For those who "don't get it": as a member of the herd... I'm right there with you. Just why the **** is this show so popular among the older, male demographic, and why have people been so willing to openly express their approval of the show? My theory is as follows: while the characters are endearing, the animation excellent, etc. etc., these positive traits wouldn't be enough to garner the type of fanbase the show has today. I believe that its popularity stems from the huge gap between *expected* quality and *actual* quality; in other words, the show is just so much damn better than anyone would expect going in that it really grows on you.
...or maybe I'm just trying to validate my bizarre preferences. <_<
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBpfwpOPXNc&NR=1&feature=fvwp I watch Planet Chasers Starlight Excellent all day, every day.
Nobody expects a grown man to be a fan of a pony cartoon. Therefore, by being a fan of it, you're breaking social norms. You're being a rebel. People do make such a big deal out of individuality these days.
Of course, there's a large fanbase, so you can feel fine breaking the social norm with TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
tl;dr: A combination of a desire to fit in and a desire to be different.
-- Don't worry, Bill Murray! Its things like this that make you wonder why the company that makes M&Ms don't make butter
HanOfTheNekos posted... It's a psychological thing, as you said.
Nobody expects a grown man to be a fan of a pony cartoon. Therefore, by being a fan of it, you're breaking social norms. You're being a rebel. People do make such a big deal out of individuality these days.
Of course, there's a large fanbase, so you can feel fine breaking the social norm with TONS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
tl;dr: A combination of a desire to fit in and a desire to be different.
I like it because it's well written, happy, cute, and makes things like making dresses and sleep overs interesting. I can legitimately sympathize with Rarity in the dress making episode, because that's basically what software engineering is too.
The musical score and animation is also top notch.
That's what he's getting at, yeah. I'm sure there's a lot of that going on too, but I refuse to believe that every single brony fits that mold. Plenty are just pleasantly surprised at the high quality!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBpfwpOPXNc&NR=1&feature=fvwp I watch Planet Chasers Starlight Excellent all day, every day.
For some reason, I kept wondering what sport you were talking about, so I clicked on the topic to figure out what Major League sport you were talking about that started with "P."
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"I couldn't stand a day without a past or future. I need to live each moment to keep fighting here and now."
I think it's funny that everyone tries to come up with psychological reasons for why grown men like MLP, as if there has to be a complicated reason. I think the reason is just that the show is just really well put together, from the animation to the musical score to the voice acting, but in particular I think it's the characters. The show just has a really likeable cast of characters that people get attached to easily. I think that's what keeps people coming back.
It's not that there's anything surprising about the show being good, but yet people in certain demographics who are notoriously intolerant to anything perceived as unmasculine have gravitated towards it. Progress, I guess.
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"Ahem! There is *sand* on my *boot*!"--Kefka Black Turtle beat me, Yesmar in the Fall 2010 Guru Contest!
I think the thing is that people are secretly not really averse to girly stuff, it's just that just about nobody has even tried to make a tv show for little girls that has even an ounce of appeal to any other demographic before.
it's just that just about nobody has even tried to make a tv show for little girls that has even an ounce of appeal to any other demographic before.
The Powerpuff Girls. That show could be enjoyed by both little girls and other demographics - and was enjoyed by multiple demographics. Totally Spies may have been another show like that (but I've never seen a full episode of that, so I'm not sure about this). Of course neither of these shows were as big as MLP is.
What's different is the reasoning adult males are giving for liking the show - they watched PPG because it was funny, but a lot of them are saying the appeal of MLP is that "it's so cute and happy." Never seen that before. And no, I'm not being critical - I'm glad adult males are able to enjoy cute and happy things.
I watch it because it's an easy form of regression back to my youth.
Funny, one of the reasons I can't get into it is the animation - unlike most people I don't like the modern, Flash cartoon-ish style. If it looked more like a late 80s/early 90s cartoon I'd be sold >_>
"Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
Next.
-- Sir Chris http://img.imgcake.com/Chris2pngas.png
BoshStrikesBack posted... as someone who has never watched the show, I've never found it "unbelievable" that a show about ponies could be good
but santa, you're santa
A perfect example of why MLP fans should have stayed in the closet. You might be accepted, but the things you say and do are always going to make people wonder.
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"Principally I hate and detest the animal called man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas and so forth" - Jonathan Swift BT with the victory!
Chris, I hope that wasn't in response to me, because a) I wasn't using "adult" as a term of approval, and b) I wasn't being critical, as I literally said.
From: Mr Lasastryke | #035 I hope that wasn't in response to me, because a) I wasn't using "adult" as a term of approval, and b) I wasn't being critical, as I literally said.
I did not read the topic. The fact that this topic even needs to be made is quite silly. I've seen three episodes of MLP so far, and I think it is pretty great because its so simple and cute. There is no need to have a defense to enjoy the things you like.
-- Sir Chris http://img.imgcake.com/Chris2pngas.png
I did not read the topic. The fact that this topic even needs to be made is quite silly.
It didn't need to be made, but I think it's interesting to analyze why people like the show. Don't get why fans of the show often take on this "we don't need to defend ourselves" attitude when they get asked why they like it.
Some people are just curious why other people like the show without being all "lol you like a little girls show while I like manly man stuff." I see nothing in the opening post to indicate that BoshStrikesBack (whose alt is this again) is being patronizing, but with your reply you presume he is. That's pulling a straw man.
From: Mr Lasastryke | #039 Some people are just curious why other people like the show without being all "lol you like a little girls show while I like manly man stuff." I see nothing in the opening post to indicate that BoshStrikesBack (whose alt is this again) is being patronizing, but with your reply you presume he is. That's pulling a straw man.
A day late but: I am not pulling a straw man. Read the OP's post again, he likes the show. I am saying he should accept that he likes it instead of trying to find odd reasons to explain the fandom when the truth is simple: Show is interesting.
-- Sir Chris http://img.imgcake.com/Chris2pngas.png
From: Mr Lasastryke | #110 it's just that just about nobody has even tried to make a tv show for little girls that has even an ounce of appeal to any other demographic before.
The Powerpuff Girls. That show could be enjoyed by both little girls and other demographics - and was enjoyed by multiple demographics. Totally Spies may have been another show like that (but I've never seen a full episode of that, so I'm not sure about this). Of course neither of these shows were as big as MLP is.
I have serious doubts that MLP is bigger than PPG was after as many episodes. MLP popularity has been exploded by 4chan, and the internet makes things like that seem bigger than they are.
I am saying he should accept that he likes it instead of trying to find odd reasons to explain the fandom when the truth is simple: Show is interesting.
I don't think he doesn't accept his enjoyment of the show.
In the opening post he explains that he thinks reasons like "show is interesting" and "the animation is excellent" are not enough to explain the immense popularity, and gives the additional reason of "people like it way more than they expected they would, which adds to their enjoyment of the show." Given that I've seen plenty of people here going "I thought this would suck but after watching a couple of episodes I think it's awesome," I don't think this is necessarily an odd reason.
From: Chrono1219 | #042 I have serious doubts that MLP is bigger than PPG was after as many episodes. MLP popularity has been exploded by 4chan, and the internet makes things like that seem bigger than they are.
Also, this. You'd be surprised, being on the internet commonly, how few people have heard of it who don't get on the internet often/at all.
PPG, on the other, was a big show on a commonly watched cable network. It was definitely more popular at its peak.
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Will not remove this line of my signature until the Seahawks, Jazz or Rockies win a title (Started 5-16-09) http://kazbarmusic.blogspot.com/
I have serious doubts that MLP is bigger than PPG was after as many episodes. MLP popularity has been exploded by 4chan, and the internet makes things like that seem bigger than they are.
This may be true. I don't know a single person IRL who watches MLP (and I know several who watch Phineas & Ferb!). Some of the bronies are really obsessed with the show, though - to the point where they want to change their real names into Rainbow Dash. Never seen **** like that with PPG.
Yeah, not buying the theory that internet males watch the show to be ironic and edgy. It doesn't explain why every single internet female I know watches the show too.
I can't speak for anyone else, but the last time I watched a TV show aimed at little girls was...maybe 10 years ago? Not that I've ever felt stigma against doing so (the opposite if anything; I like cute stuff), I was just more interested in, for instance, The Daily Show. It's just...MLP:FiM is fantastic, and I never liked the old MLP (in the 80s, Care Bears were obviously superior!)
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Cats land on their feet. Toast lands peanut butter side down. A cat with toast strapped to its back will hover above the ground in a state of quantum indecision
Yeah, I don't think either the "hipster appeal" or "watching it out of trolling motives appeal" theory is true. Pretty sure at least 99% of the people who watch it genuinely enjoy it!