# Whats the deal with "bronies"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413 "2012-01-13T18:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ratcatcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Ratcatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ratcatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/41 "2012-01-14T16:49:20Z")
Personally I can’t see the appeal, and I used to like Powerpuff Girls when I was younger (at least there was a lot of action), but I don’t see why anyone shouldn’t be able to enjoy it if it makes them happy. I do think the fanbase can seem a bit ultra-defensive though. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/42 "2012-01-14T17:00:57Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Remember everyone, it’s NOT COOL for a man to like something that was made for women. Women’s entertainment is inferior and liking it means that you’re messed up in some way. You’re either a perv or a fag or a wimp. I think the weird devotion some twentysomething guys show towards MLP is what creeps everyone out. I mean, I still like kid’s cartoons too, but talking about it every day on Facebook and saying things like “I was such a Buttercup [or whatever their names are] today!” to someone who has no earthly idea what you’re talking about it weird. ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/43 "2012-01-14T17:02:21Z")
My 17 year old son and most of his male friends are bronies, a male reference to ponies fans. These guys are in the drumline in marching band, some are in football. It’s pretty funny, actually. The new My Little Pony show has actually made many references to Star Trek, Transformers and many recent fan favorite movies. One episode was based off Gremlins. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/44 "2012-01-14T17:15:58Z")
Down with memememememes! (too hard to spell for one) Cool people should go around quoting Monty Python (and the Holy Grail) and Star Trek (tos) and if you are elite, maybe The Twilight Zone but with their friends. Not with strangers over the net. And their music is just noise and they better get out of my yard! ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/45 "2012-01-14T21:23:59Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Wtf? How did we get from liking a perfectly innocent, completely sexless tv series to tentacle rape?! It’s the name of SomethingAwful’s anime forum. The full name is actually Anime Death Tentacle Rape Whorehouse - they have a peculiar sense of humour over there :). ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/46 "2012-01-14T21:41:38Z")
I’m a full grown adult who loves animation intended for kids but witty enough for adults, right now I love Adventure Time. I watched the pilot of MLP FIM on youtube on the online praise, I don’t get it at all. It has nothing to do with the girlish theme, it just didn’t grab me, it seemed well made though. Why do you like the show if you do? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/47 "2012-01-14T21:52:58Z")
The two part pilot sucked. Watch some more. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryHole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@MemoryHole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryHole)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/48 "2012-01-15T16:50:21Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > For the most part bronies seem to be mocked or rolleye’d at in the areas of SA that I lurk. It’s because the MLP thread was gassed back in February and so the SA bronies made their own forum, Ponygoons. > [@grude](#): > > Why do you like the show if you do? I always say a lot of the appeal is pretty similar to Pixar cartoons. The show works great for kids while some episodes slip in deeper metanarratives or geeky gags for adults like a visual reference to the Big Lebowski or bringing in the villain Q from Star Trek to voice a character. The world has a fun, (mostly) consistent fantasy logic and continues to expand as the series progresses. It does light, episodic progression and strong character development, and all of the characters have their issues while remaining competent and likable. Something I see fans bring up often is that they’re kind of saturated on dark, nihilistic dramas and cynical, cruel comedies. (By the way, I think this is also one reason that things like Portlandia and Adventure Time have gotten the reception they have). Then you have the internet culture around it. You do get the meme-spamming kids, but there are amazing remixes and fan redubs I like more than most actual episodes, and the community is pretty darn nice, which is a pleasant change of pace. Hasbro also looked like they were experimenting with leaving even full episodes up on Youtube at least until recently, which I thought was an interesting new approach. It’s tough for me to separate that out from the actual show at this point. But it’s not an ironic hipster take on the franchise or a situation where the writers slip in lots of “that’s so wrong” jokes or anything. If you just want to see how crazy the show occasionally gets, though, watch Party of One or Lesson Zero. Examples of fan media, if you’d like (all on Youtube): Music: Flutterwonder, My Little Pony Alex S. Glitch Remix Videos: The Stars Will Aid in Her Escape, Appleloosan Psychiatrist Comedy dub: Friendship is Witchcraft 4 & 5 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/49 "2012-01-17T05:45:23Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I haven’t seen the show— do the ponies have freakishly large eyes and breasts too? > [@MemoryHole](#): > > Freakishly large eyes, yes, breasts no. The latter is stuff of Rule 34. Example:[spoiler][http://rule34.paheal.net/post/view/718030[/spoiler]](http://rule34.paheal.net/post/view/718030%5B/spoiler%5D) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/50 "2012-01-17T18:03:53Z")
Hmm. This thread saves me the trouble of creating my own asking somebody to explain this webcomic: [http://complexactions.com/?id=250](http://complexactions.com/?id=250) ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/51 "2012-01-17T18:43:16Z")
The title refers to “Denial, it’s not just a river in Egypt”. There seems to be no other message than that the person on the right denies being a brony while he obviously is. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/52 "2012-01-17T19:08:55Z")
> [@MostlyClueless](#): > > The title refers to “Denial, it’s not just a river in Egypt”. There seems to be no other message than that the person on the right denies being a brony while he obviously is. Oh, I got the title - it’s an old joke, after all. My confusion was over the term “brony”. Also, having no idea what that creature on the right is. For all I knew, he’s a character from MLP that is actually called a “brony” in the cartoon. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413/53 "2012-01-17T19:23:13Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I blame _Robot Unicorn Attack_ for making girly stuff manly. I’m pretty sure [this cartoon predated that](http://www.dorkingout.com/archives/2005/08/perry_bible_fellowship.php). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-bronies/609413.md?page=2)