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You know, there are some pastimes that really tap into what it means to be a girl.
What?
Can grown men love something that was designed for little girls?
Something like My Little Pony? Well...
We've got one question.
Is that a thing?
Are you familiar with "bronies" yet?
If not, let's get you up to speed.
Bronies are a growing number of adult men who are fans of the show
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
They're bros who like ponies: bro-nies.
- Get it? - Just because somepony is ladylike doesn't make her weak.
In fact, by using her wits, a seemingly defenseless pony can be the one who outsmarts and outshines them all.
Bronies gained visibility on the internet by posting fanart and mash-ups of MLP
on sites like YouTube and 4chan.
- And mash-ups are definitely memorable. - Ladies and gentlemen, if I say I'm an oil man,
you will agree.
I'm a family man.
I run a family business. This is my son and my partner, H.W. Plainview.
- You boys are a regular family business. - The phenomenon has since been reported on by Wired,
reblogged on Huffington Post... Bill Clinton was even asked about it recently on the NPR show
"Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me". Damn it, Clinton, why are you so cool?
That's for another show.
As far as this one goes, I need me a brony.
So what is it that you like about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?
You get six different characters and they've all got their one
main defining characteristic, but that's not the only thing they do. They actually
allow interpersonal conflict. I think just all around it's really well made
and um...
not "pandering".
Do you feel like being a brony is more about the show itself or about
the mash-ups and the message boards and the surrounding fan culture?
I think, at least for me, I know for a couple others, that it's more about the community.
They like the show, but they love the community.
It's been a place that a lot of people could go for emotional support in dark times when
they didn't feel like they can really get it elsewhere.
Obviously there have been a few reports here and there of
bronies mentioned in the media.
What kind of things have you read or watched that have made you roll your eyes?
The fact that, you know, the average...
isn't usually worth talking about. Too normal. You wanna find an extreme one way or the other
and sometimes people will just invent it.
Yeah, it's interesting that folks might be
portrayed as abnormal or something like that. I mean, like, you're a normal guy, right?
More or less.
Listening to our brony talk about fan culture and the surrounding media buzz,
it's hard to remember that this show was intended for these little people.
What are some things that you like about My Little Pony?
They're funny
and they teach you a lot of stuff about what you should do in your life and what you shouldn't.
What's an important thing about friendship that you learned?
Sometimes, if you're jealous of somebody else, they're not trying to hurt you or be mean.
That's a really good point.
So a lot of people talk about the gender politics in the show, different
characters kind of seem to be progressive in their gender politics
without really having to transgress. What do you think about that?
I dunno.
Aren't children wise in their simplicity?
What's the point of [heeing and hying?] over some guys liking a cartoon?
It's not like this is the first time a group likes something that wasn't intended for them.
So to help me think outside the meme, I talked to this lady.
When have we seen something like this before in pop culture where
a group... "glomps" on to something that wasn't intended for them?
Well, I mean, I think there are a number of cases
I'm not sure who was the audience of the Pet Rock, but there's children
and adults retaking that on the seventies and then the teletubbies
became the city's neutralizing yayyy just my little pony represent something
bigger issues mail fans i can send us a sense in which
these police speak on the air cause be saying appear weak and bonds again there
we may have failed in our desire from the attitude
inspired
somehow we can all bond together and on these
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more feminine eyes society or at what they think it was my family society
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clues fitness that is along on would be but i would say of though
from the city to some of them it seems that that might be an issue
c now there are well-versed in how many theories once practical question advice
sportsnet sister and serve hiking reasons that
f and feel bad on the conspirators buddies
maybe it doesn't matter what it's like any
dozen scientists say they're more differences within the genders than
before
afterall since wednesday i think i like that but i think that's a girly value
canada does not
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