Thoughts on Bronies

[GrinningYMIR]

[Hydra009]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWgvJ-sTG-c

[GrinningYMIR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJ9qlsPgHU

[GrinningYMIR]

[dtq123]

That's our Derpy!

[Munch]

Just a micro debate I felt like bringing up, but its pause for thought.

After listening to one of silver quills reviews of some more recent episodes, he brought up an interesting thought (I think of was the episode to do with that fashion designer for canterlot that rarity loves but who falls for applejack). In it, Quill brought up something about the show that when you think about it, its hard to look past, and while it doesn't ruin the show, it does create an expectation I'd more hope to see.

MLP-FIS is a show with an all female cast, and thats fine, given how there has been shows in the past which has been all male cast and female side characters, Plus in this show the female characters all have great personalities, identifiable, and they work of one another. They are all strong in their own sense, and given what they did with this show in contrast to all MLP shows that came before it, its something that I enjoy sometimes watching for that reason, that its a show as good as power puff girls or dexter lab or the like.

But heres the problem I have with the show, and at five seasons it, it kind of becomes an ongoing problem more then one that gets resolved. While the premise of the show is one aimed at a more female demographic, that hasn't stopped any people of any age or gender liking it, as I said before, men and women, boys and girls, they all like the show.
But why is it then, with such strong female characters in the show, the whole main cast being strong female characters.. why are all the men in MLP just.. nothing?

The male characters in MLP, seem to all fall into just a few categories.  You have the evil one shot forces of chaos, that being Sombra, Tirek and Diamond Dogs, the blander then white bread characters, like Shining Knight, Flash Sentry or Big Mac, or the comic relief foils, like Snips and Snails, Bulk Biceps or Flim and Flam. The only other males are of ambiguous sexuality like Discord or Spike.

The males in MLP just seems like such token or underdeveloped foils for most of the show, with a few exceptions here and there. I know it is a show designed and aimed as a young female demographic despite it having a strong mixed fanbase, but I often feel like the writers are taking liberties in only having male characters in for the sake of it, but not to have them do anything important unless its either pure evil, or comedy.

I'm speaking as someone who grew up on comic books, where strong female role models were often part of groups like justice league or x-men, and while those groups could be complete sausage fests, it really came down to the time and the writer who could write in female characters as strong as the males, one of my most fav female characters in comics being Storm.

I guess I just wish this show, which is still good, had a little more solid male roles in it to balance things a little, not to take it from the strong female characters, but.. its just that the only male character in this show with any reoccurring personality is discord, which speaks for itself.

...

That said, maybe I just want to see more iron will.

[MoreWinters]

Oh boy, bronies. This is a very delicate thing to touch upon but I'll voice my opinion about them.
The reason why haters like to attack bronies is the simple fact that they are grown men watching a show about friendship and colorful ponies, it is pretty embarrassing and the Internet is a ruthless place with no mercy sometimes but who can forget those brony r34 artists? They give everyone else a bad name as well as those who announce that they "clop" to Fluttershy/Applejack/etc... This gives haters a stereotype to work with and exploit them.

And c'mon, who can forget those 4chan threads about f.cking horses?

[Munch]

I'll admit to something, as a.. dunno how to say it.. diet furry? part time furry? Well as someone who has mildly roleplayed furry characters, that being anthromorphic characters like ones found in world of warcraft or in other games, given that and my penchant for buggery, I have downloaded some buff masculine furry porn, nothing more assuming then big guys, who happen to be anthropomorphic characters.
That said, when I log on a website that is more catered to that interest, sites like Furaffinity, which does both hardcore and non-sex related art and stories, I have.. seen peoples inclusion of MLP characters, which just.. feels unsettling to me. Someone might accuse me of being hypocritical given my like for anthro characters, but... MLP characters just seem like young girls, ponies sure, but still it doesn't sit well with me.

Its pretty much the rule34 thing, anything can be sexualized. The unfortunate thing of looking sites with yaoi and furry buff characters, is you end up seeing everything else, and sometimes need a strong stomach to go past it.
And given I'm someone whos all for adult fun like that, but holding a very strong position on anything underage, yeah, maybe thats why the mlp stuff there just makes me cringe.

[GrinningYMIR]

I like the show
I like the FF's
I like the official canon
I like a lot of ships, not the lesbian ones mainly, for odd reasons
and I like the rule 34

I'm a true fan, I just don't run around with rainbow dash tits on my shirt

[Hydra009]

The males in MLP just seems like such token or underdeveloped foils for most of the show, with a few exceptions here and there. I know it is a show designed and aimed as a young female demographic despite it having a strong mixed fanbase, but I often feel like the writers are taking liberties in only having male characters in for the sake of it, but not to have them do anything important unless its either pure evil, or comedy.

That is true, and it's an ongoing problem.  It's like the 80s cartoon sausage fests but in reverse.

[GrinningYMIR]

That is true, and it's an ongoing problem.  It's like the 80s cartoon sausage fests but in reverse.

Hey hydra, as a side note...


my dad rampaged about the evils of bronies and my mom found out I'm a brony ._.

[Munch]

That is true, and it's an ongoing problem.  It's like the 80s cartoon sausage fests but in reverse.

yeah, ghostbusters had janine as the token female and secretary, TMNT had april, he-man had Tila, muppets has piggy, and so on, most of the females in those shows were just token. Though some shows did do a bit better, like thundercats Cheetara was pretty cool (I wanted to run like her). With MLP, it just feels like they could make a male character have some standing, instead of overshadowed or made into a villain. But maybe its just the demographic aspect they are going for here.

[Munch]

Hey hydra, as a side note...


my dad rampaged about the evils of bronies and my mom found out I'm a brony ._.

evils of bronies. Is this like the evils of trekkies? Dam those trekkies and their future 80s themed paraphernalia!

[GrinningYMIR]

evils of bronies. Is this like the evils of trekkies? Dam those trekkies and their future 80s themed paraphernalia!

Basically he called them "fags and child molesters"

[Munch]

...

oh joy..

Well I've seen the same thing said about furries, the same clever and witty banter.