Bronies, GET IN HERE.

[Souplex]

The main thing you need to know, is that the show is littered with heavy implications of an implied caste system in Equestria.
All hooved animals are sentient, but only ponies are of any sort of status. (Buffalo are a Native American parallel and not liked by ponies, Zebras are treated with fear and distrust, and cows are capable of speech, but are kept in pens.)
Stallions (Men) tend to be of lower status than mares. (Women)
Earth Ponies (Normal ponies) all work in lower class fields such as farmer, baker, etc. They are the lowest caste among ponies.
Pegasi work middle class jobs such as working in weather-factories, and are on the middle of the social ladder. It seems that male pegasi are about on par with female earth ponies in social status. Essentially think of it as Female is +1 to social status, wings are +1 to social status.
Unicorns are of the highest social class outside of the god-monarchy. They are capable of using magic, and tend to live in opulent splendor.
The military seems to consist of nothing but Unicorns and Pegasi, and is entirely male.
Equestria is ruled by the god-empress "Princess" Celestia. All of the god-monarchy have horns and wings. Celestia is the goddess of the sun.

 

[Kavonde]

Let's not assume that's why he doesn't want to watch the show. People making that assumption is what gives us a bad name. Maybe he doesn't feel like it. He's only doing this for a bet after all. I'd do the same thing.

Fair point, though I'm pretty sure the creepier element of the fandom does more harm than the occasional reverse-psychology "you're not a real man if you can't watch ponies" ironist.

 

[Eddie the head]

{BIG SIGH}
I'm dating myself a bit here, but do you know what an "Archie Bunker stare" is?
Because I'm giving you one as hard as I can right now.

Yeah, seriously. Why not watch a couple episodes of the actual show? No one's going to take your Man Card. At least not until they pry it away from the countless cops, military vets, and otherwise fairly badass dudes who openly enjoy the show first.

That said: if you really are that insecure about your manliness, I'd recommend watching a few episodes of one of the various abridged series, particularly The Mentally Advanced Series [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6109C69F1D59ACD9]. The bitter sarcasm and hateful sociopathy might be enough to balance the cute pastel ponies, and you can probably still get a decent read on their personalities.

Besides, your avatar is Stephen Stills. Come on.

I'm sorry I have to say something about this. I want to make sure people know the tone that I wish to convey is mellow. I am not a good writer so that might not come across, but it's what is intended. That said here we go.

Frankly I find this to be no better then the Christian fundamentalists who say gay people are not "complete as a person." Because they're gay. It's rater insulating and huge judgment call about a bunch of people you have never meat. You're assuming a lot about someone you don't know based one one thing. That they don't like the same T.V show that you do. Someone might have reservation about watching cartoons in general that doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." Along the same lines someone might not like the art style, doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." And there is a host of other reasons someone might have no interest in the show.

To be honest you just insulted a lot of people by essentially saying if you don't like the same thing as me you are "insecure about your manliness." I hope that I misinterpreted that, or you misspoke. Because if you seriously believe that are in some way "better" then someone because they don't like a T.V show you are a sad, sad person. Again I hope that's not what you meant, but that's what came across. And what came accost is insulting.

 

[repeating integers]

The main thing you need to know, is that the show is littered with heavy implications of an implied caste system in Equestria.
All hooved animals are sentient, but only ponies are of any sort of status. (Buffalo are a Native American parallel and not liked by ponies, Zebras are treated with fear and distrust, and cows are capable of speech, but are kept in pens.)
Stallions (Men) tend to be of lower status than mares. (Women)
Earth Ponies (Normal ponies) all work in lower class fields such as farmer, baker, etc. They are the lowest caste among ponies.
Pegasi work middle class jobs such as working in weather-factories, and are on the middle of the social ladder. It seems that male pegasi are about on par with female earth ponies in social status. Essentially think of it as Female is +1 to social status, wings are +1 to social status.
Unicorns are of the highest social class outside of the god-monarchy. They are capable of using magic, and tend to live in opulent splendor.
The military seems to consist of nothing but Unicorns and Pegasi, and is entirely male.
Equestria is ruled by the god-empress "Princess" Celestia. All of the god-monarchy have horns and wings. Celestia is the goddess of the sun.

Never seen the show, but this makes me giggle (and interested). Wonder how much of that was intentional.

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

Pretty much all of the important stuff has been covered, but if you want something along the lines of an inside joke, there's something that isn't talked about much that I'm sure would make the audience have one of those "Oh, how about that?" chuckles, if that makes any sense.
Anyway.
There's three different species, right? Pegasus, Unicorn, and Earth.
Among the Mane Six, there's two of each kind.
We've more-or-less met the families of the Main Unicorns and Earth ponies, but we've not seen a single relative of either of the main Pegasi characters.
See if you can do something on that if you want, make some joke about Pegasi abandoning their young or something.

 

[Ishal]

The main thing you need to know, is that the show is littered with heavy implications of an implied caste system in Equestria.
All hooved animals are sentient, but only ponies are of any sort of status. (Buffalo are a Native American parallel and not liked by ponies, Zebras are treated with fear and distrust, and cows are capable of speech, but are kept in pens.)
Stallions (Men) tend to be of lower status than mares. (Women)
Earth Ponies (Normal ponies) all work in lower class fields such as farmer, baker, etc. They are the lowest caste among ponies.
Pegasi work middle class jobs such as working in weather-factories, and are on the middle of the social ladder. It seems that male pegasi are about on par with female earth ponies in social status. Essentially think of it as Female is +1 to social status, wings are +1 to social status.
Unicorns are of the highest social class outside of the god-monarchy. They are capable of using magic, and tend to live in opulent splendor.
The military seems to consist of nothing but Unicorns and Pegasi, and is entirely male.
Equestria is ruled by the god-empress "Princess" Celestia. All of the god-monarchy have horns and wings. Celestia is the goddess of the sun.

Never seen the show, but this makes me giggle (and interested). Wonder how much of that was intentional.

It is correct, in a sense. But I think he's reading into it a bit much in this case. Some observations similar to the ones stated above were leveled to the creator of the show (Lauren Faust), particularly the ones referring to social strata and what jobs the ponies have.

If you wonder what was intended then perhaps this may provide you with some answers.

Spoiler

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/12/24/my-little-non-homophobic-non-racist-non-smart-shaming-pony-a-rebuttal/

The earth ponies exist...erm.. on the earth, so their tasks are farmers and other things "normal" ponies can do. Pegasus ponies are taken straight from Greek mythology and one of their homes in the show, Cloudsdale has a Greek aesthetic. They are able to walk on clouds and most are tasked with manipulating the weather to basically maintain nature and the ecosystem.

Unicorns are magic users and thus use their magic to enhance their day to day lives, mostly by meditating objects. Indeed, many are seen to be living in the Royal city of Canterlot where the Sun Princess Also lives.

 

[hittite]

I notice most people aren't addressing the memes and in jokes so much.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Memes/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic
Hope that helps.

Oh, and a note about pronouns. In the show, when talking to other ponies somebody/someone and anybody/anyone are replaced with somepony and anypony respectively.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

If you need someone to kill horribly or sex shamelessly always bank on the Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash: For All Your Shipping and Gorefic Needs!

 

[Little Woodsman]

{BIG SIGH}
I'm dating myself a bit here, but do you know what an "Archie Bunker stare" is?
Because I'm giving you one as hard as I can right now.

Yeah, seriously. Why not watch a couple episodes of the actual show? No one's going to take your Man Card. At least not until they pry it away from the countless cops, military vets, and otherwise fairly badass dudes who openly enjoy the show first.

That said: if you really are that insecure about your manliness, I'd recommend watching a few episodes of one of the various abridged series, particularly The Mentally Advanced Series [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6109C69F1D59ACD9]. The bitter sarcasm and hateful sociopathy might be enough to balance the cute pastel ponies, and you can probably still get a decent read on their personalities.

Besides, your avatar is Stephen Stills. Come on.

Let's not assume that's why he doesn't want to watch the show. People making that assumption is what gives us a bad name. Maybe he doesn't feel like it. He's only doing this for a bet after all. I'd do the same thing.

If that was his intent, why not watch a couple of episodes first and *then* come here and ask what people's take on the
characters and situations was? Plus his statement "I'm not taking this seriously". If he's serious about his writing
(and he's serious enough to want his friend to resume work on their comic) he should at least be looking at this as an
exercise to improve his writing skills. (OK, I just re-read the original post, and the "not taking this seriously" statement *might* mean that he's intending a comedic slant on it, but if that's the case it's pretty badly expressed.)

 

[Little Woodsman]

{BIG SIGH}
I'm dating myself a bit here, but do you know what an "Archie Bunker stare" is?
Because I'm giving you one as hard as I can right now.

Yeah, seriously. Why not watch a couple episodes of the actual show? No one's going to take your Man Card. At least not until they pry it away from the countless cops, military vets, and otherwise fairly badass dudes who openly enjoy the show first.

That said: if you really are that insecure about your manliness, I'd recommend watching a few episodes of one of the various abridged series, particularly The Mentally Advanced Series [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6109C69F1D59ACD9]. The bitter sarcasm and hateful sociopathy might be enough to balance the cute pastel ponies, and you can probably still get a decent read on their personalities.

Besides, your avatar is Stephen Stills. Come on.

I'm sorry I have to say something about this. I want to make sure people know the tone that I wish to convey is mellow. I am not a good writer so that might not come across, but it's what is intended. That said here we go.

I can't speak for other people, but when I'm reading someone's posts I sometimes "see/hear" their avatar saying what they've written in a voice appropriate to their avatar. And in the case of your avatar(s), well......
it influences the "tone" of what we read.
That's part of why I chose that nifty picture of myself as my avatar!

Frankly I find this to be no better then the Christian fundamentalists who say gay people are not "complete as a person." Because they're gay. It's rater insulating and huge judgment call about a bunch of people you have never meat. You're assuming a lot about someone you don't know based one one thing. That they don't like the same T.V show that you do. Someone might have reservation about watching cartoons in general that doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." Along the same lines someone might not like the art style, doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." And there is a host of other reasons someone might have no interest in the show.

I can't speak for Kavonde, but my only assumption was that the OP was/is trying to find some workaround to
*actually watching some of the show* before writing a story set in the show's continuity. Which is based on
what he said in the thread's OP. And if that is the case (I'm going to ask the OP for clarification, BTW),
that's just plain *bad writing technique*.

To be honest you just insulted a lot of people by essentially saying if you don't like the same thing as me you are "insecure about your manliness." I hope that I misinterpreted that, or you misspoke. Because if you seriously believe that are in some way "better" then someone because they don't like a T.V show you are a sad, sad person. Again I hope that's not what you meant, but that's what came across. And what came accost is insulting.

Refusing to watch/read/play the original material for something you are going to be writing about actually
*would* be a *very bad* thing. No-one here is saying that everyone in the world should/must watch MLP, but
if someone has a really good reason to watch at least a little (you know, like--going to be writing a story
set in it's continuity) and they still refuse to, well then they have some issue that they need to resolve, be it perceived manliness, laziness, stubbornness or whatever.

 

[Little Woodsman]

I need your help.

I am an aspiring comic writer who lost a bet. At a hookah bar, I played my best friend in poker, he's also working on one of my comics. I bought back in the game by promising him that if I lost, I would actively seek someone who wanted me to write an MLP Fanfiction.

I lost.

He's ceased work on the comic until I write this fanfiction but here's the deal. I'm not going to be taking it seriously because what could be more boring than to present my friend a straight faced pony-fic from someone who doesn't watch the show? So I need your help.

I'm going to be writing it in an omniscient third-person from a narrator who, neatly mirroring myself, is approaching the project with a comedic, bored, dismissive affectation. Here's where I need you.

Give me a starter course on characters, setting, general plot lines and what not and maybe some ways to make pony inside jokes so it's a little funnier. I come to the escapist because I know there are a few on here and you're actually tolerable, interesting people unlike YouTube bronies or "/b/read". Help a fellow escapist out?

tl;dr: A valid excuse to tell me all about your little pony show.

Thanks in advance.

May I ask for some clarification? What I had assumed from reading your post is that you intend to try and
write a fanfiction set in the MLP:FIM continuity without actually watching any of the show. Is that in fact
the case, or did you have some different intent?

 

[Kavonde]

I'm sorry I have to say something about this. I want to make sure people know the tone that I wish to convey is mellow. I am not a good writer so that might not come across, but it's what is intended. That said here we go.

Frankly I find this to be no better then the Christian fundamentalists who say gay people are not "complete as a person." Because they're gay. It's rater insulating and huge judgment call about a bunch of people you have never meat. You're assuming a lot about someone you don't know based one one thing. That they don't like the same T.V show that you do. Someone might have reservation about watching cartoons in general that doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." Along the same lines someone might not like the art style, doesn't make them "insecure about there manliness." And there is a host of other reasons someone might have no interest in the show.

To be honest you just insulted a lot of people by essentially saying if you don't like the same thing as me you are "insecure about your manliness." I hope that I misinterpreted that, or you misspoke. Because if you seriously believe that are in some way "better" then someone because they don't like a T.V show you are a sad, sad person. Again I hope that's not what you meant, but that's what came across. And what came accost is insulting.

Whoah, nelly. Like I said in another reply above, that was kind of a satirical, ironic twist on the usual "My Little Pony is only for little girls and creepy weirdos" thing. Though, as Little Woodsman pointed out above, if this guy's story is legit, then he would be an idiot to try to write a story about something while only having the barest of second-hand understanding about it. The usual reason people give for refusing to watch the show is that it's "girly." Ergo, I constructed a strawman to which I then proceeded to present an unserious argument.

Plus, I find it funny that someone comfortable enough in their sexuality to have Stephen Stills, an openly gay character, as their forum avatar would be threatened by ponies. I leapt to conclusions in an attempt to create a dryly humorous effect. I don't actually know anything about the OP. I don't know his actual motivations for not wanting to watch the show he's supposed to be writing about. I was just pointing out a perceived absurdity.

Proceed unaccosted, o white knight.

 

[XMark]

Someone suggested watching the first 2 episodes. Actually, the first 2 episodes are pretty weak compared to the rest, though unfortunately they are required viewing to know the basic storyline setup (note: I did not use the word "plot" because it has taken an altogether different meaning in the Brony community)

Episode 4 of the first season (episode title: Applebuck Season) is the episode you want to see to get a real introduction to the main characters in their natural environment.

Season one, episodes 1, 2 and 4 are a pretty good primer for the characters, but each pony basically has two different personalities - one normal personality and one when facing some kind of major adversity. Every main character has been pushed over the edge of sanity at least once in the series.

If you wish to use Fluttershy as a primary character in this fanfic, then Episode 8 (Dragonshy) is required viewing. Basically: there are two sides to her personality - she's normally shy and passive, but when pushed to the edge she transforms into a total badass.

If you wish to use Pinkie Pie as a primary character then you need to see Episode 25 (Party of One). There's a dark side to Pinkie's personality which gets pretty damn dark and needs to be seen to be believed.

Rarity shows more depth to her personality than is initially let on, and this is demonstrated best in Episode 19 (a Dog and Pony show). Her explanation of the difference between whining and complaining is one of the funniest and most memorable scenes in the entire show.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack are close friends, but also really competitive against each other, which is most evident in Episode 13 (fall weather friends)

So the last thing is Twilight Sparkle. Just see Season 2 episode 3 (Lesson Zero). She manages to get even creepier than Pinkie Pie did in Party of One.

EDIT: it just occurred to me that I may be a teeny bit too obsessed with this show.

 

[Dangit2019]

EDIT: it just occurred to me that I may be a teeny bit too obsessed with this show.

Ah, you just realized how creepily obsessed you are. This is a moment that every brony can relate to, myself included.

 

[DarklordKyo]

If you decide to have monetary transactions in your fic, Equestrianti currency are called bits (essentially gold coins).

 

[XMark]

If you decide to have monetary transactions in your fic, Equestrianti currency are called bits (essentially gold coins).

Also, the Super Cider Squeezy 6000 episode from season 2 is great primer on the economics of Equestria.

.
.
.

Oh god, someone help me!

 

[Eddie the head]

Snip

Straw man. I don't wish to be rude, but everything you argued against is nothing that I said. I don't care that you need to know something about the source material to have it be good writing. That's true as far as I'm considered. I care that there was an implantation of superiority over something arbitrary. Was there? It looked like it to me, and even then I was giving the guy the benefit of the doubt by essentially saying if "I'm wrong just say that's not what you meant."

snip

Straw man as well, and I guess I was wrong you meant it as a joke ok. But that doesn't excuse that tone. If you don't mean it in the way it was conveyed to me say so, but I find it hard to believe at this point. I have tried to be as reasonable as possible. I think my willingness to just say ok that's not what you meant showed that. Am I wrong about that? I am willing to say that my impression of what you said was wrong, based solely on your word. That seams reasonable to me.

And with that I am attached and insulted? I get a "Whoah, nelly" and get called a "white knight?" I am not a self pitying person, but I don't think I deserved to be insulted for saying what you said came across as insulting to a lot of people. It's not what you meant so I'm not going to hold it against you. But you are not giving me a good reason not to. And I want to reiterate I mean this in the most sincere and respectful way possible.

 

[Kavonde]

snip

Straw man as well, and I guess I was wrong you meant it as a joke ok. But that doesn't excuse that tone. If you don't mean it in the way it was conveyed to me say so, but I find it hard to believe at this point. I have tried to be as reasonable as possible. I think my willingness to just say ok that's not what you meant showed that. Am I wrong about that? I am willing to say that my impression of what you said was wrong, based solely on your word. That seams reasonable to me.

And with that I am attached and insulted? I get a "Whoah, nelly" and get called a "white knight?" I am not a self pitying person, but I don't think I deserved to be insulted for saying what you said came across as insulting to a lot of people. It's not what you meant so I'm not going to hold it against you. But you are not giving me a good reason not to. And I want to reiterate I mean this in the most sincere and respectful way possible.

... Yes, I was being a snarky jerk. You read my tone correctly. I believed you were being over-sensitive about perceived insults. I attempted to express this through word choice and sentence structure intended to communicate a degree of sarcastic world-weariness.

I do apologize for the "white knight" thing, though; I had my definitions mixed up, and there were, in fact, no damsels in harm's way. Additionally, "whoah, nelly" was intended as more of an Applejack mannerism--a character trait I assumed we would both be familiar with--than as any serious comparison of you to a rambunctious horse.

Now, then. Anything else need clarification?

 

[Little Woodsman]

Snip

Straw man. I don't wish to be rude, but everything you argued against is nothing that I said. I don't care that you need to know something about the source material to have it be good writing. That's true as far as I'm considered. I care that there was an implantation of superiority over something arbitrary. Was there? It looked like it to me, and even then I was giving the guy the benefit of the doubt by essentially saying if "I'm wrong just say that's not what you meant."

snip

Go back and re-read what I posted please.
I was saying that what you assumed Kavonde & I were saying was incorrect, and reiterated what I intended to express.
In any case, I'm done. My previous exchange with you in a pony thread had led me to belive that you were someone we
could have productive discourse with. I have now come to believe that this is not the case.
"I have only one thing to say to you." (A reference from Dr. Who, not MLP BTW)
Love & tolerance.