show's animation. It's not only stylish and unique, it's also of a very high quality, with lots of attention to detail, despite being made in Adobe Flash, (a program infamous for it's use in crude, amateurish internet cartoons). And since I'm a fan of animation, something that looks and moves like Friendship is Magic will naturally catch my attention. I have a pretty strong feeling that a good majority of fans are also fans of animation like myself, and enjoy the show's animation.
Even in a still image, the fluid, detailed animation of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shines through
The show's animation also hits every one of the 12 basic principles of animation established by Disney, despite having a modern, computer-animated production. This give the show a "classic" feel, like an old Warner Bros. cartoon, making it a lot of fun to watch.
For a number of fans, I think the show's humor is also part of the appeal. As already mentioned, the classic style of the show's animation allows the characters to be very expressive. Despite the show having a number of funny lines (one of my favourites would be Spike's suggestion that Twilight's poorly-made bird's nest would be best served as an outhouse for the birds), in a lot of cases the funniest moments come just from the expression on a character's face or some kind of slapstick comedy. There's also a point where the cuteness of Friendship is Magic's art style lends itself to comedy. That point is where something angers or annoys one of the characters. The contrast of a style best intended for the characters to look cute and happy, and a non-cute and happy facial expression is comedic gold. Thankfully, the animators are very generous with these moments, with the characters spending less time continually smiling like in early episodes, and more time being expressive.
Furious pony is funniest pony
And the creators of the show throw in plenty of jokes for the show's older fans. Everything from internet memes (Chocolate Rain), references to R-rated movies (The Big Lebowski) to just jokes that children watching the show won't pick up on (such as the time Spike falls asleep in a punch bowl, prompting Pinkie to crack a joke about the punch being "spiked").
Perhaps one of the biggest shout-outs to Friendship is Magic's older fans is the character "Derpy". In the first episode, there was a pony in the background, which due to an animation error, had crossed eyes, something the animators corrected when they later re-used the character. But after the airing of the first episode, fans had fallen in love with this character, who they had nicknamed "Derpy" on the account of her silly-looking facial expression. Upon hearing about the fan love for this character, the creators of the show gave the background pony back the crossed eyes and made her into a reoccurring background character who would be hidden somewhere in each episode. This all came to a head in the episode "The Last Roundup" where they not only gave the cross-eyed pony a speaking role, but they also had Rainbow Dash call her by the name the fans had given her: Derpy.
Fan-favourite "Derpy" gets a starring role, and her fan name is officially adopted by the show
As I'm sure you were already aware, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is strangely popular among older males. As I've shown you in this article, there are a number of good reasons for this. If you're not a fan, perhaps now you're curious, and you're thinking about giving it a shot. Well, to begin with, good on you for being open-minded! Second, you're going to have to get past the fact that it's kinda cute, it's part of the My Little Pony franchise and that the first few episodes probably won't grab you, leaving you wondering what everyone sees in the series and more than a little embarrassed. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE who loves the show now felt the same way.
My personal experience was I watched the first episode out of curiosity and didn't really like it. I then watched the second episode months later, because the first episode was only part one, so I should be fair. Again, even after watching episode two, I still didn't really like the show. But I felt the second episode was a small improvement over the first. So I decided to give the third episode a try. Then the fourth episode. Then the fifth. Suddenly, I'd watched the entire series and was now writing an article about ponies.
And my story isn't unique, when I talk to other people who watch the show, they had almost the exact same experience. For the sake of fairness, you need to keep an open mind and watch more than the first few episodes before you judge it. Oh and don't worry if you can't stomach the opening theme, I still skip it, even now. Well, after the part where Derpy makes her appearance anyway.
The Equine Phenomenon: My Analysis of the Popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
If you spend any amount of time on the internet, time outside of Facebook and YouTube (and even then, it may be unavoidable depending on the company you keep) you've probably heard something about a new My Little Pony series, and for some bizarre reason, everyone seems to be obsessed with it. And by "everyone", we're not talking young girls with a (possibly Freudian) love of all things horses. We're talking older males, probably the last people who you would expect to love a show about friendship, magic and ponies. Perhaps it's all part of some elaborate joke that they're all in on? Surely they can't actually like the series? If they do, why? What would they possibly find so appealing in a show made to sell dolls to young girls?
As bizarre as it is to imagine, a cartoon about cute ponies and their adventures that's part of the My Little Pony franchise is incredibly popular among older males
Let's start at the beginning. Lauren Faust, who worked on popular animated programs The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, was brought onboard by Hasbro, the creators of the My Little Pony toyline to create a new animated series for the toys. Faust, who felt that the typical animation produced for young girls, was "boring and un-relatable", was asked to take the show in a new direction. She wanted to forgo the usual "puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness" common in animation for girls, and instead give the characters more diverse personalities and a more interesting story. She wanted to make not just a show for young girls, but also for their parents to enjoy. And on October 10, 2010, the first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired.
But, you're not here for a history lesson are you? How is it possible to truly enjoy a cartoon, not only aimed at young girls, but one also intended to sell dolls? Well, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, Friendship is Magic is a cartoon with a young female audience in mind, and is suppose to sell toys. The show looks cute. It has musical numbers (though the show does poke fun at the tendency of girls cartoons to do this, with the cast quipping "Tell me she's not" when Pinkie Pie suddenly breaks into song in the second episode, and Pinkie herself later calling these musical outbursts a "random song outta nowhere")
Just another one of Pinkie Pie's "random song outta nowhere" musical numbers
But remember, the show's creator, Lauren Faust, normally makes traditional cartoons, and she has a knack for making ones that often appeal to audiences outside the intended one. And again, her purpose for Friendship is Magic was to make a cartoon for girls that wasn't the nauseatingly cute tripe that's normally associated with the genre. And finally, she wanted the show to also be enjoyable to more than just the core audience. If there's anyone who can pull this off, it's Faust, and from the overwhelmingly positive response to the show, I'd say she's been successful.
Another thing to note is that the show's flat art style would be very challenging to translate into a three-dimensional toy. I would think that if the show's sole purpose was to sell toys, Hasbro would have requested that the characters be designed to make the manufacturing process simpler.
The show's flat art style, as well as little details in the character designs (such as the highlights in Twilight's mane and the particular way Rarity's mane curls) would actually make process of creating toys from the show more difficult than if the show had been 100% dedicated to acting as a toy commercial
But what's the deal with "bronies"? Well, I think this may depend on the individual. Sure, I like the show, I've seen every episode and I'll continue watching it as new episodes become available. But has it changed my life and taught me things I never knew about friendship? Well, no. That's not to imply that the people who talk about how Friendship is Magic changed their lives are lying or anything like that, but personally, I didn't really find any messages in the show that I wasn't already aware of.
Important to some, less-so to others
Well, perhaps it's one of my favourite children's animations? Neee-ope. That honor goes to Daria. Or if we're not cheating by choosing a show technically aimed at teenagers, then Pinky and The Brain. But mostly Daria (seriously, I would drown several bags of kittens for new episodes of that show). Anyway, my point is, I can't hope to speak for all the fans of the show, but I think there are a few points where we all meet.
For me personally, the number one thing I find most appealing about Friendship is Magic is the show's animation. It's not only stylish and unique, it's also of a very high quality, with lots of attention to detail, despite being made in Adobe Flash, (a program infamous for it's use in crude, amateurish internet cartoons). And since I'm a fan of animation, something that looks and moves like Friendship is Magic will naturally catch my attention. I have a pretty strong feeling that a good majority of fans are also fans of animation like myself, and enjoy the show's animation.
Even in a still image, the fluid, detailed animation of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shines through
The show's animation also hits every one of the 12 basic principles of animation established by Disney, despite having a modern, computer-animated production. This give the show a "classic" feel, like an old Warner Bros. cartoon, making it a lot of fun to watch.
For a number of fans, I think the show's humor is also part of the appeal. As already mentioned, the classic style of the show's animation allows the characters to be very expressive. Despite the show having a number of funny lines (one of my favourites would be Spike's suggestion that Twilight's poorly-made bird's nest would be best served as an outhouse for the birds), in a lot of cases the funniest moments come just from the expression on a character's face or some kind of slapstick comedy. There's also a point where the cuteness of Friendship is Magic's art style lends itself to comedy. That point is where something angers or annoys one of the characters. The contrast of a style best intended for the characters to look cute and happy, and a non-cute and happy facial expression is comedic gold. Thankfully, the animators are very generous with these moments, with the characters spending less time continually smiling like in early episodes, and more time being expressive.
Furious pony is funniest pony
And the creators of the show throw in plenty of jokes for the show's older fans. Everything from internet memes (Chocolate Rain), references to R-rated movies (The Big Lebowski) to just jokes that children watching the show won't pick up on (such as the time Spike falls asleep in a punch bowl, prompting Pinkie to crack a joke about the punch being "spiked").
Perhaps one of the biggest shout-outs to Friendship is Magic's older fans is the character "Derpy". In the first episode, there was a pony in the background, which due to an animation error, had crossed eyes, something the animators corrected when they later re-used the character. But after the airing of the first episode, fans had fallen in love with this character, who they had nicknamed "Derpy" on the account of her silly-looking facial expression. Upon hearing about the fan love for this character, the creators of the show gave the background pony back the crossed eyes and made her into a reoccurring background character who would be hidden somewhere in each episode. This all came to a head in the episode "The Last Roundup" where they not only gave the cross-eyed pony a speaking role, but they also had Rainbow Dash call her by the name the fans had given her: Derpy.
Fan-favourite "Derpy" gets a starring role, and her fan name is officially adopted by the show
As I'm sure you were already aware, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is strangely popular among older males. As I've shown you in this article, there are a number of good reasons for this. If you're not a fan, perhaps now you're curious, and you're thinking about giving it a shot. Well, to begin with, good on you for being open-minded! Second, you're going to have to get past the fact that it's kinda cute, it's part of the My Little Pony franchise and that the first few episodes probably won't grab you, leaving you wondering what everyone sees in the series and more than a little embarrassed. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE who loves the show now felt the same way.
My personal experience was I watched the first episode out of curiosity and didn't really like it. I then watched the second episode months later, because the first episode was only part one, so I should be fair. Again, even after watching episode two, I still didn't really like the show. But I felt the second episode was a small improvement over the first. So I decided to give the third episode a try. Then the fourth episode. Then the fifth. Suddenly, I'd watched the entire series and was now writing an article about ponies.
And my story isn't unique, when I talk to other people who watch the show, they had almost the exact same experience. For the sake of fairness, you need to keep an open mind and watch more than the first few episodes before you judge it. Oh and don't worry if you can't stomach the opening theme, I still skip it, even now. Well, after the part where Derpy makes her appearance anyway.
