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Author Topic: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?  (Read 1860 times)

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Offline Bebopgroove

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The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« on: February 20, 2018, 10:11:34 AM »
So I wanted to start another topic with a little thing that's been on my mind concerning the inevitable G5 line and the future of MLP.

*** And I do apologize if this is a no-no or taboo topic.. This is intended to be a polite and intelligent discussion not meant to step on any toes (though I can't imagine anyone here in the community will fall into the category being discussed). ***

So with that out of the way, what do you think the future holds for the G5 line - even the MLP brand as a whole? Has current pop and internet culture had too much of an impact that is irreversible? As I recall one member here on the forums putting it, the brand today has become almost too closely associated with "unsavory types," which could be a fault of the tv show - maybe even the comics. It almost seems to be that the show and the comics are trying to please two different crowds of people. But what does this mean for G5? I would sincerely hope that Hasbro has recognized this and that they might want to start over on a clean slate with G5 - but is it too late? Will this bizarre subculture of "rabid fandom" permeate into G5 if they are given so much as an inch, or will it perhaps (hopefully) dissipate as a tired fad? If you supply gasoline into the fire, it will continue to burn, and I would hope that Hasbro would want to distance itself from what the MLP brand has been nearly reduced into - and venture into the next generation brand-new with its target audience wholly in mind.

Can the G5 line start over with a new identity, or is the brand of brushable, candy-colored equines now hostage to an internet culture that has turned the name into what it is today?

I can remember a time during the G3 decade when MLP was for little girls. That was the target audience. Sure, you had some individual releases that were collector-specials. But you didn't have things like MightyFine statues or the vinyl figures that are the staples of Hot Topics and geek shops everywhere. That's what you'd expect from something like an anime, not My Little Pony. You didn't have jointed action figures because a particular niche outside the target audience cried for them. Imagine this with something like Dora the Explorer, or Littlest Pet Shop, or Barbie even. My Little Pony being what it essentially is, is the identity of the brand. You can't take something like that and try to market it like Star Wars or an anime. That's not what MLP is, and I'd imagine that the ones who grew up with the brand pre-G4 probably don't appreciate it.

I do almost blame the tv show for its out-of-place wackiness and subtle nods to pop culture references that really don't have a place anywhere in MLP (Big Lebowski and Doctor Who, I'm looking at you). This has only further fueled the madness, enough to where there had to be an entire documentary on it because of how absurd it is.

Sorry, I got a little heated there towards the end, but you get my point. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions on the subject.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2018, 10:13:15 AM by Bebopgroove »
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Offline Khoufu

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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2018, 10:21:05 AM »
G5 will be a whole new can of worms, so I don't dare speculate until I've seen more than varying styles of concept art. Using mainly new characters would probably help a ton but we have no idea who it will appeal to the most.
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2018, 10:30:40 AM »
Yeah, I pretty much agree. In regards of the show especially, and keeping in mind this is just my opinion, MLP is trying to be something that is not supposed to be. All those extreme expressions, wackiness, pop culture references... it's like MLP is trying to be Animaniacs... but I don't associate Animaniacs with rainbow plastic ponies trying to teach friendship lessons in the first place  :huh: I think that "what is supposed to be" (family-friendly, educational, merchandise-driven) and "what it tries to be" (hip, cool, cartoony, reference-filled) clash. And badly.

And as for the bad side of the fandom... well, sadly, it now permeates everything, don't you think? I once read an opinion on a newspaper that states that since the fans enjoy a piece of media, they have the right to have a voice in it and, in a certain way, modify it. The article didn't refer to MLP but put the revival of Sherlock Holmes as an example. I'm still on the fence about that, given that nowadays fans will do crazy things in the name of their favourite fictional characters or relationships. They even like to fantasize about real life people, which I find utterly disrespectful  :huh:

However, by contrast, it is true that what happened with G4 raised people's interest in the brand. For example, I started reading and researching things about MLP because the show got so popular recently among adults and I wanted to know why. While I still don't understand what's so special about FIM, I learnt about the different generations and the toy collector community, and well, here I am!
« Last Edit: February 20, 2018, 10:36:55 AM by Dreamer »

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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2018, 10:33:41 AM »
While it is a shame that MLP is often associated with those sorts of people now, I don't think it's entirely bad. I think it's pretty cool that MLP has gotten a lot of third party merchandise (and even first party) aimed more toward adult collectors, in addition to the regular pony toys! I don't really see how the existence of pony toys/figures/etc beyond the regular ones is a bad thing? It's not like you're being forced to buy MightyFine figures, Guardians of Harmony, etc? If they don't interest you, just don't buy them. It's not as if their existence is taking away the normal toys or anything, they're still here. I love both regular pony toys as well as the really high quality, adult collector-focused stuff (though I don't have much of these things because they're more pricey).

As for G5, it's hard to speculate just based on stuff so far. All I really hope is that if Hasbro does continue with the Mane 6 thing that they do a better job at balancing the amount of main character releases and other ponies. The main characters having more toys is to be expected, of course, but the amount of Mane 6 toys (strictly speaking normal ponies, here) compared to the others is ridiculous. I'd like to see something more like how G3 released its ponies (before Core 7 became a thing), having a few ponies get more releases than others (Pinkie Pie, Wysteria, Sunny Daze, etc) who appear more often on non-toy merchandise, but still have a wide variety of actual pony toys overall.

I wouldn't really mind if they also still had more adult-collector merchandise for G5 again? As I said, I fail to see the problem in having a wider variety of merchandise available.
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2018, 10:37:23 AM »
I think that probably the pre-G4 fandom will react to G5 better than the G4 one might, as we've seen that shake up before, but it's hard to know how that will go.

For me G5 being the same mane 6 will mean MLP as a toy is essentially lost. It means the future of MLP is tied up in those characters which were first defined for G4. They become the core of MLP going forward, and thus I think it will continue to become a pop culture thing rather than a toy thing.

But the world is also changing. My take on G5 or any generation is always, are the kids happy? If the kids are happy with what MLP is to them then the brand is not tainted and is a success. We shouldn't allow the behaviour of a group of fans to dictate the brand as a whole.

But I think hasbro have a choice to make now. It's a bit like Harry Potter became a bigger sensation with adult fans than just kids and the whole thing exploded because of that...I think MLP G4 did that too. Whereas G1 fans aren't generally fans because of the TV show alone (I guess some may be?),G4 fans often are. That means the business angle of the brand shifts. Those fans are not buying toy ponies like the kids probably are. I do wonder if the repetition of the mane 6 is to keep costs down while they float on various pop culture or spinoff franchises in order to woo the bronies. Trying to keep that alive might be the reason G5 stays with the same mane 6. But it will mean hasbro has chosen to make MLP pop culture, rather than a kid's toy for little girls.

I guess we'll see. I am not really worried about what style G5 might be in in terms of pose and such. But for me, if G5 is the same mane 6, MLP as a toy is gone for good.

It's more a case of whether that's a bad thing, or whether it's just not what we prefer. I would like it to be something the kids settle. If the kids are happy, then G5 will be fine. If not...*shrugs*
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2018, 10:52:40 AM »
There has been a lot of good points mentioned already, it does seem like Hasbro is trying to make FiM two things at once. Both a pop culture/fandom phenomenon and a little kid show. I don't think it's really sustainable. I think it will just come down to money which way they end up going.

Based on the little bit that has been leaked it seems like they want to keep the main concept going and just change the art style. Who knows though, maybe they want to bring back in more kid elements?

I like brushable toys primarily, and being able to collect a whole lot of different characters. I'd love for them to go back to that but it seems like that doesn't get them enough profit? That's why it's the mane 6 on repeat, cheaper to do. How did the toylines aimed at bronies sell? Like guardians of harmony and that fan series of statues
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2018, 11:58:03 AM »
How did the toylines aimed at bronies sell? Like guardians of harmony and that fan series of statues

As far as I'm aware GoH and its Fan Series is doing fine, at least fine enough for them to keep making them. The Fan Series figures people especially seem to like. I'd like to have them all myself eventually (but I'm waiting to get more, I have two at the moment and don't have the space for any more).
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2018, 12:11:31 PM »
I'm glad FIM exists despite the bad parts of the fandom. Cartoons targeted towards girls at the time were downright insulting. Where the worst issue was wanting to have a tea party and being unable to find a special hat. If anything I felt the friendship lessons were becoming shoehorned in. The 80s cartoon did not need them to be a good cartoon.

I don't feel the regular Guardians of Harmony figures were aimed at bronies. They were just Hasbro's answer to the whole "Stop gendering toys!" social media movement.
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2018, 02:01:17 PM »
i hope not because the brand could sink if thats the case
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2018, 02:31:35 PM »
How did the toylines aimed at bronies sell? Like guardians of harmony and that fan series of statues

As far as I'm aware GoH and its Fan Series is doing fine, at least fine enough for them to keep making them. The Fan Series figures people especially seem to like. I'd like to have them all myself eventually (but I'm waiting to get more, I have two at the moment and don't have the space for any more).

Actually, I would disagree with this.  It was fine for a while.  But just look at what Hasbro revealed at NY Toy Fair.  Nothing actually.  Only two Fan series which were already announced and absolutely nothing Guardians of Harmony was shown at all.  Pretty much the only thing new at all is the school playsets, two new characters, and the Cutie Mark Crew.  I have more thoughts on this subject but I'll have to post them after work when I have more time.

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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2018, 02:42:05 PM »
How did some toy series specifically target bronies?
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2018, 03:08:07 PM »
The damage has already been done frankly. And it'll leave a mark on the franchise for a long time. Hopefully this upcoming generation will shake off a lot of the toxic fanbase and it'll go back to catering to its natural target. Kids.
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2018, 03:21:19 PM »
I'm glad FIM exists despite the bad parts of the fandom. Cartoons targeted towards girls at the time were downright insulting. Where the worst issue was wanting to have a tea party and being unable to find a special hat. If anything I felt the friendship lessons were becoming shoehorned in. The 80s cartoon did not need them to be a good cartoon.

I don't feel the regular Guardians of Harmony figures were aimed at bronies. They were just Hasbro's answer to the whole "Stop gendering toys!" social media movement.

Why? Why is Girl Cartoon always a bad, tepid, crappy thing? You and I must not have been watching the same shows sister. Plenty of perfectly good Girls Cartoons to go around now and then. When was there ever a time where the vast majority of girls toons had tea parties and giggled at nothing? Just because one or two did it they all now did?

 Don't recall Eliza Thornberry doing nothing but that. Didn't she go out and save animals by being given the power to communicate with them?

Don't recall She-Ra being a damsel in distress. She is a fierce warrior woman and she dressed like a valkyrie.

JatH had career driven women, who work hard to keep a Girls Home afloat and chased their dream careers.

Korra is flawed and bull-headed and stubborn. But she doesn't turn away from her duty as Avatar and is absolutely ferocious.

I'm so sick of this retconning that girls cartoons have always been stupid and sucky. Especially by people who ought to know better.
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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2018, 04:05:25 PM »
This is yet another reason why I really think Hasbro should just kill the G4 line dead, and then start up with G5s in a year or two(or more).   It would do a lot of good to give everyone a break, and it would make the new line much more of an exciting event for everyone.  It would also likely clear out the toxic part of the fanbase.  The people who are only interested in complaining, stirring up trouble, or perverting MLP will most likely not stick around for 1-2 years of nothing new from Hasbro.  They'll probably move on to something else, and by the time MLP is back, they'll likely be entrenched in whatever thing they found to replace MLP.

Also, 1-2 years is a lifetime on the internet.  That break would give the world at large a chance to forget about the sensationalism created by the toxic part of the fandom that attached itself to MLP.  The articles about pony themed sex toys and other craziness from the last several years will still be out there, but they will have faded from the collective conscientiousness with no new fuel to keep them going.

Taking a break would give MLP  a chance at a fresh start.  For the toys, it would give a real boost to the G5 line.  It really takes a lot of the excitement out of it if the newest toys are sharing space with the peg warmers from the last generation.  It would give the creative team at Hasbro a break and a chance to come up with something fresh and new without having to sort through all the baggage of the last generation. It would give collectors a break, and a chance to get excited about something new instead of just being tired from a long stretch of boring toys and bad distribution.  And it would most likely clear out a good chunk of the problem parts of the fanbase.  People are already venting rage at the new line, and it hasn't even been announced yet.  If people are already vomiting bile all over your new line before the first blurry prototype photo gets out, that's not a good start.

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Re: The Iffy Discussions - Is the future of MLP "tainted"?
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2018, 04:27:46 PM »
I'm glad FIM exists despite the bad parts of the fandom. Cartoons targeted towards girls at the time were downright insulting. Where the worst issue was wanting to have a tea party and being unable to find a special hat. If anything I felt the friendship lessons were becoming shoehorned in. The 80s cartoon did not need them to be a good cartoon.

I don't feel the regular Guardians of Harmony figures were aimed at bronies. They were just Hasbro's answer to the whole "Stop gendering toys!" social media movement.

Why? Why is Girl Cartoon always a bad, tepid, crappy thing? You and I must not have been watching the same shows sister. Plenty of perfectly good Girls Cartoons to go around now and then. When was there ever a time where the vast majority of girls toons had tea parties and giggled at nothing? Just because one or two did it they all now did?

 Don't recall Eliza Thornberry doing nothing but that. Didn't she go out and save animals by being given the power to communicate with them?

Don't recall She-Ra being a damsel in distress. She is a fierce warrior woman and she dressed like a valkyrie.

JatH had career driven women, who work hard to keep a Girls Home afloat and chased their dream careers.

Korra is flawed and bull-headed and stubborn. But she doesn't turn away from her duty as Avatar and is absolutely ferocious.

I'm so sick of this retconning that girls cartoons have always been stupid and sucky. Especially by people who ought to know better.

To be fair I was mostly referring the the early 2000s G3 era. And let's face it most cartoons aiming at the 3-5 age bracket were mindnumbing during that decade and not just the stuff targeting girls. The best thing about FIM was that they tried to aim more towards a 6-8 age bracket.

This is yet another reason why I really think Hasbro should just kill the G4 line dead, and then start up with G5s in a year or two(or more).   It would do a lot of good to give everyone a break, and it would make the new line much more of an exciting event for everyone.  It would also likely clear out the toxic part of the fanbase.  The people who are only interested in complaining, stirring up trouble, or perverting MLP will most likely not stick around for 1-2 years of nothing new from Hasbro.  They'll probably move on to something else, and by the time MLP is back, they'll likely be entrenched in whatever thing they found to replace MLP.

Also, 1-2 years is a lifetime on the internet.  That break would give the world at large a chance to forget about the sensationalism created by the toxic part of the fandom that attached itself to MLP.  The articles about pony themed sex toys and other craziness from the last several years will still be out there, but they will have faded from the collective conscientiousness with no new fuel to keep them going.

Taking a break would give MLP  a chance at a fresh start.  For the toys, it would give a real boost to the G5 line.  It really takes a lot of the excitement out of it if the newest toys are sharing space with the peg warmers from the last generation.  It would give the creative team at Hasbro a break and a chance to come up with something fresh and new without having to sort through all the baggage of the last generation. It would give collectors a break, and a chance to get excited about something new instead of just being tired from a long stretch of boring toys and bad distribution.  And it would most likely clear out a good chunk of the problem parts of the fanbase.  People are already venting rage at the new line, and it hasn't even been announced yet.  If people are already vomiting bile all over your new line before the first blurry prototype photo gets out, that's not a good start.


Tbh they should do what they did with LPS. While they waited some time to come out with a new series new toys were still on shelves. Since the online portion of the fandom is mostly just concerned about the show, having toys on the shelves won't affect them but it will keep ponies available for kids who might watch reruns of the cartoon on Netflix.
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