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Do you have any "Bronie" friends?
- Thread starter oti
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I knew one in college. I don't even remember how I found out to be honest since the dude kept it to himself. He was a pretty nice guy.
IMO most people you meet in real life are probably going to be pretty decent people overall, even if they belong to an infamous fanbase. When you think about online anecdotes which stand out in your mind, it's probably going to be something outstanding or obnoxious anyway.
IMO most people you meet in real life are probably going to be pretty decent people overall, even if they belong to an infamous fanbase. When you think about online anecdotes which stand out in your mind, it's probably going to be something outstanding or obnoxious anyway.
dead souls
Member
Nope. That would be a (Liz Lemon) dealbreaker.
GreatestHits
Member
"Man-Colters"
"Mare-men"
"Hoofers"
"Mare-men"
"Hoofers"
Much like everything it depends on the person.
Maybe if they didn't call themselves bronies and just called themselves a dude who occasionally likes to watch My Little Pony stoned?
GreatestHits
Member
I can roll with that
So you feel the same way about Trekkies, Browncoats, Whovians ect? What is this hang up over a title?
No, because I also understand that despite what bronies desperately wish, those shows are actually aimed at audiences in their age group and there are actual elements that are clearly thematically for adults (although I have no clue what a Browncoat is). It's not just a show for seven year old girls with a quaint pop culture reference thrown in about Doctor Who. If a person wants to obsessively identify with some show, whatever it is that's fine - but I'm probably not going to personally associate with the ones who find a need to fill a hole in their life with a show aimed at prepubescent girls.
So, live and let live, right? They can like the show and call themselves 'bronies.' That's totally rad and I hope they get much joy from it.
Tornado Condor
Member
I've never seen a spongebob fan that self-identifies his personality to the cartoon, just like bronies do.
Bronies are just a weird specie of people
It was around junior year of college that two classmates of mine and me were working on a game design project and we went to one of the classmates apartment. Once we got into the apartment, they were getting really giddy about a new episode on something and I was just really confused as to what it could be. I watch anime and my circle of friends are really into the whole otaku culture (not obsessively to the point of not being a functioning member of society since all of us are pretty normal) but these guys took it to another level. Watching a new episode of my little pony was certainly a different experience for me when watching it with two bronies because the lore they knew beforehand just made me drop my jaw. I never would have thought a kid's show would have so much depth, but then I realized they were just obsessed with the show and loved the references it had to other pop culture icons. I watched the episode and it was alright but not my cup of tea since it felt like I regressed to being a 10 year old watching saturday cartoons (which I wouldn't mind if they were the old marvel cartoons or yugioh), but about ponies... I'll pass.
No, every bronie I have met in real life has left me with a terrible impression. To the point that between personal encounters and reading about their behaviours, I feel like an obsession with the show to that degree is indicative of some much deeper and more severe emotional and/or mental issue.
As has already been stated this show was aiming for an all ages group, it's even gaining popularity among boys in the expected age bracket. it's mean for everyone. The brands legacy seems to be its biggest enemy.
Browncoats are Firefly fans.
Yes, it is popular amongst grown ass boys.
It's for little girls though, no matter how much people continually protest. I mean it's hilarious if you want to die on that cross, but it's for little girls. And the showrunners are going to say otherwise if it means more grown ass men sit down in front of the tubes and watch, if it means boys will watch. But it's for little girls. They simply designed a show for young girls whose greatest and most amazing adult accomplishment is throwing in pop culture references. Wowzers.
Slime Scholar
Member
I remember I used to browse GAF when bronies were at their peak and animated avatars were still a thing. That was...something else.
Don't understand the appeal either. I think 'bronies' having a name for their fandom had something to do with it. Like, it wasn't just a cartoon for young girls, it was a group you could be a part of, and maybe that's something that resonated with certain people. That and it almost felt like a 'guys can like this stuff too' movement.
Don't understand the appeal either. I think 'bronies' having a name for their fandom had something to do with it. Like, it wasn't just a cartoon for young girls, it was a group you could be a part of, and maybe that's something that resonated with certain people. That and it almost felt like a 'guys can like this stuff too' movement.
I consider myself a brony, but that doesn't mean I obsess over the show, I also consider myself a gamer, a marvel fan and an anime fan. To me being a brony is the same as any of those titles. I just like the show and some of the cool fan projects the community makes.
I feel like saying that anyone who considers themself a brony is completely obsessed to an unhealthy level is a gross generalisation. I like MLP but I don't try to push it on friends if I dont think they'd like it. I just really enjoy the show.
I feel like saying that anyone who considers themself a brony is completely obsessed to an unhealthy level is a gross generalisation. I like MLP but I don't try to push it on friends if I dont think they'd like it. I just really enjoy the show.
Not just "grown ass boys"
http://www.chicagonow.com/hammervision/2015/08/parents-your-sons-can-watch-my-little-pony/
It's not just pop culture references. It's well written characters, good animation, a detailed lore that is constantly being expanded and great songs. Who put it in your head that all we care is the references?
the show has this very nice feeling to it that was very unique in 2011 (less so in 2015); this sort of retro happiness that was absent from a good amount of media then. If you look at 2010/2011 as a whole, pretty much all media is saturated with anti-heroes and a certain immature darkness; My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a sort of antithesis to this type of drama by having a slice of life, warm-hearted show that focuses on cuteness and virtues. Honestly, in hindsight, it makes sense why a lot of people would flock to it.
Milly Osworth
Member
I thought a bronie is someone that actually wants to bang the my little ponies. Or are you a bronie when you watch the thing? People that watch Spongebob aren't called Spongebros or something.
Nose Master
Member
I had a couple friends that watched it during the first few seasons, but they fell off. They didn't like, wear MLP shirts and identify as bronies, tho. They also stopped afaik, but, they were never creepy about it like the stereotype so whatever
This is the key difference. People are quick to say, "so they like a kids show, so what?" I like watching Phineas and Ferb with my kids, but after they go to bed I don't dress up like Doofenshmirtz and cut a hole in my stuffed platypus.
Like the show? No problem! Love the show? That's fine too. Love the show so much that it becomes your identity? Now we have an issue.
Its just a name for a fan. Obviously there are many different types of fans, from the type your talking about, to people who just discuss the episodes on forums. You dont have to be a brony if you like the show, you don't even have to be a brony if you like the fan content. The way I think about is if you think you're a brony, you're a brony.
Tornado Condor
Member
Exactly. If you watch MLP you aren't automatically a brony. If you start to develop a deeper connection to the cartoon and relate your personality to it then you're a brony.
there's a difference
AnathemicOne
Banned
I think a main issue in this thread is defining what a brony is. Personally I take it simply as a term for describing an invested fan of the show that's not particularly exclusive to males as I've seen/read females also use the term.
Tornado Condor
Member
I think the female version of a brony is a pegasister
The term has just as much flexibility as Brony. Some women use it, some don't.
It's for little girls. This article doesn't actually argue against it being for little girls, just that it's OK for boys to watch a show with powerful female characters. I agree with that. The show is still quite clearly made for girls. At no point of course does the article argue it's for grown ass girls or boys either, because of course it's not.
"Well written characters", my gosh. Please, elaborate on the splendorous depth of the character writing in My Little Pony, which teachers quaint little life lessons that are about as complex as its saccharine nonsense tagline "Friendship is Magic." Or its so-called "good animation", which frankly looks like a billion other mass produced flash animated television series which also don't deserve my time of day. 'Detailed lore'? 'Great songs'? I mean, christ. This is why nobody is getting convinced ITT. It's OK to like the show man. Indulge in it. Take a bath with MLP toys if you want. I genuinely do hope you have all the joy in the world with this.
But yeah, it's not for me, never will be for me, and anyone who likes the show enough to self-identify as a 'brony' is probably not friend material for me.
You don't have to be condescending. Obviously these things are subjective, for me, the above applies. All the characters have depth to me, it's hard to put that into words. But in terms of lore, historical events, different races, the rules of the world. Call backs are made continuity is, believe it or not, considered important (an entire episode was nearly scrapped for this reason). As for animation, the quality gets better every year, from just last season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu5lymyoca0
And finally music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzsxfO7dBlA
Again this all subjective and these are my reasons. I don't expect you get it, you've obviously made up your mind as to what you think bronies are.
Indeed, subjective. Of course. But I think the problem is that many bronies don't actually understand what they keep arguing. There is a difference between a show made for girls that happens to have wider appeal and a show clearly made for everyone with themes that are made to resonate with multiple age groups. And I think it's important the distinction be made, because it's not semantics.
Take a show like Steven Universe. I use this show because it is a show made by a female showrunner, whose primary cast is composed mainly of females, or at least gender-identify as feminine. But it is clearly made from the word go with all age groups in minds, as it deals with complex issues using fusion as a metaphor for relationships (and same-sex relationships specifically in many cases). It deals with subject matters that are actually completely out of the realm of the understanding of children. Things such as obsession in a relationship (and look at the multilayered songs that result), how some relationships are poison for one another. There's an episode that deals with our hero realizing that his escapades are actually dangerous, and how he might not want to involve those who truly cares about in his adventures as a result. There's an episode that deals with the pain of a tumultuous home environment (metaphor of divorce, fighting, etc) as a kid blames himself for what is going wrong. There's episodes that deal with self-loathing, and an episode with a moment so profoundly fucked up it still is heavy watching all this time later as an adult (the episode where Greg and Amethyst are cleaning out the storage garage).
I'm not saying this to say "my show is better than yours", that's absurd. I don't identify as a "UNIVERSIE" or whatever the fuck it'd be. But one show is made for all ages, legitimately. Adults too. And one show is for girls that just so happen to somehow resonate with wider groups.
SpaceCadetKeon
Banned
It's always baffled me how some people can say that FiM's animation is as bad as the majority of flash-based cartoons on television. Sometimes I even wonder if they watched Newborn Cuties by accident. But along with Wakfu, it's actually helped me to do a 180 on my opinion of flash as a legitimate means of animation. Sure, the earlier episodes don't hold up as well, but in more recent seasons, it's become much more vibrant and detailed. Plus, I feel that the medium lends itself to the show's cutesy, simplistic art style in a way.
I can give you a similar argument with MLP. An episode dealing with the desires of the artist vs the desires of the client, an episode about a disablity, there's even episode that uses the five stages of grief and deals with the concept of loss (albeit using an allegory for death instead of the real thing). I haven't watched SU and it is clearly mean for all ages but so is MLP as has been stated, maybe they aren't able get away with things quite as blantantly (not they don't try) but it was was the intent of Lauren Faust from the beginning.
My daughter loves the show and I've seen probably like 2-3 seasons of it. It's pretty good quality, even the musical episode was great, but it boggles my mind how adults can become obsessed by it. It's still just a well-produced kids' show.
The spin-off series where the ponies become some sort of weirdly colored ultra thin barbies is super wack.
The spin-off series where the ponies become some sort of weirdly colored ultra thin barbies is super wack.
Shuggananas
Banned
Thank fuck no, it's hardly a thing here (France), if I had one I'd stop being friends with them
There are no genitals in pony lands. They only exist in nsfw fanart.
On-topic: I don't have brony friends but I watched some bits of the show myself and liked the episodes that I've seen so far. Haven't checked back in a while though since I'm way into stuff like Korra and Steven Universe though.
On-topic: I don't have brony friends but I watched some bits of the show myself and liked the episodes that I've seen so far. Haven't checked back in a while though since I'm way into stuff like Korra and Steven Universe though.
There are stallions and a lot of non-pony males. The ratio is pretty bad, but they're not actually rare.
Not anymore. It's about 50/50 now.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Again maybe the show gets dramatically different after season 2 (I've seen some indications that it does develop in some interesting ways) but from what I did see the ways it handled "issues" were rather simplistic. Not in any way that's a value judgement, just that they really did seem like issues presented for a seven year old audience
Yes, MLP is made for little girls, but it was also made for families as well, according to Lauren Faust. It is however a show for little girls but because its a good show it reached to larger audiences, which the showrunners embraced, without changing the focus too much. I have seen quite a few bronies unfortunately try to argue that its not a girls show, which I attribute to the words "girls show" meaning "piece of crap" to a lot of people, a notion that MLP was created to help change.
Also, MLP does tackle issues, while perhaps not as directly as Steven Universe (I haven't seen it yet unfortunately), it does it in a way that wont upset young girls, such as disabilty, social anxiety, bullying, guilt, and they even did an allegory for a dying relative using hibernation instead. It might not be for you, and its by no means perfect but its a good show that I enjoy a lot.
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