Do bronies challenge traditional masculine values?

[Angie7F]

I dont know. I live in Japan and many men enjoy cute cartoons.
I am not sure how they would enjoy MLP though.

 

[Loop Stricken]

OP, you're right! Our perception of masculine and feminine ideals changes every few decades. I myself consider MLP the best thing that a man can enjoy.

Spoiler

When there are ton of pictures and a few videos of male fans cumming on MLP toys/doll and pictures...There's even a flash game where you can fuck raindow dash...I don't think so

Rule 34 exists for EVRYTHING. Ponies are by no means the weirdest thing for people to fantasize about.

Spare me from that rule 34 jargon. There are people who actually fancy them sexually explicitly as characters not the fact they might have a pair of tits and a hole drawn on.

+1 for show producers being able to characterise successfully, then.

Spoiler: Besides, you can't tell me you wouldn't tap that.

 

[Loop Stricken]

I dont know. I live in Japan and many men enjoy cute cartoons.
I am not sure how they would enjoy MLP though.

Well, MLP is there now, so you'll have to report back to us.

 

[kailus13]

OP, you're right! Our perception of masculine and feminine ideals changes every few decades. I myself consider MLP the best thing that a man can enjoy.

Spoiler

When there are ton of pictures and a few videos of male fans cumming on MLP toys/doll and pictures...There's even a flash game where you can fuck raindow dash...I don't think so

Rule 34 exists for EVRYTHING. Ponies are by no means the weirdest thing for people to fantasize about.

Spare me from that rule 34 jargon. There are people who actually fancy them sexually explicitly as characters not the fact they might have a pair of tits and a hole drawn on.

Before MLP there were furries, before that there was likely something else. Anything with a large enough fanbase will have people fancying them as characters.

 

[kebab4you]

Yikes, the escapist forums have become a sad place to visit judging by the topic alone(the discussion isn't helping either).

 

[Excelsior789]

From what he says in the video, I can see what he means, but right now I'd say no.

Mainly because as he points out, what is considered normal is considered natural. At the moment bronies are not considered "normal" by the general public. Hell, I'd say the average person who doesn't spend a lot of time on the net, probably doesn't even know that it exists.

Although I guess that depends on what you mean by "challenge". If you simply mean, the fact that it is so popular with many guys is a challenge in itself, then yes, I suppose it is. But I'd only really consider it worth noting if it was accepted by the majority. As long as it's the minority, it will be seen as abnormal.

I agree with the above, but I don't understand why people feel threatened by a bunch of dudes watching a show for little girls. To each their own I say.

BTW what anime is that gif from? It looks rad as hell.

 

[mad825]

Before MLP there were furries, before that there was likely something else. Anything with a large enough fanbase will have people fancying them as characters.

Eh, I suppose you're right...As a general rule; people are stupid. When they're are other people, people do stupid things although to go on to say it's curing cancer is pretentious when it's just wank material.

Bronies are challenging nothing other than forming a social group where people can have fun .I see a chav wear a pink polo shirt, that's socially challenging.

 

[generals3]

I agree with the above, but I don't understand why people feel threatened by a bunch of dudes watching a show for little girls. To each their own I say.

BTW what anime is that gif from? It looks rad as hell.

Well i can't speak for others but i think it's not as much feeling threatened as being confused. Adults being fans of a show like MLP is simply confusing to me. And the fact that we're constantly reminded of it through pics or avatars... well... some end up going on angry rants. Personally if people like it it's their right but i still think it's pwetty weird

 

[kailus13]

Before MLP there were furries, before that there was likely something else. Anything with a large enough fanbase will have people fancying them as characters.

Eh, I suppose you're right...As a general rule; people are stupid. When they're are other people, people do stupid things although to go on to say it's curing cancer is pretentious when it's just wank material.

Bronies are challenging nothing other than forming a social group where people can have fun .I see a chav wear a pink polo shirt, that's socially challenging.

I never said we were challenging anything, I was just acting as a devil's advocate to your "pony porn proves otherwise
" message. Also, who said anything about cancer?

 

[Casual Shinji]

The only thing bronies are challenging is my patience with how overly serious they're taking a cartoon about ponies.

 

[Loop Stricken]

The only thing bronies are challenging is my patience with how overly serious they're taking a cartoon about ponies.

You don't defend things you like when people rag on them?

 

[Radoh]

]Yes because male bronies are not known for being terribly masculine

Baseless Generalisations.

and it has nothing to do with how they like My Little Pony or not, it is the other factors. Factors like joining some pseudo-club on the internet

Not terribly relevant since you yourself joined The Escapist community so you could discuss video games.

discussing a cartoon with fanatical devotion on the internet

Pony chat here on the Escapist talks about pony significantly less than other topics, since we already know that we like the show, we're in the user group after all. We talk politics, video games, warhammer vs halo happens a lot, etc.

the average and stereotypical brony (ignoring their appreciation for a cartoon aimed at girls) does not conjure the image of a masculine male.

In your mind sure, but again that's hardly an objective viewpoint you are pushing as fact.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The only thing bronies are challenging is my patience with how overly serious they're taking a cartoon about ponies.

You don't defend things you like when people rag on them?

No, actually I don't. There's no real point in defending something I like against people who rag on it, unless they're outright lying about its content.

I don't mind dudes watching MLP one bit, but the constant pony exposure can work on ones nerves.

 

[Calibanbutcher]

Challenge? Nah, I don't really get people having issues with being "manly" What defines manly? Drinking beer, watching sports, brawling and other such nonsense?

I have seen the first 4 episodes, show is alright, didn't click with me, but it was okay, not sure why it exploded all over the internet (I think 4Chan had something to do with it)

Besides, we all know a man is a miserable little pile of secrets someone who can beat Devil May Cry 3 on Hell and Hell mode!

Been there done that.
Also, bonus man points are awarded for finishing God Hand and Vanquish on the hardest difficulty settings.

(I kid, real man play Slender and Amnesia without turning into sniveling piles of fear. Now THAT'S what being a MAN is all about, even when you are a woman.)

OT:
The show is alright for what it is, but it never clicked with me and I really don't believe that watching an above average cartoon show aimed at little girls counts as "challenging traditional values", but if you enjoy it, good for you.

 

[Mikeyfell]

If quality writing is considered inherently feminine, then why is it a bad thing if the definition of masculine gets changed?

Or maybe it's the bright color pallet that's the problem.
Or maybe it's because all but 1 of the main characters are women.
Or maybe it's because of the breaks into over the top musical numbers that serve no purpose.


The video it's self said the definitions of "masculine" and "feminine" are always changing, so it would be silly to deny that MLP is having an impact.

So either embrace the change or.. ya' know... don't.
Nobody ever said you have to conform to the current definition of manliness.
Just be your self for fuck's sake.

 

[GloatingSwine]

And yet somehow none of this came up when PowerPuff Girls was popular? I'm just sick to death of people dissecting the possible reasons and/or implications of people liking a particular cartoon.

When Powerpuff Girls was popular there wasn't a vocal subculture across pretty much every corner of the internet (or at least the bits of it inhabited by 18-35 year olds) that defined a significant quantity of their online persona by it.




(It was also better. /runaway)

 

[Hagi]

I'm actually going to say it's more likely they're reinforcing traditional male 'values' if anything. Albeit negative ones instead of positive ones.

The general reputation bronies have, to the average person, isn't really how they view themselves...

I'm fairly certain that if you asked Joe Average to describe bronies he'd probably use words like: "lazy", "childish", "perverted", "weird", "socially awkward" etc.

Not really words that aren't commonly associated with men anyway.

I'm sorry bronies, it's not how I personally view you, but I feel quite safe in saying that the average person regards you more like a traditional well-known man-child than he/she regards you as some sort of rare sensitive feminine soul.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

Um, what? What do you mean by "by their nature, they are not (masculine)"? Excuse me if I'm misunderstanding you, but it seems like you're implying that most male bronies are not viewed as fairly normal males before they became a brony, which is flat-out not true and is incredibly prejudiced. As I said before, male bronies typically get shunned or at least lose a lot of respect from family and / or peers once the news gets out that they like a little girl's show, primarily because it's seen as something a grown man in particular should not do. This doesn't really apply to female bronies to anywhere near the same degree, as them liking a little girl's show is viewed as far more acceptable. Hence, males liking the show defies what is seen as specifically acceptable for males to do and by definition challenges the established gender roles. Can you tell me where my argument falls apart here?

Yes because male bronies are not known for being terribly masculine - and it has nothing to do with how they like My Little Pony or not, it is the other factors. Factors like joining some pseudo-club on the internet, discussing a cartoon with fanatical devotion on the internet; the average and stereotypical brony (ignoring their appreciation for a cartoon aimed at girls) does not conjure the image of a masculine male.

That being said, a masculine male who does call himself a brony would challenge traditional masculine values as an individual. As a group bronys do not due to the average representative of said group not being particularly masculine.

Once again, that's both blatantly false and unbelievably prejudiced. You're entire argument hinges on assumptions and stereotypes, that almost every male brony was seen as weird before they became a brony. Most were not, contrary to what you believe, and only became seen as actually weird by those around them after they started watching a show about pastel-colored ponies. You have no non-assumtion-based knowledge of how the average brony was viewed beforehand, so your argument is invalid.

Captcha: "what for"

 

[ToastiestZombie]

If you took a lot of the things said in this thread and replaced bronies with girl gamers it would sound a whole lot more sexist. Just an observation.

OT: No, they're not challenging traditional masculine values. Watching a show aimed for girls instead of men, playing games instead of playing with dolls, wearing dresses instead of jeans and a t-shirt just means you personally like those things.
I hate how everything needs to have some sort of social movement behind it, no matter how trivial. You can't be a guy who likes a show, you have to be a brony fighting traditional masculine values. You can't be a girl who likes games, you have to be a feminist fighting traditional feminine values. My philosophy in life for pretty much anything is "If it doesn't hurt people, and is consensual (and you aren't being an annoying asshole) then go ahead and do what you want.