How did you get friends or family to watch MLP and "convince" them to like it?

[Rainbow Glitterswirl 220]

So this is something I struggle with quite often; exposing friends and family to the show in hopes that they will like it and want to continue watching it with me.

Whenever I approach them about it they are hesitant and I almost have to "convince" them to give it a shot. I use quotations around convince because I'm using that term loosely, because honestly who needs to be convinced to watch something? But as we all know when we want to show someone ponies, with the hopes that they will like it, we know there's a barrier in their minds to overcome.

To accept that they'll be watching the children's show that GASP! they might actually enjoy!

 

I've only have successfully gotten one person to like ponies, enough to have a conversation and watch new episodes with, and that is my fiancè. (Praise Celestia it was him because that makes it so much fun!) But for example I tried to have my IRL BFF watch the first couple of episodes and I just feel like it wasn't given a unbiased shot. 

I have also accepted the thought that not everyone will like or connect with the characters, storyline, etc. And that is fine with me. But when I feel like the person is closed minded and watching it just for my sake, they're really missing out and they make a misinformed decision. 

So I ask, how do you go about exposing friends or family members to MLP, that you'd like to share the magic of friendship with?

How many friends have you "converted" to become bronies or someone that is at least interested in MLP enough? 

[Tech Reel 443]

Well I've gotten at least two people to check out the show and the way I did it was by peaking their curiosity. I embrace how strange it is to like, and while that may turn some off of the idea it also may make them just curious enough to try it out.

Instead of using a phrase like, "I really like this show, it's great" go more along the lines of "Yeah this is a children's show for girls yet for some reason it managed to pull me in!" This will kill two birds with one stone: Acknowledging the fact that it's a children's show and also explaining that beyond all previous expectations there are reasons that it's good for more than just children. Like I said, such a simple choice of words can open someone's mind up to trying something. Heck, the reason I got into the show was also curiosity. I felt like I had to know what was so good about it and why anyone outside of the intended demographic like it so much.

So yeah, the best advice I can give is to play into the weirdness of the whole thing. Admit how strange it is that such a fandom exists for such a show, get them intrigued. If you're lucky they'll end up watching to see what all the hype is about and get roped into liking it in the process!

And if that doesn't work, one last tip. Find a scene from the show, something oddly cynical or action filled. Like Twilight's fight with Tirek, or the Mane Six fighting off the changelings, Spike getting hurt, or even something as simple as Starlight's cynicism towards friendship speeches. These are things someone wouldn't expect to see in a show about ponies and magic. Hopefully the person would see the clip, consider that there may be more to the show than meets the eye, and decide to give it a chance.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Edited July 14, 2017 by Tech Reel

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

Well my friend tricked me into watching it in 7th grade.

"Hey, we should make a bet, we both watch a dumb little kids show and whoever turns it off first does something (I don't remember what)"

"Okay, how about Dora"

"nah I was thinking My Little Pony"

"lol okay"

Little did I know he already liked the show

After watching like all of season 1, I told him to turn it off saying this was terrible, a week later I was talking about it, little over a month later I was fully caught up

Like 5 months later I admitted that I liked it to the fam, they didn't give a shit.

 

But how I get my friends to watch it

"hey, you should watch MLP sometime, it's good"

"K"