Why is this fandom mostly male?

[EquineWhoDoesStuff 49]

I don't agree that it's less girly; there is plenty of girly things in FIM that males who like it either brush off, are wearing rose colored glasses and ignoring or don't know what girly is.

 

besides that point so many people in the brony fandom use the term 'girly' in a way that I find kind of offensive...as if something being girly is a bad thing.

 

Uh, I don't think you and I are watching the same show...maybe a lot of you guys are in denial of what you actually like LOL!

 

 

Look, I know you're just making a joke here, and honestly, once you self identify as a Brony you can't exactly claim to have only vested interest in typically "manly" things, but I'd have to take issue here. 

 

First of all, instead of clarifying what you meant by girly or presenting an example/evidence of what you were referring to, you just say we're 'wearing rose colored glasses' or that we're 'in denial'. It does nothing but assert your opinion in a condescending and dismissive fashion, and then you stick a LOL at the end there as if what you said wasn't a tad rude. I can just as easily say you're the one who's interpreting things wrongly or ignoring them, but just calling the other person delusional is productive in any sense.

 

 I'm not trying to jump on you here, you're fine to state your opinion here in any way as long as it stays civil. I'm just pointing out that from the perspective of someone who can't know your demeanor or tone from across the screen it comes off as arrogant, it's not the kind of presentation that makes it seem like you want to have an actual discussion. Based on what other stuff I've read from you I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that's not the case. 

 

I'll agree that the definition of girly you seem to be referring to is definitely not bad, I really enjoy the so called more 'girly' parts of the show, all the Rarity fashion stuff and whatever else you'd care to mention. But I say for the most part the show is incredibly gender neutral, there are plenty of cute things, but even that isn't implicitly girly. I can't even think off hand of any girly moments or plots that aren't a product of the specific character traits of the relatively well rounded and balanced characters. Some things with Rarity or Fluttershy are sort of girly at times, with Rarity leaning toward more ladylike and frilly and Fluttershy being extremely sweet and saccharine. But that's a result of who those characters are, even if they were the entire show they're still balanced and multifaceted. The show can definitely be silly, which I like about it, but silly and girly are not the same thing even when they're being represented at the same time. When we see a fashion designer or a woman wearing a dress in a different show we don't go "Oh, fashion designing? That's so girly!" or "She's wearing a dress, look at how girly all that is!", those things make sense within the scope of those characters. For the mane six, anything stereotypically girly about them is depending on the episode usually irrelevant. With Applejack and Rainbow Dash you have them actively put off or apathetic about girly sort of stuff, Rainbow Dash being more a general tomboy and Applejack being more concerned with work and farming and practicality than anything that's as she put it "too frou-frou". 

 

Twilight and Pinkie are an even better example because they can be feminine or girly but it's just not a very important part of their personality, like with a lot of people in real life it's a very small part of the lens that they interact with the world through. Twilight mostly caring more about academic stuff and her own interests, the girly stuff she engages are the things she personally enjoys, not because of how girly they are but because she likes them. Which is how it should be. Pinkie can run the gambit between things that are uber-femenine to stuff like her rapping sequence in Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3, she just likes fun and energetic stuff, whether or not it's hot pink cupcakes or gold clock bling and a hoodie.

 

Most of the episodes either have little to do with girly stuff one way or the other or are actively a more gender neutral slice of life or high fantasy focus. 

 

I can't say I agree in any way when you say that generations 2-3.5 weren't more girly, there is nothing wrong with their girly-ness, it's the lack of more multifaceted setting and characters that make it seem balanced, enjoyable to all and more believable as a group well rounded people.

 

From what I've seen of G1 it wasn't even that girly at all, with action and adventure and some dark and serious stuff. What makes appear that way is that the ponies aren't particularly well portrayed or deep characters. They're mostly simple and childishly girly when they have any personality at all. With the notable exception of Rainbow's predecessor Firefly, who has some character and an inclination towards danger and bravery and that sort of thing. Even then she's still a pretty shallow simple character. Even people who dislike what they perceive as girly can still enjoy the characters of FIM because they're built up as actually relatable and realistic people. You stop thinking of Rarity as the frilly fashion pony and start thinking of her as Rarity the emotionally complex and interesting person who likes frilly things and fashion.

 

I love the way FIM handles it, take the scene where Fluttershy is having a tea party picnic with her woodland friends as an example. I loved that. Even if there was nothing else to it, it would still being perfectly in character with her interests and personality and unobjectionable. But they add in Harry the bear, so it creates this funny situation where you have Fluttershy picnic-ing with all these little critters and then this massive bear is sitting there too. Or the fact that in addition to all her cute kittens and ladybugs she also keeps vultures and bats at her cottage. It has this self aware quirky sort of sardonic humor that it treats things with, while still managing to be completely sincere in it's sweetness and optimism. It's not afraid to laugh at itself or add more complex and nuanced things to a situation that other 'girly' shows wouldn't.

 

The difference when things get serious in G1 compared to G4 is how it integrates it into the tone and show itself. In G1 you have ponies in adventurous or darker situations, like Tirek, but the ponies are never included in that darker tone, they're just sort of shoved into it. In G4 the mane six are integrated in the darker or more serious tone that some episodes create, when things like that are present it effects the cast too. They're not just things that happen they're actually merged into the setting and the lore and how this fantasy world it shown. Even in slice of life episodes they sometime put in life threatening fantasy world sort of problems or creatures. It's a matter of how the characters are developed and represented rather than any kind of linear scale of girly-ness. All facets of the world building and more serious adventure style content are kept as the wider view of one setting, the difference between Twilight in a slice of life episode and her during one of the adventure plots is the context, and Twilight's level of severity increases with it.

 

The other kind of girly that some people seem to think is a bad thing is a different beast. It's usually defined as a sort of vapid ultra feminine narrow focus that seems off putting or not believable as real character behavior.

 

Ok, that's enough ranting to you, if you have anything to discuss about those ludicrous blocks of text then feel free to reply, sorry about that.

 

 

Rarity: Hmm... [gasp] Idea! I'll make you an outfit for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash: Outfit for the what now?

Rarity: I'll make one for you and you and all of you. Oh! And of course Pinkie and Fluttershy too. Oh, and when I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!

Twilight Sparkle: What a great idea! If you're sure you can handle it.

Rarity: Oh, it'll be a little bit of work, but it will be a wonderful boost for my business. Plus, fun!

Rainbow Dash: Oh, I love fun things!

Rarity: Then it's settled. We'll have a fashion show starring us

 

I can see the point you're trying to make here, but the is not only is the quote out of context, as far as I can see it's also irrelevant.

 

I could take a quote from Fall Weather Friends or Wonderbolt Academy and say, oh look RD and AJ are being all gruff and tomboyish and playing hoofball or hoof-wrestling or stunt flying in a military style academy. But just putting those scenes down in here doesn't mean that's what the show is like as a whole, or even within those episodes. Heck, I could put in the stuff with Chrysalis or Nightmare Moon and talk about the part where they make it look like Luna actually murdered Celestia and Twilight is sobbing in denial over her unmoving body. But it wouldn't prove or explain my point in any way other than giving a limited specific example.

 

As for the quote you put there, even within the context of that scene it undermines your point. Just having them talk about a fashion show and dresses doesn't make any kind of meaningful statement about the show. Rainbow Dash is shown to usually actively avoid anything typically girly or just not care about it. Applejack didn't even plan to wear anything other than her hat to the Gala before Rarity strong armed her into it. I mean, even when Rainbow Dash personally dictated what she thought her dress should look like, her design ended up as a suit of armor instead. While Applejack's was just a ridiculous tricked out cowboy outfit.

 

I'm pretty sure we both know just having dresses and femininity in there regardless of context is not what they were referring too. Gary S seemed to be referring to the shallow uninteresting stereotype kind of girl show characterization. Which is not present in FIM even with the most girly characters, they each have too much built up personality and diverse interests and motivations.

Edited April 16, 2014 by EquineWhoDoesStuff

[SCS 7,443]

I have had to hide several posts in this topic that were either completely off-topic or were just too silly and did not contribute anything. Replies to this or any topic are not required to be serious or very well-thought out by any means, but we still need to enforce a minimum level of quality outside of Cloudsdale Colosseum. 

 

This topic is in Sugarcube Corner, so it is important to have some amount of substance to your post and to not go off-topic. If you wish to participate in topics that do not have any expectations for substance or staying on-topic, I recommend Cloudsdale Colosseum.

[Zekromic 1,054]

Ech. Doesn't matter much to me

 

I mean, yeahh, it's pretty dude heavy, but Flipturn took the words right out of my mouth and then some with the little 4chan info he provided

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basically, dudes saw that other dudes were interested in the show and checked it out Simple as that

nevertheless, just the fact that dudes watch a show with little girls as the target audience, tend to bring attention to many. This brings some curiosity and start to watch it, like it, join the fandom, the end, we got another brony.

[FlitterFlutter 1,568]

I think it is because if a woman likes MLP then it's socially ok so they don't feel the need to join the famdon.

[Geek0zoid 1,467]

Honestly, it's still a huge mystery to me. But, I could make a safe assumption right now in bulletpoints

 

• A guy (As in a male guy) Watched the show
• More (Male) guys figured this out and got curious
• Those (male) guys watched the show and told their friends about it
• Their friends watched the show and told their friends about it

You know how it goes.

And there was the occasional female.

[Stellafera 3,835]

I think it is because if a woman likes MLP then it's socially ok so they don't feel the need to join the famdon.

 

If they're children, sure. Once you hit the teenage years, people start to look at you funny. MLP is in most people's memory as something not very intelligent or mature that girls grow out of as their tastes develop. 

 

The stigma isn't as bad as it is for guys: it's much nicer to be seen as childish than creepy. There's still, however, a stigma.

[applejock 358]

Men (non boys) lean towards mlp because of how pure it is. There mothers taught them these lessons the show preachs and all men (should) have an inner need to please, protect, and respext females. Mlp is feminew by its nature its overflowing with everything femine...not girlish, and that is why it draws men instead of shows like monater high.

 

Females acting femine is attractive, when you cut out all the bs postureing you get from 20 something girls (I swear if I hear one more post teen girl call another womwn the b-word in a friendly manner...).

 

Why younger men and boys like mlp is a differnt reason but similar. It reminds them of there mothers. Period.

 

Short answer, mlp is genius in pony form. It is emortional, pure, wise and allureing.

 

So says Jock, and by the whim of Queen Rarity it be true.

[Espurr 449]

What are you talking about? There are tons of girls that love mlp. They are all just 4-9 years old. 

Being a girl and all I could take that offensively. But I won't not because I'm 4 or 9, but because you could be joking here or partly right. I still feel slightly insulted though.

 

Anyways, why are there so many guys on this forum? Maybe because this show has a main audience of men. Or perhaps it just seems to interest guys more. I mean, I do have my my little pony and pokemon to watch on Saturdays but sheesh, I don't know, but it feels like this show appeals to guys more.....if I know what I'm saying.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Star Ruby

[Shanks 10,811]

Females acting femine is attractive, when you cut out all the bs postureing you get from 20 something girls (I swear if I hear one more post teen girl call another womwn the b-word in a friendly manner...).

And feminine in a good way, one that is actually accurate and not patronizing, even Rainbow Dash has a feminine side even if it isn't as obvious as the others and she has some insecurities about expressing it. I suppose it could be that on a subconscious level a lot of men see those traits and like them, it dosen't fully explain it though it does explain why a lot of people are attracted to and have crushes on the ponies. 

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Sherlock has a overwhelmingly female population in their fandom. And Supernatural. And Dr. Who.

Do you think they complain that there are no men around?

[RaptorJaysus 178]

I would say it is a sort of "domino-effect." A few guys on 4chan watched it, other's got curious and watched it, so they told other people about it, and those people watched it, and so on and so on. Because it started on 4chan, which is almost entirely male, the fandom as it is now is a sausagefest. Of course, not everyone that has seen the show likes it, but the effect is exponential, which is why there's some 15+ million of us now from a hundred or so /co/lts.

[Zhortac 1,473]

Sherlock has a overwhelmingly female population in their fandom. And Supernatural. And Dr. Who.

Do you think they complain that there are no men around?

 

Of course not, they're too busy shipping the hell out of all the male characters.

[Panne 1,342]

Of course not, they're too busy shipping the hell out of all the male characters.

Just like I'm busy building my ship army of all the girls in MLP

[RNgineer 161]

i always thought i got into this things being the gender minority, i didnt know males dominated the fandom

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,189]

Because deep down, all males have a weakness for adorable pastel ponies.

 

...

 

That's my explanation! I'm sticking to it!

[Zhortac 1,473]

i always thought i got into this things being the gender minority, i didnt know males dominated the fandom

 

I still think that it seems that way, because most of the females keep quite, because of how stupid alot of males can be.

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Sherlock has a overwhelmingly female population in their fandom. And Supernatural. And Dr. Who.

Do you think they complain that there are no men around?

Oh, I'm not complaining or think that this is necessarily a problem. I was just wondering why it is that way.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Oh, I'm not complaining or think that this is necessarily a problem. I was just wondering why it is that way.

Oh nononononono, I was asking for realsies x)

[Rhythmic Tempo 49]

You say why... I say why not.

 

Probably not my best answer XD

[J.T. 1,843]

So is it just me, or does there seem to be a shortage of women in the 20-30 age group in this fandome :/

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

Trust me, there's many female bronies on the forums. Some even call themselves "pegasisters".

[Powderpuff 390]

They exist. Maybe they just don't feel a need to shout their gender everywhere.

[J.T. 1,843]

Yeah I've met a few but they were all 14-18

[Tom Snyder 4,111]

They exist. Maybe they just don't feel a need to shout their gender everywhere.

Your avatar remins me of that show called "Hamtaro". I loved it as a kid.

[CadetGrey 267]

[This post is hidden. No offense to anyone, but I am no longer part of the community and no longer wish to be an (active) part of the forums. I treasure the friendships I made along the way. Thank you!]

Edited March 28, 2021 by CadetGrey