Bronies under Fire

[Mercury Crescendo 69]

Hey everypony!,

 

I had an interesting thought today. Whenever people hear "My Little Pony" they automatically assume we're talking about the older generations and the toys from the 80's. It is my educated guess that this is why Bronies are seen as feminine, or homosexual in the eyes of those unfamiliar with FiM and the community. My question to you Bronies and Pegasisters is this:

 

How do you think society would view us if the MLP franchise started 2 years ago with our beloved Friendship is Magic show? Do you think that our masculinity is judged based off of the older generations, or do you think we're being judged by some simply because it's a children's show intended for girls?

[Sam Polson 25]

I think, it's neither that nor this. People hear the word "ponies". This automatically makes them confuse about us. How many entertainments with ponies involved for older generation you know? Well, there isn't. So, this is why they think we are all homo or feminie.

And in my case, I heard about older gen of mlp only when became a brony.

[PonyEcho 1,610]

actually not any more i think allot of people now know of G4 because bronies don't shut up about it and i think alot of people are now aware that G1 was kind dark

but honestly who give a f k about what people think and its annoying that people still see being feminine or homosexual as a bad thing and hate when it hinted towards them, if its not true then its not true plz don't be such a homophobic jerk about it.

Edited November 10, 2012 by PonyEcho

[Champion RD92 8,658]

If people knew what a great show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic actually is, they would not judge us for watching it. But of course many people won't even give it a chance just because of the fact that it has "My Little Pony" in the title.

[Mercury Crescendo 69]

If people knew what a great show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic actually is, they would not judge us for watching it. But of course many people won't even give it a chance just because of the fact that it has "My Little Pony" in the title.

 

Exactly my thoughts. :/ People are so deterred by simple little characteristics of people's interests. I love that the show with the fan base that is judged so heavily, has the most accepting message.

[Night Shine 767]

Intriguing idea, that if FiM was the first generation Bronies would be more "normal".

 

However, I'd probably have to agree with Sam, based on experience at my school.

 

I tried to get all my friends to try MLP, and I made it clear that I wouldn't care if they liked it or not. One of my friends, a very proud and (dare I say) egotistical individual absolutely refused. In place of one of his normal intelligent explanations, he said over and over, "But it's PONIES!" as if that were reason enough not to give it a chance.

 

Still, I kinda like that we're viewed as so "different". It gives us a reason to stand for ourselves, and an obligation to be good people to help our reputation.

[GreatPonyNui 6]

There is hope, like it says here we have the fast-growing internet-dominating potental to rise to stage 5, where all your friends will be bronies too...

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Nope, I don't think the general public knows much more about the older shows than they do about FiM. I certainly didn't, all I knew was its intended audience, young girls. I think all the reaction comes from the sheer contrast between us and who they would imagine enjoying the show.

[~Asuka <3~ 867]

As usual, the word pony isn't usually associated with manliness. For that reason, society stereotypes the hell out of us. I know that when most people these days talk about MLP, they usually mean FiM. I'm sure if more people watched the show, we wouldn't be stereotyped as much.

[AnonBrony 1,468]

To be honest, i think it would be different. We certianly wouldn't get as much hate or anything. they might question it but they would assume we were all homosexuals. The reasonw hy i hink this is because, well My Little Pony was a BIG reason why horses and ponies were stereotyped into for little girls. When ever i see Older Bronies talk about G1 and how that it was like the show of their childhood, it doesn't seem like they were given hate for it or that it seemed weird back then. I could be wrong i'm not that old its just how it appears. If the franchise started now, it might just be stereotyped into a childrens thing or MAYBE even a boy thing. Whats considered for boys and for girls, for adult and children, are very fluid things. Meaning they can change and be different form what they are today. It seems weird but its true. If Lauren essentially created the franchise, thinsg would be different.

 

However, one of the big reasons that this community was created was BECAUSE it was outside the social norm. Yeah their would still be fans and plenty of 'em but i think "Bronies" wouldn't have formed. We wouldn't all be as bonded as we are today. Hell i wouldn't have never met you guys. Would of liked the show but i doubt their would of been an MLP forums. To be honest i think i prefer it happened this way, but my opinion still is Society would have a different outlook on it if it started two years ago.

[Nothing&NoOne 695]

People just want an excuse to troll other people and make them social outcasts.

 

"You like My Little Pony? OH MAH GAHD YOU'RE SO GAY"

 

This, my friends, is what is wrong with the world.

 

To me, MLP is not just a show. Tis a lifestyle.

In all honestly, MLP saved my life. If I hadn't met the people I have because of the show, I'd probably be dead. *shrugs*

 

Let me ask another question; How do you think your life would be right now if you HADN'T discovered MLP?

[Shanks 10,816]

I don't think the stigma would be quite as bad as since the franchise has been around for such a long time people have some preconceived notions about what it is. This is the case with other franchises as well, everybody knows Batman and Robin for example but you would be surprised how many people don't know that there has been more than one Robin and that Dick Grayson the original Robin now uses the identity of Nightwing. Sure hardcore fans and people that read the comics know but not everyone does that. So alot of those people tend to think of Dick Grayson when they think of Robin even though comics wise he hasn't been Robin for quite some time, just like when people think of My Little Pony they think of generation 1. If MLP ended up starting at Friendship is Magic the preconcieved notion of ponies being for little girls would still be there but it wouldn't be as fully cemented into society as it became with generations 1-3 of MLP.

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

Yeah i don't get it.

Just a few weeks ago an acquaintance who sits in front of me in History saw my brony wrist band.

"What is... Brah..ny?"

"Brony?"

"yeah"

"It means I watch My little pony"

"What the heck?"

*girl behind me walks to her desk

"Who watches my little pony?"

"Him"

"why do you watch that?"

me: "Why are you drinking that coffee?"

"well yeah but, it wasn't made for little girls"

me: "touche"

(condensed version of the story)

Then the whole class starts talking about how I must be gay, or whatever, I just start writing notes

So I truly don't get why people must judge it so harshly.

[Mercury Crescendo 69]

Let me ask another question; How do you think your life would be right now if you HADN'T discovered MLP?

 

Hmmmm. Good question. i don't think I'd be as happy. Honestly, when I'm feeling down and out, MLP picks me right back up. It's silly, but if I'm out and about and something gets me down, just the thought of a funny part in the show makes me smile outwardly.

[Fridge 382]

As has been said before even if MLP:FiM were the original series it wouldn't matter. The world 'ponies' is enough to conjure up thoughts of little girls etc. Like with horses, ponies have been pretty firmly in the world of the girl and therefore anyone liking anything to do with them has to contend with that stigma.

 

But I think slowly the way people are thinking is shifting, it very slow and mostly in the states but its happening.