About the Female Fans of MLP...

[Dattebayo 2,850]

well as a male member of this fandom I here by apologies for any stupid things others of my gender have said to any of you girls(or young woman) in here and everywhere else for that matter for our actions and I hope it doesn't contiune to put a sour note for you about this fandom. O and you know what how about you lot work on a new name for yourselves in the fandom if pegasisters isn't to your liking

Why not just "brony"?

I've always considered the term sexually ambiguous, anyhow.

It's 'cause people on Tumblr hate bronies because all they think we do is fap to horses.

It's mostly Frozen and Sherlock over there, people who live in glass houses shouldn't spew sh#t out of their talking-holes.

[PE Brony 1,712]

Why not just "brony"?

I've always considered the term sexually ambiguous, anyhow.

Agreed. I never heard "Pegasister" until I started on these forums. I like it. Even though "Brony" has the male-connotation, it can and is easily treated like the phrase "guys." I can walk into a mixed-gender group and say, "Hey, guys!" and no one's offended. Why not with Brony? I've even known groups of all girls to refer to each other as "guys." And I've seen plenty of girls on here that prefer "brony" over "pegasister."

[MuniMoose 489]

Why not just "brony"?

I've always considered the term sexually ambiguous, anyhow.

I just saying if they want to have an individual name thats different then take the initiative ya know silly

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Agreed. I never heard "Pegasister" until I started on these forums. I like it. Even though "Brony" has the male-connotation, it can and is easily treated like the phrase "guys." I can walk into a mixed-gender group and say, "Hey, guys!" and no one's offended. Why not with Brony? I've even known groups of all girls to refer to each other as "guys." And I've seen plenty of girls on here that prefer "brony" over "pegasister."

It's all a matter of preference.

Then again, you can't please everyone.

 

The same people complaining about gender equality in the fandom today can very well be the same people spouting about female identity in the fandom tomorrow :/

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

You shouldent feel alienated. In fact i as a guy am comforted by the fact that so many differant kinds of people enjoy this show as much as I do!!!!

[man dude man 555]

I think that this fandom is for everypony. That is the whole point. Anypony that has been able to consume the general message of friendship being magic knows this. Femininity and masculinity aren't defined at all by the media we enjoy, and I am sorry if any male has made you feel like an outsider in a community that would love to welcome everpony in. I honestly couldn't realistically see myself falling for a girl around my age that wasn't into my fandom obsessions, and the concepts that ones like MLP have to offer the world, and the people accepting them. So people that make you feel that way, are people that aren't truly embracing said concepts, but most importantly, just ignore what those people think, as long as you do what you know is right, you can leave others all the time in the world to question their own morality.

[Felix 1,363]

It's been brought to my attention how many people feel this way. The topic seems to occur often.

 

I'm very sorry you feel this way. I hope you know that for the most part none if us mean to do that. However, I understand where you're coming from here. To at least make the females more welcome I no longer use the terms I thought this fandom gave to the opposite gender like Pegasister and such. We are all bronies and should be treated all the same.

 

Of course this is just me though. It's not like I can get everyone to say that, but, if it makes you feel any better I well acknowledge and respect you all.

[Kay Dreamer 884]

The 'bronies' who do act like this (and they're by no means a majority) are the overgrown man-children who lack things like maturity and basic social skills. They also can't seem to apply the moral message of the show to anything other than themselves. They hate women being part of this fandom because they see it as us encroaching on their boys club. (And women are not allowed to like the things men like unless we're sleeping with them, apparently.) Pity them and ignore them, but don't let them take away your love for the show!

 

Comics books, especially superhero comics, is full of these guys too. So is gaming. And the shit's been hitting the proverbial fan over it for a while now.

 

Footnote: I am well aware that most male bronies are not like this! These men are just just the small, vocal part of the fandom that give the rest of it such a bad odour. I'm rather sorry they give the rest of you such a bad name.

[Dattebayo 2,850]

Yes, friends.

Let us all be mercilessly attacked for our good taste in cartoons. As a unisex fandom.

[Solid 1,327]

Those restrictions are all really just simply societal norm bs.

 

The ACTUAL thing you should pay attention to is age restriction

 

TV age range

 

Y: Youth

Y7: Youth 7 and up

G: General

PG: General w/ parent guide

14: 14 and up

MA: Matured Audience

 

 

 

Here's what these actually meant

 

Y: Everyone can watch, go ahead.

Y7: May have some potentially disturbing parts for young fellows, go ahead if you're 7 and up.

G: Everyone can watch, go ahead.

PG: May have some potentially disturbing parts for young fellows

14: WILL have disturbing parts, don't watch if you have a weak heart.

MA: Self explanatory.

 

As far as I know, there is no such thing as a FLGO (For Little Girls Only) restriction for MLP:FiM, or any cartoons in general.

 

 

 

The term brony refers to general but I do believe this is somewhat like a generic "he." So here's something.

 

Brony - Pegasister

Brohoof - Sishoof? Pegawing? Sishug? Pegahug?

 

Any other ideas?

 

 

 

It's 'cause people on Tumblr hate bronies because all they think we do is fap to horses.

 

People fap to all sorts of things on Tumblr...let's just say horses are not the worst. Is there such thing as wrong things to fap to? What the hell is wrong with fapping in general anyway? Isn't fapping one of the reasonwhy r34 exist in the first place?

[Envy 6,202]

I hear you! I've been a part of many male-dominated online communities over the years, but I've always somehow felt more alienated in this community.

 

Of course, the term "Brony" and me having to click "brohoof" to like any post here (which actually was just called "like" when I joined) certainly doesn't help, but it runs deeper than that.

 

It's like... It's one of few quality shows that girls have ever gotten. A show intended from the beginning to have a diverse likable cast, with the intention of showing young girls that being a woman doesn't mean you have to act one way, that there are many ways to be a girl, and they should never be made to feel bad for it (all from the words of Faust).

 

But then a group of guys come in and literally try to make the show and community their own... Or that's how I perceive it. Of course, I am not opposed to guys watching the show and be proud (I feel quite strongly that they should be able to). Just a lot of things have began to rub me in the wrong way.

[PE Brony 1,712]

In the show, I've noticed the mane 6 call it a hoof-bump. Of course the guys obsessed with How I Met Your Mother had to make every reference to themselves start with or involve the word "bro!"

 

Perhaps a change to "Hoof-bump" would be more neutral and more series-accurate?

 

Also, I've only seen this once, but I've seen one person shorten "pegasister" to simply "pegasis." It keeps the integrity of the word, while shortening it by a syllable. 

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

To be far, the female side of the fandom(especially on Tumblr) is pushing just as hard to alienate the guys in some areas so it's a two way street with problems on both ends. I've even seen girls(one female member on here voiced this opinion, in fact) say they can't stand the female-centric fandom sites because of all the complaining about how much the male-bronies suck and gender-politics.  

[monsdkfndflksdnlksl 50]

I'm a fourteen year old girl who absolutely LOVES MLP... yes, I know girls (albeit under my age but still) are the intended viewers for this show, but why does this give us so much hate? Sometimes I almost feel alienated from the fandom... I mean, it's fine that guys like MLP, but I don't think that it should mean that the girls who like it should get trampled over and pushed aside. 

 

For instance, there are a TON of phrases in the fandom... such as "brohoof" and the universal "brony"... yes, there IS "Pegasister", but come on... that sounds totally lame next to an awesome name like "brony"...

 

I guess what I'm saying here is just that I wish my gender wouldn't get so many rolled eyes or get so pushed aside with a fandom dominated by males... I don't mean to upset anyone, but I just felt that this needed to be discussed...

i would say  Girls and Guys are both Bronys to me i don't see why there is a difference we all love the show right?

[Commissar Alexer 763]

One of a possible reason i can think of is that girls/woman tend to be attention seeking, also known as "Attention Whores".

 

Another one is the fear of getting flooded with homoerotic fanworks (fanfiction, pictures...) since indeed many females have liking for this kind of stuff.

[Thrashy 2,800]

"Male-dominated"? Seriously? So, I suppose if I were to join a fandom that was mostly comprised of females (e.g., Twilight), then I would be able to claim that I, as a man, have no voice within that community?

 

Look, just because males happen to make up the majority of this fandom by no means indicates that we maliciously shove female bronies/pegasisters (whatever you want to be called) into the margin. Trust me, if we were all misogynists, there wouldn't be nearly as many of us worshiping Lauren Faust. Hell, we'd probably be claiming that her husband was the real mastermind behind FiM.

 

Simply put, if you've seen any behavior that indicates our fandom's males have been somehow subjugating the females, I must submit that you are either witnessing purely isolated cases that by no means represent the majority, or that it's purely of your imagining. The latter being a real shame, because you sound like you might have some real examples of this happening, yet you haven't actually cited any. Call me insensitive for my skepticism, but I require hard evidence before I take cries of "sexism!" or "racism!" etc. seriously.

 

Sure, there's anecdotal evidence, such as the fact that most of the prominent artists in our community (Jan, Living Tombstone, etc.) are male. And? This is merely a result of proportion. More males in the fandom = more male bronies rising to prominence. It has nothing to do with misogyny and everything to do with simple numbers.

[AlicornRegulars 12]

I personally like pegasister better than brony. I think people treat us pegasisters better since it was targeted at young girls. Girls, none the less. I feel like there are more girls in the fandom, but they just don't speak up or go to conventions. They aren't as into it as guys. Most of the guys know what a convention is like. They probably have been to one before mlp. Girls, are a bit scared to go to conventions, make forums accounts. Girls would rather tell you in real life than behind the computer screen. The opposite for boys. So if you ever feel isolated, I would love to talk! Pegasisters! ^.^

[PE Brony 1,712]

I personally like pegasister better than brony. I think people treat us pegasisters better since it was targeted at young girls. Girls, none the less. I feel like there are more girls in the fandom, but they just don't speak up or go to conventions. They aren't as into it as guys. Most of the guys know what a convention is like. They probably have been to one before mlp. Girls, are a bit scared to go to conventions, make forums accounts. Girls would rather tell you in real life than behind the computer screen. The opposite for boys. So if you ever feel isolated, I would love to talk! Pegasisters! ^.^

Well-assessed and well-spoken! Though I am a brony myself, I also have never been to a convention of any kind, though Comic Con and E3 and now Bronycon have interested me. It is definitely easier to voice opinions online. The males are obviously more vocal about it, even on here, but what you said about girls being more willing to share these kinds of opinions in-person I think is spot-on.

[MarcelineA 126]

Don't worry darling they're just jealous of our fabulosity ^-^

remember...

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

I am a "pegasister" just prefer to call myself brony because its easier and yes more recongized. That doesn't bother me though!

 

I guess I never felt alienated or less special over the fact I'm a girl who likes ponies next to the majority of men who like ponies because, well it just means I'll be able to socialize easier with the opposite gender in regards to a fandom that I love. My nephew and I have something to talk about just as much now that he's a brony. We both don't feel alienated from each other, but rather brought together closer.

 

I've made more friends with men here then girls sadly. I say sadly because I tend to be intimidated by other girls, they can be cruel and mischiveious at times and... well ok I'm not saying all girls are like that, but my point is, sure 88% of the fandom is composed of males, but that doesn't intimidate me, more so i find it great and enjoyable because it provides us girls with a means to socalize with men a whole lot easier, same as men to girls I would think.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[Shanks 10,816]

But then a group of guys come in and literally try to make the show and community their own... Or that's how I perceive it. Of course, I am not opposed to guys watching the show and be proud (I feel quite strongly that they should be able to). Just a lot of things have began to rub me in the wrong way.

I don't understand how are guys taking it over? Yes the fandom itself is kind of a sausage fest but I think that again goes to my previous statement about it being seen socially as just a bigger deal for guys to be into it than girls. If it were up to me it wouldn't be a big deal for anyone regardless of gender or age to be into this but that is not how things are. The good news though is that the "brony" fandom is making inroads into changing this but we still have a long way to go.Think of it this way, my Dad immigrated here to America from Italy when he was 5 maybe 6 years old and he grew up eating homemade Italian food from his mother but his favorite foods are actually American foods. It is because Italian food to him was just food but American foods to him were like Italian food is to most Americans which is a exotic treat. That is not to say he didn't like it but his preference for American foods is understandable.

 

To alot of male MLP fans including me the show has made a lot of us realize a side of us we either didn't realize we had or underestimated just how strong it was. Most of my interests have always been fairly masculine but it was and still is simply because I like them and I never believed in the false macho BS about not expressing emotions but the fact that I liked MLP to me in a was and still is extremely liberating. That dosen't mean I shout it from the rooftops but during the first few weeks of being into the show I sure was tempted and found this place to temper that desire so I wouldn't become one of the stereotypically pushy fans. 

 

I think one reason why a lot of female fans feel unwelcome is because many of them are unfamiliar with fandoms in general and are a bit intimidated by certain aspects of the fandom like the "dark" side of the fandom for example, people treating the show like a religion and the incidents where a loud and annoying minority engages in some actual bad behavior, behavior which while it is unfortunate that anyone would do that it is something all fandoms are guilty of and the brony fandom I think is one of the better ones when it comes to this. There is really not much we can do about this except for trying to set a good example and try to make all fans regardless of gender feel welcome. 

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

"Male-dominated"? Seriously? So, I suppose if I were to join a fandom that was mostly comprised of females (e.g., Twilight), then I would be able to claim that I, as a man, have no voice within that community?

 

Look, just because males happen to make up the majority of this fandom by no means indicates that we maliciously shove female bronies/pegasisters (whatever you want to be called) into the margin. Trust me, if we were all misogynists, there wouldn't be nearly as many of us worshiping Lauren Faust. Hell, we'd probably be claiming that her husband was the real mastermind behind FiM.

 

Simply put, if you've seen any behavior that indicates our fandom's males have been somehow subjugating the females, I must submit that you are either witnessing purely isolated cases that by no means represent the majority, or that it's purely of your imagining. The latter being a real shame, because you sound like you might have some real examples of this happening, yet you haven't actually cited any. Call me insensitive for my skepticism, but I require hard evidence before I take cries of "sexism!" or "racism!" etc. seriously.

 

Sure, there's anecdotal evidence, such as the fact that most of the prominent artists in our community (Jan, Living Tombstone, etc.) are male. And? This is merely a result of proportion. More males in the fandom = more male bronies rising to prominence. It has nothing to do with misogyny and everything to do with simple numbers.

 

Not to mention the majority of girls here were already into it pre-FiM, so most of the actual "brony" portion of the MLP fandom is either guys or geekier girls that had no interest in it until FiM. 

[Mightymags 1,053]

Do you have an specific examples of being treated differently than males who like the show?

 

It's true that society will view bronies as male, but that's the only discrimination I've seen. As a female that likes the show I've gotten the same ridicule from people in real life that others do. But in the past couple years on this forum the number of females has grown immensely, it's no longer a rare thing. Which is why I no longer feel thT females are viewed as "out of place" within the brony community and it's become normal for both genders to like the show.

[Cassafrass 249]

Wow, I'm so glad I made this topic... now I don't feel so alone with this subject. ^^;

 

Thank you everyone... it means a lot. Again I think bronies are really cool, no, YOU guys are cool and stuff... but I just wish the females of the fandom weren't pushed away so much. It's probably that this video didn't help our image either... when I watched it, it made me realize how very alienated I feel in this fandom sometimes, which is completely silly considering that I believe EVERYpony, no matter your gender or whatever, should be allowed to watch the show without getting harassed about it. (if the link doesn't go to the right spot of the vid automatically, go to 2:55 or so...)

 

http://youtu.be/OV-OF9wZWDs?t=2m55s

 

So yeah, I guess I just want to make sure that Pegasisters (ugh that name makes me cringe tbh... but oh well) don't get buried underneath all the brony-ness. We should all coexist in harmony!

 

EDIT: For the people asking for specific examples, well there's the above video... and oftentimes I hardly ever hear even a mentioning of Pegasisters, well, anywhere! Sorry that those are lame examples but... yeah. ^^;

Edited April 18, 2014 by Cassadragon

[Kay Dreamer 884]

One of a possible reason i can think of is that girls/woman tend to be attention seeking, also known as "Attention Whores".

 

See, THAT is the kind of stereotype which makes us feel alienated.

 

I'm sure you didn't think of it in that way. I'm sure you thought it was a harmless statement. But please, if you don't want women to assume you're a misogynist, don't make broad statements like that about us because they're never true. Stereotypes rarely are. No matter who they're about.

 

Sorry to point the finger at you in such a way, but it's just a perfect example of one of the many little things which pile up to become mountains.

 

Your second statement makes sense, and I imagine that does cause some male fans to intentionally alienate female fans. (Though if someone was so insecure about his sexuality that he finds it threatened by drawings of gay ponies, I'd suggest he has some bigger problems to address.)

 

ADDING ON

Also, I totally second PE Brony's suggestion of hoof-bump in place of brohoof. Especially since it's actually from the show! It's way more neutral, and why wouldn't we endeavour to be show-accurate?

Edited April 19, 2014 by Kaydreamer