Big Jim confirmed about the show's target demographic. IT FOR LITTLE GIRLS.

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

Then perhaps Jim should stop calling it a show for 'little girls ' then. It has been proven that the show goes far beyond that. Enjoy the show for what it is, you tell that to kids that get bullied for liking it. Everything has a demographic? In terms of toys and cartoon, since we are on that specific subject, what exactly makes that so? What made it that way? Did some magical force from beyond the cosmos come to inform us that boys smut love GIJOE and girls must love MLP and thus, this is how it should always be shown and shoved in our face? Nah, humans did that, and humans as we know have come up with some fairly flawed shit. Hell, women couldn't even vote until the 1980's in the US, and then shit changed for the better. Maybe we should stop slapping a demographic on shit like this. We are creating a new era, but the powers that be, Jim included, are apparently still determined to keep things in an old era.

 

OK you're right.

 

EVERYBODY OUT THE POOL! Big Jim said we can't play here no more. Time to go find a new hobby to waste all our time on. Sorry guys.. it was fun while it lasted... HEY YOU! WITH THE PLUSHIES! DROP THEM! THOSE AREN'T FOR YOU! Now get out of here and go watch the news or something!

 

I am sorry you cant see the forest for the trees and feel that just because someone does not see things the way you do it is time to rage and be bitter. I am sorry you, along with so many others cannot feel the joy I do that i am part of something that is changing peoples minds about how we interpret things and what we should expect from them. I am sorry that the idea of a target audience is so terrifying to you that it shakes your very core beliefs about what this show is all about.

 

You have a choice, take pride in what it has become... or just sit and be bitter because it is not what you think it should be.

 

And BTW, nothing Faust is saying contradicts anything Jim is saying. Since demographics have nothing to do with who will and won't like a show.

 

Just saying.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

OK you're right.

 

EVERYBODY OUT THE POOL! Big Jim said we can't play here no more. Time to go find a new hobby to waste all our time on. Sorry guys.. it was fun while it lasted... HEY YOU! WITH THE PLUSHIES! DROP THEM! THOSE AREN'T FOR YOU! Now get out of here and go watch the news or something!

 

I am sorry you cant see the forest for the trees and feel that just because someone does not see things the way you do it is time to rage and be bitter. I am sorry you, along with so many others cannot feel the joy I do that i am part of something that is changing peoples minds about how we interpret things and what we should expect from them. I am sorry that the idea of a target audience is so terrifying to you that it shakes your very core beliefs about what this show is all about.

 

You have a choice, take pride in what it has become... or just sit and be bitter because it is not what you think it should be.

 

And BTW, nothing Faust is saying contradicts anything Jim is saying. Since demographics have nothing to do with who will and won't like a show.

 

Just saying.

So 'demographics' is just a weird label that doesn't actually have any real significance. Gotcha.

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

So 'demographics' is just a weird label that doesn't actually have any real significance. Gotcha.

 

No it doesn't. Not in the grand scheme of things. It is JUST for marketing purposes mainly. If it really mattered, none of us would be here in this fandom discussing this.

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

 

 

So 'demographics' is just a weird label that doesn't actually have any real significance. Gotcha.

 

The target demographic in this sense is the particular subset of people that the toyline and it's accompanying cartoon was aimed at.  When it became apparent that the appeal was in fact much wider than the original target audience, the merchandise and the cartoon evolved to accommodate the unexpected audience.

 

Regardless of where the cartoon is now, the simple fact of the matter is that it was aimed initially at young girls, but pitched in such a way that parents could at least tolerate, and perhaps even enjoy it alongside them.  It did this exceptionally well.  Another simple fact is that if you make a good cartoon aimed at audience 'X', then it will come as little surprise that people outside of 'X' will also enjoy it.  After all, a cartoon that is good to young girls, should be good to anyone else that chooses to watch it as well.

 

The cartoon, and its merchandise, has (as I mentioned) evolved to embrace its wider audience, my shelves are groaning under the weight of pony toys and other items that are clearly meant to appeal only to an older person, awesome figurines that look great but have no 'play' value, t-shirts in men's sizes, I even have a set of Princess Luna cuff links, and I doubt many 6-12 year old girls are walking around in formal shirts.

 

And then there's the comics, wall-to-wall references to things like Quantum Leap, Conan the Barbarian and Blade Runner to name but a very few.  I doubt many young girls would pick up on a fraction of the references on those pages.

 

But, at its very core, the cartoon was originally intended for those young girls, but it isn't, never has been, and never will be stated or implied that it can only be enjoyed by 6-12 year old girls.  It's simply better than that.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

The target demographic in this sense is the particular subset of people that the toyline and it's accompanying cartoon was aimed at.  When it became apparent that the appeal was in fact much wider than the original target audience, the merchandise and the cartoon evolved to accommodate the unexpected audience.

 

Regardless of where the cartoon is now, the simple fact of the matter is that it was aimed initially at young girls, but pitched in such a way that parents could at least tolerate, and perhaps even enjoy it alongside them.  It did this exceptionally well.  Another simple fact is that if you make a good cartoon aimed at audience 'X', then it will come as little surprise that people outside of 'X' will also enjoy it.  After all, a cartoon that is good to young girls, should be good to anyone else that chooses to watch it as well.

 

The cartoon, and its merchandise, has (as I mentioned) evolved to embrace its wider audience, my shelves are groaning under the weight of pony toys and other items that are clearly meant to appeal only to an older person, awesome figurines that look great but have no 'play' value, t-shirts in men's sizes, I even have a set of Princess Luna cuff links, and I doubt many 6-12 year old girls are walking around in formal shirts.

 

And then there's the comics, wall-to-wall references to things like Quantum Leap, Conan the Barbarian and Blade Runner to name but a very few.  I doubt many young girls would pick up on a fraction of the references on those pages.

 

But, at its very core, the cartoon was originally intended for those young girls, but it isn't, never has been, and never will be stated or implied that it can only be enjoyed by 6-12 year old girls.  It's simply better than that.

Well, okay, going with that, it does make Jim's statement obsolete here. What Jim says *might* be accurate to when the show started, but we are long past that point.

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

Well, okay, going with that, it does make Jim's statement obsolete here. What Jim says *might* be accurate to when the show started, but we are long past that point.

 

To an extent, but the cartoon has been careful to never leave the original target audience behind, they may have expanded their focus, but they have never moved it away from where it began.  After all, for every Brony there is still a great many young girls (or at least their parents on their behalf) keeping the tills ringing in the shops, and he (or she in this case) who pays the piper, calls the tune.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Concerned Bystander

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

To an extent, but the cartoon has been careful to never leave the original target audience behind, they may have expanded their focus, but they have never moved it away from where it began.  After all, for every Brony there is still a great many young girls (or at least their parents on their behalf) keeping the tills ringing in the shops, and he (or she in this case) who pays the piper, calls the tune.

See, that is honestly why I don't like his statement. The show's focus has broadened and it has done so in a way that everyone is included. We all can enjoy this show. Doesn't matter our age or gender. That is a wonderful thing and Jim's statement goes against how things are now. I am not saying the show should ignore anyone, but I just don't want society to still think that shows like this are only for girls or that something like Transformers is only for boys, same with the colors pink and blue. I just want to see society move past that.

[LeafFerret 3,382]

The target demographic to GTA is young adults, yet there are many teenagers and even elderly people who play it.

The target demographic to My Hero Academia is male japanese teenagers, yet it has grown a larger and larger following in the west - within males and females alike.

The same applies to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, if you can get enjoyment out of it, then the target demographic shouldn`t matter to you, and as such arguing about it is useless, useless, useless...

People try to say that it isn`t aimed at little girls, sometimes out of pride - which is stupid, anything that you do out of pride has a 95% chance of being stupid, as a matter of fact - and sometimes because Lauren said it isn`t - Which doesn`t work because, wether we want it or not, the show does not follow Lauren`s original vision. On a side not i kind of DO want to see a future incarnation of the show that follows said vision, it might happen someday, who knows? - either way there`s no point to argue about it.

Honestly it`s kinda weird that a staff member had to openly point out what the show`s target audience is, since it seems kinda obvious...

I think that the point i`m trying to make here is that there`s no point to trying to make the show something it`s not, we should judge the show for what it IS and not what we want it to be, and if you want something different from what it is, well, write a fanfiction. That`s what they`re for and hey, you could even get famous for it and get a show artist to illustrate it, it happened with Kouhei Kadono.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

While you are mostly right, one thing that i`d like to point out is that boys preferring stuff that`s serious or realistic is more of a modern trend that emerged in the late 90s and early 2000s, mantaining itself up to this year.

If we look back to the 80s we get stuff like He-Man and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in the 70s there was Scooby-Doo and most other Hana-Barbera cartoons, in the 60s we had Adam West`s Batman and in the 50s there were those campy golden/silver age superhero comic books.

All of them were light-hearted and unrealistic, yet all of them were really popular among young males, only recently are boys starting to gravitate towards more serious stuff.

Following that line of thought, through a simple calculation(50s,60s,70s, 80s and the first half of the 90s, that`s 4 and a half decades of campy stuff. Since then we`ve had the second half of the 90s, the 2000s and the 2010s, that`s two and a half decades of serious stuff, meaning that we have about two more decades of serious stuff to go) it`s safe to assume that the idea of what appeals or not to boys is probably going to change somewhere during the late 2030`s, i hope i live to see that happen...

I`m not exactly disagreeing with you there, just tough that would be interesting to mention.

I knew someone was going to bring GTA into this. That series is usually directed to adolescent males and yet I've seen adults and little kids play it, even girls are playing it as well. I guess now they make their games so that everyone can enjoy while not forgetting who they're targetting to and I feel the same way for FiM.

[GreenGreenWhirlWind 161]

I knew someone was going to bring GTA into this. That series is usually directed to adolescent males and yet I've seen adults and little kids play it, even girls are playing it as well. I guess now they make their games so that everyone can enjoy while not forgetting who they're targetting to and I feel the same way for FiM.

You, you speak the truth.

The words in your reply speak the truth to me.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Honestly, this pisses me off. Calling a great show like this a little gurls show before anything else goes along with this worthless society's gender role bullshit.

It sounds like the only one here that goes along with the whole "gender roles" thing is you. I mean, you obviously think that guys can't like something that was designed for girls because if you didn't, you wouldn't throw a hissy fit over this.    

 

Plus, you claim that a show for little girls can't be as great as this one. 

Edited October 16, 2016 by Yamet

[Ninjaed 526]

It sounds like the only one here that goes along with the whole "gender roles" thing is you. I mean, you obviously think that guys can't like something that was designed for girls because if you didn't, you wouldn't throw a hissy fit over this.    

 

Plus, it's you that claims that a show for little girls can't be as great as this one. 

 

I feel like it's more a case of misinterpretation. Like, we all agree about that gender role thing, but what Jim said has been misinterpreted and/or Kyoshi has failed to properly convey what they meant.

 

... Of course I might be wrong

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

I didn't really look at the letter myself, but It seems like that 5-6 year old girls would be the target demographic (though oddly the show is fairly complicated for such demographic quite honestly).

But who the intended audience doesn't matter. If you watch a show, you are a part of it's audience. I'm also not surprised that it has adapted itself this generation, because it WAS meant to reach out to alternative demographics. (Good thing, G3 was horrifying to watch, and I only watched about a minutes worth :/ .)

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

It sounds like the only one here that goes along with the whole "gender roles" thing is you. I mean, you obviously think that guys can't like something that was designed for girls because if you didn't, you wouldn't throw a hissy fit over this.    

 

Plus, you claim that a show for little girls can't be as great as this one. 

How am I the one supporting gender roles? Just because I don't want shows like this to have some stupid label attached to it? This goes both ways. I will say this for any cartoon like this, whether it be My Little Pony or Transformers. I am not the one that thinks that guys cannot like something for little girls, overall society has this ingrained into itself. If a show like this or Transformers can be enjoyed by anyone, what is the point of slapping some label onto it? These days it is outdated and useless.

 

And I have not once said that a show for 'little girls' cannot be great. What I have said numerous times is that when clearly both genders love your show, putting some idiotic label on it is absolutely pointless.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

I am not the one that thinks that guys cannot like something for little girls,

I've some problem taking this seriously considering how angry you got over the fact that they confirmed that the target audience were little girls. I mean, if you don't think there is something wrong with guys enjoying things that are not targeted towards them, you wouldn't care who the target audience was.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Yamet

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

I've some problem taking this seriously considering how angry you got over the fact that they confirmed that the target audience were little girls. I mean, if you don't think there is something wrong with guys enjoying things that are not targeted towards them, you wouldn't care who the target audience was.

It angered me because it gives society the wrong image. Bronies already had to go through so many problems just trying to get people to accepting of us loving this show and then Jim lashes out and essentially goes along with what the haters use against use. That is basically progress lost.

[Gestum 2,493]

 

 

It angered me because it gives society the wrong image.

 In what way does stating the truth give society the wrong image of us? Doesn't it technically give society the right image of us?

[K1539 47]

There's a saying I'm sure everyone is familiar with. Something about "words can never hurt me."

I prefer "words are wind" but the idea is the same. Words have no power over a human mind but what that particular mind accepts as truth. I feel, as a leader of a team, it is well of him to defend his coworkers, even though it was not necessarily necessary (say that five times fast). I don't believe there is any point to "casting pearls before swine," as it were, but if nothing else then it probably boosts the confidence of him and his team. I, for one, find the show regal and entertaining. Much more of a mature nature then what this race as a collective appears to consider so, but I'll leave that discussion to a wise lot. I really hope the show continues as it is for a while yet.

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

It angered me because it gives society the wrong image. Bronies already had to go through so many problems just trying to get people to accepting of us loving this show and then Jim lashes out and essentially goes along with what the haters use against use. That is basically progress lost.

 

It is not lost progress. The show has not and will not change in any way... it will continue to be what it was and is. It will continue to attract those whom are curious and whom want to dream bigger. It has already shown what smart storytelling can accomplish and I expect those ripples will not just be felt in MLP but in other shows and franchises as well. Some think the show is stagnating or dying, but I think the fandom and the franchise is growing... and that is something to be proud to be a part of. Society as a whole will continue to think the exact way they have been thinking for the last several years. Those who find it odd will continue to do so, those who have a hatred for it's fans will continue to do so, but the seeds of change have been laid in a small part of that society, and that is thanks to a girls show that was able to dream it is not just a girls show.

 

I think that is awesome.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,301]

How, exactly, is this news?  Neither I nor anyone else here should need this "Big Jim" (honestly didn't know who the hell he was until just recently) to confirm that MLP:FIM was, in fact, aimed towards a very young female demographic.  The show's rated Y, is it not?  And it's inextricably connected to a toy line (that's endured since the early eighties) that was always geared towards girls.  If that rubs you the wrong way, there are plenty of franchises out there that were originally intended for adults and even males in particular.  But if you enjoy FIM for what it is (though that seems somewhat rare in the fandom nowadays), you really have no cause to care.

 

P.S. None of us are particularly or uniquely oppressed.  If you like ANYTHING (whether it's colorful equines, high fantasy meets political intrigue, sparkly vampires, or boy wizards), there's someone who thinks it - and possibly you by association - sucks.  So the hell what?  You aren't going to change the minds of others; you might as well just watch / read / play whatever you want.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Ziggy + Angel + Rain

[Odd Ball 231]

In the words of Walt Disney: "You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."

Edited October 17, 2016 by Screaming Shaggy

[chronos911 22]

Separating your fanbases and singling people out is a sure fire way to lose viewership for your show.   They might think their making this show solely for little girls but this show has evolved way beyond what they're trying to appeal to.  This can literally appeal to any age and any gender.   How is it for just little girls?  Because it has ponies and the main cast is female?   That's kind of a lame reason.   This show has had countless references to video games and movies, it's had hints of racism, it's had dragon ball z like battles, it's had political warfare, it's had vague suggestions of death, it's delved into evil dictatorships, mind control, slavery and loads of other dark and  crazy shit but I'm expected to believe this show is for little girls?  The fact that they have this mind set makes me think that they will soon dumb this show down so it actually will appeal to little girls. 

Edited October 18, 2016 by chronos911

[SBaby 660]

Well, Don Bluth said his movies were geared toward little kids.  But that didn't stop him from creating some really dark and often epic storylines in his worlds.  And then there's that anime about a teenage girl who transforms into a hero and fights bad guys in the name of the moon, which is also geared toward young girls. 

 

Also, I read the letter he wrote, and I have to say it sounds more like he's talking about the fact that they're trying NOT to stereotype the 'cartoons for little girls' genre.

Edited October 18, 2016 by SBaby

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

It angered me because it gives society the wrong image

They would have gotten exactly the same image regardless of what we called the show, so I fail to see your point. 

 

 

That is basically progress lost.

That would imply that there were any progress at all. I mean, shoving your fingers in your ears while repeatedly screaming "its not a show for little girls, therefor there is nothing wrong with guys liking it" as loud as you possible can (which is basically what the majority of the fandom have been doing) is in no way or form progress at all. In fact, I'd argue that the only way we can make any form of progress towards destroying gender rolls at all is to accept that this is a show that is targeted towards little girls.  

Edited October 19, 2016 by Yamet

[Vlazamal 338]

Call of Duty is meant for adults and their fanbase is comprised of children.

 

It's only logical that the reverse applies.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Vlazamal

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,158]

They would have gotten exactly the same image regardless of what we called the show, so I fail to see your point. 

 

 

That would imply that there were any progress at all. I mean, shoving your fingers in your ears while repeatedly screaming "its not a show for little girls, therefor there is nothing wrong with guys liking it" as loud as you possible can (which is basically what the majority of the fandom have been doing) is in no way or form progress at all. In fact, I'd argue that the only way we can make any form of progress towards destroying gender rolls at all is to accept that this is a show that is targeted towards little girls.  

Or, you know, you could also be wrong. The world of marketing is a flawed and idiotic place. Cereal is constantly marketed towards kids yet I eat cereal all the time. Jim and Hasbro might be stuck in the past, doesn't mean we have to be.