MLP FiM is almost 15 years old

Kids who were 5 when it premiered are 20 today.

headphones brony

I haven't heard of anything special happening on Oct 10 but I don't keep up with EqD much anymore. Maybe I should keep a look out. I started watching the show in Feb 2011 so it's close to my 15th year bronyversary too.

I was 5 when the original My Pretty Pony toy line launched in 1981.

Does that mean you will stop writing your MLP fanfiction erotica?

I should probably give it a watch again. Shame the final two seasons were never released on physical media

@firedoom666
If nothing else, streamwise you can watch them for free either on TubiTV or YT channels distributing them officially.

Most of Power Rangers has been given that treatment.

I never understood this fandom. Very strange that it took in a demographic so far outside its target. I'm glad it's not as big as it was.

The time when that show was popular was such a simpler and happier time in the world, and I miss it. If MLP:FiM started airing and getting popular more recently than it did (like from 2016 onwards) it would have been hated by certain groups for being "too woke" and "too political".

Isn't like FIM not a thing anymore?

Bronies were a mistake :P

Calwings posted...

The time when that show was popular was such a simpler and happier time in the world, and I miss it. If MLP:FiM started airing and getting popular more recently than it did (like from 2016 onwards) it would have been hated by certain groups for being "too woke" and "too political".

That's somethings that confuses me even factoring the time.

With something like various super hero properties (even Power Rangers before they had material above the Y7 stuff) or Star Trek, those properties have enough stereotypical masculine elements that you can understand why say the Right can enjoy them.

But it just seems weird that conservatives and such can enjoy MLP since it wouldn't immediately appear to be action based (ala Kim Possible or the original PPG).

Antiyonder posted...

That's somethings that confuses me even factoring the time.

With something like various super hero properties (even Power Rangers before they had material above the Y7 stuff) or Star Trek, those properties have enough stereotypical masculine elements that you can understand why say the Right can enjoy them.

But it just seems weird that conservatives and such can enjoy MLP since it wouldn't immediately appear to be action based (ala Kim Possible or the original PPG).

I have a certified armchair psychology degree and I think I have a working theory on why MLP was so popular with conservatives.

Tyranthraxus posted...

I have a certified armchair psychology degree and I think I have a working theory on why MLP was so popular with conservatives.

I'd be interested in hearing what you think.

No wonder the old creeps seem to have lost interest.

Tyranthraxus posted...

I have a certified armchair psychology degree and I think I have a working theory on why MLP was so popular with conservatives.

Care to share with the class?

I watched the show, I think during or after season 1, and looked forward to season 2, and was hooked after that.

and i've never seen a single episode! i know nothing about the series beyond the fact that grown ass men are apparently obsessed with anthropomorphic farm animals.

Sounds about right.

No. That's not true. Shut up. I need to get out of here.

Antiyonder posted...

I'd be interested in hearing what you think.

Calwings posted...

Care to share with the class?

Basically it's because of Pepe the Frog.

Ok rewind a little...

One of the reasons MLP was so popular is because there was a huge effort in the show to appeal to everyone.

You had:

1. Country farm girl Applejack
2. Extrovert athletic girl Rainbow Dash
3. Super girly fashion & make up girl Rarity
4. Introverted animal lover girl Fluttershy
5. Hyper social butterfly girl Pinkie Pie

And last but not least the main character Twilight Sparkle.

And because the characters are rainbow colored ponies, real life ethnicity doesn't factor into it at all.

Of course despite all the attempts to appeal to everyone, some ponies were more popular than others, but Twilight Sparkle was by far the most popular. Winning every single poll I ever saw by a huge margin.

So what's Twilight Sparkle's gimmick?

She has no friends, she's extremely socially awkward, kinda nerdy, and constantly doubts herself.

And if you assume a proportional spread, then if Twilight Sparkle is the most popular pony in general, then she's the most popular pony among right wingers as well.

Now what does this have to do with Pepe the frog? That old meme circulating around the same time MLP got popular, mostly by right wing communities, the common thread here is their low self-esteem.

Basically, they see themselves as Twilight Sparkle and want the things she has, but ultimately Twilight Sparkle works for the things she wants so that's where the similarities end.

Of course political climate has changed so the things that applied 15 years ago don't really apply today, but back then a lot of online discourse was driven by young "foreveralones" and those people, guaranteed, all loved Twilight Sparkle, and probably Fluttershy to a smaller extent.

Tyranthraxus posted...

So what's Twilight Sparkle's gimmick?

She has no friends, she's extremely socially awkward, kinda nerdy, and constantly doubts herself.

And if you assume a proportional spread, then if Twilight Sparkle is the most popular pony in general, then she's the most popular pony among right wingers as well.

Now what does this have to do with Pepe the frog? That old meme circulating around the same time MLP got popular, mostly by right wing communities, the common thread here is their low self-esteem.

Basically, they see themselves as Twilight Sparkle and want the things she has, but ultimately Twilight Sparkle works for the things she wants so that's where the similarities end.

So in other words, they like the show because they see it as a self-insert power fantasy where the "forever alone loser" suddenly becomes the center of attention that everyone loves and looks up to. That makes sense. It sounds a lot like the recent boom of isekai anime, which are also really popular with that crowd.

I don't think there is any deep reason that the alt right bronies existed. The show early on got popular due to people on 4 chan most ironically posting about it. That cesspool of the internet explains most of the disgusting parts of the Fandom.

I spent a lot of time in brony communities both online and in person and I never had to deal with any bigots and nazis. Everyone was disgusted by those corners of the community.

Incidentally I imagine characters I'm familiar with if likely to be Bronies.

I think Beavis would count as one. Though based mainly on this part from the revival:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXkGrPkugQk

@Tyranthraxus
Yeah I guess makes some sense. I mean as much as it can as the Right does tend to flip flop their rules constantly.

I guess the oddness comes from how you'd have to watch MLP to find such appeal whereas even a tamer show like Power Rangers you have martial arts, weapons/guns, giant robots and explosions evident in commercials.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Isn't like FIM not a thing anymore?

It finished a few years ago but I was thinking how long ago it premiered. FiM today is as old as Dexter Lab when it first premiered.

Piplup_Sniper posted...

FiM today is as old as Dexter Lab when it first premiered.

I didn't need yet another reason to feel old today, but thank you for that...

:(

Thanks to this topic, I suddenly have Winter Wrap-up Winter Wrap-up stuck in my head again... after all these years.

Piplup_Sniper posted...

Kids who were 5 when it premiered are 20 today.

Imagine the horror when, at some point in between, these kids discovered what bronies are.

I think I would legit not go outside for weeks if that had happened to me.