Bronies scare me

[Peter Paltridge]

They just do, all right?

"Just watch the show; then you'd understand!" they say. That just makes me scared that it's like Scientology only with ponies. I don't want to be brainwashed. If I watch this show am I going to wind up in the airport a month from now with my hair weaved into one long braid, passing out Xeroxed fliers?

And the thing is, it's fully believable to me that it could be good. Craig McCracken is a directing genius, and his wife has probably absorbed his superpowers through their sex. I've loved everything they've ever made so far. They're really really good at taking wussy concepts on paper (cutesy kindergarteners with big eyes, a community of imaginary friends, etc) and turning them into witty, brilliant entertainment. Do I think they could do it with My Little Pony? I think they could have made bin Laden loveable.

But......it's that insipid 80's property and they've tagged "Friendship is Magic" onto the end and their eyes are even bigger now and I squirm when I see the concept art like I would toward a worm. Couple that with the creepy cultists that surround it and I just....can't....do it. I can't type "MLP:FIS" into the video search engine. If I do there might be no coming back and I might wind up in that airport.

Just tell me this: is it like Glee? Because I've had my fill of Glee; that show makes me sick now.

 

[Shawn Hopkins]

I don't think it's like Glee, although I do like Glee. It's clearly a kid's show, but it's surprisingly good while staying cute and fun from what I've seen. The designs are actually one of the best parts, the ponies have interesting facial expressions and attitudes, compared to the placid, vacant faces you sometimes get on kids cartoon characters.

 

[Chris]

I have never heard of Bronies. What the heck are you talking about?

 

[Anyone00]

I have never heard of Bronies. What the heck are you talking about?

I think Bronies are either male Ponies or male MLP:FIM fans (or just any fans of the show).

It's an alright show: it all girlie without being anywhere near intolerably so; do people who make the memes genuinely like it or do they just do it out of a sense of irony: I don't know.

 

[FlooterFlatter]

"Bronies" refers to male fans of FIM, although it can also refer to older fans (of either sex) of the show.

It's funny, I didn't like the concept art much either until I started actually watching. The designs are surprisingly expressive, especially the cartoony Pinkie Pie.

It's a girlie show, absolutely, but it's actually a good one. And it's nothing like the previous cartoons with the property; Lauren Faust felt they were crap and is doing everything in her power to make sure it's nothing like those shows.

I recommend the following episodes for the first timers: "Feeling Pinkie Keen" (one of the more slapstick-heavy episodes), "Fall Weather Friends", "Applebuck Season", "A Bird on the Hoof", and "Party of One".

Take it from me, who absolutely hates toy-based cartoons with passion.

Of course, as Lauren Faust said on her DA account, only the manliest of manly man can watch this show.

 

[Aquadementia]

I don’t think I ever watched the old MLP shows for more then two minutes without coming to the conclusion that they were what I thought they’d be and then gave up on them.

Having only seen clips so far, FIM looks smartly done and the positive buzz seems credible.

Are you going to be afraid to watch a good cartoon just because it’s outside your demographic?
For shame. Foooooor shame.

It looks like there is a lot of girly stuff about MLP:FIM, so if boys don’t want to watch it because they are still developing their masculinity, they shouldn’t be forced into it.

I don’t know if it’s more girly then Powerpuff Girls though. That’s a question I still have.

I’ve been watching Wordgirl (another show that probably doesn’t rank at the top of the macho meter) and I often wonder if Pretty Princess should have her own cartoon for real.
MLP:FIM may be close to that.

Just tell me this: is it like Glee? Because I've had my fill of Glee; that show makes me sick now.

I think I'm on the fence with Glee now. At the start the characters had lives outside of show choir. Now it's more about finding different combinations of who is dating who, and most of the music isn't something I would listen to otherwise.

So, at the beginning was Glee more then what it looked like on the surface: a teen drama with kids singing pop songs?

I don't know.
I thought it was fun, new and well written.
A fun show with good writing deserves a chance.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

I think I'm on the fence with Glee now. At the start the characters had lives outside of show choir. Now it's more about finding different combinations of who is dating who, and most of the music isn't something I would listen to otherwise.

So, at the beginning was Glee more then what it looked like on the surface: a teen drama with kids singing pop songs?

At the beginning it was more, yeah. Even Lea Michele was tolerable. Critics were actually comparing it to Freaks and Geeks, and at the time, you could make that comparison somewhat (though only very early on). If it was only 13 episodes long, it would be this huge cult show and nerds would still be demanding more from Fox, like they do for "Firefly." But it's gotten too airhead-y now; it believes its own hype too much, it's gotten incredibly stupid and annoying, and the sterotypes are horrendous. Every single line of dialogue Tina has said this season is about how she is Asian. That's literally all the character is for now.

 

[entransify]

Don't worry, Lauren Faust agrees with you that the 80's property is insipid tripe.

 

[TheGunheart]

I guess it's a little hard to parse what's going on without context, but...

Just take a look at this short clip. I promise it won't steal your brain.

 

[Chris]

I think Bronies are either male Ponies or male MLP:FIM fans (or just any fans of the show).

Follow up question: What's MLP:FIM stand for?

 

[Anyone00]

Follow up question: What's MLP:FIM stand for?

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

 

[TenPoundHammer]

Ignore the cultists. After all, Invader Zim has ridiculously rabid cult-like fans, and I know you watch that.

 

[Kiddington]

Just give it a chance; that's about all I can really tell you. You'll never know if you don't try.

Hey, look; it made a believer out of me (WITHOUT the use of brainwashing ), and believe me when I say I hate the 22-minute toy commercials dressed in a cartoon mask just as much as the next guy. This show ain't that, though; look past the sugary sweetness and product line it's based off of, and you'll find a legitimately enjoyable series underneath.

 

[entransify]

Just give it a chance; that's about all I can really tell you. You'll never know if you don't try.

Hey, look; it made a believer out of me (WITHOUT the use of brainwashing ), and believe me when I say I hate the 22-minute toy commercials dressed in a cartoon mask just as much as the next guy. This show ain't that, though; look past the sugary sweetness and product line it's based off of, and you'll find a legitimately enjoyable series underneath.

Yeah, I've said this before elsewhere and I'll post it here too -

FiM resembles Powerpuff Girls more than it does My Little Pony. If you watched PPG and liked it (tho I don't know if you did, MI), then you should really give FiM a chance. Watch an episode or two (I personally recommend The Ticket Master, Bridle Gossip or Sonic Rainboom), and then judge.

 

[mobo85]

Every single line of dialogue Tina has said this season is about how she is Asian. That's literally all the character is for now.

Was Tina anything else besides that? Oh, yeah, she had a stuttering problem, but that turned out to be fake. (This is one of the bizarre things about Glee- some of the characters are so underdeveloped that they have no traits other than "is Asian" or "is black" or "is in a wheelchair." A recent episode tried to develop Mercedes somewhat by claiming the reason she was pushed to the back is because she was too demanding, but the real problem is that she's really pushed to the back because the writers can't think of anything to do with her except say stereotypical black-girl things like "hell to the no.")

I could go on about the duality of Glee, but to stay on subject, I still have to give in to the ponies one of these days. I will just say, reading some of the articles and responses she's given, that Lauren Faust is awesome and very intelligent when it comes to creating entertainment that all can enjoy. Which I guess is why My Little Pony is going over so well with non-target demographics.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/40428056/

Guess I don't have to watch it after all.

 

[Don_East]

Every fan base has it's creeps That's a give for every fan base from Doctor Who to X-Men.

Just because it's based off of a franchise of the 80s, doesn't make it bad. Quality has stepped up since then.

And just because Lauren left doesn't mean you shouldn't watch. She's already worked on an entire season before this announcement.

 

[FlooterFlatter]

And even then, from the sound of things the season 2 episodes will be just as par as the first season (at least the earliest ones).

Seriously, at least consider giving the show a chance. Maybe watch one of the episodes I recommended.

 

[Shawn Hopkins]

I watched one over the weekend with my niece. Something about the ponies going to a party. It won me over when one of the ponies was having a Cinderella fantasy that turned out poorly because the boy pony was a bit of a jerk. Anyway, she lost her glass slipper on a staircase. Another pony pointed it out and she went back and angrily stomped on it. Pretty hilarious for a kid's cartoon.

But, still not something that I would watch regularly.