Wait Wait don't tell me apologizes to Bronies, mocks itself

[Sneaky Paladin]

Last week there was a thread stating that the NPR radio show (also available as a podcast) made several jokes about "Bronies", going so far as to warp a quote from the creator (who doesn't mind Bronies at all) into saying that she finds them creepy.

I don't watch it, and remain only vaguely aware of the show, but I'm sick of hearing about bronies already.

It's not that I find them creepy. And it's not that I think people are evil for making fun of them. It's that, as far as humor goes, this stuff is low-hanging fruit and it's not being done well.

It's a case of someone simply saying, "Ha! You watch a show! It's funny that you watch it!" Okay. Why? No explanation is given. Just, "Ha! You watch it! It's funny that you do!"

Now, if these guys were uniformly behaving in some strange way... or if they all wore giant glowing antennae to show their support or something... then there'd be something to make fun of, I guess. As it is? "They like a cartoon that's meant for little girls."

And this is on whose authority? Yeah, the original toys were sold featuring little girls in the commercial. Yeah, the majority of the characters are female. But the show is just a show, as far as I'm aware.

I mean, which is it that bothers people more? The fact that it's grown men liking something meant for kids, or liking something meant for females? Does it require the combination of the two to magically become funny?

If a grown man comes home from work, after putting in a good day's work, returning to a home where he pays all his bills on time, helps his neighbors when they need, obeys all traffic laws on his way to and fro... but he plays with action figures in a wholly unironic way, we have this natural inclination to say, "Ew. Weirdo."

But why? Simply put--the more imagination something requests of us, the more we (as adults) write it off as "for children." And I think we're all the worse for that sad fact.

Thank you sir, now I don't have to state my opinion because someone ALREADY said it. No really thanks, I didn't want to risk getting involved in this flame war.

I just don't get it.

I mean... is it a show for little girls or is it not? Why do Ponyologists get so defensive about the show? They clearly don't like it in an 'ironic' way like stoned students enjoy Tellytubbies.

What am I missing here that other people see in this show?

And to this, I'm pretty sure on the marathon stream the group was doing atleast 2 people were high. Just pointing that out.

 

[KafkaOffTheBeach]

Oh God this thread is far too fucking funny...really.
It is a GODDAMN ANIMATED TV show, first and foremost, not a counterculture sub-revolutionary movement determined, determined, I say, to create equal rights for persecuted closet pony lovers.

Although that came out slightly wrong.

Secondly - the show is clearly aimed at and marketed towards little girls, so if you, say, watch it, like it, and aren't a little girl, then you should be able to have a fucking laugh at your own expense, just to point out the relative irony of being, say, eighteen plus and gleefully reveling in the simple, well animated tales of multicoloured ponies. This isn't about gender rules or homosexuality or persecution - this is about people who simply cannot take the time out to laugh at themselves once in a while.

 

[jpblade666]

The real question needs to be asked here, what bronies listen to NPR willingly????

I like MLP, I wouldn't call myself a bronie, I like the show but I don't obsess over it. Same with anime, I (sometimes) watch it but I don't obsess over it, video games also, and comic books, I even watch wrestling but I don't obsess over it. But that has nothing to do with my argument, that is just a little bit about myself hahaha.

My comment on the whole thing is this: If you're going to obsess over something, don't get offended when someone makes fun of you for it, life isn't fair, suck it up. If you are obsessed with anything to the point of labeling yourself a special name, you have to expect some ribbing, and if it pisses you off then you either aren't a real fan, or you need to man up, take it on the chin, and continue what you love to do despite what people say.

People need to stop being offended at the small things, you should get offended when someone follows you down 3 blocks calling you "white cracker trash." You shouldn't get offended when someone makes fun of a group of people who, in their own group, realize how odd they all are to begin with.

 

[Jimbo1212]

I'm pretty sure the freedom of the press doesn't allow for attacks against groups of people with blatantly false information.


Anyway, I haven't seen many complaints from bronies on the subject of ridicule. In fact I think there's a project out there to apologize to some radioshow for some members spamming the inbox after a the radioshow slandered the bronies.

The worst I've heard from the community is "It's to be expected from fox, but NPR, I am disappoint."

I really, truly, have not heard any bronies show any more offense than that, so I don't know what some of you are talking about.

It's nice that they gave an apology. Sure they didn't have to, but I don't think it was them cracking under pressure from angry letters. I'm almost positive they just wanted to be nice after researching the subject a little more (by which I mean browsing pony videos on youtube for like 5 minutes).

It is called stereotyping. Everyone does it and people only take offence when there is truth in it and it suggests negative connotations.

 

[100tacks]

I think this pony thing is, to quote Mitch Hedberg, "the cutest infestation ever." I'm not completely on board with it, but it's hard to be mad at that which is the essence of glitter and sunshine.

 

[SirFuzzi]

So can we tell me the difference between calling black people 'niggers' and calling bronies 'losers'?

Because one seems to be approved of online since words can't hurt you and sensitive people should fuck off because comedy always has victims, but the other is unacceptable because 'BAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW'.

I'll wait.

First off, with that, I don't even know where to start. Probably because one's an opinion about a group with an opinion about a cartoon, and the other is poking embers on a racist movement that culminated in the enslavement of an entire colored people which led to a plethora of political controversies and, to this day, still sees many violent outbursts and public ramifications, not to mention social pressures that are constantly forced and over which its victims have no control. The sheer magnitude of racism, which is sadly still existent-- if not with nearly as much gravity as it used to have-- can not, should not and unless society does something really nutty, will not ever compare to love over a show, which you can choose to reveal or not, choose to maintain or not and certainly choose to take to whatever degree you want. A black person who is discriminated against does not have any of those options so readily available and will potentially suffer a lot worse than a few opinions and slanders thrown their way on the internet. The gall of comparing hate for bronies to outright racism is unfathomable, and I cannot possibly see where you'd pull that they're comparable. There are violent, extremely violent and wide-spreading racist crimes but I have yet to hear of anything other than a few soured words aimed at bronies. The difference in principle might not be that much (prejudice and discrimination), but the difference in volume is vast enough to warrant differentiating.

tl;dr on that one: racism is a concept that has very real and sometimes dire consequences over which its victims have little control if any, and calling bronies losers is an opinion about an opinion. Racism exists very predominantly in the real world with, again, little control from the victim while bronies are completely able to decide whether or not they tell anyone of their love for MLP and to what degrees they tell them or how.

As for the other issue-- offended bronies-- I'd written a huge lecture but decided that the show's response might not have been entirely from brony outcry and therefore, a lecture would be a bit misguided. Nonetheless, thicken your skin, bronies. Weeaboos, MMOGamers, programmers, furries-- all predominant 'internet cliques' that don't seem to care much about what others have to say about them. What's more, they all pretty much suffer the same insults-- MMOGamers especially get railed on for being basement-dwelling parent-moochers and they really don't seem to care so much. If someone makes fun of you, deal with it. You'll live, and like everyone else if the pressure builds too much you have the option to change.

 

[Innegativeion]

It is called stereotyping. Everyone does it and people only take offence when there is truth in it and it suggests negative connotations.

Wait, did you quote the right guy?

I don't quite understand what your trying to tell me, in regards to my post you quoted.

 

[Forgetitnow344]

Honestly, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic taught me what it means to have a guilty pleasure. That being said, it's a fucking cartoon and I really don't care enough about it to tell people I watch it. If they found out, yeah, I guess I'd have to own up to it. I like a show aimed at little girls designed to sell them toys. Haters gonna hate.

But it's a fucking TV show, not the color of my skin or a fundamental pillar of my personality. I don't feel like I'm repressing myself by not telling everyone I watch the damn thing. I enjoy it, and I leave it at that. The fact people have come together to form a legit community is some sort of insane ironic movement. It isn't THAT good. It's fun, funny, heartwarming, and the characters are really likable. But seriously, it's 26 episodes of syrupy goodness. That's like if eating cherry popsicles was considered something only little girls did, and a group of people banded together to support each other in their love for a sugary dessert on a stick.

Pick your goddamn battles, and learn to accept it if someone makes fun of you for something you like. Snap back and mock their shoes if you're so insecure.

 

[Kuhkren]

I like to eat rusks, a soft biscuit designed to wean babies on to solid food.

Another one like me!

When I get funny looks at the supermarket check-out I just say I left the baby in the car...that doesn't seem to help.

If Bronies get to start a cub I say we do too...the Ruskies, no that's taken....

I just pretend I'm a young father.

It doesn't work either.

Spoiler: But damn, I fucking <3 rusks.

It says "All ages"! That includes late twenties damn it!

I will have to try these magical things called Rusks .

On topic, I think what got those people upset about the NPR broadcast was their lack of information gathering. Something to remember when stuff like this happens, the ones that get all the attention are the ones retorting negatively. It's a pretty large community and a few of them couldn't take a good ribbing and responded poorly. Generalizing a group based on that doesn't seem like the most logical thing to do either.

Edit: Or there could just be a lot of drama whores in the community. I'm not sure :/ .

 

[Blank Kold]

tl;dr on that one: racism is a concept that has very real and sometimes dire consequences over which its victims have little control if any, and calling bronies losers is an opinion about an opinion. Racism exists very predominantly in the real world with, again, little control from the victim while bronies are completely able to decide whether or not they tell anyone of their love for MLP and to what degrees they tell them or how.

Fallacious. Racism is purely opinion, which is not to say that it doesn't exist, but rather to say that hating a certain racial/cultural group is a matter of opinion.

Bronies are a group, no? So logically, bronie hatred, like racism, is based upon hatred for a certain group defined by culture/beliefs.

Victim mentality is largely irrelevant when it comes to differentiating between racism and bronie hating. The control the victim has is always the same; the degree of animosity is the only thing that dictates the outcome.


But otherwise, Bronies, maybe if you didn't act like such cunts whenever insulted, you wouldn't be characterized as such.

 

[SirFuzzi]

Fallacious. Racism is purely opinion, which is not to say that it doesn't exist, but rather to say that hating a certain racial/cultural group is a matter of opinion.

Bronies are a group, no? So logically, bronie hatred, like racism, is based upon hatred for a certain group defined by culture/beliefs.

Victim mentality is largely irrelevant when it comes to differentiating between racism and bronie hating. The control the victim has is always the same; the degree of animosity is the only thing that dictates the outcome.


But otherwise, Bronies, maybe if you didn't act like such cunts whenever insulted, you wouldn't be characterized as such.

Not the point. In fact, I pointed out that, in principle, they're the same. I pointed that out, and you can read it for yourself. What I said was that the volume of the hatred was different.

And it is. The control a person has over their race is most certainly NOT the same as that which a brony has over advertising their like of MLP. Saying that they have control that's even close to "the same" is not only extremely audacious but very, very false.

Once more, the principle of the matter was not the focal point of my stance. The point of my stance was that the two hatreds entail far different meanings, and their respective victims are in far different positions.

 

[Sean Steele]

I still believe bronieism is a large scale joke. Like the most massive in joke ever.

 

[NezumiiroKitsune]

I didn't hear it, but from the comments I've decided to assume this is an over-reaction to some, non-hostile, born of mild incredulation, banter. I get quite a bit of mock hostility from my friends and a lot of "Why the hell?", but I just quote the show, tell them how great they are to really drive home the point, and then get on with life.

Unless unfair associations or allusions to the deficiency of my moral and ethical integrity are being made on the basis that I watch this show, I'm okay. Say what you want, just don't make a fondness for an unconventional show (based on who I am) into anything more than that.

Basically, the same qualifications for gaming banter. As a gamer, I'm fine with the whole "So you've never been outside before then?" and similar exchanges. But the moment someone suggests my being a gamer makes me less repulsed and angered by the idea of the abhorrent crime of rape (as, as many will remember, has been done), I'm no longer going to be nice about it.

Anyway, I strayed off topic. It sounds rather benign. So, ssssstop complaining.

 

[Blank Kold]

Not the point. In fact, I pointed out that, in principle, they're the same. I pointed that out, and you can read it for yourself. What I said was that the volume of the hatred was different.

And it is. The control a person has over their race is most certainly NOT the same as that which a brony has over advertising their like of MLP. Saying that they have control that's even close to "the same" is not only extremely audacious but very, very false.

Once more, the principle of the matter was not the focal point of my stance. The point of my stance was that the two hatreds entail far different meanings, and their respective victims are in far different positions.

Fair. I did say that the degree of the hatred was that which determined the positions of the respective victims.

As a hypothetical example, someone who hated gays could tie something like watching a show for prepubescent girls as gay and go beat the shit out of bronies. And someone who thought jews were stingy could just think jews were stingy. Granted, that argument is kind of shitty but I wasn't saying they were the same, I was showing that logically, the two were similar.

Did everyone have like a major brain fart before coming into this thread?

The race you are born isn't a matter of opinion. He didn't say anything about the racists opinion or lack of etc.

If you think MLP is a good show, then that is your opinion. And what does it matter if someone mocks them for that? They're not rounding them up and putting them in pens or anything.

If you are born Black.... Then that's not a fucking opinion. You're born black.

Bronies choose to identify as such. [Inset race here] does not have a choice.

But it's a lot deeper than that anyway.

If racism ended at, 'Lol you're Mexican' or 'Ha, you're Japanese' then it wouldn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. But Racism really doesn't end there. And there is a lot of violence in the world because people are intolerant of each others skin colour.

As far as I know, no one has been mentally and physically berated for liking MLP. It ends at harsh ribbing.

So someone comparing the two is pretty freaking ridiculous really.

Had you actually read my post and had the comprehension skills necessary to see that nothing in your response relates to anything that I actually said you might feel differently.

Both bronies and black are groups, choice is irrelevant.

Degrees of hatred have nothing to do with the victim, but rather the mentality of the haters.

And it's to be assumed that you know the motivations behind every battery that occurs on the face of the Earth?

Both racism and bronie hating are hatred targeted towards a specific group. They are fundamentally similar.