Bronies Get the Cracked Treatment

[Comando96]

Ahhhhh....

I love the smell of Perma-bans for users hatin something I love...
Not just love, but stopped me committing suicide.

This is morality for kids.

Isn't it odd that morality for kids is a morality most of the world needs to learn?

No its not odd, its fucking obvious. So obvious that no one can see it. Thats the only odd thing.
If you say we gotta share, we gotta care, every adult will either go "yeah we really should, but seriously grow up, the world wouldn't work", or "fuck off, keep away from my oil you communist bastard"

----------------------------------------

I'll just leave with this:

 

[Averant]

Ahhhhh....

I love the smell of Perma-bans for users hatin something I love...
Not just love, but stopped me committing suicide.

This is morality for kids.

Isn't it odd that morality for kids is a morality most of the world needs to learn?

No its not odd, its fucking obvious. So obvious that no one can see it. Thats the only odd thing.
If you say we gotta share, we gotta care, every adult will either go "yeah we really should, but seriously grow up, the world wouldn't work", or "fuck off, keep away from my oil you communist bastard"

My apologies, I should have added an /sarcasm to that, because yes, it really is fucking obvious. Horribly, sadly, obvious.

 

[Berithil]

Ahhhhh....

I love the smell of Perma-bans for users hatin something I love...
Not just love, but stopped me committing suicide.

I'll just leave with this:

Yes, and then in response the one guy proceeds to say "oh, i don't know, its on the edge" when comparing MLP and terrorism

/facehoof

 

[OtherSideofSky]

I hate bronies. Not the show, not the people who like the show, the idiots who are so obsessed with shoehorning it into everything else that they had to give themselves a special name. They're exactly like the Sonic and Final Fantasy fans (who I hate just as much).

I don't begrudge them their fun, and if they just talked about the show in proper places (like dedicated threads on forums about cartoons or TV or geek culture or whatever) I would not mind or even notice them. I hate them because they keep barging in to forums and discussion boards I frequent, which are about classic literature, or giant robots, or studying foreign languages, or comic books from more than 30 years ago, or other things that have fuck all to do with ponies, and completely derail perfectly good conversations by showing up and spamming images of ponies until normal communication becomes impossible. That is the face the bronies are presenting to the outside world, so I say: "Fuck them".

Now that that's out of the way, the description in the article seems like a reasonably good fit for the reasonable, sane people I know who happen to like My Little Pony, and who I believe represent the majority of it's actual fan-base (the internet tends to skew perceptions in favor of extremely vocal crazy people). You will note that none of them feel the need to group together under a silly name.

Well in this site at least bronies keep to the MLP fan group and pony threads like this. If it's avatars that you're talking about then you'll have to deal with it. If I can tolerate an avatar that brings back memories of watching my own brother in pain, then you can tolerate something that is just there because they like the show. Think about it this way, if everyone had avatars about Obscure Anime No.234 then nobody would be complaining, mainly because most animes are for males.

OT: Thank god they didn't bash on it too much. I'd rather let the trolling be done by some random internet guy than a proffesional writer. I applaud this article, they actually did their research and they approached the manner in a way that doesnt make you sound like a 12 year old. Also guys, using insults like "ponyfags" is not gonna make us hate the show like you, we like the show and you will just have to deal with it.

I never said I had a problem with them being on this site and I don't have a problem with people using whatever avatars or reaction images they want. I am talking about significant numbers of people who go to sites completely unrelated to MLP (a forum dedicated to Chinese literature, to name one example) and attempting to deliberately and systematically take them over with posts and topics consisting solely of MLP, mostly in the form of screencaps and gifs.

Why do even the most reasonable MLP fans always assume I'm blowing something perfectly normal and acceptable out of proportion when I describe this stuff, no matter how much care I take to make it clear that this is not the case?

 

[Aidinthel]

Yes, and then in response the one guy proceeds to say "oh, i don't know, its on the edge" when comparing MLP and terrorism

He has to be joking, though, right? Right?

New page means another user group link:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/MLP-Friendship-is-Magic
I recommend that anyone who joins turn chat notifications off as the group is very active.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

I hate bronies. Not the show, not the people who like the show, the idiots who are so obsessed with shoehorning it into everything else that they had to give themselves a special name. They're exactly like the Sonic and Final Fantasy fans (who I hate just as much).

Please don't generalize. I'm a huge Sonic fan, as well as a huge Final Fantasy fan, so I kind of take offense to your comment. The term you're looking for is probably fanboy, meaning the ones that take their liking of a certain thing to the extreme and force it on other people. And I do agree that those types of people really do ruin the franchises that they support.

But seriously, generalizations upon a fandom really don't make the accuser any better than the supposed attributes of the accused.

Oh, really.
Making a generalization (not something I ever accused anyone of doing), makes me equal to those people, does it?
If I were going around to fan communities or threads dedicated to discussion of those series and complaining about how much I hate them (the fans, not the actual franchises in question), you would have a point. I'm not doing that. I'm posting an opinion in a thread that appears to be about the perception of the so called "bronies" by people outside of their community, and their description in this Cracked article in particular.

The term "fanboy" might indeed more accurately describe the people I'm talking about, but using that word carries a lot of connotations I do not care to associate myself with. I thought I made it quite clear that I was not talking about the people who simply happen to enjoy the properties in question and don't go out of their way to make nuisances of themselves because of it.

 

[Thyunda]

Ugh. Every freakin' time. Look. It's a girl's show. If you want to watch it, go ahead and watch it. I'm not going to complain. However. Those avatars. Those gifs. You don't have them because you like them, you have them because they're My Little Pony. I personally don't like my avatar. I chose it because I had nothing else to choose from. I'd change it, but it's kind of associated with my name now, and I'd rather not confuse people. But I like Armoured Core. Kind of. I enjoyed the second game. Okay, back on track.

...Ok, I have no idea who you are, and your avatar as a gundam only brings to my mind that you like giant mechas. If you changed your avatar tomorrow, I would not care one way or the other, I think there are only a few people on this site who would.

Are you special? I clearly stated in my post that I like Armoured Core, but the only reason I chose my avatar is because it's all I could drag up. And then you call it a gundam and say I like mecha. Something wrong with you, bro.

 

[Thyunda]

-snip-

I'm sorry man, but I have no idea what part of my argument you were targeting. Also, for the record, I would totally buy a Skyrim lunchbox with a matching flask.

I have nothing against people for liking a show. Personally, I think their taste is poor and that ponies don't fly, but I don't hold that against people. What I DO hold against people is the obsessive attitude associated....no....DEFINING bronies. Every essence of your online identity has become My Little Pony. This wouldn't be a problem if it was an isolated incident. But it's not. It's all of you. Apparently enjoying My Little Pony means you have to LIVE My Little Pony, and if you have something to say, it can be said using My Little Pony. Don't you like any other shows or games? Why has My Little Pony taken precedence? Why did my spellchecker refuse to accept the word 'precedence', only to correct me to 'precedence'?

 

[Thyunda]

-snip-

Not a fan of Xbox covers - purely because my console is in a cabinet and I can't see it. I'd rather have something I'd put out in the open and use frequently. Remember you're talking to the sort of guy who would deliberately embarrass his girlfriend by interrupting a social gathering with a bottle of mead and a list of which friends I'd plunder first.

I'm just like that. A Skyrim-themed flask could only be an asset.

On topic - I don't mind people talking about ponies all the time. You might notice this is not a pony thread, but a brony thread. That's the only reason I'm here. I can't really criticise the amount of pony threads, because, compared to the Skyrim threads, they don't exist, save for the 'why do you like pony' threads. That doesn't bother me. But If I'm ever referred to as 'somepony' again, I may have to kick somebody in the face.

 

[Melon Hunter]

A bunch of stuff.

A bunch of other stuff.

I just lost a massive post to my own gargantuan carelessness and have no will to type it all again, so I'll summarize:

"When was the last time you picked something up with no encouragement or endorsement?" is a really strange way to try to say "people aren't always influenced into everything they enjoy". Just throwing that out there.

I never claimed anyone likes the show to annoy anyone else. I had to say this like, three times, by the way; please respond to what the other person is saying, not what you think they're saying.

Nothing I said contradicted my actions, so calling me hypocritical is a little questionable.

Most people see themselves as cool and topical when they emulate what is cool and topical to most other people, in absolutely everything the world over. Those that don't often do it to feel cool and topical with a smaller group of people in an effort to feel superior to the larger group. Those that do neither of these things are the exception, not the rule, and shouldn't think otherwise. You do the math given the current topic.

You didn't say your opinion was "not going to change anything".

I know this will mean nothing to you,

You said that. And in that regard, you are wrong, on both accounts. If you had said your opinion wasn't going to change anything, I probably would have said "Yeah, you're prolly right; I see no evidence supporting it." Thus I encourage you to say what you mean as much as I encourage you to reply to what I say (not what you think I said), because I'm going to read what you say exactly as you said it.

My annoyance regarding the show has nothing to do with the show or anyone's enjoyment of it; it is aimed solely at the evangelists of the fanbase, with their avatars, their .gif, their memes, their smugness at those who tire of them, and, if I may be shallow, their show's god awful aesthetic that I'm way past tired of looking at.

I'm not accusing you or anyone in particular of that evangelism. I'm just saying it's long past gotten old. No one cares what you like (and I say that with no disrespect), but when what you like becomes something one is beaten over the head with at every single opportunity, it risks graduating from non-issue to relentless irritation, and while it's my problem for being annoyed in the first place, the annoyance in itself is my issue with the show.

The people who claim they like the show solely because of the show, not because of the phenomenon, are just an annoyance they've introduced since, but it's not an annoyance exclusive to fans of the show. They merely represent one of its many incarnations.

...This post still ended up pretty long.

Hang on... what? Respond to what the other person is saying, not what you think they're saying? That's what I'm trying to do, here. If you think I haven't responded properly, then perhaps you need to clarify your own opinions in future. All I'm going on is what you've posted.

As for the hypocrisy statement, you claimed I didn't and couldn't know how many people enjoyed the show for its own merits, and yet in the very post I quoted back, you said you could count those people on one hand, suggesting you had a better handle on the reasons why people watch the show. I will accept I cannot know why every last person who watches the show does so, but to call me out for that and then have that flippant remark on your own post is hypocrisy.

If your annoyance is directed at the evangelists of the fanbase, then I would counter that every moderate fan shares that opinion. I like the show, but not to the point of beating people over the head with it. I would suggest in future it is a far better option simply not to get involved. After all, while I realise your frustration at this small group of people, what good is it to jump into a thread where everyone is trying to be cordial and proclaim your hatred, where it has no real relevance to the matter at hand?

 

[Thyunda]

Ah, I see what you dislike now.. it's not the show or the fans, but the way the fans differ themselves in a sense to be 'special' in terms of what other fans haven't done. You don't like how the fans are a classified group, where Bronies is a life style and they act in character like a cosplay but in a everyday sort of play correct?

Meh, Bronies is a joke really. The fans aren't, but the way Bronies came to be is just a joke because it came from /Co/ I believe. Fusing brother (as in "Hey bro, what's up?!") and ponies, to make Bronies. People have taken it seriously, others just use it to identify the fans. Also you find the term somepony childish because that's how the character's in the show talk correct?

Mm, indeed it's staggering how far people take things... but don't let it get to you. I'm already tired of people overdoing the 'arrow in knee' joke but I don't get on them because people have a right to brag, say, do.. whatever. However, they should respect others in not overdoing it just to make a point. Like how I don't brag or push my passion onto others dealing with MLP because I know it's not suited for everyone. Some people just don't realize it, yet defend their point because they're a fan. It goes with anything someone likes really. I'm reasonable, yet people categorize and place all Christians into the same group thinking we're nut jobs who want to shun and humiliate people who differ from our religion. That's not true, but nothing can change people's minds.

First paragraph - yes, pretty much. Bronies don't like the show, they live it. That just ain't right. I'd get annoyed with any guy doing that though...like that one Trekkie who insists on talking to you in Klingon because he thinks it makes him cool. Sure, it's cool among other Trekkies, but when you're not with other Trekkies, try to adapt to society. You can fight its norms all you want, but you're the only one who'll suffer for it.
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote that people who acted as though they lived in the world they desired would be destroyed by the real world and the very evils they sought to escape.

Second - No, I don't like being called 'somepony', because, now hold onto your seat, this might shock you, I am in fact not a pony.

Third - People overdo everything. That's not up for debate. Just look at YouTube, and you have all the evidence you will ever need for every negative aspect of human nature you could ever want.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

As a fan of My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic, I'm disappointed Cracked. I expected a merciless savaging and all I got was a cherry tap.

You don't like the show. You've become the show. While I think Trekkies take it a little bit too far sometimes, and I don't get their jokes, I can understand why you'd get into a franchise as big as that. THAT, at least, is the target audience. You guys are getting off over a story about FRIENDSHIP. I'm not sure how hard I have to hit these nails for you to understand. They are happy little horses who are struggling to understand friendship. This is morality for kids. You should not be entertained by this drivel. Good God.

Well I can think of worse concepts to centre a show on than friendship. Also, I agree that the really insane fans can ruin it for fans and non-fans alike: being part of Star Trek and Transformers fan communities really lets you zone in on some Twilight Zone tripping mother fuckers.

I also disagree that its drivel. The narrative is from my perspective uncluttered and simple, true, but each of its main characters are remarkably three dimensional.

In honesty I would never have expected someone to take a concept as run into the ground or as overtly pastel as My Little Pony and made something genuinely watchable out of it. I stand here today a converted fan and reminded that with the right kind of creativity, almost anything is possible.

And as I've discovered, in many different ways with some of the best friends I've ever had, met and made long before this graced the airwaves; friendship really is magic. And that's the kind of thinking I really would like to see more of.

 

[Seydaman]

I've been meaning to go and watch the show.

Just haven't had the time

 

[Jaythulhu]

Cracked still exists? Hell, I remember back when that was a shitty comic that tried and failed to be competition to MAD magazine. They failed pretty hard, too. It was really cheap, poor quality humour. I'd thought cracked died in the mid 90s.

 

[Thyunda]

Why are "Adolescent Men" watching a program designed for little girls? Lots of people wanting to come out of the closet but are to scared by the thoughts of what family members and friends will think so they let feelings come out through the internet?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I worked it out, It's a way for pedos to oprerate.

Did you even read the thread?

Like, any of it?

Its generally polite to at least read the first post of a thread before you post

I think he's being deliberately obtuse.

 

[Dogstile]

NOTHING...I repeat...NOTHING...Can be too hard on bronies.

Even a hammer across the face isn't hard enough......

Never before has a fad pissed me off as much as My Little Pony



Now if this was a Spiderman thread..........

Because why type when this wonderful gif express my thought perfectly, LETS PARTY!

This ^^ is the reason I hate bronies.......
Can't go on ANY forum without stupid gifs and pictures plastered around like gaudy fucking wallpaper.....

PROTIP: You entered a pony thread.

I haven't seen the gifs/pics in non-pony threads in a looooong time.

While you're right on the first point, the second point? Just because you've not seen it doesn't mean its not around. It still is and it honestly does get quite annoying sometimes, so I can understand him being angry.

OT:

But yeah, cracked took a shot at bronies, they weren't dicks about it, like usual. Nothing more to say really.

 

[Thyunda]

First paragraph - yes, pretty much. Bronies don't like the show, they live it. That just ain't right. I'd get annoyed with any guy doing that though...like that one Trekkie who insists on talking to you in Klingon because he thinks it makes him cool. Sure, it's cool among other Trekkies, but when you're not with other Trekkies, try to adapt to society. You can fight its norms all you want, but you're the only one who'll suffer for it.
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote that people who acted as though they lived in the world they desired would be destroyed by the real world and the very evils they sought to escape.

Second - No, I don't like being called 'somepony', because, now hold onto your seat, this might shock you, I am in fact not a pony.

Third - People overdo everything. That's not up for debate. Just look at YouTube, and you have all the evidence you will ever need for every negative aspect of human nature you could ever want.

The problem with Youtube is that it's on the Internet. Anyone can be outside of themselves and be the worst possible being alive yet get away with it because there are no consequences. Not to mention their joy is seeing others overreact.. for who knows why *shrug*. Always makes me wonder why but meh.

Actually laughed with your statement on 'somepony'. It's an inside joke in the show, where everyone is everypony because of the characters themselves. Oddly, in the real world we don't say 'somehuman' but say 'someone' because the one means it's just one person we already have in mind when we relate. Now I am getting to deeply involved with the word.. my bad.

The problem I have when people dislike the fans for living it in a show's style (as in acting like they're part of the show) is that people tend to get to harsh on anyone even remotely related in their passion. I could just say something about liking the show and already get quoted 4x saying "Oh, you like that show? You must want to be a girl, or like little girls you pedo!" Truth be told that has happened.. but I don't let it get to me because the majority tends to go with what they are used to.

As in, you're into realism and honestly doesn't appreciate someone acting like they are a pony or inside character MLP fan. Yet, it's not always a bad thing... people in the 80's-90's acted like Jedi's because they were so much into Star Wars. I mean, the Star Wars franchise was made by a huge SciFi fan who wanted to live like he's in space. Sometimes the best imagination comes from those who go into the deep ends of their mind. Don't get me wrong, no one should bring forth a show into the real world having it consume their life style but when trying to be creative or bring forth something like an art, music.. then yeah I think it's okay to let that out. Only when it's right and not overwhelming people.

I never understood how liking childrens' cartoons makes you a paedophile. That's one of those things that never quite clicked with me. I'm sure I enjoy the same food as a serial killer. Doesn't make me a murderer by default.

Although a more fitting analogy would probably be the fact that I share many interests with my brother, but it does not make me into incest.
It's perfectly okay to act like you're in that world - so long as the people around you are also in that world. It's okay to roleplay during a Dungeons and Dragons game, however, if you start acting like your character out in the real world, then you're gonna have issues.

As a fan of My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic, I'm disappointed Cracked. I expected a merciless savaging and all I got was a cherry tap.

You don't like the show. You've become the show. While I think Trekkies take it a little bit too far sometimes, and I don't get their jokes, I can understand why you'd get into a franchise as big as that. THAT, at least, is the target audience. You guys are getting off over a story about FRIENDSHIP. I'm not sure how hard I have to hit these nails for you to understand. They are happy little horses who are struggling to understand friendship. This is morality for kids. You should not be entertained by this drivel. Good God.

Well I can think of worse concepts to centre a show on than friendship. Also, I agree that the really insane fans can ruin it for fans and non-fans alike: being part of Star Trek and Transformers fan communities really lets you zone in on some Twilight Zone tripping mother fuckers.

I also disagree that its drivel. The narrative is from my perspective uncluttered and simple, true, but each of its main characters are remarkably three dimensional.

In honesty I would never have expected someone to take a concept as run into the ground or as overtly pastel as My Little Pony and made something genuinely watchable out of it. I stand here today a converted fan and reminded that with the right kind of creativity, almost anything is possible.

And as I've discovered, in many different ways with some of the best friends I've ever had, met and made long before this graced the airwaves; friendship really is magic. And that's the kind of thinking I really would like to see more of.

Friendship is not a concept to focus a show around. It's a theme. A message. Grand Theft Auto IV had very strong family-based themes, but everybody missed them because they got sick of Roman wanting to go bowling. So, yeah, the game was about crime lords and gunfights, car chases and cop-killing, but the narrative undertones were of family bonds and revenge. No matter how much trouble Roman got into, or how annoying the fat bastard was, Niko was always there for him. That's a decent message. Halo: Reach attempted to convey a message of camaraderie, and the slow acceptance of the new Noble Six into the team - though Bungie fumbled that one, cutting Six's interactions with the team to one mission per character. It felt like a lot of Emile time had been cut out.

 

[Snoozer]

Not quite as calm as I said before but there were worse threats. I observed some (anti brony?) persons not letting go of this threat and repeatingly discussing with no end.
I really don't see your problem. If you have issues with what you think the personality of the fans was, then you have an issue with people in general. The sheer amount of bronies on the escapist should show you that those people were here before - did you rage about them before?

If you have a problem with people watching a kids show you should know better. There are enough examples of stuff made for kids that adults can enjoy as well. If its about mlp being a girls show, note that people came to like it despite being a girls show, and now just stopped caring about it.

If it's about the jumping on the bandwagon thing - it's been a year. It will calm down again but just to assume that everyone just watches it because others do (without enjoying it) is not right. Pretty much no one would have given it a try or openly admid to like it. I know a lot of people who checked it out and just didnt get it. The fanbase is just backing you up and creates a lot if good fanwork that is on it's own worth checkibg out. The amount of pure ironic bronies is absolutely low.

I'd really recommend you to check it out. Not for becoming a fan, but to shut up. People who watched it just stop being annoyed, liking it or not. There are literally no persons who watched ~3-4 episodes and still argue around like some do here.

 

[predatorpulse7]

Didn't even know bronies existed, I always assumed the MLP memes where brought on by little girls discovering the internet. Now that I know about them, this is seriously creeping me out.

How are people trying to justify GROWN MEN watching little girls shows, with freaking ponies?

Look, when I was a kid(I'm a guy BTW), I watched pretty much everything with my sis(we had one tv) and I watched what were considered girl shows, stuff like powerpuff girls and sailor moon. But guess what, I outgrew them as I started to grow up. My sis and I are nearly the same age and she found these shows fascinating far longer than I did and as we grew, I started to drift to cartoons with more violence and that were clearly intended for a audience made up mostly of boys(see transformers reruns,johnny bravo,samurai jack etc.).


I don't find it weird that some young boys can like girly cartooon shows and such(let's face it, at that age you'll watch almost anything) but if you're past a certain age and you still like this show or shows like it, you might wanna analyze yourself a bit.

We all like to watch cartoons from time to time(with our kids or alone) to remind us of happier times(our childhood) but developing a fandom for a cartoon(especially a girly one when you're a guy) at a more advanced age? GTFO.

Seriously, if a 20 year old guy started playing with barbies, what would be your first impression of him?

I doubt it would be "oh what a well adjusted human being, he is simply exploring his feminine side!"

I for one hope this is done for that ironic hipster angle - "I'm so safe in my masculinity that I can watch girly shows".