Bronies Are Welcome Here

Oh, how I love my ponies. I have little figurines of the “Mane Six”, I have plushies, wallpapers, drawings, posters, canvas bags, stickers, DVDs, and my phone plays the theme of the show as it’s ringtone.

Why do I love these ponies so? There are other cartoons I enjoy; I’m a big fan of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Thundercats, Batman: The Animated Series, et. al, and a whole host of animated movies (Pixar being my favorite production studio), so why do these ponies matter so much to me? Why do they hold a special place in my heart?

Well, part of the reason is that I just love the characters. They are intelligent, sweet, and lack the unhealthy doses of cynicism I find in so many places. They believe that friendship is magic, that there is nothing more important than loving your friends and family, and that everyone has the potential to be a great friend. That is a level of optimism I haven’t seen in a long time. I think it is an important message, and that message reaches me.

I also love the setting. Here we are, in this magical land where myths come to life. There are Hydra, pegasi, unicorns, gryphons, entire cities made out of crystal, and cities that float on the clouds, the Sun and Moon are controlled celestial bodies that are under the command of Alicorn rulers. There are dangerous lands where dragons live, and sea creatures inhabit the depths, and then there are the idyllic homes of the ponies themselves, places of beautiful, lush green landscapes, snow topped mountains, and gorgeous sunsets.

When I watch the show, I get to let my imagination run free. I have even written stories based on the show, because I wanted to expand upon the world that had made itself at home in my own head, which brings me to another reason:

The community. One of the most wonderful aspects of my enjoyment of the show is the community itself. Members who are adults, who have found similar reasons to enjoy the show, even though the target audience is mostly young girls. That doesn’t change the fact that there is something in the show for everyone, as the show’s creator Lauren Faust once stated that she had designed it to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Does it cause some people trepidation? Certainly. Some of them see such a show as naive, and it’s adult fans as manchildren who should act “normal”. That, of course, is absurd, as “normal” changes with each new generation, but because it’s different, they fear that someone who likes such a show is not “normal”. There’s really no way to change such mindsets for people who are afraid of anything that deviates from what they consider acceptable.

Of course, I enjoy the show and the community regardless, because what I love harms no one, and it makes me happy, and no matter what others think, if it makes you happy, and brings no harm to others, please enjoy it, because those people are not you, they don’t live your life. Let them have their concerns. If they wish to waste their time obsessing over what you like, then that is their time to waste, so long as they do not harm you.

I love my ponies, and see a lot of wonderful lessons, an imaginative world, and a great way to spend some time. I highly recommend taking a moment to surrender to the whimsical. It makes life so much more rewarding, and it is that whimsy, that love, friendship, and that lack of cynicism that makes this show so appealing. If I’m going to have to live in a world of such pain, depression, and hard nosed cynicism, then I am also going to live in a world where I can let those things go and embrace friendship and love, and the limits of my imagination, which have no boundary.

The Brony fandom has been involved in a number of major humanitarian efforts, spreading the idea that friendship goes beyond the people you know. For example, I invite you to check out these Brony charity sites:

Bronies for Good & Seeds of Kindness – A charity organized to build a free clinic in Uganda. It has already extended to Phase 2, the construction of a totally green village in Burundi, to house homeless children. This campaign has also been successful. Visit their site: http://broniesforgood.org/seeds-of-kindness-2/

The Brony Thank You Fund – An organization that collects and distributes donations to various charities, many of them involving the housing and protection of children. Visit their site here: http://www.bronythankyoufund.org/

Lauren Faust Charity Auction – Lauren Faust, the creator of the show MLP:FiM, along with the artists of the Brony fandom, raise money for indigent families in need. Visit her site here: http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/UPDATE-THANK-YOU-294012990

The Davulous Ride for Cystic Fibrosis – Just as the title states, Bronies engaged in a cycle tour, raising money to battle cystic fibrosis. Visit their site here: https://www.facebook.com/davulousride

The real world is far more cynical than the mythical land of Equestria, that is for certain. It is there where the claims that enjoyment of this show being a sign of a lack in maturity exist. I have no problems saying that I was an adult long before I had reached adulthood. I enjoy the freedom of the imagination. There are plenty of every day horrors in the world to take away joy, love, and hope. I choose to step past them and embrace something better. Many others wish to do the same. We just happen to be Bronies. Don’t make the mistake of judging us by appearances.

What you consider frivolous and for girls we take seriously, because the message is worth spreading. As I have said numerous times before, the show isn’t just for little girls. I have said this, the writers have said this, the creator of the series itself has said this, the bankers, lawyers, doctors, firefighters, police officers, teachers, bodybuilders, wrestlers, and other professionals have said this. They, like me, are Bronies, too. They have families, they have careers, husbands, wives, children, and they love My Little Pony.

Judge them by the content of their character, not by their enjoyment of a cartoon that inspires them to be more and to do more. Inspiration comes from the most unlikeliest of places. Hope, love, charity, kindness, these things are good in and of themselves. We celebrate them by friendship, and even that aside, we watch the show because we enjoy it, because it is smartly written and made to be enjoyed by everyone who wishes to let go of cynicism and accept that sometimes good things do happen merely for the sake of being good things. That isn’t a maturity issue, it’s a wisdom issue, and there is great wisdom in accepting the opportunity for new experiences, even if there are some who can’t see past the gender stereotypes. Being jaded and cynical is not a solution. If you cannot understand that, I cannot help you. Until you realize that watching and enjoying something different from the mainstream does not make me more or less of a person, or a man in this case, I cannot help you. If you truly define your masculinity by what other people think about you, if you modify your values based on what people say you should do, if you gauge your acceptance of others based on how you think they should behave, then I cannot help you understand.

There are those that speak of maturity through perception. I show you maturity in action.

With that said, I have no problem simply saying that all of the wonderful community endeavors aside, all of the hard work aside, all of the wonderful messages aside, I enjoy the show because I like smart humor, silly slapstick, and candy colored, sentient ponies.

Although I do have to say, that I find it a shame that people put upon others to explain why they like something that harms no one, and why such people have to be considered deviants for being different. Maybe someday people just won’t mind, and we can all be ourselves without casting aspersions upon one another. I hope for that day.

That, my friends, is why I love technicolor ponies.

Welcome to the forum.