So this show is not only fun and awesome but has become a meme machine as well as IMO a turning point in 'net discourse. There has been some interesting
media coverage concerning the surprising demographic who call themselves "Bronies."
Quote:
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“First we can’t believe this show is so good, then we can’t believe we’ve become fans for life, then we can’t believe we’re walking down the pink aisle at Toys R Us or asking for the girl’s toy in our Happy Meal,” Allen said in an e-mail to Wired.com. “Then we can’t believe our friends haven’t seen it yet, then we can’t believe they’re becoming bronies too.”
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Wired
Sadly this coverage paints a rather pithy picture of Bronies as socially maladaptive nerds. Fox news went so far as to suggest that Bronies are obese, disability-collecting, pedos. Though, thankfully, better than terrorism.
So how did this happen?
Know Your Meme suggests that an alarmist article
End of the Creator Driven Era that suggested an Anti-Christ like view of the show was picked up by the /co/ boards at 4Chan and mocked. Some of them watched the show, for research purposes don't you know, and became fans. The fandom escalated until the mods attempted to ban Bronies and ... lost. From there the furor spread like Wildfire and the show received a cult following and enough Macros and GIFS to take over the internet.
What shocks and delights me about this is that the Brony discourse is mostly one of love, toleration, and friendship. This is coupled with a demo that is totally desensitized to violence and trolling. The attempt to gore them out of 4chan is evidence of that. Bronies were all like, "meh."
I have been following the discourse on other sites and amazed at both the Honey-Badger-Don't-Care 'tude of Bronies who are under fire. For example a misguided lady on the
Momfia board blogged about how creepy she found it and likened them to pedos. Any other web sub culture would have trolled the shit out of her. Instead a score of polite and kind Bronies chimed in to explain and try to put her fears to rest. UN-believable. A similar thread occured at
Colbert Nation, though there trolls and haters came out of the wood work with little effect. Even youtube commenters, on the plethora of Brony videos, are civil and ... fun!
Though to be sure, some Bronies have begun to seek revenge:
So now that the history is out there here are some of my theories about this phenomenon.
Teh Kitteh Effect that lisa posited made an impression on me. An anonymous internet allows people to admire things that other social pressures would make impossible.
Kawai, the Japanese aesthetic of cuteness has grown and grown. If guys are already fans of Pokemon how short a step is it to My Little Pony, despite our culture's onus on it, if one can anonymously praise it? Once that becomes normalized online, it is easier to do IRL. Especially now with social networking sharing and internet memes storming popular culture.
Another theory I have is that the interwebs are growing up. It seems counter-intuitive when discussing a show about anthropomorphic ponies, BUT- the discourse of these Bronies is 1000% more mature and 20% cooler that these same boys a year ago. We have hit the 10 year mark of households having internet. The net ratz that cut their teeth on trolling and hating online have grown up. I have read several accounts of Bronies in their late twenties questioning their love of violent media and happy to have found an alternative. They are embracing these new ideals while changing their behavior online.
Of course, being the Demimonde, I have to comment on the gender issues inherent in this. BOYS aren't supposed to like weak feminine things. MEN are definitely not. I think that the coming of age demo of many Bronies, (20-30 especially) will mark a change in notions of masculinity. I have also been shocked at how many Bronies will counter misogynistic hatred with serious feminist theory. Perhaps recent popularity in the Schrodinger's Rapist Blog and this has created a kind of perfect storm for these young men.
It is a definite change and one I welcome.
Additionally, I welcome pony fandom, pix, videos and everything pony to this thread.
Such as: Pony Music Videos!