Will we see equal gender representation in an mlp cast anytime soon?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

MLP gen 1 had a mane cast of all females. So did gen 1.5 (Pony Tales) but there were males the mane 6 interacted with at times. Gen 3 had all females in the core 7, and g4 has all females in the mane 6. Now that the franchise is reaching out to both male and female demographics, will we ever see a generation of mlp with 3 boys and 3 girls? (F.R.I.E.N.D.S got it right, sans the romances in the group, in the end)

[Attack of the Pwns 894]

I excuse it because in IRL horse herds there is almost a 5:1 ratio of females to males. Therefore, I just see it as a cool little detail. As long as there are a handful of males in the show, I'm happy.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I excuse it because in IRL horse herds there is almost a 5:1 ratio of females to males. Therefore, I just see it as a cool little detail. As long as there are a handful of males in the show, I'm happy.

but this is a magical, fictional world of pastel ponies with magical powers, not real life horse herds, so they shouldn't have to work like real life horse herds

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

It looks like we're already moving in that direction. Shining Armor and Discord have been given bigger roles, and we've also had an onset of new male characters lately. Tender Taps was a nice addition last week.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

It looks like we're already moving in that direction. Shining Armor and Discord have been given bigger roles, and we've also had an onset of new male characters lately. Tender Taps was a nice addition last week.

none of them are mane cast, though. They're secondaries, and TT is a reoccurring

[hgdsghfdhgfdghfdshg 82]

but this is a magical, fictional world of pastel ponies with magical powers, not real life horse herds, so they shouldn't have to work like real life horse herds

This sentence is all kinds of messed up.

[Unikitty 1,212]

Not likely. And there's no reason to force a gender equal cast. Having gender diversity for the sake of having gender diversity is just as bad as avoiding it for the sake of avoiding it. It's okay for a franchise to have a primarily female or male cast. There is no harm in it. A story's characters should be built to best fit in their world, and superficial rules shouldn't be forced upon the creator for the sake of some false sense of equality. MLPFiM hasn't done anyone wrong by not having more male characters.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I honestly don't see the point in it. The MLP cast works fine as it is so there's really no reason to force stallions into it. It'll also keep out forced romances since I highly doubt they'll start shipping the Mane 6 with each other.

[Phanact 333]

MLP gen 1 had a mane cast of all females. So did gen 1.5 (Pony Tales) but there were males the mane 6 interacted with at times. Gen 3 had all females in the core 7, and g4 has all females in the mane 6. Now that the franchise is reaching out to both male and female demographics, will we ever see a generation of mlp with 3 boys and 3 girls? (F.R.I.E.N.D.S got it right, sans the romances in the group, in the end)

 

Probably not since it is sort of a girls show.

 

I think it only makes sense that the mane 6 are female, but I always thought RD was a girl at first.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I honestly don't see the point in it. The MLP cast works fine as it is so there's really no reason to force stallions into it. It'll also keep out forced romances since I highly doubt they'll start shipping the Mane 6 with each other.

hasbro is venturing out to both male and female demographic, as seen by the toyline. So how would making a gen 5 main cas with equal amount of boys and girl characters be FORCED?

[Revisedwords101 6]

I think it'll be kinda cool to see a stir of some stallions in the future... Maybe a spin off episode where the mane 6 are guys! (Then again... It may just be all about video games and all nighters :3)

 

However, I don't think It'll happen soon.

Due to the fact that the show was initially aimed for girls.

[PE Brony 1,712]

hasbro is venturing out to both male and female demographic, as seen by the toyline. So how would making a gen 5 main cas with equal amount of boys and girl characters be FORCED?

It will be FORCED by the freaking fans trying to get it "equalized." You can't just up and change the mane cast for no reason besides perceived "gender inequality."

 

When they do, it usually ruins the entire premise. Look at what they did with the Hobbit as a film. They stretched it out (an entirely different conversation) and added a needlessly over-complicated love triangle because the screenwriters decided there needed to be a "strong" female in the story, where Tolkien had zero in his novel. Even as a "strong" female character, Tauriel was still made to be flirty and swoon at horrible genitalia references, which IMO, strongly diminished the character. She could have been fantastic, but they screwed up a character they created themselves.

 

MLP would need to go to the next generation and preferably relocate out of Ponyville if they wanted to have a "balanced" cast. Any major changes to the mane 6 would be forced. They could do a spin-off in another town and have a different cast, maybe with Sunset Shimmer...???)

 

They have plenty of locations to choose from that haven't been used much, if not at all in the television series:

 

Las Pegasus

Trottingham

Baltimare

Fillydelphia

Hoofington

Mustangia

Whinnyapolis

 

to name a few

[KatonRyu 1,033]

hasbro is venturing out to both male and female demographic, as seen by the toyline. So how would making a gen 5 main cas with equal amount of boys and girl characters be FORCED?

 

It's not the amount that bothers me. The thing is that with these kinds of franchises a mixed cast will inevitably lead to romances within the core group. Now, I'm a fervent shipper so I'm generally fine with this, but given the way MLP has thus far done attempts at a love interest (Brad) I think the franchise is much better off without love interests. Another reason to keep romances out is that it's not the focus of the show. Relationships are hard to handle well and a lot of series have screwed them up, like iCarly did with Sam and Freddie.

 

A core cast made up of a single gender is less likely to fall victim to this, especially in the demographic MLP is aimed at.

[Concerned Bystander 2,903]

I don't think G4 has suffered at all from its predominantly female cast, because MLP has historically always been aimed at a target demographic of young girls, and if they were to continue with the same targeting I see no reason to think that a future iteration would suffer from the same.  Of course, if G5 went for a more balanced approach with the specific aim of widening the target audience that could potentially work as well, or it may fall flat on its face, there's no way to know until they try it. 

 

I don't see any need to balance the cast just for the sake of pandering to artificial demographic equality.

[Luigi 7,870]

It's like I keep saying. For all we know, there may already be an equilibrium between male and female ponies that they never even show the slightest hint about in the show.

 

As for the voice cast, I dunno. They seem to be doing just fine as they are.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Northern Light Flyer

[EverEverOn 346]

This is a franchise targeted to little girls, so naturally, all of the main characters are girls. It isn't hurting a single person by doing this.

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,987]

I don't know. I don't think it matters though; there is no need to meet some arbitrary quota to make a show enjoyable.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I don't think so. The show doesn't need to equally represent both genders, as long as it isn't hurting anyone which it isn't.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

This is a franchise targeted to little girls, so naturally, all of the main characters are girls. It isn't hurting a single person by doing this.

Actually, girls like boy equines. Hasbro simply has to look at the model horse industry to see that.

 

Hasbro seems to be finally realizing that boys and girls don't have to be separate or nearly non existent in their boys and girls cartoons. It's nice.

[JohnerPony 1]

first of all, you cannot forget that mlp is in the grand scheme of things a large commercial for plastic horses marketed towords young girls, not to mention that the show is more then 5 seasons in and currently the mane 6 are set in stone. theres the factual answer as for background characters, i think it would be meaningless to add background characters just for the sake of having more males. even if the show contained all males and people tried to shoehorn in females just for the sake of having females(ahem ghostbusters), it would annoy me, especially if it took away from the meaningful writing(AHEM GHOSTBUSTERS). As it stands, the show is fine. I have no reason to want to shoehorn males into the show.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

I don't see myself being interested in any of the gens that follow four (assuming they feature a whole different cast), so it really doesn't affect me in the least.  But no, I don't think we'll ever see "equal gender representation" in MLP.  Again, something that doesn't affect me. xD

 

 

 

Now that the franchise is reaching out to both male and female demographics

Is it, though?  I mean, other than accidentally?  I've never ONCE bought that MLP:FIM was originally intended for everyone.  Whoever made that claim was likely reeling from the surprise of FIM having garnered adult male viewers as much as anyone, and they were simply trying to characterize MLP as being inclusive (a.k.a. trying not to hurt the feelings of potential viewers or customers).

 

If you're thinking about the direction Hasbro's taking with toy marketing...  I still don't think they'll deviate from focusing largely on female ponies.  Which is perfectly all right, approached from any angle.  Bronies, for the most part, strike me as a fluke; an oddity.  Next gen might not attract half the adult males who were unexpectedly drawn to FIM.  I don't believe that Hasbro will even succeed in turning the MLP toy line into something that's truly unisex.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

I don't see myself being interested in any of the gens that follow four (assuming they feature a whole different cast), so it really doesn't affect me in the least.  But no, I don't think we'll ever see "equal gender representation" in MLP.  Again, something that doesn't affect me. xD

 

 

Is it, though?  I mean, other than accidentally?  I've never ONCE bought that MLP:FIM was originally intended for everyone.  Whoever made that claim was likely reeling from the surprise of FIM having garnered adult male viewers as much as anyone, and they were simply trying to characterize MLP as being inclusive (a.k.a. trying not to hurt the feelings of potential viewers or customers).

 

If you're thinking about the direction Hasbro's taking with toy marketing...  I still don't think they'll deviate from focusing largely on female ponies.  Which is perfectly all right, approached from any angle.  Bronies, for the most part, strike me as a fluke; an oddity.  Next gen might not attract half the adult males who were unexpectedly drawn to FIM.  I don't believe that Hasbro will even succeed in turning the MLP toy line into something that's truly unisex.

Oh I don't know. Transformers started as a boys line, but has always had female fans.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

Oh I don't know. Transformers started as a boys line, but has always had female fans.

I think it's typically viewed as a "bigger deal" when males show an interest in something aimed at females than it is when it's the other way around.  That is, of course, silly, and way too much emphasis is placed on adhering to traditional gender roles or similar blah-dee-blah.  But I'd honestly be surprised if Hasbro pulls something like that off; they've got, well, societal norms to contend with.  Again: Silly societal norms, but societal norms they be.

[Leave a Whisper 703]

This is very true. In terms of many things women have a slightly easier time ditching traditional roles in some countries, while guys will still get some flak for showing emotions easily, staying home to take care of their kids etc.

 

Though it doesn't help that so much of the fandom claims that anything girly in a Girl's show is bad.

[Steve Piranha 29,429]

Nah, I think MLP should keep their mane (pun intended  ) characters female, I mean, it's MLP. I think is enough for FiM to address and increase the ratio of male characters, as it was easier to find shiny pokemon rather than male ponies in previous generations