The My Little Pony "Stigma"

[Baby Sugarberry]

I eagerly await the day when the fad/show dies out and all that is left are the people who just want to enjoy their fond childhood memories (of any generation) in peace.   

what about the people who came from G4? I never would have even touched MLP if it wasn't for G4. I was 16 when I got into ponies not even close to a kid, I'm 20 now nearly 21
I do mainly collect G4, but I am open to buying G1's (probably what I'll do when FiM stops making toys) not to mention my bookshelf full of G3's I've rescued from thrifts and flea markets

I think Baby Sugarberry is talking about the idiots who make offensive and stupid memes and who go around YT trashing old pony stuff - not the genuine fans like yourself who love ponies and collect because of that There's a difference between real G4 fans like those here on the Arena and the fad fans out to cause trouble.

aa! I keep forgetting there are people like that O.o you'd think people would want to learn the history of the franchise not mock it. I mean you have to look at what Hasbro's was/is trying to market towards...

'innocent' would probably have been a better word choice than 'childhood', sorry about that, but Taffeta's got it in a nutshell.  There's a good reason I don't browse for "My Little Pony" anymore, in the internet at large.  Too much adult material & hate.

[Jordan]

I eagerly await the day when the fad/show dies out and all that is left are the people who just want to enjoy their fond childhood memories (of any generation) in peace.   

what about the people who came from G4? I never would have even touched MLP if it wasn't for G4. I was 16 when I got into ponies not even close to a kid, I'm 20 now nearly 21
I do mainly collect G4, but I am open to buying G1's (probably what I'll do when FiM stops making toys) not to mention my bookshelf full of G3's I've rescued from thrifts and flea markets

I think Baby Sugarberry is talking about the idiots who make offensive and stupid memes and who go around YT trashing old pony stuff - not the genuine fans like yourself who love ponies and collect because of that There's a difference between real G4 fans like those here on the Arena and the fad fans out to cause trouble.

aa! I keep forgetting there are people like that O.o you'd think people would want to learn the history of the franchise not mock it. I mean you have to look at what Hasbro's was/is trying to market towards...

'innocent' would probably have been a better word choice than 'childhood', sorry about that, but Taffeta's got it in a nutshell.  There's a good reason I don't browse for "My Little Pony" anymore, in the internet at large.  Too much adult material & hate.

oh ehe no worries!

[Salli]

There's a good reason I don't browse for "My Little Pony" anymore, in the internet at large.  Too much adult material & hate.

This bugs me so much, but they seriously do it to EVERYTHING these days. I hope being classy comes into style sometime soon.

Anyway, I never felt like ponies in particular had a stigma where I came from. It was just a blanket "you still have toys?!?!?!" followed by mean sniggers and mocking glances. I did give up ponies when I was a teen but I kept my model horses and stuffed animals. I think its just mean people needing to find leverage to shame you, especially if they sense that you are either weak (like I was) or a nice person. I moved on to music and the mean people ridiculed that too. I just don't get the need to squash other people. It really is true, haters gonna hate

[Taffeta]

Its a maturity issue coupled with the fact the net is so widespread these days. If you have to tack adult themes onto a kid's toy/show just to justify to yourself liking it then some serious growing up is in order. It isn't a question of physical age but mental maturity.

Though, having had to delete sexually explicit mlp graphics from the forum I used to moderate...and therefore having been forced to see said images I am a bit disturbed by the minds that want to put those themes into something aimed at kids.

My experiences with online bronies till I came back to the Arena were like DazzleKitty and Galaxy experienced. I confess it made me angry. I am really glad being back here has shown me the other side of the G4 fandom.

Maybe the accusation of mlp being childish stems from the people trying to justify forcing adult themes into it. It wouldn't surprise me.

[aquamarinemolly]

Yep there's a guy called Ewan at Brighton Uni, he was at UK Ponycon last year and gave a talk. Sorry I don't have any more of his details to hand but might be able to find his email when I unpack my pony stuff...

I hope someone is collecting all this for a dissertation, it is fascinating sociological data. And would be very interesting to see an analysis over time, including all the G4 bullying and negativity experienced by bronies. If it was my book, of course it would also include a section on positive stories and outcomes, detailing positive personal outcomes related to My Little Pony

Thanks so much for pointing me in that direction! I just looked up Ewan Kirkland, and woah he is doing some interesting research! Did you (or anyone else reading) attend this event? Here's the outline-
http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/research/research-events/research-conferences/my-little-pony

I think it's exciting to see ponies as a launchpad for critical thinking and hopefully someday social change. The largest research project I've seen in the US is specifically focused on bronies and FiM (http://www.bronystudy.com/) but it would be interesting to examine the stigma associated with MLP across the arc of all four generations. It's be great to see some core feminist principles packaged into pony form (like Feminism 101 or Everyday feminism)..hmmm...goes to work written panel descriptions...

[Al-1701]

...forcing adult themes into it.

And sadly it seems like "adult themes" are just vulgarity and sexual perversion.  If you want to explore some more complex issues using the fantastical setting to give them a new context, that's what shows like Star Trek have done for a half century.  Having the ponies swear, do perverted things, and reference popular culture doesn't really make it mature.  It just makes it inaccessible to kids.

[Haruna]

My friends and I, our pony games consisted of zombie worlds and rescuing princesses from monsters...and the boys who threw the ponies on the roof came to regret it because we regrouped, gathered our unicorn ponies and treated them to what we called "pony chase", which consisted of chasing them around the playground and then prodding them with the unicorn ponies. Fizzy was the best for this!

That is AWESOME.

And yeah; my sister and I had games where our ponies were abducted by dragons (inspired by Rescue From Midnight Castle). I loved that movie. It's not stereotypically girly, for sure; I think it strikes a nice balance between strong female characters and strong male characters and a good plot. My parents were worried it would give me nightmares, but it never did. I watched it over and over. Some of our other game storylines were more "girly," though, or at least domestic; our ponies tended to live as if they were human: they went to school, bought and sold stuff, etc. One of my favorite things to do, as I got older (10 and on), was to dress them up for dances. So I got girlier as I got older, I guess?

[Galaxy91]

PRODUCTS

Ugh, I know exactly which Products you mean...

Its really a shame, and it irritates me immensely. Before FiM, This kind of sexualisation was almost unheard of. Not even furries were interested in MLP. Now, MLP p0rn is a big thing, and if anyone who knows the internet hears about mlp, they think of THAT first. Its such a shame. I really hate Bronies that contribute to this sexualisation. I hate that it has to be this way now.

Its just so irritating! For me, the whole appeal of Ponies is that they are just so inncoent, so child-like. They are something to be collected and brushed and groomed - they are a token from a cherished time. They let me experience the same joy as I had with them in my childhood. They are like beautiful flower bouquets to me. Completely non-sexual.

But now, we have this big sub-culture of furries and perverts doing unspeakable things with them.

Yeah... mlp is now tinted forever. It bugs me, yes. Sometimes It makes me upset. Sometimes, thinking of Bronies makes me angry. I know they are not *all* like this, but still... y'know.

I don't even want to go to Pony fairs anymore.   

[edit ~ many thanks ~ hathorcat]

[Al-1701]

That's something that worries me.  When Friendship is Magic does end and most of the bronies disappear and those that remain are absorbed in the collector's community, the stain of their presence will remain on the brand.  The amount of pandering Hasbro and the staff running the show have done for them will forever be with the brand and I fear it will be a black mark.  Bronies might be numberous and have a lot of money to buy 3rd party merchandise, but at the cost of My Little Pony's image in the long run.

[MJNSEIFER]

That's something that worries me.  When Friendship is Magic does end and most of the bronies disappear and those that remain are absorbed in the collector's community, the stain of their presence will remain on the brand.  The amount of pandering Hasbro and the staff running the show have done for them will forever be with the brand and I fear it will be a black mark.  Bronies might be numberous and have a lot of money to buy 3rd party merchandise, but at the cost of My Little Pony's image in the long run.

Well, hopefully the bronies that give up on MLP after FIM ends are mostly the ones who demand pandering, as well as the ones who exibit the other negative sides of the fandom.  Or better still the show stops pandering and the bronies who aren't mature enough to handle it give up on FIM there and then, and let the fans who don't like the pandering (which includes some bronies) enjoy the show, and do what they want with it in fanon.

[DazzleKitty]

.

Yeah... mlp is now tinted forever. It bugs me, yes. Sometimes It makes me upset. Sometimes, thinking of Bronies makes me angry. I know they are not *all* like this, but still... y'know. 

I don't even want to go to Pony fairs anymore.   

I feel that exact same way. We have some bronies here who are good dudes so I try not to be harsh to all, but the bad ones are well....bad. But now MLP is associated with "brony" and I don't want to be called a brony when someone finds out I am into ponies. The term excludes women too which is irritating. I am a collector and a fan.

I went to my first fair in 2013 when the bronies first started coming out. I am going to the fair this year and I am sure there will be hoards of them. I just want in to buy stuff and leave, pretty much. I only will associate with other collectors and people I recognize from here.

[Galaxy91]

The term excludes women too which is irritating. I am a collector and a fan.

To be fair, there is a female equivalent to Brony, called "Pegasis".
I would certanly never call myself a Pegasis, tough, since it *is* the female term for Brony, and I never ever want to be compared to a Brony for obvious reasons...
Collector and fan - that's what I call myself too.

[Al-1701]

Or better still the show stops pandering

I don't see that happening anytime soon.  The term that best describes what Episode 100 was to the brony community is something I won't say in polite company.

I had to explain to my mom I'm not a brony.  I'm a fan of My Little Pony.  There's a difference, a big difference.

[Taffeta]

The term excludes women too which is irritating. I am a collector and a fan.

To be fair, there is a female equivalent to Brony, called "Pegasis".
I would certanly never call myself a Pegasis, tough, since it *is* the female term for Brony, and I never ever want to be compared to a Brony for obvious reasons...
Collector and fan - that's what I call myself too.

G1 pony fans at least were always called ponypeople back in the late 1990s, because of the mailing list group of the same name. I still use that term, only I include all generations in it now because it is inclusive. We are all sone kind of pony people.

I make it clear to folk that I am not a brony or a pegasister. I'm not part of the fad, I loved MLP in a time before the internet. I really hate when tjose terms are applied anachronistically. I admit I have sone twitches with cutie mark and everypony when applied in all gen discussion or non g4 topics,..but those two are just personal preference.

I have not been to uk ponycon since 2011. I  am debating it this year, but last couple I didn't go to because of online brony fatigue. I had to deal with a lot of it on the forum I was mod on and, honestly, it didn'm make me feel particularly harmonious towards the brand in general.

On the flip, I think mlp will recover from this. The online community will, anyway, and if it goes back to being socially uncool, so what? At least it will be the thing we love. When the g2 came out and we had the Shadows and people making images of old ponies killing new ponies and peopke being targeted out of the community because they either liked or hated G2, it looked like the whole mlp thing might fall apart. It didn't. We kearned from it, grew up and moved on.

Memes and all the junk out there are only interesting to people withbthe mindset to go looking for them, and as soon as mlp stops being a fad, people will meme something else. Meanwhile, those of us who care will just carry on as we are now. No way is this long standing and widespread fandom going to be tainted forever by a bunch of immature idiots with disturbing mental images of children's cartoon characters.

[MJNSEIFER]

Or better still the show stops pandering

I don't see that happening anytime soon.  The term that best describes what Episode 100 was to the brony community is something I won't say in polite company.

I had to explain to my mom I'm not a brony.  I'm a fan of My Little Pony.  There's a difference, a big difference.

We can still dream, I do wish there was away that we could convince Hasbro to stop, or at least convince those types of bronies that the show doesn't need to cater to them over the quality of the show to be "cool" (it was already "cool", with it's well written characters, and storylines that's why bronies liked it - though most of that was present in Pre-FIM anyway).

I'm personally okay with being called a brony because I have a nostalgic attachment to the name.  It has a stigma itself, and it is kind of annoying, but it's the term I started with, and I have fond memories of it.  I understand why people wouldn't want to have it.

Ultimately it meant "fan of My Little Pony" to me back then, but I know that there are the "Ponyfans" and there are the "Bronies", and stereotypically speaking I'm more of a Ponyfan than a Brony, but I stick to Brony out of nostalgia.