For my first
blog ever, I thought I’d start out by getting something off my chest; I am a
brony. The show is well written and animated, the characters aren’t cardboard
cutouts, and the best part is the community. As a child the only experience I
had with My Little Pony was a movie that I only vaguely remember. All I can
remember is a pair of hillbilly-looking girls unleashing a big black ooze-monster on
the forest.
Enter Lauren
Faust, one of the creative minds behind Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary
Friends, the latter of which I adored immensely. Faust was given a project by
the newly created HUB network; make a My Little Pony show. From what I could
gather some guy used the pilot of the new series as an example in an alarmist-sounding essay. However the men
who watched his example became entranced by the show, and soon the show spread
like wildfire from 4Chan to the other domains of the internet, via frequent
visitors to 4Chan discussing the show on other sites. Youtube was quick to fall, and soon any site with comments or forums became populated with bronies. With the hype train
getting My Little Pony themed wallpaper I initially thought the IC (Internet
Community) was starting to lose what little sense remained, seeing as the first
sightings of bronies originated from 4Chan. YouTube is the frontline between
Bronies and Haters, the Bronies simply hoping to make YouTube a convenient
source for their brethren to access episodes, Haters trying to stamp out their
fun. Lauren Faust, creator of the show, has embraced the “Herd”, making various
references to the fanbase in the show, such as more frequent appearances of the
fan-dubbed Derpy Hooves, a Pegasus with crossed eyes.
My first
true sighting of a brony was the writer of VG Cats recommending the show. At
the time I shrugged it off, mostly due to my knowledge of My Little Pony being
complete and utter shit in the past years. Eventually, however, my Mental
Council had a heated debate over watching just one episode just for a taste.
Eventually I said, “Fuck it,” and watched the first episode. I made the
occasional cynical comment over the course of the episode but when it ended I
absent-mindedly clicked the next episode. When I was finished, I went two whole
weeks before eventually continuing watching the entire first season. After six
episodes, I came to terms with myself; I had joined the herd. My best friend
still stands his ground against watching just one episode, but he’ll break soon
enough; it’s just a matter of when his curiosity will win out. That's how it gets everypony-- SON OF A BITCH.
The
characters are more complex than past generations demonstrated, having
character arcs, flaws, and appealing dialogue. The world of Equestria (Which at
the time I had no idea was a horse-pun so I let it slide, if I knew it was I
would’ve stopped the episode right there) is a complex place with an
interesting past. The “cutie mark” is a cool idea, though I’d prefer if it had
a different name, like “Life Mark,” though if Faust knew the fanbase she’d
receive she might’ve called it something else. I guess I’d like a different
term because “cutie mark” doesn’t really help a brony’s case that the show is
more complex than a little girl’s cookie cutter cartoon. While we’re on the
subject of problems I have with the show, the term “everypony” made me cringe
the first time, though I am getting used to it, mainly because the very use of
the word “pony” in the show flares up a small memory of past abominations.
My favorite
character is a tie between Fluttershy because of her overpowering cuteness and
because if it weren’t for her I probably wouldn’t have joined the herd (Because
of a clip of her screaming “You’re going to LOVE ME!!”, which you've most likely seen), and Pinkie Pie because
every word that comes out of her mouth is immediate justification for watching
the show, such as the scene in The Last Roundup where someone breaks one of her
sacred “Pinkie Promises.”
But what I
really like about being a brony is the community. Almost every pony vid I’ve
seen has at least three hilarious, witty comments. Memebase made a site, My
Little Brony, dedicated to hilarious images and the occasional
“HHHHHNNNNNNGGGGGGG” post. It showed me Cupcakes, a grimdark fanfic that I
haven’t, and probably will never, read in full, and My Little Dashie, a super-sad
fic that reduced me to tears and gave me a heartache that lasted for several
days, mostly because the main character can easily be projected onto, allowing for
a true story immersion unheard of in most fan-fictions. More recently I've read Dear Diary: What Am I?, a story exploring the past of Discord, a villain who made his debut in the first two episodes of season two.
At the end
of the day, being a brony is a joy that no one could expect. I thank Lauren
Faust and HUB for a great show and a fanbase stronger than any other I’ve seen,
united against the trolls of the internet. If you don't like bronies, don't be an ass about it. That said, don't knock it till you try it.
