My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Page 454

No, this is not a joke/trolling thread. We don't need more filler posts asking if it is.

Remember to spoiler season 6 content, and clearly label your spoilers.

GGTeMpLaR

United States7226 Posts

February 06 2012 15:22 GMT

#9061

@StarStrider

I'll keep it short and to the point:

It's one of the best, if not the best cartoon I've seen. A lot of things you said regarding the quality of the show from an adult perspective not being anything special or better than other cartoons I simply disagree with and think you couldn't be more wrong. Assuming that all those negative judgments you made weren't the case, it's not really surprising why someone would like the show anymore.

FnF

Finland200 Posts

February 06 2012 15:36 GMT

#9062

On February 07 2012 00:18 Squarewalker wrote:
If another very positive and innocent show was created before MLP:FIM, then perhaps the fanbase of that one would've become this huge instead.

I actually disagree on this one. Comfort elements are inherently stabilizing factors, not expansive.

Daralii

United States16991 Posts

February 06 2012 16:24 GMT

#9063

So anyway...

[image loading]

Probably my favorite pony artist.

bonifaceviii

Canada2890 Posts

February 06 2012 16:27 GMT

#9064

On February 07 2012 00:18 Squarewalker wrote:
If another very positive and innocent show was created before MLP:FIM, then perhaps the fanbase of that one would've become this huge instead.

The reason that people paid attention to My Little Pony: FIM at the beginning was because of the involvement of Lauren Faust. If anyone else was involved there would not have been enough people convinced to try it to get to a tipping point.

GypsyBeast

Canada630 Posts

February 06 2012 16:36 GMT

#9065

This weekend i was talking to my little cousin about MLP and she called me gay for watching it (she is 11)

also a little while back it came out that i am brony on my hockey team and now it has somewhat spread through out the league, this lead to a fight on the ice with a guy i have a history with.

never thought i would get into a fight over ponies :S

ampson

United States2355 Posts

February 06 2012 20:56 GMT

#9066

Thread is in yellow. Emergency best pony protocol initiated.
+ Show Spoiler +

Daralii

United States16991 Posts

February 06 2012 21:12 GMT

#9067

Well then, that settles that.

Zoundsforsook

Scotland636 Posts

February 06 2012 21:31 GMT

#9068

have some pony pics thread!
+ Show Spoiler +

Not exactly saucy but not for everyone.
+ Show Spoiler +

Soleron

United Kingdom1324 Posts

February 06 2012 22:07 GMT

#9069

On February 07 2012 06:12 Daralii wrote:

Well then, that settles that.

Hasbro UK is just a PR/distribution office, they don't make global decisions and could easily be wrong.

GGTeMpLaR

United States7226 Posts

February 06 2012 23:23 GMT

#9070

Has this been posted yet:

LittleJoeRambler

110 Posts

February 06 2012 23:46 GMT

#9071

I get tired of people assuming that I watch MLP:FiM to the exclusion of everything else. I watch plenty of other cartoons, play plenty of games that probably wouldn't get me "persecuted" (though I do believe Modern Warfare 3 is way better than the 2.1 the stupid user reviews on Metacritic give it), read enormous amounts of non-pony-related media, and listen to a smattering of music that ranges from Flatt and Scruggs bluegrass to hardcore trance and metal.

I love riding ATVs, shooting guns (I have a Taurus 1911 I want to get some nice wood grips for), and playing football and baseball (though watching either on TV is just boring to me). I believe the Second Amendment is something to protect, not something to be ashamed of. I own a truck. I have a chemistry degree. I work as a lab technician. I play StarCraft 2, obviously.

Yet people see ponies and assume that I only care about them. It blows my mind.

StarStrider

United States689 Posts

February 07 2012 00:25 GMT

#9072

Thank you all for your responses. For anyone who thinks they may have come across as hostile (unintentionally or intentionally), I understand and expected it based on the passion you have for your hobby, and don't hold it against you in the least. No apologies needed. Even if you don't see yourself as having a certain level of obsession, you'd still agree that most of the brony community has very strong opinions about their love and their fans. I knew that coming in.

Also, thank you for not writing me off as a troll poster, because you actually made some valid points and helped me understand better. Obviously I put a lot of effort into making this assessment, and it does it justice to discuss it, to not be linked back to a generic post 300 pages ago, but rather have a personal response. Call me lazy but I did not want to go through 450 pages of Pony art to find an answer.

Some just say 'I like it, I don't know why, and that's enough for me'. Ok, doesn't help me understand, but fair enough. Most of the responses seem to be along the lines of using what I have already assumed as a mode of justification for you. 'Screw the haters, I'm going to like what I like, I don't care who judges me because I stopped caring what people think a long time ago. I'm going to live my life the way I want and I don't give a damn what people think.' That's a completely reasonable response. Some are even in denial that there is/will be persecution. That's a bit delusional. I'll address that in a moment. First I'd like to respond to a couple of specific points made.

@Soleron Of all the responses, your world building idea makes the most sense in explaining the phenomenon to me. It fits right in with the additional interests that bronies tend to have, and that combined with the 'cute fix' makes perfect sense as to why they have gravitated toward this particular show among thousands. Thanks.

@Paperplanes I'm sorry you took it that way. Obviously I don't think that. I'm just wondering how you respond to people who do. I see your point about being with people judging you. But there is a huge distinction between the negative connotations ignorant people will put on your interest in metal or SC2, and your interest in a little girl's cartoon. It's one thing to be labeled an uber nerd, a whole 'nother ballgame to fall into the 'creepy pedophile' filing system. In metal and SC2, a 25 year old male is considered exactly who should be consuming the product, so it is much more socially accepted, even if jokes are made about it, and a few wackos actually believe those things are true about the fan.

@FnF Then why? Why do you watch?

@Klyberness Semantics on one word. Please view it in light of my whole post, and you'll understand that the word 'accept' was intended to mean 'accept the brony mindset for myself' ie, 'become a brony'. Not: 'I don't accept you as a person or bronies as a community based on your strange interest.'
Your 2nd response is much more blatantly aggressive than I could imagine you perceive my passive agression as being (I don't know where you're getting that. Are you judging me based on previous critical posters?). You seem to think that I am feigning politeness to try to avoid offending the mods, while still trolling the ever-loving mess out of you. That's not the case at all. In the parameters of your analogy, I don't subscribe to the "homosexuality is a sin" view at all. But the analogy doesn't work, because we're talking about a hobby, and not a part of who you are as a person.

@GMarshal There will be extreme, twisted extensions of any community I will agree. That's why I didn't base my whole analysis around these extremes. I briefly mentioned the 'extreme' side of MLP community, but it wasn't the focus.

Let me stop there and discuss the following, because it relates to multiple people's responses: What we should discuss is the core: that grown men are watching and discussing and obssessing over (define that how you wish) a show designed and themed for little girls. As I mentioned to Paperplanes, with SC2 or WoW or music choice or religion or WHATEVER other community grown males are into, these items have interests and themes that are marketed to and are commonly accepted that they should be participated in by adult males. My Little Pony on the other hand is a little girls' show. However you spin it, whatever you want to believe the intentions of the creators were. And because of that, there will be certain distasteful stereotypes associated with you by being a grown male who is involved in fandom of a little girls' show, regardless of why you are involvrf, or how secure in your manhood you actually are, etc. This is a level of creepiness that people will associate with you that you will never ever achieve by being "into SC2" or "into a religion", do you see the difference? This is the same discussion people have had with 'furries' for ages, but even the journey to the 'furry' genre seems to make more sense to some previously ignorant passersby when thinking about how one logically progresses to being into the 'anthropomorphic humanoid animals' genre.

Obviously, you're fine with the criticism, and knowing the bronies that I do, I know there's nothing but innocence and fun of MLP community. But the ignorant passerby does not. So that leaves it to the brony to: a) educate about your passion - to justify it; b) to hide it - whether in shame, or avoidance of judgment or the task having to explain it; or c) to reject this passion out of avoidance of future impressions you may make on people. Who cares what random people think, I agree. Who cares what random trolls on the internet say about you. I even understand that friends who would judge you based on this interest aren't the kind of friends you want. Fair.

But what about when it does matter. If you continue in your interest, you will never be able to run for public office [EDIT: in the mudslinging American politcal system] when your opponents have ammo like this against you. But that is kind of far fetched, I know. What about promotions you are passed up for at work because the ignorant HR team judged you on your interest? What about a relationship with a girl that could have been your perfect soulmate for all you know, had it not been for the ponies? Again we go back to ' 'if she can't accept this then she isn't openminded enough for my taste to begin with.' How many missed opportunities before you consider that the stigma may be negatively affecting your life, and that it might be easier to just avoid it, or find a hobby that doesn't earn the 'creep' stigma from the ignorant? You can call it cowardice, but I would prefer to see it as a cost-benefit analysis. Are you telling me that this hobby is that much of a dealbreaker? If so, wow, obsessive doesn't do it justice. If not, then why take the risk, even if you know you're in the right? That's what I don't understand. I know the scenarios I presented are 1 in 1000, but just humor me for the point I'm trying to make.

After reading back the above paragraph, it seems to come across as overtly confrontational. That wasn't my intention. Please take my word for it that I am not trying to cause anger, I am still just simply trying to wrap my head around it. This is the most straightforward way I can think to say what is in my mind without coming across as purposefully hurtful.

@radscorpion9 To your point on the word 'obsession', I didn't use it implying 'addiction', more like, 'a hobby that you practice with way more passion that any other hobby', i.e., StarStrider has an obssession with Starcraft 2. Not unhealthy, but way beyond a normal hobby. And to your point of 'just an interest in watching a TV show', well, if that's all it was, then this thread wouldn't exist. I think most of the [closed minded people who judge] wouldn't be judging you just based on watching the show, but rather, for taking it to another level by participating in the online brony fandom and all its evolutions/devolutions.

@Camail You don't need to. Feel free not to. But I really appreciate those who do. If it's not too big a deal could we use the space between pony pics for thought-provoking discussion?

Thanks again to responders for being open to discussion instead of writing me off or linking me back.

[Agony]x90

United States853 Posts

February 07 2012 00:46 GMT

#9073

You should consider reading into cult psychology or other underground type movement stuff. If you think men watching a children's cartoon is creepy, you should check out the underground comix movement that has been going on for the past 50 years or so. There's a bit of mob mentality and group justification to it as well. If Equestria Daily or TLponies didn't exist, I would've watched the series once and then just moved on. Honestly, the only reason I keep coming back is half because of the people I ended up meeting through it.

Also keep in mind that subcultures strive on resistance. Rejection of a mainstream event or topic can lead to ostracism or judging of single, different individuals, while rejection of a subculture that is not regular accepted as normal will lead to those in the culture to recede itself further away from mainstream.

Lastly, keep in mind that in this discussion, you stand on the disadvantageous side. While you have only been on the side that rejects or otherwise ignores MLP:FiM, many of the people here have experienced both sides. I myself didn't understand what was going on at first and didn't bother with the show. I thought it was just another "otaku"/fetish kind of thing, but now that I'm standing on the other side, I see what was good about the show. That being said, most of us already understand your position and have already found for ourselves why we just simply don't care what others think of us when we watch, because we would have judged the same ourselves in the past. Sometimes, simple pleasures and good communities don't need scrutinizing by those who are in it.

StarStrider

United States689 Posts

February 07 2012 00:57 GMT

#9074

@[Agony]x90 Wow. Wowowow. So well said. A very succinct and post, but with so much depth and clarification and truthiness. I see what you're saying on every point you made. And all with no degradation into the mud. Nice. I detect an experienced internet debater, or at least one who was into debate in high school/college ;D
Do you have any recommendations into reading materials on cult psychology? I would be very interested in those.

Phant

United States737 Posts

February 07 2012 01:05 GMT

#9075

I'd like to add that almost every person I know knows that I like this show, and not one of them has negatively judged me because of it. I'd say most people are open minded enough to know that liking the show doesn't make me some sort of creeper. Several times when I was wearing my pony shirt I had people come up to me, curious about why I was wearing the shirt. I'd explain to them why I liked it and many of them would go check it out, and if they didn't like it they still don't hate me for liking a girls cartoon.

Most people in this thread don't hide that they like the show and most of the people they know are fine with it. The only people who disrespect them solely because they are a fan of the show are people we wouldn't want to hang around in the first place, and those types of people are few and far between. You make it sound like most of the world has this predisposition that people who like this show are pedophiles and that we are losing opportunities because of it, and that is simply not the case, it's a small minority that think like that, a minority I don't want to be associated with.

nohbrows

United States653 Posts

February 07 2012 01:07 GMT

#9076

the ratio of text to pictures on this page is starting to make me sadness. Need more pictures. Have a really epic looking picture of Starswirled the Bearded.
[image loading]

From the same Deviantart that Daralli posted up early.

LittleJoeRambler

110 Posts

February 07 2012 02:08 GMT

#9077

@StarStrider I've heard the "you'll get passed up on for promotions/jobs/opportunities" argument before, and I can't say that it's not without merit and that it's probably already happened to some bronies. But it does lead me into a point I'd like to make, and I don't think I'm alone in the community in my reasoning for this.

Ponies and jobs don't mix. Neither do jobs and video games, or jobs and table top games (like D&D or whatever), or jobs and heavy metal. I'm assuming you're talking about jobs that don't directly involves these things; obviously, a job working at a music store would mix well with an interest in heavy metal, interest in games with game development/design, etc. I'm what you'd call a "closet brony" to my coworkers, mostly because to go around telling them about ponies is unprofessional. I feel the same way about my musical tastes; I listen to most of the same music that they do, but I don't try to convince them to listen to music they don't already listen to. I also have not spouted off about how I think the Wheel of Time series is one of the best fantasy series ever written to my coworkers. Point is, things like that don't belong in the workplace.

When I get to work, it's all business. I do what I need to do. I've made quite a few friends by doing my job quickly, efficiently, and in such a manner as to make the lives of those around me a little bit easier. Those I work with know that I'm willing to work hard, and help when it's needed, without being asked, even if it's not in my job description. Those are the things that belong in the workplace. Regardless of how I feel about ponies, or video games, or books, or movies, no one at my work needs to know about any of them because they don't pertain to my job or my ability to do my job. All they need to know is that I can be counted on to do my job well. If my employer doesn't think those qualities are more important than the fact that I watch a certain TV show or listen to a certain kind of music, then it's them that have the fucked up priorities, not me.

And I'll believe that all the way to my cardboard-box-in-the-street grave if that's what it comes to.

Camail

United States1030 Posts

February 07 2012 02:19 GMT

#9078

Ugh it's only Monday and I can't wait until the new episode...sigh. On a different note, its a shame the weather is so terrible here, I barely get any opportunity to wear my pony shirts in public =/.

That Pinkie Pie is fantastic

tommywaaf

United States127 Posts

February 07 2012 02:23 GMT

#9079

This baby loves my little ponys

DoubleReed

United States4130 Posts

February 07 2012 02:24 GMT

#9080

But what about when it does matter. If you continue in your interest, you will never be able to run for public office [EDIT: in the mudslinging American politcal system] when your opponents have ammo like this against you. But that is kind of far fetched, I know. What about promotions you are passed up for at work because the ignorant HR team judged you on your interest? What about a relationship with a girl that could have been your perfect soulmate for all you know, had it not been for the ponies? Again we go back to ' 'if she can't accept this then she isn't openminded enough for my taste to begin with.' How many missed opportunities before you consider that the stigma may be negatively affecting your life, and that it might be easier to just avoid it, or find a hobby that doesn't earn the 'creep' stigma from the ignorant? You can call it cowardice, but I would prefer to see it as a cost-benefit analysis. Are you telling me that this hobby is that much of a dealbreaker? If so, wow, obsessive doesn't do it justice. If not, then why take the risk, even if you know you're in the right? That's what I don't understand. I know the scenarios I presented are 1 in 1000, but just humor me for the point I'm trying to make.

Yea but that's true about anything. Seriously, you're on teamliquid. You're on a site that displays progamers. Maybe if someone saw that you play starcraft 2 then they would make the same judgements about you. You could make the exact same argument about BDSM, playing Magic the Gathering, or writing Fanfiction. Haters gonna hate and all that.

And quite frankly, in the business world people really don't care what you do in your spare time if you're actually good at what you do. I don't really know why you think this hobby is a dealbreaker for anything at all. High school isn't real life. People do not ostracize that easily. As far as politics, you do know there are images of Rudy Giulani crossdressing right?

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