What's The Deal With Airplane Fo- I mean, Background Ponies?

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,465]

There are 2 things we bronies love above all else (from what I have seen);

 

1. Shipping.

 

2. Background Characters.

 

Something about that latter one has always interested me though... I have never seen any fandom love Background Characters (from this point on referred to as BGP) nearly as much as this community has. So why do we love the BGP so much? I am not trying to bash BGPs, for the record, I love what the community has done with Vinyl Scratch, Derpy, and I love seeing some nods to other shows & games & what-not, like the Bioshock Infinite twins getting a cameo in an episode. However it has always interested me as to the why & where on the BGP love. In fact, we love BGP's so much we have rumors of a; Spoilered for Season 5 information

 

 

episode dedicated specifically to BGP's, where the episode will follow along some characters we would otherwise might never have ever heard anything about if it was not for this fandom

 

 

I mean, Derpy (yes I am using her as an example a lot, but she is the best example of how much influence our love of a BGP has done) started out as a simple animation error. Now she is like a mascot of the fandom, got a voice, interacts with the Mane 6, sparked a controversy, has a huge fanbase & merchandise section dedicated to her... It is insane how much people have fallen in love with her from such a humble beginning, & she is only one of many, many ponies who are like this. So, I am curious as to why you guys like a particular BGP(s). Some ideas I have include;

 

1. Designs

2. Voices (Derpy, for example, did get some speaking moments in the beginning of an episode)

3. Since cutie marks are like visual characterizations, sometimes people tend to characterize the BGPs from those, & those characterizations are interesting to that person(s)

 

Once again, this isn't a "Why do people like Derpy so much? She doesn't do anything, she is useless, blah blah blah!" thread, this is just a way to explain why you personally love a particular BGP. So have at it people, let's hear why you love whatever BGP you love!

Edited August 26, 2014 by KokuraiNoSenshi

[Dattebayo 2,850]

I like them because it's a fresh change of pace from constantly having to focus on important characters.

 

Some fanon personalities are even more interesting than anything Hasbro could've imagined (like drunk Berry Punch or Vinyl), so I enjoy delving into those once in a while.

 

Also...Derpy.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Dattebayo

[ghostfacekiller39 23,879]

It's just an oddity, I guess.

 

People can like what they like. I'm not gonna flip shit over a background pony, but some people like them, so that's cool with me, I guess. I just don't question it - the only time it really bothers me is, as I've said before, is to go looking for Rarity merch and getting hit with BG Pony merch that I'm not interested it. It's impossible to look for merch and not see Derpy or Vinyl or somewhere, and that wears out its welcome quickly when you're not looking for those ponies.

 

But meh. That's just what they like, I guess.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,465]

It's just an oddity, I guess.

 

People can like what they like. I'm not gonna flip shit over a background pony, but some people like them, so that's cool with me, I guess. I just don't question it - the only time it really bothers me is, as I've said before, is to go looking for Rarity merch and getting hit with BG Pony merch that I'm not interested it. It's impossible to look for merch and not see Derpy or Vinyl or somewhere, and that wears out its welcome quickly when you're not looking for those ponies.

 

But meh. That's just what they like, I guess.

Well of course, I am not bashing people either. I am just curious to see why they like this BGP or that BGP, especially if they enjoy them without fanon aid. I personally adore Vinyl & Derpy, I think the fandom has made some amazing things with them & I am always ready to see some more

[The Crimson Cross 7,533]

I think a lot to do with the love of background ponies has very much to do with the Fan Shout outs. I can definitely see the deal with characters such as Derpy, but Octavia and Vinyl, I don't know. I suppose it's more for the novelty.

That and people can make up crazy stories about them. 

[碇 シンジン 27,440]

 

I didn't like Derpy but then I saw this...

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,306]

I recall that characters from the film "The Big Lebowski" were ponified and permitted a brief appearance in the episode "The Cutie Pox."  I try to avoid making assumptions, but I assume that the little girl portion of the audience hasn't seen that film. xD  Maybe a couple have, Idunno.  So BGP were essentially used to say, "Yeah, we know you're watching, older peoples."  That kind of acknowledgement is neat.  It was done in a way that wasn't prolonged, overt, or pointed out by a major character.  It was more like a subtle nod, and sometimes that's best accomplished with BGP.  It makes them something special that is sort-of "owned" by the fandom itself.

 

Though, personally, I mostly just like Derpy / Ditzy Doo.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,465]

I recall that characters from the film "The Big Lebowski" were ponified and permitted a brief appearance in the episode "The Cutie Pox."

Yeah I don't think most kids have played through the Bioshock Infinite game, despite having seen the twins ponified in the background during a scene from "Trade Ya"

 

However it is always nice to see somethings like that introduced

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Most of the background ponies I love I enjoy because they are like a semi-blank slate. When working in fan art or fan fiction they allow for alot greater range of personality, allowing for more expressive room, but they are in the show fairly often or atleast enough to give the reader a familar face to associate with. So alot of the enjoyment comes from that, as the viewer of the media can have a more active particpation in the character than one like a member of the mane 6 who outside smaller quirks largly have their personalities set in stone.

 

As for the merchandise, it is a great way to show that you like and support the show without attaching the conotations that wearing merchandise for a more recgonizable pony would carry. And sometimes one can gain enjoyment from the fanon personality of that background character, as they may identify with it more than one of the for front mane 6.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,465]

As for the merchandise, it is a great way to show that you like and support the show without attaching the conotations that wearing merchandise for a more recgonizable pony would carry. And sometimes one can gain enjoyment from the fanon personality of that background character, as they may identify with it more than one of the for front mane 6.

I'm noticing a pattern with the blank slates thing... I might turn this into a poll & put that up, it seems to be a common theme...

 

Anyways, I do like the idea of using BG ponies as a way to avoid being turned into a stereotype just because of a popular pony... As with anything popular, they will have their stereotypes

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

I'm noticing a pattern with the blank slates thing... I might turn this into a poll & put that up, it seems to be a common theme...

 

Anyways, I do like the idea of using BG ponies as a way to avoid being turned into a stereotype just because of a popular pony... As with anything popular, they will have their stereotypes

Well, for fanfic writers and fan art producers BG ponies just allow for alot more creative freedom, because other than derpy not even the show writers are consistant with their characterizations. So it the blank slate thing allows for more creativity, but still keep a familiar face.

And using BG ponies as an avoidance to that can work rather well, as wearing merchandise of a regonzisable main character to the mall will cause the general populace to apply connotations to you, but with BG they are obscure enough to not have those applied.

[Pastel 7,630]

I like them because it's a fresh change of pace from constantly having to focus on important characters.

 

Some fanon personalities are even more interesting than anything Hasbro could've imagined (like drunk Berry Punch or Vinyl), so I enjoy delving into those once in a while.

 

Also...Derpy.

This. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing the mane 6 less and less. A show that only focuses on the main characters becomes very boring.

Regarding Derpy, I think she would have been my favorite character even if she wasn't a background pony.