Question - I just don't get the fascination with all this My Little Pony... stuff...

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**kitch102**

Hey,

So I don't get it! I've thought about it long and hard, and can not for the life of me understand why MLP keeps rearing its disgustingly colourful, glittery head. It keeps cropping up in the most random places, not just online, but quite often with some connecting to wargames and / or other geeky conquests.

I don't go actively looking for it (seriously. No really, I don't).

Is it a "liking out of irony" thing, like skinny jeans and Justin Bieber?

**Milisim**

Burn Heretic!

Rainbow Dash will slay you!

**scarletsquig**

Nope, not ironic, we actually like it!

There's a ~165+ page thread over in Offtopic if you're interested, although I'd strongly recommend watching an episode or two to dispel any confusion.

Also, here's my copy+paste response I've used in other threads as to why I think people like it, and wargamers/ geeks specifically like it, you might find it interesting:

scarletsquig wrote:
MrMerlin wrote:
Ratius wrote:That My Little Pony can infiltrate places I would never have thought possible.

this is so true.

A board about the grimdark future of our galaxy, where the horrible gods of chaos seek to destroy humanity? What a nice place for MLP posts!

seriously, why do people post this stuff here?

Well, several months ago, I decided to watch one episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to see what all the fuss what about (bunch of people on various forums seemed obsessed with it, and they were people I liked,too).

Then I watched another episode, and another, and another... and now, I just *really* like it.

It doesn't make any sense, but the popular phrase of "the only reason for not liking the new my little pony is not having watched it yet" holds true.

If I had to make some sort of psychological musing, I'd have to say that the bright, colourful and amusing world of ponies is a wonderful counterpoint to the typically depressing, bleak and negative focus that most media has. News stories about death and tragedy are always the most popular. More people attend funerals than weddings. TV shows that constantly try to outdo each other in terms of being "gritty" and "hard" are massively popular. I think there's a significant group of people (myself included) who are a little tired of it all and want something relentlessly upbeat and positive in their monitors, just for 20 minutes of wonderful escapism from the rest of humanity being so goddamn miserable and serious all the time. I'd be lying if I said the show hadn't changed my outlook on life for the better.

Dakka is the perfect place for ponies, as it is one of the few wargaming forums that doesn't take itself dreadfully seriously.

Plus, when it comes down to it, grown men playing with toy soldiers is just as "looked down upon" by regular society as grown men watching ponies. Both wargamers and pony-fans both generally hail from the 20% cooler segment of humans who are confident enough to enjoy whatever they want and not stress one bit over what people think of them for doing that. So, it stands to reason that there is some crossover between the two.

Also, unlike most other sickeningly-upbeat kids TV shows, the show is not dumb, or lame, it is as geeky/cool as hell with complex well-written characters, and the main character is a socially-capable nerd, a category which the majority of wargamers can identify with.. as opposed to the stereotype of "if you have a high IQ, that means you're socially useless, math is hard lets go shopping etc." that almost every other children's TV show (and a lot of adult media) defaults to.

In short, there are a lot of very excellent reasons why people are so in love with it. I can highly recommend this blog post by the show's creator as an insight as to the kind of things that she wanted to achieve with it. Basically, it is matter to the anti-matter of almost every other kid's show out there and is nothing like what you'd expect, right from the guitar riff in the theme tune down to the ponies effectively saying "oh god no, not a song stfu" right before the first song of the show airs. IMO, it's smart, funny and cute.

Do not assume (as a lot of people do) that any pony-fan on here is intending to troll, or be a hipster. The (potentially more scary) reality of the matter is that a lot of adults genuinely enjoy watching it based on its own merits.

Hope that helps answer the question!

P.S. In relation to "the horrible gods of chaos" line. There is a Chaos god in My Little Pony, too. Yes, seriously.

**Easy E**

I've watched it and can totally see the appeal. It's fun and cute and doesn't take itself too seriously. The jokes are for all ages and often just reference pop-culture. It reminded me of the PowerPuff Girls in many ways.

Not a Brony though.

**streamdragon**

Lauren Faust, who helmed this reboot of MLP, did a lot of work on PPG so that's probably why they might seem similar.

**murdog**

It's a good show. I probably won't be watching episodes by myself anytime soon, but when I watch it with my 4-year old daughter we both enjoy it. Good animation, good writing, good characters. Better than Max and Ruby, that's fo sho!

**daedalus**

I don't get the pony thing either. It really doesn't affect me though; I just keep adding to my adblock list.

The part that bothers me that much more, and has been talked to death so endlessly I'm almost afraid to mention it in passing, but is the insufferable Pony need to incorporate Ponies into everything they do. They become avatars, they become army concepts... it's almost as if people are SO into it, they attempt to define themselves with it.

I guess I've just never felt so strongly about something that I've needed to incorporate them into different facets of my life. I don't go talk to women at bars while wearing my Adepticon team shirt and lugging my army case around or offering to show them my Terraria world. Likewise, my avatar and username here aren't my favorite type of beer.

Maybe I'm the weird one?

**Jihadin**

I can't say anything. I collect plastic toy soldiers and vehicles

**d3m01iti0n**

Gross. That is all.

**CT GAMER**

daedalus wrote:

The part that bothers me that much more, and has been talked to death so endlessly I'm almost afraid to mention it in passing, but is the insufferable Pony need to incorporate Ponies into everything they do. They become avatars, they become army concepts... it's almost as if people are SO into it, they attempt to define themselves with it.

Agreed.

When it has to be central to every thing you post, do or say it quickly grows tiresome...

**Melissia**

It's half-decent, but it's no Batman TAS or The Brave and the Bold.

**DOOMBREAD**

Many aspects of the Brony phenomenon are ironic, but just watching the show often isn't. However, the people who bring it into every aspect of their lives and try to have the show as an identity are usually being ironic.

Also: Is Justin Bieber an ironic phenomenon? Because if so, you've completely changed the way I look at life.

**remilia_scarlet**

I used to like it, but the fanbase ruined it for me, though I will say that nobody on this site has room to talk bad about the show being childish or immature, since we all play with toy soldiers. you'll also get those types who like to troll fans and people who like the series, they're just as bad.

personally, I've been seeing less my little pony since sailor moon has made a comeback.

**timetowaste85**

Melissia wrote:It's half-decent, but it's no Batman TAS or The Brave and the Bold.

To be fair...NOTHING is Batman: TAS (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is VERY close though).

On topic...most people don't get the fascination of MLP. Well, except bronies and 4 year old girls. I avoid it like the plague, but I enjoy a good pony-bashing from time to time.

**hcordes**

Ive watched EVERY episode with my Five Year Old Daughter, my Three Year old son likes it as well. I get it, its funny, its like eating cotton candy with your eyes. What kid wouldn't like it? Why it appeals to the Nerd type crowd? Magic. and a built in social class, Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasus, very few "cross-breeds", they go on adventures, and what not, and there are typical arch-types amongst the friends, fighter, cleric, mage, etc. also..... they have a dragon,

Spike.

Every once in awhile they toss in a joke for the parents as well, when Spike drank all the punch at a party and passed out, one of the ponies yells out "guess the punch got 'spiked'!!!"
Well it made me giggle.

**Eldarain**

timetowaste85 wrote:

To be fair...NOTHING is Batman: TAS (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is VERY close though).

Seriously? That is some high praise. I will have to track down some episodes of this show.

**remilia_scarlet**

I feel as though the people who say it's just for girls are often too narrow minded to understand, much less appreciate something like my little pony. usually the people who ramble on about how bad it is or ridicule people for liking it have never seen an episode.

the same can be said with most anime, fashion and music.

**daedalus**

remilia_scarlet wrote:I feel as though the people who say it's just for girls are often too narrow minded to understand, much less appreciate something like my little pony. usually the people who ramble on about how bad it is or ridicule people for liking it have never seen an episode.

the same can be said with most anime, fashion and music.

I've never worn a dress either. Do I need to wear one before I declare dresses are "just for girls"? Cause like, I totally don't have the body for it.