Where did you quote that from?

Don't feel too bad, Dark Quivit, it wasn't really a legitimate argument when it was first used. It's really something people just say when they run out of anything to support their statements, which were probably illogical and/or ignorant to begin with if they're running to this statement. You can safely dismiss them,

Where did you quote that from?

I've seen it pop up a bit on TenaFlyViper's Tumblr whenever she defends bronies and the fandom, but I picked this screenshot from here.

I've seen it pop up a bit on TenaFlyViper's Tumblr whenever she defends bronies and the fandom, but I picked this screenshot from here.

Oh you read the comments. Most stuff that mention bronies get bullshit comments like that.

I'm more curious as to why you still care, Qiviut.

I'm more curious as to why you still care, Qiviut.

I care because far too many people either get it wrong or are too ignorant of this fact.

And quite frankly, it's something people SHOULD care about because this lie is disparaging to everyone who watches this show. Boys, girls, kids, adults, you, me, and everyone else on and off this forum.

@@Dark Qiviut, resisting ignorance takes patience to say the very least. Even when the facts are on your side, it's still an uphill battle. People tend to be biased so some verbal technique is needed to slip the information past their ego. I'll explain more if I'm asked.

Disparaging as it may be... just how relevant is it? I don't think of it to be a big enough deal to get the least bit upset over it.

@, As steep as the hill is, I have no intention of quitting calling out the ignorance. For several decades, "it's for kids" has been used as a trump card to not publish quality family entertainment. It culminated last decade with so many terrible 4Kids anime dubs followed by the many terrible shows on Disney and Nickelodeon. MLP was once a victim of this epidemic with Tales, G3, and G3.5.

Whenever anyone parrots "it's for little girls" for any reason about FIM, they're implying they don't care about the quality of family entertainment and wish for the pandering for the lowest common denominator to be pandered. This type of pandering and wish for it enforces why so many family/all-ages entertainment hasn't been truly "family" or "all-ages" lately. That implication won't fly with me, and it's something everyone should make a stand against.

And one thing about the brony fandom is how it actually challenges sexist social norms, even when they don't know it. By society's standards, adults (men and women) shouldn't enjoy this show because of its overly saccharine, pro-feminist nature. But good quality isn't confined to any demographic. People of all ages saw the product and grew to love it because it's good. Anyone who spews the "it's for little girls" fallacy implies they want the sexist norms to remain. Isn't that what everyone should call out, too?

I don't see why being called a girls' show is a bad thing 

Unfortunantly it will be a long time before gender roles are forgotten by society, but from what i seen in the last few years, progress is being made.... Hope for your grandchildren WOOP

I don't see why being called a girls' show is a bad thing 

Because:

1. It's not true. FIM partially takes MLP back to its roots, which is creating an animated product for everyone. It's a very bold vision finally realized. (Unfortunately, the poor first-party toys still pander to their parents, and the gender stereotypes in the toy industry altogether are still a major problem.)

2. "It's a girls' show" implies how FIM is for one demographic and how everyone else don't matter. As I already wrote, this kind of mindset hurts the industry, and we've seen this in practice such as Nick's Breadwinners, Thomas & Friends, and MLP prior to FIM.

2. "It's a girls' show" implies how FIM is for one demographic and how everyone else don't matter. Like I already wrote, this kind of logic hurts the industry, and we've seen this in practice such as Nick's Breadwinners, Thomas & Friends, and MLP.

I don't see anything wrong with appealing a specific demograph, if it's good, then it's good. There are many things boy centric that many consider good that girls happen to enjoy also. Same with Girl's shows, like My Life as a Teenage Robot, Kim Possible, and Sailor Moon, they're aimed at a female demograph yet all have male followings too(admittedly not to the degree of FiM but my point still stands.)

Plus didn't Lauren Faust say that the show teaches that "there is more than one way to be a girl"? (Admittedly I don't know if I'm using it in the same context )

Basically what I am saying is that I still think it's a show for girls, but that's not a bad thing, but it's designed with a wider appeal in mind. And just like the shows mentioned above it's for girls, it's a damn good one

Even if I am wrong at least I'll still believe it's designed with an emphasis on it's female audience

@@Dark Qiviut, you do make a point there...

Well, whatever the situation, getting angry over it just isn't helpful. If anything, anger shows that people do disapprove of something but don't know what to do in their disapproval. Here it becomes tempting to point fingers and be all polarizing and make enemies... Yeah, not helpful at all.

But educating people on anything takes time -- all matters on tact aside. Even with individuals it can demand patience and a crowd is working at a different playing field than with individuals. 

Well said. I do wish that people realize that G4 is for girls and their parents, but unfortunately most people will continue to believe that it is a show for girls and girls only without giving it much thought. It doesn't help all that much that people have this kind of mindset after the unfortunate implications that Tales, G3 and G3.5 shown.

I like to remind myself that this community is evidence of the fact that more and more people are realizing that people can just like what they want to like, that "target demographics" are silly anyway.

I wonder what provoked it this time...

Here's a meme by Mr. Enter that shows exactly what the problem in this industry is:

http://mrenter.deviantart.com/art/Unholy-triforce-of-pandering-482228030

I'm with you man. This is ridiculous. Power Rangers has plenty of female fans and no one bats an eye.

Let's be honest here, demographics do exist. It's okay to like something that wasn't made for your target audience, but if you're making a media product that you want to get out, you think of what group of people would be most likely to buy it.

Little girls are the most likely to enjoy something like MLP and Hasbro obviously does target them. In that sense it is a girls' show and there's no reason to deny that fact. It's okay to like it anyway, though as demographics aren't really good for anything besides marketing.

I don't see anything wrong with appealing a specific demograph, if it's good, then it's good. There are many things boy centric that many consider good that girls happen to enjoy also. Same with Girl's shows, like My Life as a Teenage Robot, Kim Possible, and Sailor Moon, they're aimed at a female demograph yet all have male followings too(admittedly not to the degree of FiM but my point still stands.)

 

Plus didn't Lauren Faust say that the show teaches that "there is more than one way to be a girl"? (Admittedly I don't know if I'm using it in the same context )

 

Basically what I am saying is that I still think it's a show for girls, but that's not a bad thing, but it's designed with a wider appeal in mind. And just like the shows mentioned above it's for girls, it's a damn good one

 

Even if I am wrong at least I'll still believe it's designed with an emphasis on it's female audience

I think that when people say that "it's a show for girls," they mean, "it's a show ONLY for girls and you should feel bad for watching it because you're not a little girl."

Young girls are still the target audience for this show, and they still market the show in that way (there is marketing for bronies too but that's usually through 3rd party companies that Hasbro licenses). It's just that it's ridiculous to confine a TV show to one demographic and shun everyone outside of that demographic as being weird or creepy.

Also Sailor Moon is also not for little girls... despite what the 90's English dub may try to tell you. But that's another rant for another time (or, actually, you could read my blog post about it if you have the time).

I wonder what provoked it this time... Here's a meme by Mr. Enter that shows exactly what the problem in this industry is: http://mrenter.deviantart.com/art/Unholy-triforce-of-pandering-482228030

Just pent-up frustration that simply boiled over.

And I saw that meme a while ago, and it's a perfect representation of the flaws in the media industry. There, a dA comment posted a comment about pandering to teen girls:

You forgot one of the worst. Teen girl pandering. Here's basically what it is.

1. Takes place in a high school.

2. Mundane to little conflict.

3. Uninteresting characters that are either lazy or too perfect to be human.

4. Has a "mean girl".

5. The "mean girl" also has a crush on the main character's crush.

6. The uses of bullying the "mean girl" are not realistic.

And more stupid cliches!

Simply fits the scope of both EqG movies, I daresay.

@@Grumpy Enchantress, Gotta put my marketing goggles on.

Little girls (or more generally, little kids) are never a target audience. FIM never targets little girls, just like Transformers never targets little boys or Barbie never targets little girls. Target audience is about selling a product to someone, and it's illogical to think kids will buy it as they don't hold onto any income beyond allowances. In other words, kids are part of a market audience (or more accurately, a target market): a demographic you're trying to attract. That's where their guardians (FIM's real target audience) come into play, and it's them who decide to buy the products and record the programs.

FIM has two target markets: young girls for the toys, all ages for the animation. EQG's target audience is the same, but its base demographic (and market audience) is older than FIM's: tween girls.

I will say that the people who say that to justify why mlp is bad well liking stuff like say, Frozen, Adventure Time, or anything they liked when they were a kid and still like now are being kind of hypocrites since those stuff could be classified as for kids I'm not saying they, they're just commonly classified as that. 

As for the pandering thing, I have a rule with that. If the pandering can by some miracle work and not make me cringe then I'm okay with it. Breadwinners however fails, because they do it so much to the point where it is forced.

I could troll you so hard right now, but because I'm too polite for that - and because I agree with you and because I don't want to get into trouble - I'll just brohoof your entry.

(Even though I have mixed opinions when it comes to the previous generations being "just for little girls".)

Little girls (or more generally, little kids) are never a target audience. FIM never targets little girls, just like Transformers never targets little boys or Barbie never targets little girls. Target audience is about selling a product to someone, and it's illogical to think kids will buy it as they don't hold onto any income beyond allowances. In other words, kids are part of a market audience (or more accurately, a target market): a demographic you're trying to attract. That's where their guardians (FIM's real target audience) come into play, and it's them who decide to buy the products and record the programs.

What are you talking about? Obviously it will be their parents paying for it, but the group they're trying to reach and have get interested in it in the first place is kids.

FIM has two target markets: young girls for the toys, all ages for the animation. EQG's target audience is the same, but its base demographic (and market audience) is older than FIM's: tween girls.

Wrong. The show is clearly aimed towards little girls and aims to get their views with the cute ponies and princesses. I can't believe that's something you're denying the fact of.

Lauren Faust herself even said she made it for little girls and their parents, not everyone. It does have a few things they put in with an adult audience in mind, but it isn't the main target. 

Again, the demographic makes little to no difference, though. Keep liking what you like and people have no reason to have anything against you for it, but don't pretend that it isn't outside of your demographic. I personally hate almost everything aimed towards my gender and age range (Transformers and shit like that), but I don't deny that they're targeting me. FiM isn't targeting me at all; I like it too.

Also, how are you claiming that it's sexist to say G4 is for little girls, but still saying the toys are? What if an adult male happened to collect the toys, is that somehow different than you liking the show? If so, how is that stance any less "sexist"?

"Beating a dead horse."

I see what you did there.

Yeah, I agree.

Like I said before: Spongebob is a kid's show.

People above the age of thirteen will still watch it.

Likely the only reason why Spongebob got away was because the only need for internet back then was to play a game of Counter-Strike with your buddies after school.