Let’s be honest for a moment, here: we love our TV shows. You have your Grey’s Anatomy addicts, your Soap Opera obsessors, your Sci-Fi fanatics—everyone has something that speaks to them. Recently, though, a show originally intended for young girls has caught the attention of the teenage crowd, creating a new breed of fan: The Brony.
“My Little Pony” as a franchise has been around since the ‘80s, but recently it was re-booted on The Hub network in the form of a brand-new animated series—“My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.” The revived series centers around the adventures of five pony friends and one baby dragon as they learn about the magic of friendship, and endeavor to defend their homeland of Equestria using the Elements of Harmony.
Sounds pretty lame, right? Most people would agree with you, and frankly, find it ridiculous that teenagers are flocking to the show in droves—often ridiculing or attacking them for their love of the show. For a show targeted at little girls, though, My Little Pony is often a complicated mass of history, morals, and continuity. Why, then, do so many people feel that teenagers shouldn’t be allowed to love it just as much as their little sisters?
As simple as My Little Pony may appear, the characters are complex, and many have vast personal histories that they are proud, ashamed, and sometimes even scared of. These past experiences shape much of each character’s personality, and are often discussed in relation to events on the program.
This depth of character results in a show that is jam-packed with strong female role models—something little girls and high school students alike could certainly stand to see more of.
The show also makes frequent references to episodes that aired weeks—sometimes entire seasons—before the current episode, and story arcs that reach across months of programming. Small scenes from the beginning of the series have sometimes turned out to be pivotal pieces in late life-changing events for the ponies. Far from simplistic and uninteresting, My Little Pony carries lines of interest for all ages.
That is where the Bronies come into play. A term that was originally adopted by teenage male fans of the show, the name “Brony” is now used by guys and girls alike (though some female fans have elected to call themselves “Pegasisters” instead.) A small but growing group, the Bronies take pride in who they are, with many turning their love for the show into original fan-made material such as fan fiction, fan art, and original characters with the generic “My Little Pony” design. Many fans even dress up as the characters for conventions and parties.
It’s not just about the pastel colored ponies—although no self respecting Brony would complain about Fluttershy’s soft yellow and cotton-candy pink color scheme (after all, it matches her sweet, bashful personality so well!) Chaotically silly characters like Pinkie Pie, who throw parties and bring cupcakes to their friends for no reason, remind us how to laugh when we’re having a bad day. Strident and driven ones, like the rambunctious Rainbow Dash, inspire us to keep at our goals when things get tough. Each character has their own distinct personality, and just as they teach each other lessons about friendship, they remind us how to live.
That’s not, however, to say that some of us don’t watch the show simply because it’s fun. It’s brightly colored, it’s happy, the songs are catchy, every bit of the show is cute and sugar-coated to the N-th degree. What’s not to love? When I need something to help me cheer up and not worry about the rest of the big, scary world for a while, this show is just the ticket.
Some might find it silly that a bunch of 18 year old kids are running around with pony-themed plushies and T-shirts and shoelaces, and that’s fine; everyone has a right to their opinion. Others, though, downright attack our growing little community. Some say that the Bronies degrade the integrity of the show, and others have claimed that older fans of “My Little Pony” are a negative influence on its younger, impressionable viewers.
Kurt Schlichter, a conservative columnist on Breitbart.com, commented on the fandom, “Hollywood, do you really need to enable the creepy immaturity of these geebos? No. It’s time to stop the insanity,” following up with even nastier accusations of the group, demeaning their masculinity and even discrediting their worth as people.
A member from thedailykos.com replied to Schlichter’s comments with an open letter, in which he stated the following:
“A story like ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’ may be a bit outside the stereotypical male demographic– I mean, it has a pink pony– but the lessons there, about the need to overcome one’s fears and to sacrifice one’s self if need be to defend your friends and country, are as vital as ever.”
After all, isn’t that the point of childrens’ television? To teach lessons and help them grow as people? Sure, “My Little Pony” might direct its lessons towards a younger audience, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t take something great away from it, too.
We aren’t harming anyone—we’re in love with a television show about the magic of friendship, for crying out loud. Just because it wasn’t made for our age group doesn’t mean we can’t love it just as much as our nieces—so take a seat, press play, and try learning about the magic of friendship with us. You might find out that there’s even something there for you.