Fans of My Little Pony, Please Help!

[NightHawk21]

How many people are doing their dissertations on this show? Seriously, this isn't the first time I've seen something like this.

What are you even studying? What's your dissertation about? It can't just be "MLP is good and I like it". You need some kind of intent, something to say.

Demand bribery for your knowledge of the fandom bronys. Don't give the man what he wants without some form of trade you have the upper hand

Also how do i get a skive degree with a dissertation about a child's show sign me up!

Maybe it's a New Media degree. Or simply broad strokes Psychology.

Also she's a her. Though she could identify as a man so it'd still work.

I agree with Amethyst. Could be a psych (probably the social sciences variant) or a media degree. Could also be an anthro degree I think.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Bronies and pegasisters, I need your help. I'm writing a dissertation/thesis on my fandom of My Little Pony and it would really, really help me out if you could respond to just a couple of questions.

Okay, I'll help. Particularly since this thread has ended up full of people being jerks, I feel like I need to help you out to counter balance the stupidity and hate you've received. Call it Karmic Payoff. You have suffered, therefore I will give you my help.

Also, as someone who did her dissertation (or equivalent) on manga, I can do nothing but approve of your choice.

1) Why do you like the show?

I enjoy the characters. The cast is fairly well-rounded and the humor appeals to all ages. The format gets a bit Aesopic at times, but that's part of the territory. And it is generally better written (in dialogue and Aesop tendencies) than the original G1 MLP that I grew up watching. See details below.

2) How and why did you start watching?

As a little girl, I loved watching the G1 MLP cartoon. I bought the DVDs when they came out. However, I hated Megan with a passion - I wanted to see ponies doing things, not some stupid human girl. And so, when Lauren Faust, who created Power Puff Girls (another show I liked) decided to reboot the old 80s cartoon, I was psyched. When that didn't pan out and we got Friendship is Magic instead, I watched it and enjoyed it. It was like the old cartoon I loved as a child had merged with Power Puff Girls, with a side of Greek Mythology (almost all of the season 1 monsters are directly out of Greek myth). It was awesome.

3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?

Very little, actually. Apart from the very general and basic internet haters that frequent this site, I can't recall that I personally have ever been called out for being a fan.

This may be because I'm A) a girl and B) a collector of My Little Ponies. I have a lot of very rare G1 ponies on a shelf in my room. I have Collectables Insurance on them. So I'm all Old School. But, rather than being like "oh, the 80s cartoon was better," I recognize that Friendship is Magic is the superior show (because it has no human characters stealing scenes from the ponies). I still love G1, but it is less watchable as an adult. FiM has that Lauren Faust charm that makes it appeal to children but still portray complex and interesting characters that adults can relate to and enjoy as well. Like Bugs Bunny.

Oh, and several of my IRL friends are also FiM fans. And pony fans in general (I know a couple of other G1 collectors, albeit with less extensive collections than I have).

 

[Redingold]

...Lauren Faust, who created Power Puff Girls...

No, no, no. This isn't the first time I've had to correct people about this, but Lauren Faust absolutely did not create the Powerpuff Girls. PPG was created by Craig McCracken in the early 90s, while he was still a student. Faust didn't begin work on TV shows until the turn of the century. She didn't have anything to do with its creation. She didn't even marry McCracken until 2004.

Anyway, I watch the show because I find it to be delightful. The characters are wonderful, the whole aesthetic of the show is pleasing and the show's pretty funny.

I found out that the show existed by its presence on these forums. So many people had pony avatars, and after seeing one particular one, I decided to give the show a try. I liked it.

As for backlash, I received mild mockery from those among my friends who hadn't watched the show, but only for a little while, because everyone I showed it to liked it. Online, I haven't received any ill will for it.

 

[Ishal]

1) Why do I like the show?

- Because in a time where NCIS and Big Bang Theory are some of the most popular shows, watching MLP just seems like the decent thing to do.

- I've always loved cartoons and they've always had a way of helping me relax and unwind. I don't smoke, drink, or break stuff to relieve stress or pick up my spirits, I watch cartoons. Like many others have said, I enjoy the sincerity. I'm beyond tired of snarky sarcasm/irony/cynicism from virtually all of my friends and in lots of TV shows. The characters are well written, a female protagonist who is a nerd/egghead who is not shunned or belittled? Thats great! It just makes me laugh, plus the gifs art and music are pretty good within the fandom.

2) How did I start watching?

- I put it off for about a year, then finally curiosity got the better of me and I discovered I liked it.

3) What hate have I received?

- Not much hate, not many people know about my brony status. I could tell my friends and family but I don't really want to. I've been through this song and dance before a few times. When I said outright I am not interested in sports, when I said watching ultimate fighting made me uncomfortable, when I started listening to heavy metal music talking about Satan etc. I know who will react negatively, who will react positively, who will make fun of me, who will nastily ridicule me, who will accept it and move on. I know all of this, I just don't feel I need to go through that again, whats the point? As for the online stuff, generally I keep it to myself and don't go polluting other threads with MLP related content so I don't get much hate.

 

[Akytalusia]

1) Why do you like the show?
it's a light in the dark.

2) How and why did you start watching?
challenged to watch the first 3 episodes. did so, and the rest is history.

3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?
other than generalized hate, none. i don't needlessly involve unrelated people in my business, and this is no exception. as long as i maintain composure, no one has anything to hate me for.

 

[MajorTomServo]

I'm somewhere between 'casual fan' and 'poser.' I don't really watch the show, I just think the ponies are cute. The few episodes I've watched were kinda 'Meh' and I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy watching a show that clearly wasn't meant for me.

The only praise/flak I've gotten came when I made my emblem in Black Ops into Pinkie. I got three friend requests and one PM that just said "faggit."

captcha: sorry Dave. My name's not Dave!

Edit, remembered an experience: I had a Rainbow Dash sticker on one of my folders once that a friend gave me. I walked past these two ghetto black kids, who both saw it. One said to the other "Check it out." "Oh! That's that thing where, like, grown-ass men like rainbow ponies." "They gay?" "No, they just like it for some reason."

 

[baconsarnie]

1) It's funny and SO FUCKING ADORABLE
2) Ponies all over the internet, hmm better see what the fuss is all about.
3) Only generalised, indirect hate. The kind i tend to ignore.

 

[Lord Garnaat]

1. Because it's good. It's fun, it's charming, it has wonderful animation. Really, what more can you ask for. Not to mention it has the greatest fandom that ever was or will be.

2. I first heard of the phenomenon on a site called "Know Your Meme", which is pretty much controlled by Bronies now. I thought it was funny at first, and then as time grew on I realized that, no matter what I did, I would eventually try it out. So why wait?

Needless to say, it was the right decision.

3. Very little, both online and off. Most people who know about it just ask the same questions you are- why and how. And when I answer them, they normally understand. I actually managed to gain a few converts over time.

 

[corneth]

1. It is one of the few series I see around that has a total lack of irony or cynicism. I think I can compare it's appeal to me most directly to my love for Bob Ross. There's something just so earnest, so loving about the way that Bob Ross talks about his "happy little trees" and how "any day's good day when you paint!" that makes me want to cry from joy. That's the appeal of MLP:FiM for me. The idea of pretty bright colored ponies in a pretty bright world using friendship, love, order, and harmony to defeat the forces of animosity, hatred, chaos, and discord out of sheer will power and the goodness of their hearts is really empowering to me.

2. A couple of friends showed it to me sometime late in season 1

3. in real life: Eh, I'm a weird dude, so people generally aren't surprised by yet another strange hobby of mine
On the internet: : LOLOLOLOL FAG U WATCH CHILDRENS SHOW FAG LOL FURRFG LOL GET HELP

 

[Little Woodsman]

Haters, please steer clear of this thread. I need the responses for university work.

Bronies and pegasisters, I need your help. I'm writing a dissertation/thesis on my fandom of My Little Pony and it would really, really help me out if you could respond to just a couple of questions.

1) Why do you like the show?
2) How and why did you start watching?
3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?

Thanks very much for helping me, I really appreciate it.

1)Why do I like the show? How much time do you have??
Ok I'll just hit the major points on this one........
Adorable characters, Epic backstory & world, overarching theme of forgiveness, sincerity,
I can watch it with my daughter, one of the few shows/stories that has ever touched on what I call 'true magic',
exploration of characters who are positive but have real flaws, humor that for me ranges from 'made me smile' to
'fell out of my chair paralyzed with laughter', not afraid to make fun of itself, some beautiful character designs,
....guess that's most of the big ones.
2)How did I start watching?
Well I was lurking on the forums here on the Escapist, when someone made a humorous thread that asked,
"Have you ever had someone walk in on you while you were....." and of course the "while you were" was
"Watching MLP". There were many people in the thread asking why it was so popular, and many replies of "the episodes
are on youtube, just watch a couple". So I watched a couple with my little girl. About 5 mins in to the first episode
I thought "So it's Sailor Moon, with Ponies? Ha ha, well I guess we can watch some Sailor Moon-with Ponies."
Then a little pink-maned pony who was too shy to even introduce herself properly stole our hearts. Then the moment
when Luna is shown looking terrified as Celestia first approaches her made the Papa Bear in me come out. Then
Celestia just forgave Luna. No conditions. No recriminations. Just "I miss you, be my sister again." That was
the moment when I knew I had become a hard-core fan. And I also asked myself, "Wait so the whole Sailor Moon thing
is resolved in the first two episodes? Where does it go from there?" And I watched the third episode. And I said
"Coooool."
3)What backlash have I gotten?
On-line--here on the Escapist occasionally someone will get someone will occasionally complain about bronies, be angry/hateful about us making pony discussion threads, etc.... However, the Mods, some cool & articulate bronies
in this community, and several cool non-bronies who don't tolerate intolerance here generally put them in their
place pretty quick.
In the real world--No-one questions you buying a Fluttershy plush if you have a little girl in tow. Even if she
tells the checkout operator "Fluttershy is Daddy's favorite too."
I do have one friend IRL who often speaks disparagingly of bronies, because he loves to jump on bandwagons, and there
is one decries bronies as being rude, obsessive, having persecution complexes etc.... I have taken to asking this
friend which of the two bronies he actually knows/interacts with behave the way he describes when he brings it up.
Sorry for being so long-winded, hope this helps.

 

[game-lover]

I'm not a big pegasister but... I'll answer as I'm rather fond of the show.

Why do you like the show?
I like the stories and the animation. The characters as well. It's just entertaining.

How and why did you start watching?
The music in the show was a big draw. I didn't have access to the show at first because I didn't have the channel. So I caught random clips where the music played. And I enjoyed it. As for why? I was curious. Everyone on the internet was talking about it and I wanted to be in the know.

What kind of backlash/hate (if any) have you received-either online or offline?
Nothing really major. My brother groans ever so loudly every time I start to watch because he seems to hate it. I don't know why. I think he's going by the reason that it's so girly. That's basically all.

 

[launchpadmcqwak]

who else is really tempted to scream unintelligent things that will get you a warning/banned?

OT: I dont like the show, i just dont get it at all.

 

[Rooster893]

1) Why do you like the show?

The characters are brilliant, and the animation is wonderful.

2) How and why did you start watching?

I started watching it thanks to the brony fanbase on Funnyjunk. I decided to give it a try, and I was instantly hooked on the pilot!

3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?

Just some minor teasing offline, nothing major.

 

[corneth]

who else is really tempted to scream unintelligent things that will get you a warning/banned?

OT: I dont like the show, i just dont get it at all.

Then it would probably serve you to read the actual posts in this thread...

 

[Mikeyfell]

Haters, please steer clear of this thread. I need the responses for university work.

Bronies and pegasisters, I need your help. I'm writing a dissertation/thesis on my fandom of My Little Pony and it would really, really help me out if you could respond to just a couple of questions.

I have a question, What's your degree going to be in?

1) Why do you like the show?

It's extremely well written. I've called it Joss Whedon-ey. The conflict mostly arises from characters clashing or being put outside their comfort zones. It's hard to describe, which is probably why nobody ever bothers to tell you why they like the show. It's not a drama, and it's not necessarily a comedy. I'd call it a character study. You're watching to see how well rounded characters react to awkward situations and yes, inevitably how the status quo is restored, but hell it's a show for kids. I cut it some slack in the depth department.

Quality voice acting and animation help.
I can't stand the musical numbers though. They don't happen that often but their pointless filler and cringe worthy. my kids show slack cutting only goes so far.

2) How and why did you start watching?

On Netflix. I started watching when the second season was half way over.
I had heard about it so much with out actually hearing anything about it, if that makes any sense. Basically everyone on the internet either hated it or loved it but no one was willing to tell me way either way, so I decided I would watch an episode or 2 to find out what all the fuss was about.
This was right after I had finished watching Avatar: The Last Airbender so I was really up on "shows for kids" at the moment.
So I watched an episode, and another and before I knew it I had watched the whole first season. After that I decided to watch something different to "cleanse my pallet" as it were. I turned on Soul Eater, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it sucked by comparison. So I went on Youtube and watched all of MLP season 2 that was available. I've been week to week ever since.

3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?

None really. I guess people who hate Bronies hate me now too, but I don't know any of them.
And the hate I've received over the internet hasn't been any different than the level of hate that is always present on the internet. I convinced a friend to watch a couple episodes but he didn't care so I dropped it.

Most of the MLP related hate I get is from people who think Apple Jack is the best pony

 

[Madkipz]

Haters, please steer clear of this thread. I need the responses for university work.

Bronies and pegasisters, I need your help. I'm writing a dissertation/thesis on my fandom of My Little Pony and it would really, really help me out if you could respond to just a couple of questions.

1) Why do you like the show?
2) How and why did you start watching?
3) What kind of backlash / hate (if any) have you received - either online or offline?

Thanks very much for helping me, I really appreciate it.

because it celebrates friendship and a lot of virtues which are almost taken for granted in everyday life yet no show for a long time have done successfully in quite awhile.

Got a link, started watching, continued watching.

No backlash.

 

[Zhadramekel]

Seriously... you're writing a dissertation on MLP?

Don't take that as hate for the show, I'd be saying the exact same thing if someone told me they were doing a dissertation on Adventure time or Futurama.

What is the title of your dissertation? What could you possibly posit about it that you'd then be able to challenge with practical research, to form some sort of conclusion?

A dissertation can't just be "This is X and I know Y and Z about it. Here's some research I did on a forum to prove it."

The title of my dissertation is 'In What Ways Does The Adult Fandom Surrounding My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic differentiate from standards set by academics and other works of media?'

And most of my academic research is on fan culture as a whole. There's a lot of it although finding the right parts is a bit tricky. I wanted to use the forum to explain why people actually like the show. If I can't justify that, then what's the point in writing about the fan base at all?

Hope that clears things up for you.

 

[Zhadramekel]

Haters, please steer clear of this thread. I need the responses for university work.

Bronies and pegasisters, I need your help. I'm writing a dissertation/thesis on my fandom of My Little Pony and it would really, really help me out if you could respond to just a couple of questions.

I have a question, What's your degree going to be in?

Thanks very much for replying to my questions. My degree is actually in Journalism but we're given pretty much free reign on the topic of dissertations, as long as it's related to media in some way. Originally I was going to cover the whole basis of culture on the internet (people who make money/earn a living through YouTube etc.) but my supervisor recommended that I narrow it down.