# My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - General Discussion \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438 "2011-07-26T22:27:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/161 "2011-08-06T15:08:09Z")
Argh…I just lost a LONG fricking post by hitting the wrong button… Short version, I disagree with SerinaPerido’s assertion about the male ponies in the show. Only two of them are idiots - Snips and Snails. 4 others - the Cloudsdale Bullies and Prince Blueblood - strongly display other negative traits (the Cloudsdale Bullies are, of course, bullies, Blueblood is a self-centred snob). There 9 others with significant enough speaking roles to say anything about their personalities - Big Mac, Caramel, ‘Doctor Whoof’, ‘Ace’, Hoity Toity, Braeburn, Uncle Orange, Mr Cake, and Soarin’ - who don’t display any particular negative traits. Some who deserve special mention: Big Macintosh (the single most used male pony in the series) is probably the most intelligent and level-headed pony in Ponyville, Canterlot, Cloudsdale and Appleloosa. He’s taciturn, yes, but taciturn isn’t the same as stupid, and when he speaks at length, it’s quite intelligent. Braeburn is a bit overly enthusiastic about _ **Aaaaaaaaaaappleloosa!** _, but can a pony be blamed for being effusive about the accomplishment that is Appleloosa? But once the plot really gets under way, he’s one of the few characters - male, female, pony, or buffalo - who thinks that compromise is possible before the end of the battle (even if he, like everybody else - including the core cast - initially looked at the situation with blinders that kept him focused on Appleloosa’s needs, rather than the Buffalo’s - reverse that for Little Strongheart, Spike, Pinkie, and Rainbow, who were on the other side before they started trying to work toward the compromise). Caramel’s only major role is losing the grass seeds in Winter Wrap Up, so he could reasonably be taken as a dummy - however look at the point of the scene. Ponyville’s Winter Wrap Up is a disorganized mess, so even the ponies who look like they’re on top of things really aren’t - Rarity is shown to only have one nest done at this point, for instance - so he deserves the benefit of the doubt - and Ditzy Doo, too, despite her name. Hoity Toity is…blunt with his criticism of the girls’ gowns, but…he’s also relatively witty, and quite correct (though Rainbow Dash’s would work quite well for a superhero costume), as well as being effusive with his praise when Rarity’s actual designs are shown. ---
**Author:** ![Cara\_mel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/162 "2011-08-06T15:17:25Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Giving more air time to girl ponies, since female viewers, especially young ones, will mainly identify with fellow females. More identification, more willinness to buy the merchandise. > > You might retort that evidently, males can like the show as well, but I don’t think they exptected the brony phenomenon when they made the show. It’s true what you say, but I didn’t mean bronies - I don’t think _anypony_ expected that! I was just feeling for thhe little brothers, and wondering what they might be taking away from all this. Come to think of it, even the adult male ponies aren’t exactly cool. > [@Stauderhorse](#): > > I came up with a theory regarding this: Rainbow Dash’s father cheated on his wife and had a second filly, Scootaloo, by a different mother. Dash and Scootaloo are half sisters, though they don’t acknowledge each other as such to avoid scandal. It’s not something anypony talks about in polite conversation, but it’s one of those things that everypony knows. good one! Spike’s ok though! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/163 "2011-08-06T15:18:38Z")
OK, if we restrict it to Snips and Snails and their peers… The young female demographic in Ponyville is mainly represented by the Cutie Mark Crusaders…who have less ‘slow’ personality traits, but have the attention spans of gnats, and the ability to miss points that are being thrown in their faces with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Those fillies ain’t particularly bright, either. (I adore them, but their thick as anything.) ---
**Author:** ![Boer777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Boer777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boer777)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/164 "2011-08-06T15:23:56Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > OK, if we restrict it to Snips and Snails and their peers… > > The young female demographic in Ponyville is mainly represented by the Cutie Mark Crusaders…who have less ‘slow’ personality traits, but have the attention spans of gnats, and the ability to miss points that are being thrown in their faces with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Those fillies ain’t particularly bright, either. (I adore them, but their thick as anything.) The CutieMarkCrusaders finally getting their cutie marks would make a great season premiere or season finale ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/165 "2011-08-06T15:25:59Z")
> [@SerenaPerido](#): > > It’s true what you say, but I didn’t mean bronies - I don’t think _anypony_ expected that! I was just feeling for thhe little brothers, and wondering what they might be taking away from all this. Come to think of it, even the adult male ponies aren’t exactly cool. They must have thought that the vast majority of little brothers would stay clear of a girly show. Usually, when something is specifically for females, males stay away, especially at a young age. I hope they don’t bring in more males. A show doesn’t have to be gender-balanced. I think of all the shows which have a majority of male characters and I’d hate if they tried to shoehorn more female characters to reach some representation quota. Same here. If little brothers can’t relate to a show with female characters, fuck 'em. Being a girly show for girls is part of what makes MLP so fun. Also, I enjoy seeing lesbian subtext in what they do and I know I can’t be alone in that. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/166 "2011-08-06T17:16:19Z")
> [@Boer777](#): > > I am surprised about the briny phenomenon. Has any other kids shows attracted a following outside the intended demographic? Spongebob Squarepants. Xiaolin Showdown got some love, though fairly minor. Avatar: The Last Airbender, although that’s arguably more of a young adult cartoon. Kim Possible’s also more of a teen/young teen cartoon, but it regularly got love for being clever. And then there’s Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (CHEEEEESE), and probably a couple other things Lauren Faust, Craig McCracken, and Genndy Tartakovsky have worked on. Really, Spongebob’s the best analog I can think of. That show is undeniably geared toward _everyone_. It’s far too clever to just be a young kids’ show. But that may have been an intentional attempt to attract older viewers. If you want unintentional, there’s Fairly Oddparents, Danny Phantom, VeggieTales (surprisingly), Phineas and Ferb, and probably others. Really, well-made cartoons made by people who care about the product they’re working on will usually attract a wider audience than intended. One of the best ways to create something others would enjoy is to create something you would enjoy watching or reading yourself. Since labor laws prevent kids from working on cartoons :D, adults making good cartoons will make them interesting to both kids and adults. See the [Periphery Demographic](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PeripheryDemographic) for more examples, both intentional and not. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/167 "2011-08-06T17:42:45Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > I hope they don’t bring in more males. A show doesn’t have to be gender-balanced. I think of all the shows which have a majority of male characters and I’d hate if they tried to shoehorn more female characters to reach some representation quota. Same here. If little brothers can’t relate to a show with female characters, fuck 'em. I agree. There are countless shows with token females that do just fine. Nothing wrong with a show that happens to just be mostly female with a few males scattered in. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/168 "2011-08-06T18:10:54Z")
Lauren Faust said that Scootaloo is not related to Rainbow Dash. (Scootaloo does hero-worship Rainbow Dash, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/169 "2011-08-06T18:30:17Z")
Scootaloo’s also the most freaking cute name ever. ---
**Author:** ![Cara\_mel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/170 "2011-08-06T23:44:08Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Also, I enjoy seeing lesbian subtext in what they do and I know I can’t be alone in that. ok, if that’s where you’re coming from, then I can see your point. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I agree. There are countless shows with token females that do just fine. Nothing wrong with a show that happens to just be mostly female with a few males scattered in. I’m fine with the uneven balance of males/females. It is a cartoon for little girls, after all. But the token males are horrible characters. I would just like to see **a couple** of boy ponies who aren’t ugly, moronic, or bullies. Just a couple, not a lot!!! (just trying to emphasize that here because I think you all are getting the wrong idea about what I’m trying to say). ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/171 "2011-08-07T01:19:18Z")
I’m glad it’s mostly girls (and Spike is male and appears a lot). When I was a girl, there were only a few shows that were girls only, and even fewer that just didn’t suck. The new Strawberry Shortcake is aimed at girls, but it’s like diabetes. No conflict, no depth. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s nice that there is a show out there aimed at girls featuring girls. My nephew is 5. He loves the show. I’m wondering if his parents would be mad at me if I bought him a pony. He doesn’t seem to notice that the ponies are girls, and if he does notice, he doesn’t seem to care. His favorite is Rainbow Dash. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/172 "2011-08-07T01:32:32Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > I’m glad it’s mostly girls (and Spike is male and appears a lot). When I was a girl, there were only a few shows that were girls only, and even fewer that just didn’t suck. The new Strawberry Shortcake is aimed at girls, but it’s like diabetes. No conflict, no depth. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s nice that there is a show out there aimed at girls featuring girls. > > My nephew is 5. He loves the show. I’m wondering if his parents would be mad at me if I bought him a pony. He doesn’t seem to notice that the ponies are girls, and if he does notice, he doesn’t seem to care. His favorite is Rainbow Dash. Awesome username. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/173 "2011-08-07T03:30:28Z")
All I hope is they don’t make MLP too adult As soon as Applejack imports some zebras to work on her apple plantation, then I’ll stop watching ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/174 "2011-08-07T13:05:01Z")
[Hey, if Doom is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.](http://mightygodking.com/index.php/category/comics/dr-doom-loves-my-little-pony/) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/175 "2011-08-07T14:28:28Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > All I hope is they don’t make MLP too adult > > As soon as Applejack imports some zebras to work on her apple plantation, then I’ll stop watching Nah, Zecora would lay the smackdown on her for sure for that. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/176 "2011-08-07T15:38:37Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > As soon as Applejack imports some zebras to work on her apple plantation, then I’ll stop watching If that ever happens, we’ll know which writer is to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Boer777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Boer777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boer777)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/177 "2011-08-07T19:10:29Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > If that ever happens, we’ll know which writer is to blame. who? ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/178 "2011-08-08T01:10:01Z")
I had a couple My Little Ponies when I was a kid, but was not aware there was a show. Still confused - is this a new show? A remake? I’ve seen ‘brony’ on the interwebs before but didn’t know what it was until this thread. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/179 "2011-08-08T01:17:29Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I had a couple My Little Ponies when I was a kid, but was not aware there was a show. Still confused - is this a new show? A remake? > > I’ve seen ‘brony’ on the interwebs before but didn’t know what it was until this thread. Yes, a new generation show came out in October 2010. It’s not mind blowing and they have gags that are made to appeal to 6 year olds but I do like the episodes and the characters are likable\*. This channel has all the episodes: > **[MenloMarseilles](https://www.youtube.com/user/MenloMarseilles#p/u)** > > These are things I uploaded. Sometimes I made them, or spliced them together. Sometimes it's just clips of preextant things. For a long time, they were also sometimes ponies, but I got a legit takedown request and I'm going to respect that. > > Make... I figured you for a G.I. Joe/teenage mutant ninja turtle type. Did you have those too? - Except Rarity, she’s a cunt. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438/180 "2011-08-08T01:20:36Z")
This [Starcraft 2/MLP mashup](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJbAT1wzS8U) is what convinced me MLP:FiM was worth watching. The actual show is a lot less melodramatic than that, but still totally worth watching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-general-discussion-edited-title/590438.md?page=10)