Bronies: An Opiniated Rant

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.