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internet ...... worldwide computer network to swap data
viral ...... online diffusion of data
meme (internet phenomena) ...... icon by successful viral marketing
Fandom ...... the entirety community
My little Pony ...... was a toy / TV show for little girls
Brony ...... a male fan of the series
„My little Pony" or in german „Mein kleines Pony" is a toy which was developed by the producer Hasbro, also known from Transformers, in 1983.
On the 11.08.2012 a international „My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" Fan-Convention takes place in Stuttgart.
The BronyCon was one of the first Fan-Conventions, it takes place in New York and had over 4000 participants. Also the visitors from the GalaCon in Stuttgart celebrated the 500 international Fans.
The little ponies were mostly collectable figures, they are distinguishable by means of a little symbol on there body which simultaneously reflects their name or their skills.
The basic target group are young girls, but in 2010, with the introduction of the 4 generation should it change abruptly.
Young men and Adults interested in the TV show, but why?
Well, I find it verry funny because actually it`s a series for lillte girls.
Of course we watch the series too and we find it ok if adults watch the series.
To understand it you have to discern the facts:
Bonnie Zacherle has developed the idea for the ponies in 1981 and patented them in 1982.
Generation 1 „Dream Valley" (1982-92) brought the most well known figures on the market.
To the already existing ponies came Pegasus, Unicorn, Flutter, Sea and Big Brother ponies.
Already in this short time, several series an a short movie, with Deni DeVito as a speaker, were published.
The first pilot episode of „My little Pony" was some kind of He-Man surrogate for females.
Dragons, monster and friends which need help. All this things in a series for young girls.
Already in the first generation of the series it was all about help other people and have fun, such as you know it form other cartoons.
The 2nd generation „Friendship Gardens" (1977) had not the same success like generation 1 and so they make no series to this generation.
The 3rd generation „Ponyville" (2003-09) enticed with special DVD`s.
The TeaParty image from this generation made „My little Pony" for the audience more interesting, but just the fewest Bronys liked the look.
Also Hasbro knows from the Brony community, but their interest is still at their actual audience.
Little girls, like my sister. She is 7.
Because of that the Bronys make their own merchandise. Although Hasbro don`t like it.
But why are young and adult men adore a series that has been designed for young girls?
It is important to separate generation 1-3 an generation 4. The Style and the humor have changed drastically and this is not the reason for this Fandom!
Generation 4 „Equestria". The drawing style is modern and reminiscent of the Power Puff Girls and also Dexters Labor.
Not surprising because Lauren Faust and her husband Craig McCracken created both series.
With „My little Pony", Lauren Faust created a huge Fandom besides the originally audience.
Lauren Faust is a native american with a german-polish descent. She is the main drawer for 4th Generation of „My little Pony".
She is fascinated by this Fandom and interact with them. Also the opinions of the community find the way into new productions.
For example there was a episode where they quote „Mit des Pudel Kern" of the novel Faust.
And this is astonishing, because little kids don`t know Faust.
A small tribute to the movie "The Big Lebowski", allusions of well know actors (e.g. StarTrek)
and also there are some allusions of Disney. The series offers more than you expect at the beginning.
Have fun is a term that I heard very often during the investigation. It seems that „fun" is the key to fascination of the 4th generation of „My little Pony".
I show my friend a episode of my little pony
and he laughed tears too.
He is no Brony but he also likes the series.
There was a big program at the GalaCon: Merchandise, karaoke, games which were produced by the fans and the original dubber.
One of the games was „Legends of Equastria", at the GalaCon you could play it for the first time.
My sister was the first person who played a level.
It was a computer game race and I was the first person who won it.
And I got this medal just for winning this computer game race.
But at the moment the game is not finnished.
And now I got this medal and some ponies.
Do you like it that adults disguise themselves?
It`s cool!
The swedish Spitfire, dubbed by Anneli Heed and the german voice of Twillight Sparkle (Julia Meynen) were the honored guests of the GalaCon.
They answered the questions of the fans.
Anneli Heed is particularly more popular, because she is some kind of internet phenomenon.
Because of the intonation of a scene in the series she is a meme.
But also Julia Meynen is a famous people.
Although the most Bronys prefer the original dubbing Julia has a lot of fans,
because of her own interpretation of a song and the direct contact to the fans.
The modern drawing style makes it also interesting for another audience and the humor plus the allusions help the series too.
This is the reason why they have such a big Fandom.
Mainly it is all about the humor. Fans say that it is very entertaining, soothing and they can forget the stress.
The 4th generation even take some people out of depression. „My little Pony" is very soothing and this is the reason why the political „Piraten" party in berlin have the „Pony time out".
The „Piratenpartei" is popular for their absolutely positive opinion about the internet an his phenomena.
For that reason they have a „Pony time out" in case that they quarrel. Every member of the party can say that he want a „Pony time out".
The series actually did it in the business regulation. §9.14 „Request of Ponytime".
The publicity is allowed to know about this request, but if it help the „Piraten" to get a better image, is another question.
The series mediated as many other animated series a moral, „Friendship is Magic".
The slogan of the Bronys is „Love and Tolerance".
When foreigners see the Fandom, the reaction is always the same: „Unworldly, sick or obscure."
I talk about one rule in the internet!
To understand this you have to know that this whole fandom starts at the ImageBoard of 4Chan, like other internet phenomena.
Based on a american TV contribution the users heard about „My little Pony".
4Chan is a kind of boiling point of free expression on the internet, despite that there are some rules on this website.
At the first moment a lot of pony images were posted on the website. People wanted to provoke, but then after a while people liked the ponies and watched the series.
There was a negative Fandom and the first reaction of 4Chan was to eliminate the Bronys.
The problem was that you couldn't differentiate which person was a fan and which person was a troublemaker.
Meanwhile the Bronys have their owen column on 4chan.
The Fandom is huge.
There are videos, music, flash animations, comics drawn by fans, a own argot, and some websites. Also their is a radio broadcast with the name Equestria Inquirer.
The word Brony is composed of the english argot word for brother (bro) and the word pony. Meanwhile the Bronys have their own vocabulary.
Everybody and Everyone is called EveryPony.
Also their is the BroFist which is called BroHoof.
There are several unwritten rules in the internet, one of them is called rule 34.
Rule 34. Many people and also Bronys don't like this rules.
Beforehand, the unwritten rule 34 says:
„If it exists there IS *** of it!"
At this point I have to say that you have to mention this rule in every report ore you just let it be.
Before I set insubstantial conjectures I checked this situation with other cartoons, like Spongebob.
In no other community, the parties split as strong as in the Brony scene.
There are rules which define you as a Brony or not.
Some fans boast about their „test results", the others are taciturn.
But rule 34 is only the tip of the iceberg. The rules of the internet needs a own report, because these rules shouldn't be linked with the Bronys.
You should know about the dangers in the internet and also save your kids. Although its just a series for kids. Rule 34 is everywhere!
I do not like categorizations of a group but a Brony gave me, during my research, this „rule 34 list".
(You can read the translation of this list in the description!)
„Cloppen" is a term of the Fandom and means to ***. The term „cloppen" came from the noise when you fap.
Basically you can expand the list on all people. So why Bronys? Because they are different and everything which is different is also bad. You know this from a lot of examples.
Why are there so many negative impressions about this Fandom? Fact is, that if other Fandoms have the same artist as the Bronys, they would also attract attention.
Therefore you can say, that this part of the community also belongs to the Fandom but in other communities you will find this things too.
People don't like it when you say something about „Clopper" or rule 34, but in fact this two things belong to the Fandom.
The preferences of people are very different and finally you shouldn't condemn a group of people because the like something absurdity. The message is the important thing.
This Fandom is not only for adults who watching a series for kids, its a internet phenomena.
And also the media knows form the Fandom.
American Broadcaster report about the Bronys not very good.
Just a few stations make a good research.
The American "My Little Pony" documentation team was already in different cities and countries, like the Netherlands, Germany, America, England and even Israel.
The costs for the project should be covered by KICKSTARTER. Some kind of CrowdFunding. 60.000$ were settled to produce this project.
The earned much more money as they settled.
Finnaly they got $322,022
John the lancy said that all the money will be invested in the project.
So the Community get a second film.
The production team is composed of:
Tara Strong (the american voice for Twilight Sparkle),
Lauren Faust (producer of the 4th generation of
John de Lancie (also known from StarTrek. He is also the dubber of Antagonisten Discord).
Michael Brockhoff is the producer of the documentary and with the director Laurent Malaquais, I had an interview on the GalaCon
The Bronys have the slogan
It is not all about speaking ponies or the fact that its actually a series for young kids. It is even not about the fact, that adults love the ponies.
It is all about the internet and how it connects people.
They quarrel and become reconciled...
They are in danger and help each other ...
The series has a commom theme and a moral. And the internet disseminate this moral.
With the help of the Bronys there is a large focus on the series. Feminists complain, politicians complain, many complain.
But finally it is still a series for kids.
Wtih the help of the drawing style and the humor of Lauren Faust, also adults like the series.
You can use some things from the series also in the real life.
People like the series because it is funny, it has a great animation style and there are great characters too.
A internet phenomena has been founded. A Fandom you see for the first time.
During the GalaCon they earned $10.000 and donate the sum to a orphanage in Uganda.
It`s evening and the Bronys still celebrate, because „Friendship is Magic
Do you know what a Clopper is?
YES!
There is an rulled called rule 34
Did you already clopped?
No.
Of course. We clopp all the time!
What is cloppen?
Do you know someone who clopp?