Spongebob and other kid's cartoons have garnered adult fans long before MLP.

[Zenoctilles 102]

I was rewatching episodes from Spongebob the other day on Amazon Instant Video and recall that the show had a big adult following, even during its heyday in 2001. In fact, many children's cartoons have had big adult followings, and MLP: FiM isn't necessarily the first children's cartoon to garner a large following among adults.

 

Why is it then that people make such a big deal over people watching MLP: FiM, especially when other children's cartoons have had big adult followings?

[NavelColt 22,883]

Because FiM is stereotyped as being a girls show :3 Spongebob and others aren't.

[Tom The Diamond 1,831]

Because, unlike Spongebob, Invader Zim, and other popular cartoons with adults, they were original, and created like that. There was no prior knowledge or experience with them. MLP, on the other hand, has been around for years, and has pretty much been mocked by anyone above the age of three. And this modern incarnation managed to turn that around.

[Shankveld 4,951]

My little pony,

the name answers your question right there ~

[Whiteshade 1,426]

Because 4Chan faggots give the Brony fandom a bad name. (Yes, 4Chan is the asshole of the internet).

 

:|

 

Not sure about 4Chan but yes internet and the fact that its a meme makes bronies much more prevalent.

[Nah 3,182]

:|

 

Not sure about 4Chan but yes internet and the fact that its a meme makes bronies much more prevalent.

 

Well first off the Brony fandom took off on 4Chan, many were banned for "overexcessive pony posting" and after that haters started telling people how stupid Bronies were.

 

Also like everypony said, this is a part of until now, one the most mocked, hated, and terrible franchises.

[Tom 891]

Because FiM is stereotyped as being a girls show :3 Spongebob and others aren't.

Because, unlike Spongebob, Invader Zim, and other popular cartoons with adults, they were original, and created like that. There was no prior knowledge or experience with them. MLP, on the other hand, has been around for years, and has pretty much been mocked by anyone above the age of three. And this modern incarnation managed to turn that around.

^^^ This.

 

And also FiM is better.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Princess Mi Amore Cadenza

[Dreadmallon 353]

Because, unlike Spongebob, Invader Zim, and other popular cartoons with adults, they were original, and created like that. There was no prior knowledge or experience with them. MLP, on the other hand, has been around for years, and has pretty much been mocked by anyone above the age of three. And this modern incarnation managed to turn that around.

 

This. My Little Pony has had a long history (actually, all of it's history) of being girly. Sometimes too girly. When this showwas first previewed, everyone thought it'd be too girly and childish, etc.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Prince Dusk

[Ashbad 969]

 

 

Well first off the Brony fandom took off on 4Chan, many were banned for "overexcessive pony posting" and after that haters started telling people how stupid Bronies were.

 

I was actually there when it was going on before /mlp/ was an added board (wasn't a brony then; in fact, leaned very slightly towards the "hater" side), and I agree completely. I'll admit that many of the bronies there took it slightly too far, but the mod reaction was pretty extreme in comparison.

[Tom 891]

I'll admit that many of the bronies there took it slightly too far, but the mod reaction was pretty extreme in comparison.

 

And that's 4chan in a nutshell.

 

But seriously, what happened on 4chan did help to make FiM more popular.

 

Not very relevant, but here is a video:

 

 

[Zenoctilles 102]

Rewatching Spongebob has made me realize that FiM lacks much of the childish slapstick comedy charm that Spongebob has. Spongebob has significantly less depth when it comes to characterization, but it still makes me giggle like a giddy schoolgirl.

[Fghik 360]

I still can't say "My Little Pony" out loud without remembering all those stupid songs I used to sing in elementary school.

"My little pony, skinny and bony..."

 

And yet look at me, I enjoy the show. Regardless of prior ideas. My first encounter with the whole fandom was the "Evil Enchantress" song, except it was the Flutterguy Reprise. Everything was so colorful, but everything was also dark...but also funny. I wanted to know more, but I was not always the Googler... I didn't know anything more than that until my brother was watching the show.

 

"My little pony" is a lot to take in, but I'm getting there.

[KakeiTheWolf 652]

Look at the version of MLP right before G4. It was the most abominable piece of crap to disgrace animated television. I could make better animations in POWERPOINT.

[Dark Qiviut 22,491]

1. Echoing Tom, the other cartoons were original creations that had no history behind them. My Little Pony did and was highly mocked as a toy-line for preschoolers. The new incarnation revitalized the franchise and gave it so much depth.

 

2. The Internet wasn't as accessible then as it is now. When Spongebob and Powerpuff Girls first went on the air, the Internet was still very new and began to be ordered as a niche medium. I was on the Internet at times during the late-1990s, but I didn't get full access until late-2001 at the age of fourteen. My Little Pony received aid from the Internet such as 4Chan, one of the biggest, most popular Internet forums around, and the Internet is now accessed by millions of people around the world.

 

Rewatching Spongebob has made me realize that FiM lacks much of the childish slapstick comedy charm that Spongebob has.

Quite frankly, MLP:FIM works great — sometimes even better — without the high slapstick amount. Edited May 23, 2012 by Dark Qiviut

[KakeiTheWolf 652]

Look at the version of MLP right before G4. It was the most abominable piece of crap to disgrace animated television. I could make better animations in POWERPOINT.

[JhonHipster 124]

I'm preety sure that sponge bob didn't have quite as large as a following.

[Grtxkkyz 388]

Because,as Mr.Disney said:

 

 

You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.

Walt Disney

 

We have created characters and animated them in the dimension of depth, revealing through them to our perturbed world that the things we have in common far outnumber and outweigh those that divide us.

 

Walt Disney

[SBaby 660]

FiM's following is probably more along the lines of Pokemon than Spongebob. The reason I say this is because Pokemon has alot of haters, just like FiM does. The difference is how long the fanbase existed. If this show continues on for a few years, and stays good, I wouldn't at all be surprised if the fanbase starts approaching the size of Pokemon's fanbase. Already, there are youtube videos of ponies that have views in the millions. So from my perspective, it might just be a matter of time. That is, as long as the series continues to be as good as it is now.

[Radiance64 7,053]

Because FiM is stereotyped as being a girls show :3 Spongebob and others aren't.

Yeah pretty much this, probably the reason why a lot of people wouldn't even consider watching it initially(including myself, but now I thank God for curiosity).

[NavelColt 22,883]

Yeah pretty much this, probably the reason why a lot of people wouldn't even consider watching it initially(including myself, but now I thank God for curiosity).

 

As we've seen many a time, the show has the ability to change the minds of many, but it's that initial step to give it a try that is the biggest step and the hardest obstacle.

Edited May 24, 2012 by ~Chaotic Discord~

[Nas 2,873]

True, they have received such praise and audience before, but that's what the "family" genre is all about. Most of those shows are bland educational shows that don't have the purpose of competing with the best cartoons, and not to metion that MLP has become a cartoon that is, not only suitable for everyone, but enjoyable for everyone as well.

 

Also, it kinda started the brony craze, so yeah. Also with Discord on this one, despite how many people don't choose to accept or believe it, the show is and will most likely always be criticized for being exclusively a kid's show at first for the rest of its run, and it shows more people the big difference every time a new soon-to-be brony watches it.

[halcyonharlot 372]

Because sexism.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,670]

Because MLP was created during the internet era where memes are abundant and influential. Older cartoons could not cultivate a large internet sensation like MLP does now. With the internet also comes the massive amount of fan art, fan fiction, and fan music which can be created concurrently with the show and it's new episodes while art/fiction/music of older cartoons has to be made retroactively in most cases and is not as excitable as MLP's artistic community.

[Batbrony 16,056]

Like everypony is saying, it's a combination of both timing (i.e. the Internet era), and also the fact that there were not 20+ years of Spongebob prior to it's success. With MLP, there were almost 30 years of existence prior to MLP: FiM, which just kept getting worse and worse with each passing generation. That's why I agree with one Internet reviewer, who basically said that MLP: FiM is nothing short of a miracle of animation, simply because it was basically a 180 degrees turnaround... no wait, scratch that, it was a 1080 degrees turnaround!!!! All hail Faust and her fantastic flash animation!!!!

[Mr. Jaguar 1,403]

Look at the version of MLP right before G4. It was the most abominable piece of crap to disgrace animated television. I could make better animations in POWERPOINT.

 

Baby scootaloo was truly the pinnacle of animation fail, in every way, shape and fucking form.