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

[CloudyApple]

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?

What? Of course it's bonkers! I'm giggling at the idea of the OP attempting to react normally to their pony collection.

It's completely harmless. Much less harmless than football fandom - I have yet to hear of bronies attacking each other for favouring the 'wrong' team/character in the stories or whatever (Disclaimer - I have never actually watched MLP and have no idea if there are teams or sides in the story).

Even the fetish aspect is pretty harmless - if people want to draw pictures or write stories about fictional characters or rub their genitals against cuddly toys either in the privacy of their own homes or with likeminded friends, it's on-one else's business. (BTW the correct term for MLP fans who do consider it sexual is, apparently, 'cloppers').

Cloppers!!

I won't judge, it's pretty off the wall and I don't really understand why its taken off as a thing but I like video games and I can't stand being marked out as a weirdo because of it so I won't do it to the bronies. I know a brony and he's very nice and successful so that's at least one normal brony.

Um, no. Bronies are not the same as furries. Even if they were, not all furries make porn, or live with their mums, or have no kids.

I only know a couple - who certainly didn't watch it in the 1980s, they weren't even born then.

"I love MLP I think it's really good"

Yup, and (shock, horror) there exist men who feel the same.

Crayola, that story was blown way out of proportion by trolls with a vested interest. The person who made the wish in the first place was actually fine with it, didn't think it was a big deal, and of the thousands of bronies who do draw porn only seven images were made of that character, which is a drop in the ocean. Plus I have seen MLP porn done years before bronies appeared on the horizon. It only takes one artist to draw porn and maybe three more to distribute it widely. I've cited this example a number of times before, but Jeffrey Dahmer was a big fan of Star Wars, and we don't hold other Star Wars fans responsible for his murders, do we?

At the end of the day it comes down to misogyny. These men like a product that is marketed not just at females, but juvenile females, therefore they must be socially deviant because no normal person could find merit in such things. Never mind that barring the typical market-value pandering and executive meddling, it's a well-animated, funny, touching show that's entertaining for just about anyone to watch, because it was primarily made for little girls it is drivel and will be treated as such.

PrincessTeacake It sounds like misandry, as well as misogyny. Any male who is attracted by a produce marketed at females, especially young females, must be a social deviant. True if it was girls' underwear but not otherwise.

It's both. Scorn for men who dare to like something that's earmarked as only for girls, and scorn for girls who can only be given the bottom of the barrel. There's a nice hefty dose of ignorance towards all the good the brony fandom has done, raising money for charity, showing support towards victims of bullying, and as another poster mentioned that colour system they implemented at the convention is incredibly thoughtful and forward-thinking.

Bronies come from all walks of life. The ones I know personally run the gamut from an LGTB music teacher to a married father of two to a set of five-year old twins.

The documentary on Netflix implied (though never explicitly said) that people with aspergers traits like MLP because it helps them talk about emotions on a very basic level.

Incidentally, it was also full of American Deep South dads saying 'no son of mine ain't never going to no pony convention' a bit like some people on this thread

My ds likes MLP fan fiction with an element of clop. I'd much rather he read that than watched mainstream porn, and don't see it as being very different to dd reading fan fiction about shipping Sherlock (and umpteen anime characters). It's all just fantasy after all.

Totally that the reasons why people find the fandom uncomfortable are more about their prejudices than anything else. It's pretty harmless after all with some nice if slightly twee messages, and if it helps people who feel a bit different (ie men or boys who like pink, rainbows, unicorns and being nice to people) to have a community to belong to then that's great really isn't it?

I have just had to turn the television on to see what this is all about. Here goes my first adult MLP experience....... I'm just about to see Apple Bloom finally get her cutie mark!........

aw MrsFR I loved that episode! xD

Aye

My dd is very disapproving of the pagasister concept, she is definitely a brony (in fact she just told me that she is a unicorn).

Whatever floats your boat.

I vote for a 'badge' system for the whole world.

I think that the problem isn't that they like the cartoon, but more that I think that if you're looking for moral guidance (which according to a documentary I watched seems to be largely the case), I think that an adult should look a bit deeper than the 'my first moral' messages in MLP.. it would be like living your life by the bit at the end of He-man (showing my age).

It sounds like a much better place to look for moral guidance than any fucking religion you can name.

I went to Ponycon this year with my daughter, and had always thought a bit weird that grown men would be into it, but after speaking to some of them I don't think they are weird, I think if you can take something good from it and use it as a kind of philosophy to make life better - and also its very very non judgemental and friendly and makes everyone feel welcome - not many places in life are like that now.

I don't think a girl can be a brony? Brony = bro + pony, surely?

Feature-length documentary about bronies:

Did we enter a new age of freedom of expression or did this kind of thing go on back in the 50s when I was young and I never noticed? :)

I find it all weird, but harmless weirdness should be allowed/encouraged. Anything that doesn't harm another person is fine.

The dividing line might be if people think their fantasy is real. I really enjoyed Star Trek and I'd give a lot to emigrate to Middle-Earth (well only if they invent electricity and indoor plumbing), but I know what is real and what isn't.

- this boy and his mum, from Rugeley, explain that he has ASD

I have been to a convention, albeit with my small children. Not a fan myself, but it was a very enjoyable day with a lovely happy atmosphere. Yes, there were oodles of grown men dressed up in MLP costumes, but there was nothing sinister, weird or ironic about their enjoyment of it. I asked one what he thought the appeal was for him, and he said basically, the world is a pretty crap place, but this mlp fandom was warm, friendly positive and just optimistic. I got the impression it's a bit of harmless escapism for many adult fans. Plus, the morals are good and wholesome. As one poster said, better than being into GTA with its vile misogynistic narrative and its brutal attitude towards sex workers and violence in general.
YABU, op. Live and let live.