Why is this fandom mostly male?

[SveciaDash 364]

Your opinion is MLP before G4 is cringy....my opinion is it's awesome.

Great, not saying your opinion is wrong.

 

Just saying that before G4, most of the fanbase was the girls buying the toys. Not saying that maybe men didnt exist in that fandom.

Although I would kinda say that G3 and G3.5 is the spawn of satan.

 

but we all have different taste

[Gary S. 102]

1. It's the least girly generation

2. It's drawn like anime

3. The characters feel more mature.

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

1. It's the least girly generation

2. It's drawn like anime

3. The characters feel more mature.

 

 

I don't agree that it's less girly; there is plenty of girly things in FIM that males who like it either brush off, are wearing rose colored glasses and ignoring or don't know what girly is.

 

besides that point so many people in the brony fandom use the term 'girly' in a way that I find kind of offensive...as if something being girly is a bad thing.

[Gary S. 102]

Maybe i used the wrong word. Ponies who buy clothes or giggle like little fillies are just less interesting for sausages males.

G1 isn't even that case, but i'm not sure anymore.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

really? We are called BRO-nies and you ask why it is a male dominate fandom?

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

Maybe i used the wrong word. Ponies who buy clothes or giggle like little fillies are just less interesting for sausages males.

G1 isn't even that case, but i'm not sure anymore.

Rarity: Hmm... [gasp] Idea! I'll make you an outfit for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash: Outfit for the what now?

Rarity: I'll make one for you and you and all of you. Oh! And of course Pinkie and Fluttershy too. Oh, and when I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!

Twilight Sparkle: What a great idea! If you're sure you can handle it.

Rarity: Oh, it'll be a little bit of work, but it will be a wonderful boost for my business. Plus, fun!

Rainbow Dash: Oh, I love fun things!

Rarity: Then it's settled. We'll have a fashion show starring us

Edited April 15, 2014 by Andaasonsan

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

Maybe i used the wrong word. Ponies who buy clothes or giggle like little fillies are just less interesting for sausages males.

G1 isn't even that case, but i'm not sure anymore.

 

Uh, I don't think you and I are watching the same show...maybe a lot of you guys are in denial of what you actually like LOL!

[ChoroChii 284]

xD The title made me laugh.

 

I think it's pretty much what Flipturn said.

[Wingnut 7,003]

Most fandoms of animation seem to be male majority.  I'm not sure why that is.  Back when the Powerpuff Girls were a hot item their fans were mostly guys too but not quite the supermajority they are for ponies. 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  One of the most ironic points of my life was the time I was on a mostly female Transformers fan website. 

[Something Floaty 1,334]

"Sausage" is a little bit of an understatement, in my case. It's more like "kielbasa fest", let's go with that for the sake of my ego, thanks. 

[Shanks 10,816]

You mean you didn't hear about the international strudel shortage? It has been all over the news, I tell you things have been a disaster there is nothing worse than a bunch of angry pent up men who can't get a taste of the sweet, moist, juicy pies they crave. Okay I seriously couldn't resist doing that.

 

I think the main reason is because to women it is not such a big deal to be into ponies because society expects that of them at least when they are young and it is assumed that if they are as adults than they must have liked as a kid which may be true for some of them but not all of them. I think a lot of the early bronies were parents and older siblings watching it with their kids and when they were shocked that they not only watched it an didn't gag but actually liked or even loved it then it sort of spread. Some people watching it at first so they could troll people but others watched it because they wonder why the hell so many men were into that and they found themselves into it, flamers and trolls made a big deal out of it which attracted more attention and thus more largely male fans.

Because Ponies are hot! XD

As much as I agree that ponies are hot, especially ones with apples on their flanks it dosen't exactly explain the male bronies that aren't in it for THAT plot. Although there are a lot of people that don't want to admit and double down by flaming and scapegoating cloppers but I suppose that is a topic for another day.

 

"Sausage" is a little bit of an understatement, in my case. It's more like "kielbasa fest", let's go with that for the sake of my ego, thanks. 

I think footlong fest has a better ring to it.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

A part of me thinks, or at least would like to think that there are more female MLP fans than the internet seems to suggest, but for whatever reason females just aren't as prevalent on MLP forums, fan sites, or the like. It's always been a curious subject for me. As a female MLP fan, I got into the show the same way many people did. I learned about it online, watched a few episodes, got hooked, and then joined the fandom. I will admit that being one of the few females in what was a surprisingly male-dominant fanbase was a little bit uncomfortable at first, as I am sure it might have been for many females who expected there to be more female interest. Despite that, I stuck with it and now I love the brony fandom regardless of the gender imbalance.

 

It could just be that this whole 'brony' phenomenon has really piqued the interest of males, causing word of mouth to spread amongst them quite rapidly. Maybe males feel a greater sense of belonging to the fandom than females do? For guys, being a brony is making a statement. It's a new and exciting thing to be connected with other people who enjoy something that society would normally frown upon. For females though? It doesn't really have the same feel. I think just as many females are aware of the show's existence as males. I think many of these females like the show to some degree. I just think women are less passionate about their interest in it which is why you don't see them online as much. Just a guess, really. ^.^

[QuickWit 42]

There are definitely more men than women by a sizable amount, but it's not necessarily a "sausage-fest"... I've met plenty of female bronies/pegasisters.

 

I definitely think that Flipturn is right about his theory, too.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

Why do guys primarily watch the show?

Well I don't know about you guys but,

Ohey, I own that shirt!

 

*incoming selfie*

 

 

 

 

-snip-

Of course, YOU post here  :okiedokielokie: 

 

"Sausage fest"

 

 

But yeahh, as I said earlier, it caught on with males and just spread amongst other males because they were seeing that other males were interested in a show not intended for males, you know? 

 

Also, our good old friends at 4chan seemed to help. Thanks, you guise!

 

[Zhortac 1,475]

The reason every fandom on the internet, seems like a huge sausage fest, is because we're all German!!!

 

No seriously, it's because of how stupid about half the male population is. Most females, keep to the shadows per say, because they go on anything, and go, "Hi, I'm a girl.", and BAM, flood of messages from stupid guys. They're usually a mix of "hi", "hey sexy", to "boobs plz". I've known a few females who don't hide, either because they have a boyfriend/fiance/husband, don't care, or are lesbians.

 

When you get swarmed with stupid of that caliber, you'd hide too. There's a joke video from a female WoW machinima creator, who made a video "what if" where males were scarce on the internet, and women were all over. It's kinda funny, but shows what I'm talking about if you flip the roles.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

Most fandoms of animation seem to be male majority.  I'm not sure why that is.  Back when the Powerpuff Girls were a hot item their fans were mostly guys too but not quite the supermajority they are for ponies. 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  One of the most ironic points of my life was the time I was on a mostly female Transformers fan website. 

Mother of--

It's not so much that it's transformers than it's female dominated.

How big was was the fan website community though?

 

 

Part of me wonders if females tend to be more sensitive to the creepier stuff than males are which in turn makes it more likely to turn tail and run. When subjects the likes of clop gets brought up, it's usually the males that make up the frenzies or are the most outspoken in them. Women on the other hand are much more likely to just quietly help themselves to the door. To guys, having a woman acting creepy on you may not seem like a big deal but for a woman, it's a pretty terrifying thought to be around a man who doesn't seem right in the head.

 

If I could make a drawing to illustrate this, it would be stallions in a brawl with more eager to jump in while the mares are freaking out and backing away if not already running away.

 

Now, going off of that logic, given how the kind of "coverage" this fandom has been getting, it wouldn't surprise me to hear that a greater percentage of female fans choose not to associate with the fandom than the males. All the drama and the creepy stuff that comes from our fanbase could be what's scaring many females from joining or scaring off those already among us.

Edited April 16, 2014 by SunBurn

[cuteycindyhoney 13,315]

Sometimes a sausage fest is just the ticket!

(That sounded stupid, so have a couple pictures that seem to just go together!)

Hey, who changed the topic name! I wasn't offended!

LOL!

[Shanks 10,816]

Part of me wonders if females tend to be more sensitive to the creepier stuff than males are which in turn makes it more likely to turn tail and run. 

Most of the "creepy" stuff in the MLP fandom exists in pretty much all other fandoms as well some of them with even more of that but because people harp on that more in part because of haters and trolls and in part because of bronies treating the fandom like a religion and are somehow under the delusion that shaming and humiliating the "dark" side of the fandom which make them magically go away there is this false perception that there is more of this stuff in the MLP fandom than in most/all other fandoms. And you also have a lot of younger people in this fandom that are new to fandoms in general including people that don't tend to take part in fandoms. As the saying goes "if it bleeds it leads" and it is easy for people to have that perception if the bad in the fandom both real and perceived gets such unwarranted attention.

[Soulcrifice 21]

 Honestly I was curious why other guys liked the show. I only recently heard the term Brony and looked it up, then after much research became one.

I guess past the curiosity of guys liking the show, I really liked the animation. I think if there wasn't' a fandom I probably never would have bothered with MLP. Maybe that's "lame" but I see it as a good thing. I'm glad the fandom exists so I can enjoy something I probably never would have given the time of day. 

[SBaby 660]

I don't know.  I've met a lot of females that like this show, for all sorts of reasons.  So I don't think the fanbase is quite as male-centric as it used to be.

[NomDeSpite 452]

This isn't a "single bullet answer" at all but I think it sums alot of it up.

 

-Friendship Is Magic is cute.

-It's not only girls who like cute things. Guys like cute things too.

-Being exposed to genuine cuteness often produces tenderness and protective feelings in men.

-This is probably why Fluttershy trades places with Rainbow Dash for most popular of the Mane Six. Go to any video on youtube where Gilda bullies Fluttershy. The vengeful manly rage is intense.

-Men want to protect innocence from being destroyed.

-Men like Ponyville and Equestria because it seems cute and innocent and happy (or at least moreso than the real world)

-Friendship Is Magic is both cute and "cool" at the same time. This is important. If it were merely saccharine, alot of men would leave altogether. 

 

(almost all the major characters being female and young probably doesn't hurt matters either...)

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

Most of the "creepy" stuff in the MLP fandom exists in pretty much all other fandoms as well some of them with even more of that but because people harp on that more in part because of haters and trolls and in part because of bronies treating the fandom like a religion and are somehow under the delusion that shaming and humiliating the "dark" side of the fandom which make them magically go away there is this false perception that there is more of this stuff in the MLP fandom than in most/all other fandoms. And you also have a lot of younger people in this fandom that are new to fandoms in general including people that don't tend to take part in fandoms. As the saying goes "if it bleeds it leads" and it is easy for people to have that perception if the bad in the fandom both real and perceived gets such unwarranted attention.

That the nonsense that happens in this fandom isn't unique to ours isn't relevant to this conversation. What matters is that it happens at all and how people, the females in particular for this conversation, respond. That's what I tried to get across.

 

Sure, if enough people understood how fandoms tend to be, there wouldn't be nearly as many problems but the thing is, that does not reflect the current state of affairs. Many don't know, many don't understand and in turn, are more likely to respond in a way that just seems to come naturally for them given the context. In my eyes, for guys that is to be aggressive at the problem while for females that tends to be by putting distance between themselves and the problem.

[Shimmer Down 668]

I also agree with what Flipturn stated in the 2nd post.

 

However, I think the reason that most active communities are predominantly male is the underlying sense that being somewhere between interested and obsessed with a show for little girls causes a desire to seek out others of the same persuasion.

 

I'm not saying that isn't true for any kind of hobby, but the reason I ended up here was because of my awkwardness in being a brony and wanting to talk to others like me.

[Shanks 10,816]

 Many don't know, many don't understand 

That was actually kind of my point, they don't know and don't understand because unlike other fandoms people make a big deal about those things in other fandoms but do in this one making it seem like this fandom is one of the few or possibly only fandom with this problem.  Part of it is the haters/trolls fault and part of it is some bronies fault for treating the fandom like a religion. 

 

and wanting to talk to others like me.

I never cared what others thought of me but I did want to talk to others about ponies and going up to random people on the streets and asking them if they are into ponies would get a tad awkward as I might unintentionally come off as pushy. That and the obvious reason of liking them is also why I occasionally wear pony shirts, sure I sometimes get WTF reactions but most of them make me laugh but most people don't even notice or care (at least if they do they don't say anything) and I have even gotten some positive reactions.

Edited April 16, 2014 by EarthbendingProdigy

[~*bacon princess*~ 278]

Maybe it's 'cause they wanna get with the sjws on Tumblr. They looooove gender-role defying, after all.