Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think those grown up-men who like My Little Pony are "a bit" weird?

125 replies

CloudyApple · 27/09/2014 00:39

I have met a couple of them who were really into My Little Pony TV show. They knew the name of ALL the ponies, all the songs, collected figurines, etc
Oh, and they had no children.

My first question, as a parent who has live with the back noise of those voices would be... why would anyone without kids watch this?

But then, seriously, why? I mean, why?

What do you think they find in it?

OP posts:
Idontseeanysontarans · 27/09/2014 09:07

Of all the quirkier fandoms out there I think bronies are one of the best - it always seems so cheerful Grin
Don't mind a bit of MLP myself and although DD1 is only 9 I can see her going down the same route when she's older, she's very much into them now, especially as she's a YouTube fanatic (and a total out and proud geek) and can find something on anything!!

gastrognome · 27/09/2014 09:09

I can understand why the shows have a bit of a cult following TBH - they are quite kooky and funny.
I remember as a teenager/student we thought it was quite cool to be into kids cartoons - we thought we were being very retro and ironic.

Having said that, weirdy perving over cartoon horses is obviously very wrong indeed.

ghostmous3 · 27/09/2014 09:31

My dd1 12 is massively into mlp, has a very big collection of figures, memoriabilia although has turned her nose up at my ancient collection of mlp, Her artwork is amazing as she wants to be an animator when she leaves school. I think the interest goes a lot deeper than the carton which is quite good. she watches endless youtube interviews of the voice actors and there is also a music factor to it which is rather good too.

Bronies dont bother me and I dont get a sexual vibe from it. I have sat and watched a lot of you tube stuff with her and read up on it and it just seems a harmless hobby/cult thing. As someone up thread said it is just startrekking with ponies.

And why bash people with different hobbies, as long as its not harming anyone and people are happy then its ok surely

kali110 · 28/09/2014 11:12

Londonrach i love arthur too, so do all my friends and were in our 30's!Cartoons were so much better in the 90's.

cherrybombxo · 28/09/2014 12:02

Oh god, Bronies make me feel ill. Do the Bronies you know wear the fandom-required fedora to add that extra level of wankery?

GhettoFabulous · 28/09/2014 12:03

I know several bronies and they are pretty weird but utterly adorable.

ChubbyKitty · 28/09/2014 12:20

I don't see the problem, it's grown adults liking a tv show.

Besides, it's better than some drivel on tv these days.

ScrambledeggLDCcakeBOAK · 28/09/2014 12:38

Different strokes for different folks people!

The only time this sort of thing freaks me out is when the men/women are using it as a cover to interact with children. But that is quite rare really

ScrambledeggLDCcakeBOAK · 28/09/2014 12:39

Is it not similar to the beanie baby enthusiasts when I was younger there were loads of men and women collecting them and not letting anyone else touch them!

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 28/09/2014 12:40

I ruined My little pony for my friend when I showed her My little pony porn, I blame mumsnet for telling me it exists.

Aeroflotgirl · 28/09/2014 13:18

Tad strange but each to their own and all that! I read of a man who was an avid collector of Cabbage Patch kid. He even went to the Cabbage Patch hospital in America to see where they were born Grin

GatoradeMeBitch · 28/09/2014 13:26

DS is a brony. He's not 'out and proud' but he has a poster up in his room. I don't really see the appeal, to me the cartoons aren't that great...

Clarinet9 · 28/09/2014 13:26

I wondered if the roundabout thing was the Magic one (showing my age)

there is a big difference between watching MLP because you are too tired to change the channel and actively seeking it out and spending your money on all the trappings

bronymum · 28/09/2014 13:41

My 16 year old ds is a brony. He has ASD and quite a few of the children from his ASD specialist school also like it and have the ponies. It's the collectible aspect that draws them in I think.

Those posters who are suggesting that it is a cover to draw children in need to do some research. The convention ds went to included nights out in clubs with a D.J etc. It is aimed at older teens/young adults.
And it's not male dominated - the conventions are definitely a mix. Much more so than comicon at least.

Do the posters who have a problem with this also have a problem with 'adults' dressing up as Steve from minecraft at the minecon or as pikachu at the comicon? Are they weirdos as well?

ChubbyKitty · 28/09/2014 13:54

Good questions bronymum. I dress up at conventions, I'm not a weirdo.

whois · 28/09/2014 13:59

It's a bit strange, because all obsessions are a little strange to outsiders. But it's pretty harmless isn't it?

PrincessTeacake · 28/09/2014 14:17

You have to take a deeper look at why this seems strange to you.

Adult men liking a show that's made for children, specifically female children. The idea that they could like this kind of show is strange because, to most adults, shows that are made for children are lowest-common-denominator fare and have no reedeeming value for an adult. Shows made for girls are even worse in this respect, there is no-one who could like these shows unless they were a young girl, therefore young girls are not deserving of valuable entertainment, just a vague idea of what the (mostly male) adults in charge of the studios think they like and can't be bothered aiming higher. Take a look at some of the old girls' cartoons from the eighties and early nineties, the first MLP series at least had high fantasy and frightening villains (for a while). Strawberry Shortcake was so impossibly twee and it still is, but little girls watched it because it's all they got.

The new MLP is a very good show, spearheaded by a woman who wanted to make high quality shows for little girls. The fact that it's a good show is what got the bronies in, they stayed in out of a sense of solidarity that they shouldn't be judged for liking a good show, regardless of who it's aimed at. The fact that shows for girls are deemed not good enough to be watched by anyone else is a bigger problem.

bronymum · 28/09/2014 14:28

Excellent post princessteacake.

Why are ponies for little girls?

HermioneWeasley · 28/09/2014 14:34

Well Cloudy if your biggest concern is that there are some linked videos on YouTube with swearing in, perhaps you should supervise your children when they are on the internet and YouTube, and perhaps the whole world shouldn't censor themselves in case your unsupervised children come across adult material.

Also, what Princess Teacake said

kali110 · 28/09/2014 17:49

None of my partners have ever found it strange me collecting mlp or watching the old cartoons.
Still don't like the new mlp or tge cartoons tjough.
I don't think it's strange.
Adults like to watch the old batman and xmen etc so what's so wrong with mlp?

DayLillie · 28/09/2014 18:00

My dds went to the Brony convention again this year with their uni friends who love to make costumes and dress up. They had a wonderful time. DD joined, because they are nice people and fun.

PiperIsOrange · 28/09/2014 18:13

Can I take dd to a brony convention, she is 5 or is it more adult based.

I find it weird the one thing I am trying to escape ( the endless ponies in this house) another adult is finding pleasure.

I need to befriend a brony and have them to babysit for dd.

Andrewofgg · 28/09/2014 18:33

There are three toys I want for Christmas.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Soup Tureen.

The Care Bears Hunting Rifle.

And the My Little Pony Knackers Yard and Horse Butcher Outfit.

Anyone know where I could get them?

PiperIsOrange · 28/09/2014 18:47

Andrew, you can get a DIY kit. You will need old newspaper, PVA glue water mix and white tissue paper.

banburycake · 28/09/2014 18:47

My DS 17 has My Little Pony stickers in his room. I think he has a wicked sense of humour. Not odd at all.