Fans of My Little Pony, Please Help!

[Mocmocman]

1) Why do you like the show?

It can make me smile. The plotlines are have never made me cringe when watching like some other shows have. The musical sections are enjoyable. Usually when a show has a musical number I am left wondering how long it will take. MLP doesn't. The characters seem to have personality and can get me to care about them.

2) How and why did you start watching?

I first heard about the show from a youtuber I'm subscribed a youtuber to called Bhallspawn (who has already been mentioned twice on this thread I think.) I decided to check out the first episode with my younger sister, and wasn't really a fan. Fast forward a bit and I see a video by (once again) Bhallspawn, this time a commentary on "The Crystal Empire". I watched a bit and decided to give the show a second chance. About a month ago I gave it that chance and fell in love. I watched it on Youtube if that is part of the question.

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

Not much, though I haven't been a brony very long, nor have I really advertized the fact too much. The closest I have come was when I told my friend he said something along the lines of "So you succumbed to the disease?" I did have one friend go on about it before I had become a brony but that's the closest any hate I have come.

 

[FireAza]

1) Why do you like the show?

Main reasons are the quality, appealing animation and the humor. The characters also have strong, well-devloped personalities, so that's good too.

2) How and why did you start watching?

I was on a forum and when the show came out, suddenly everyone was raving about it and changing their avatars to pony-related ones. I respect these people, so I thought I should see what the fuss was about. It didn't really grab me at first, but after pushing myself to watch a handful of episodes, I started to grow on me.

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

None really. I have a friend who doesn't like the show, but he doesn't really hassle me about it. Probably because he knows I can give as good as I can take Of course, in my case, I'm not a super-fan, I just like the show. I don't own any pony mech, and I don't really discuss it much.

 

[Zhadramekel]

1. Because it's entertaining & I like it. And because compared to Criminal Minds, the dark moments don't get excessively dark.

2. Originally linked to a PMV (Shame on a Pony) on another forum I frequent. I went to a friend's house to hang out & eventually I watched a bit of an episode & left, partially because it's ponies. Ironically: I went home & watched small pony clips, PMVs & eventually full blown episodes.

3. None that I know of. Namely because I'm a linebacker looking black man who will put them hands to good use, and I don't go around flaunting my pony love.

BTW, how long is your paper expected to be? Because you're definitely gonna need A LOT of information for it to work.

My report is meant to be anywhere between 8,000 and 10,000 words long. Unfortunately I don't have my plan on my laptop right now but it's planned to cover various different aspects and issues related to the fanbase.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Sure, I'll give this a shot...

1) Why do you like the show?

Let's see... good stories (for the most part, anyway), great music and fun characters.

2) How and why did you start watching?

Funny story. Initially, I was hesitant about the show... until I finally watched it.

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

None, really. I do try to ask friends to give the show a try, though...

 

[AngloDoom]

1) Why do you like the show?

I was bored with the drama of many television shows. My Little Pony is colourful, cute, and sometimes quite funny. A good episode leaves me chuckling and lifts my mood.
Also, there is a degree of enjoyment that comes out of watching a show that clearly isn't aimed at my gender - I know that five years ago I'd have died if I was caught watching shows like Powerpuff Girls - and feeling like there isn't so much of a pressure to subscribe to gender roles.

2) How and why did you start watching?

I was living with my girlfriend at the time and she had heard a lot of people were interested in it. She asked if I wouldn't mind watching it with her and after a few episodes we loved it.

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

Mostly just banter offline since my friends know I don't really care much for acting like a big manly man. I heard one person say that people who watched the shows were "paedophiles waiting to happen" and when I told him I watched the show he begrudgingly retracted the statement (and looked rather bashful).

Online it's everything from declaring me mentally ill to faking it for attention.

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If you need any more information in any greater amount of detail then don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Legion]

1) Most of the time I find it vaguely amusing in the same way that most TV is; you can just switch off and watch it so see what happens. But then, you get these moments. They don't happen every episode, sometimes not even for a few. But a moment in an episode that is just pure gold, and has me laughing my head off. The best example would be this:


For somebody who has never seen the show, I imagine it isn't very funny. But when you know that the character saying it is normally an extremely soft spoken and very shy character, it makes it a lot funnier.


2 How and why I started watching is relatively simply. I saw people going crazy for the show, then saw people going crazy at the people who like it. Just like Twilight, I decided to see for myself how bad it was. I watched the first episode, found it a little too sickly sweet for my liking, but also a lot funnier than I expected.

3 Backlash? None, because I don't really talk about it. I imagine some may assume it's embarrassment, but I don't really discuss most of the things I like with people, hell, I doubt most of the people I know are aware that I watch anime either.

 

[NearLifeExperience]

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.

I'm with you. But I resist the temptation and just ridicule the bronies in my head. Not as satisfying, but still amusing.

 

[Not Matt]

cool project

1) cool animation and good voice acting. it had a lot of colorful characters that caught my attention and it does remind me of the cartoons i watched as a kid.

2) the first episode was watched in my darkest hour. the only reason i watched it was so i could have more effective jokes to fling at my brony friend to mock. that f***ing backfired didn't it.

3) offline: my none brony friends mock me in a "buddy" way, i know it's no actually hostility in what they are saying.

online: HOLY CRAP IN BUCKET! There is A LOT of hatred out there. i have received some messages on YouTube (shocker) that was pretty f***ed up. both attacking sexuality and even a few death threats.

 

[itsthesheppy]

1) Good animation, good characters, good writing, legitimately clever dialogue.

2) Saw the show blowing up on the internet, started watching it out of curiosity, and found myself hooked.

3) None. Maybe a snide joke here and there but I've gotten little to know actual blowback. No moreso than if I watched anime or LARPed or did anything else nerdy.

 

[Xaio30]

1. At the start, mostly because the characters and the humor they provide. Pinkie Pie delivers most of this. The show is also such a good example that something colorfull does not have to be sugarcoated and insulting to my intelligence.

2. A friend at class whom I respect quite a lot had downloaded season 1 of the show and told us about it the day after in school. I got interested about such a curious show and got it from him. After watching half the season, I was hooked.

3. I've got a few questioning glances from people who wonder if I am kidding or not. When I tell them it's serious though, they usually accept it right away. Another friend of mine likes to make fun of me for liking the show, but he tells me to concider it "friendly teasing" and nothing personal.

 

[bossfight1]

1) The characters are compelling, with flaws, growth, and aren't just two-dimensional cutouts. They each have had their own awesome moments, the animation is awesome, and the songs are catchy as hell.
2) I heard about the bronies from a post on VG Cats. Eventually, in Summer 2011, I finally caved and watched the first episode with an attitude of "FINE, I'LL WATCH IT!!" Twenty minutes later I clicked on Episode 2. "Well, shit."
3) None. My parents have been cool about it, my friend gives me the occasional friendly jab over it but that's it.

 

[scorptatious]

1. It's a decently written show with great characters and nice animation, style, and aesthetic. Plus, the creators pretty much took a franchise that was pretty much aimed squarely at little girls and made it something that anyone can enjoy.

2.I first learned of the newest generation of MLP when I saw toys being given away via Happy Meals at McDonald's. At the time, I just rolled my eyes and went about my day as normal. But then, I noticed a bunch of people on here with Pony avatars. I was somewhat confused at first, but rolled with it. Then I started hearing about how good the show was, so I decided to watch the two part pilot.

At the time I thought, "This is okay. A lot better than something called "My Little Pony" has the right to be." Later, I decided to watch the next episode, then the next episode, and the next episode, and the next episode, and the next episode...

At some point, I ended up watching the entire first season over a span of a few days. And I loved nearly every minute of it.

3. Well there was this one Youtube video I saw which made fun of bronies. At the time, I simply thought that it wasn't all that serious and mentioned that I was a brony, assuming there were others like me. Let's just say, I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms. :/