What makes MLP FiM a "kids show"?

[The Crimson Cross 7,532]

More to the point, the MLP franchise itself is targeted at kids. Though take a look at the comics and and there's a slightly different perspective. 

There is nothing wrong with it being a kids show. If you think otherwise, than you're obviously in denial. That's not to say that people from differing age groups can't agree that it's a great show to be appreciated by everyone.

[Ragingdubstep 61]

I think it's because either:

 

1. The show was ORIGINALLY aimed to younger kids, then Brony's happened XD

OR

2. Hater fuel.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Do you people feels ashame when you told your parents, your friends that you were watching a little girl show? You are trying to change its label to "adult" so that you could be proud of yourself.

 

My parents saw me watching mlp, they dont like it. They said that im 23 years old now, I should have a job, a girlfriend or at least do sth more mature. I just said - "Mlp is not regular kids show, it's an AMAZING kids show. Good stories is good no matter what target demographic".

 

Sure, mlp has some mature themes, depth stories and great character development but I still watching mlp as a kids show.

[ManaMinori 4,146]

It's a kids show, through and through. If it wasn't, it wouldn't spend its time teaching morals that a grown adult would already know. Besides, "kids show" isn't a derogatory term, so I don't know what all the fuss is about.

 

The show is good, isn't it? So why care what it's being labelled as. lol

just because a grown adult should or likely already knows the morals means that they don't need reminders, because adults? We learn something once, as kids, and become and live our adult lives without needing tobe told again, is that what you're saying? Because "adult entertainment" doesn't teach those things that we need d to be reminded of to do. Adult entertainment teaches violence and shooting and sex with whoever you want is ok.

How many adults can you say that you know or have seen who know cf hese "kids show" morals, but apply them in every day life? Being king and accepting to othets, not judging them by their looks, or religion, giving generously to others, self sacrifcing, without expe ting anything back?

 

I certainly don't see many adults like that

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,004]

I personally do not consider FiM a kids show. It might have started out like one early on, but now I consider it a 'kid friendly' or 'family friendly' show, not exclusively a 'kids show'. I think FiM is well beyond that.

 

When the show started it felt a bit more like a kids show because of how simplistic it was at first. But that was still not a bad thing, I just far prefer how the show is now.

[The Crimson Cross 7,532]

I personally do not consider FiM a kids show. It might have started out like one early on, but now I consider it a 'kid friendly' or 'family friendly' show, not exclusively a 'kids show'. I think FiM is well beyond that.

Fair point. Given the difference between even between G3 and FiM, it's safe to assume its on an entirely different level.

[Zhortac 1,475]

It is a kids show. Hasbro has been in that field for decades. It's just stupid to deny it. 

 

Nothing wrong with enjoying a kids show, just like it's apparently ok for kids to enjoy an adult level video game...

[TubeSock2018 325]

It's a kids show because that's what they wanted to make. It's structured in a way kids can follow easily.

It doesn't mean it has to be stupid. Adults can appreciate the good qualities.

But the show definitely had child qualities.

For example, the episode with Moondancer.

Her looking like a recolor of Twilight was meant to be visually symbolic of her being the same as Twilight.

This was most likely done so kids could follow the meaning of the episode closer. You make the connection without having to completely understand the dialog.

 

It has nothing to do with it being animated. It's just simply the audience the creators want to appeal to.

But that doesn't mean they want to be lazy. As said by many, good quality stories and animation appeal to all ages, so even though it's intended for kids, adults can enjoy it.

[ScarfaceOne 263]

But you could say Pingu is a ''Kids Show''. And so is Teletubbies to some extent, but Pingu is simply about a mischevious penguin who does antics in the north pole speaking with gibberish, with MLG montage parodies and Youtube Poop, he has become extremely popular with adults.

 

The fact that there is no real language in the show means that you can think he is saying anything, the only implier is the body language he uses. So therefore, Pingu appeals to everyone and shouldn't be a kids show. I Still watch Pingu because it is nostalgia.

 

As for Teletubbies, I used to hate them, alot, for basically being fat and eating too much. That, is about to change though when Jim Broadbent is in the series. He's the actor of Cedric Kirke in Narnia, and Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter. Considering that he is such a good actor. I may watch Teletubbies again. Plus, Pingu, Farthing Wood, Noddy, Teletubbies and Fireman Sam were such big parts of my childhood.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

The Simpsons, Family guy, Golan the insatiable, Beavis and Butthead, Ren & Stimpy, and King of the Hill

Well thise arent kids shows since they have all that controversy and cursing. Simpsons can be a kids show...the most it has in it is drug references...which is minor.

MLP:FiM isnt considered a kids show; at least not to my friends. Its more of a family show where everyone in the family can take something from it. 

[Discordian 6,015]

Just because people besides kids can enjoy it doesn't mean it's not a kids show. It's literally made for kids and you will never see the show do anything to break it's kid-centric mold. It'll never go for more mature themes without censoring them a great deal to make it safe for kids to see. You'll never seen blood, alcohol or sex anywhere in it. These aren't the only things that define mature content, of course, but hopefully you see my point.

 

The plot will always revolve around things kids will be able to relate to whether it's how to be a good friend, how to take care of pets or how to handle tough situations justly like handling a bully.

[Dark Qiviut 22,527]

yes it does. it has a rating for kids. But did you forget the part where I said that doesn't mean it's a bad thing?

And since when was something being a kid's show a bad thing?

Besides, "kids show" isn't a derogatory term, so I don't know what all the fuss is about.

It is a bad thing to call a product a "kids' show." The second you apply this phrase to a show, you're telling people that mostly or only kids will like it and be entertained by it lest their adult guardians turn off their brains. Time and time again, shows that are truly kids' shows aren't good in quality, like Teen Titans Go!, modern Spongebob, MLP G3, many of Hanna Barbera's Scooby Doo ripoffs back in the '70s, Disney's ready-to-be-released sequels, and 4Kids's horrible anime dubs.

 

"Kids' shows" that are objectively good in quality don't adopt the "kids' show" label and focus on kids only. Instead, they create content appropriate for children, yet accessible for everyone. In other words, it's for everyone, not just kids. Friendship Is Magic is a family show. All-ages. Gender-neutral. Lauren Faust responded to an anti-brony troll that she created this feminine-centric* show to be accessible for all-ages, just like G1 (both the TV series and toyline) back in the '80s. And there are others out there, like Steven Universe (TV-PG), Korra (TV-Y7), Gravity Falls (TV-Y7), Adventure Time (TV-PG), Arthur, classic Spongebob, classic Thomas & Friends, The Powerpuff Girls, Courage the Cowardly Dog, or most of Pixar's films.

 

*Femininity and masculinity are inherently gender-blind social constructs. We as a society attached gender to both via making "femininity" girls-only and "masculinity" boys-only. This creates a hidden sexist stigma that helps hold us back. FIM is a feminine show, but it's still an all-ages, gender-neutral show, too.

 

yes it does. it has a rating for kids.

You're not understanding the content ratings' purpose. What the content rating stands for is to determine whether it is appropriate for a specific age range or not. It doesn't mean the product is merely for that audience specifically. Take a look at the likes of Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Arthur, and Thomas & Friends when it was good (seasons one through seven, seventeen to today). They're each rated TV-Y, but their quality transcends their base demographic and reaches out to people young and old. Like FIM, they're all family shows, but the first three here aren't afraid to approach very mature themes with care.

 

Mature audiences are expected to enjoy more mature themes these days. I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying it's 100% true. But that's the way the world spins.

You'll never seen blood, alcohol or sex anywhere in it. These aren't the only things that define mature content, of course, but hopefully you see my point.

You're viewing "mature" stereotypically. Just because a concept is very mature doesn't mean it can't be approached to kids. A show featuring explicit blood, alcohol, or sex doesn't a mature or adult conflict make. You can take a very mature theme like self-harm and abandonment, write it in a family-friendly show, and reach out to multiple core audiences. Several times, FIM sent very three-dimensional, deep conflicts and morals, like self-harming (and one reason why), the disastrous consequences of a very negative decision, how a phobia can affect your day-to-day activities, cultism, and how people learn at their own leisure in their own unique ways. These themes and morals are accessible to not just kids, but adolescents and adults, too.

 

Like I wrote earlier, Sesame Street, Arthur, and Mister Rogers explored very mature conflicts. Sesame Street focused on children whose parents were sent to jail, HIV/AIDS, death, natural disasters like hurricanes, staying in a hospital, pregnancy/sex, and handling of emergencies in response to 9/11. Mister Rogers covered death, divorce, war, self-confidence, assassination, and children believing they were a mistake (a conflict millions of people young and old experience every day). Arthur's themes include a 9/11 allegory, Alzheimer's Disease, death of a pet, littering (including showing Arthur's pet dog choking on garbage and vomiting it out), divorce, sharing room with a new sibling, and cancer.

 

The target audience is children after all.

Wrong, actually. Kids are a part of the market audience (or target market, if being technically correct). The target market is about trying to attract the product to a market. "Target audience" is who you're trying to sell to. Kids are never a target audience, because they're not going to buy the product most of the time. The true target audience for MLP (all generations) and every single child-appropriate product is guardians of kids: They hold the income and make the final decisions of what products their kids should follow.

 

If you think otherwise, than you're obviously in denial.

It is a kids show. Hasbro has been in that field for decades. It's just stupid to deny it.

But we can't just stop and make up excuses for why it's not a kids' show. It is.

Do you people feels ashame when you told your parents, your friends that you were watching a little girl show? You are trying to change its label to "adult" so that you could be proud of yourself.

I don't have to be in denial or make excuses when it's false.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[UnknownFry 169]

It is a kid's show, but there is nothing inherently wrong with that as kid's shows can be just as well written or entertaining as any other show that is labeled for an older audience. However it is not a kid's show in the conventional sense as far the term is concerned so perhaps family show may be a better term here.

Edited August 10, 2015 by UnknownFry

[IDoNotSpeakEnglish 89]

My Little Pony is a kid's show, which, happily, doesn't mean it's childish. It's a kid's show simply because it was designed to appeal to little kids and sell toys; the fact that they tried to expand the range to make it "watchable" to everyone and actually have quality doesn't change the initial target. It's a show with morals, fantasy, innocence mixed with adult themes and it's constructive to a child; hence, a kid's show, which, again, doesn't change how good and mature it can be(or, maybe kid's shows are actually supposed to be better? I wouldn't want to feed the future of our nation with our table scraps).

Edited August 10, 2015 by IDoNotSpeakEnglish

[Megas 27,948]

People act as if the words "Kid's Show" or "Girl's Show" is some sort of infectious disease that spreads AIDS everytime someone says it.

 

Seriously there's nothing wrong with being a Kid's/Girl's show(or liking one) and people need to stop acting as like it's blasphemy to Lauren Faust every time someone says FiM is one

Edited August 12, 2015 by Megas75

[yeet 2,027]

 

 

Ren & Stimpy

Ren & Stimpy is a kids show, just a dark one. 

 

A reason why MLP is labelled as a kids show, well for a start, the toy line was made originally for children, mainly girls. The show was pretty girly but had some dark elements.

FIM is a kids show, not because it is animated, but because the colour of the ponies are colours kids tend to like, bright vibrant colours, also it is shown on TV on kids channels. For example in England it is shown on Pop and Tiny Pop, which are for infants to juniors. Not like Adult Swim, or BBC 3.

[Kivil 1,721]

What makes MLP a kids show to outsiders is the fact that they are ponies who are talking and most of them are all female. Also the fact that Rarity is fabulous, Pinkie Pie is pink, Luna, Celestia, Cadence and Twilight are princesses, and just the general look of the show.

[Zerbu 72]

I just stumbled across this article which contains a very interesting piece of information: https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/video-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-100th-episode-1201513256/

 

 

 

The irony is that we don’t try to incorporate anything into the show to hit any specific demographic. We’re actually just making the show that has been developed and has been successful on its own merits. When we look at a particular episode when we’re writing it and animating it, we’re thinking about if this is true to the spirit of the show, true to the spirit of the characters, true to the spirit of the world. Ultimately, that’s what’s driven the success and driven the fanbase.

 

So basically, the show's stories aren't being developed exclusively for kids or girls, but rather, they're just continuing the formula they already started.

[Jeric 46,871]

Target and market audience and classification =/= total audience participation. 

 

This is a Han Solo blowing up a communicator type of debate in the fandom. Boring ... now I go save a princess.

 

This argument that FiM cannot be a kids show appears to be generated by unease, self loathing, self inflation, or delusions of grandeur. Too many people focus on labels ... either to categorize them to fit their own world view or comfort themselves. It is completely acceptable for FiM to be classified as a kids or children's show. It is completely acceptable to like a kids show even if you are not a kid. Kids are allowed to have nice things too (and I believe that was part of Lauren's point in the first place).

[TubeSock2018 325]

I personally think what distinguishes an adult show from a kids show is the "reading level" of said show.

For example, a kid watching Bojack Horseman will not understand many of the subtle themes and innuendos presented in the show. There's a lot going on under the explicit dialog and visuals.

 

MLP is very explicit in what it tries to present. Although there are some subtle pokes here and there, for the most part, the show is constructed in a way that kids will understand it.

Why? Because it's a kids show. The staff want kids to understand what's going on.

The themes are kid friendly, the violence isn't over the top. People who respond to the Tirek fight scene as "this is for kids?" make me cringe. How is it not a kids show? Because they exchanged some punches? Ok. I guess. I wouldn't call it mature because if we look at what they were fighting about, it definitely wasn't mature themes. The purpose of the fight was for unicorn magic and stopping the bad guy who wants to take over. Simple stuff that a kid could follow. Not some complex mystery like True Detective or deep philosophical internal struggle like Breaking Bad.

 

To wrap up, adult shows present themes, tones, and subtle underlying text that would be difficult for a kid to follow.

A kids show presents themes, tones, and explicit text that is easy for any kid to follow.

This is no way makes it a bad show. It just means it's a kid show.

Effort is still required, but I find it embarrasing to imagine myself calling MLP anything more than a kids show. I feel I would be setting the mature bar extremely low.

[Side Bird 566]

It's more of a family show as someone said before. 

Personally I think that now it's a "girls show," but it's not watched by just girls. A lot of boys and girls watch shows that are "meant" for the other gender, and I know some older people who enjoy a lot of shows that people say are kiddie shows.

[StudioUAC 62]

this is why. i don't see why people think otherwise

[Dark Qiviut 22,527]

@@StudioUAC, You're not understanding the content rating's purpose. Shows with a content rating indicates what's appropriate for the base demographic. "TV-Y" is, by far, the strictest content rating for American TV, for it must be appropriate for very young kids at least. It doesn't mean it's simply for kids or a "kids' show." Nor does it mean FIM is a "kids' show" and not an all-ages/family show.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[Freegator 62]

It's a kids show because our lord and saviour Lauren Faust said so.

[Moony the Cat 3,707]

Well...i guess, every show which can be watched by a kid could be considered a Kids Show. It depends on the Age in my Opinion.

But then again, they are some drama series and comedy which also can be watched by a younger audience i guess, so..

Hmmm   okay, lets just forget that...

Well...thats actually a hard question. Well, it airs on a kids channel, it sells toys for kids, it was made for kids to give them educational life lessons and its general theme is very kid friendly.

So i guess, that could be a few reasons. But then again..im still gonna watch it