First pony toy

[Tyler]

I really want a pony toy but i don't want my parents to know about it and always going shopping with mum doesn't help. Any tips about how i can get one?

[HoustonCollector72]

you should not hide it, is nothing wrong with having a pony !:)
Stand for what you like !
life should not be that complicated
good luck

[Griffin]

I must agree with Houstonbrony72 here. It's likely your parents will find out sooner or later (the Arena is full of warning examples - one does not simply buy one pony... ) so it might be easier to be open about it from the beginning. Bring it up casually if you can, there's nothing wrong with liking ponies, and guys have just as much right to collect ponies as girls do. 

[lochnessmomster]

I'm guessing you're interested in the G4 ponies if you mention wanting to buy one while out shopping... does this mean you are also a fan of the show, FiM?  If so, there are plenty of articles, news stories, etc. about guys who like and collect MLP.  I agree with the casual approach and perhaps directing your parents to read up on it so they realize it's perfectly normal.  Are you worried because you know your parents wouldn't understand, or are you only afraid they *might* not understand?  I definitely think sneaking ponies is a bad idea because inevitably it will come up sooner or later.  Your folks might not "get it" now, but I think they'd rather know up-front than realize later that they've been lied to.  Hope this helps.

[achab1984]

You should not have to hide it from your parents. If they love you they should be understanding

[Tyler]

I'm guessing you're interested in the G4 ponies if you mention wanting to buy one while out shopping... does this mean you are also a fan of the show, FiM?  If so, there are plenty of articles, news stories, etc. about guys who like and collect MLP.  I agree with the casual approach and perhaps directing your parents to read up on it so they realize it's perfectly normal.  Are you worried because you know your parents wouldn't understand, or are you only afraid they *might* not understand?  I definitely think sneaking ponies is a bad idea because inevitably it will come up sooner or later.  Your folks might not "get it" now, but I think they'd rather know up-front than realize later that they've been lied to.  Hope this helps.

Yeah i'm  interested in the G4 ponies and like FIM.
I'm worried they will think i'm gay.

[Like A Tea Spoon]

If you need them to buy you one, then be straight forward with them. If you can find a friend or relative ( who also happens to be a brony lol ) then ask if they can help.

It's not that you would be hiding it from your parents, it's just some things are easier left alone. I'd imagine if you asked your parents to buy a pony toy for you... you'd either find them asking tons of questions or just being nonchalant about it.

If I could, I'd help. Which pony do you want? ( Fluttershy? Just guessing from your avvie ) 

[Tyler]

Which pony do you want? ( Fluttershy? Just guessing from your avvie ) 

Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash.
I don't think i know a bronie irl.
I could buy it myself with birthday money.

[Moss]

I'm guessing you're interested in the G4 ponies if you mention wanting to buy one while out shopping... does this mean you are also a fan of the show, FiM?  If so, there are plenty of articles, news stories, etc. about guys who like and collect MLP.  I agree with the casual approach and perhaps directing your parents to read up on it so they realize it's perfectly normal.  Are you worried because you know your parents wouldn't understand, or are you only afraid they *might* not understand?  I definitely think sneaking ponies is a bad idea because inevitably it will come up sooner or later.  Your folks might not "get it" now, but I think they'd rather know up-front than realize later that they've been lied to.  Hope this helps.

Yeah i'm  interested in the G4 ponies and like FIM.
I'm worried they will think i'm gay.

Liking ponies =/= sexual preference. Just explain to your parents why you enjoy the show. Tell them about the great animation, the wonderful voice actors, and the messages and ideals it promotes. Explain to them how it's become a pop culture phenomenon, and how a lot of guys are into it.

And if, in the year 2012, people still think that liking more feminine things either labels you as, or turns you into, a homosexual, then our society has more problems than I thought.

[lochnessmomster]

I'm guessing you're interested in the G4 ponies if you mention wanting to buy one while out shopping... does this mean you are also a fan of the show, FiM?  If so, there are plenty of articles, news stories, etc. about guys who like and collect MLP.  I agree with the casual approach and perhaps directing your parents to read up on it so they realize it's perfectly normal.  Are you worried because you know your parents wouldn't understand, or are you only afraid they *might* not understand?  I definitely think sneaking ponies is a bad idea because inevitably it will come up sooner or later.  Your folks might not "get it" now, but I think they'd rather know up-front than realize later that they've been lied to.  Hope this helps.

Yeah i'm  interested in the G4 ponies and like FIM.
I'm worried they will think i'm gay.

There are male collectors who are gay, of course, but there are also several who aren't.  I have actually seen a few members on here who are collectors along with their wives or girlfriends, and I think it's kinda cute, to be honest.  If you're not gay, then you should have little to worry about.  If you are, that's a whole separate issue altogether that has nothing to do with pony collecting.  There are gay guys who hate MLP.  You know... the first time I ever heard about FiM was from some dude in my husband's PhD program who LOVES the show.  Not that it matters, but I'm pretty sure he's not gay. 

Post Merge: October 24, 2012, 03:43:32 AM

Which pony do you want? ( Fluttershy? Just guessing from your avvie ) 

Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash.
I don't think i know a bronie irl.
I could buy it myself with birthday money.

There are TONS of girls who love G4s and FiM.

And if, in the year 2012, people still think that liking more feminine things either labels you as, or turns you into, a homosexual, then our society has more problems than I thought.

Well spoken, Mosspath! 

[will2Bfree]

*5 posts were made while I was typing this, so I tried to quickly update it, but sorry if some of the stuff is a bit off with whats already been posted now*

On the other hand, your business is your business and if you don't want someone, like your parents, knowing every little detail of your life there's nothing wrong with that, either. Don't let others pressure you into something you're not comfortable doing. You can tell them if/when you're ready and you would know them and how they would react much better than any of us. Secrets might not be healthy, but everyone has them.

If it's just a little embarrassment you're worried about, then I wouldn't put too much stock in it. I was a little embarrassed to start buying ponies too, and I'm a girl, but a person likes what they like and there's no shame in that. If your parents are concerned, you can try explaining why it is you like and want a pony. They may or may not agree with your take on it, but I'm sure a valid, well-thought explanation would at least alleviate worries that you might have gone off the deep end a little bit. I'm also guessing you like the show, so are they already aware that you watch it? If they are, then I'd think that would be the biggest hurdle over with. Buying merchandise of a show/franchise you're a fan of isn't strange at all, but if this is coming totally out of the blue from their perspective, then I could understand them being confused.

Whatever you decide to do, try to do it with confidence. Acting like you're doing something deviant will only draw suspicious attention to yourself. And remember that you always get more joy from your interests when you're able to share them with those you care about. But if you really think they'll make a big stink over it and not be supportive, then it may be for the best to avoid receiving a hard time and tainting something you enjoy.

Now, about your questions. What size were you thinking about getting? Obviously, the smaller it is the easier it'll be to sneak around. From your avatar it looks like you're a Fluttershy fan. So is a Fluttershy brushable a fair guess? Blindbags would be a cinch to hide in a pocket, but anything else is a little trickier. If I buy stuff I want to hide, I go through the register before the others are done shopping and stick it in my purse. Lacking a purse, you could buy a tshirt or something that can be wrapped around the pony package to hide it from view if it's a transparent bag or to pull out and show them what you bought if it's a paper bag. They wouldn't have to know you bought more than one thing and the pony could stay safely tucked away at the bottom of the bag (just avoid rustling it while you have the other item out, or they'll know there's something else in there). If they find it later on, you can play it off as no big deal "What? Oh, yeah, I've had that for ages... you didn't know?"

It's hard to say what'll work for your specific situation without a little more information, but I hope this helped!

[Griffin]

Argh, I took my time typing this message and several people got ahead of me, saying the same things but wording them better. Well, I'll add mine anyway.

Mosspath is absolutely right. Certainly there's no correlation between liking a TV show (even if it's originally targeted for girls) and one's sexual orientation. Liking Transformers does not make a girl lesbian so why would liking MLP make a boy gay?

People love FiM 'cause it's a great show. Some people buy the toys because they like collecting toys - maybe they find them aesthetically pleasing or nostalgic or for whatever reason - and some people buy the toys because they depict their favourite characters. In that way, I really can't see any difference of collecting MLP figurines as opposed to, say, Final Fantasy figurines. Even if MLP are intended for playing and the latter figurines are intended for display only.

My boyfriend never expressed any interest whatsoever towards ponies (I had been collecting & customizing for some years before I met him) but I showed him some FiM episodes when the show first came out (read: I made him watch because I found them funny and I knew there were already plenty of guys who liked the show) and he got hooked. Since that we've watched every episode together. ^^   

Like Avene said, your parents should be understanding and they should love you as you are, pony fan or not, gay or straight.

[Like A Tea Spoon]

When I lived at home, I had plenty of things my parents wouldn't understand or buy for me.  I had friends help me buy things and drive me to stores. I'm guessing you don't have access to friends like this?

Kinda ranty now...

I'm rather open minded when it comes to things like this, so I can't really understand why people automatically label things and people. It's silly and I thought making assumptions about people was wrong? So why are grown adults still doing it?

My Cousin's three year old son has a kitchen play set. He likes the fake food and if anything, it should be praised for trying to show boys it's okay to want to cook ( traditionally a female's role, but now you got Gordon Ramsey and Bobby Flay (?) and Guy on Foodnetwork! )

A neighbor's girl loves transformers. She also likes G.I.Joe since her dad is enlisted. She still wears frilly pink tutus.

/rant/

I hope you find a way to get your ponies. I'm a Fluttershy fan too! Just be prepared to tell your parents one way or another/sooner or later. Keeping something to yourself is keeping secrets from them and I can't really say I would be comfortable telling you to do so. 

[StarlightGaze]

Don't let pre-defined gender roles get you down! Actually most Bronies are straight because they enjoy the strong female cast, but sexual preference really has nothing to do with interests.

[will2Bfree]

Ok, about the gay thing. Liking something "girly" doesn't make you gay, but some people do think that way. Only you have the experience here to know whether your parents are people like that. It's doesn't make them bad people and doesn't dictate how they'd react to that belief, but if you're not gay and you're worried about it, just tell them you're not. It's still unusual in our world for guys to openly like things meant for the other gender (equality has some catching up to do), but you can embrace that. It can make fitting in harder, but it's not bad to be unusual and can even make you a more interesting person. So I think honesty would be your best policy in this case: "I'm unusual, but I'm not gay". Unless you know of any reason they'd have not to believe you, just a little reassurance could go a long way. If you are gay, it's still your decision on whether to let them know or not. Liking ponies is by no means undeniable evidence, so if you are gay and aren't ready to come out yet, you could still deny it.

You can also downplay the intended audience of MLP. It's all in how you describe it. When people think MLP they think little prancy, pastel ponies... and they think girly. So don't try to justify all of MLP. Just say why your drawn to those particular characters. Their personalities and what makes you interested in them. People mention the animation and the voice actors, the storytelling, etc. But if you're going out to buy a toy, it's most likely because it's the characters that have captured your interest. So don't describe them as cartoon animals meant to appeal to young girls. Talk about them as individuals and how their traits relate to or inspire you; the same reason you'd pick favorite characters in any other type of show. Rainbow Dash isn't a blue pegasus with rainbow colored hair. She's a daring, brave, loyal friend who dreams and works hard to be the fastest flyer ever! And Fluttershy isn't just some pink-haired, yellow pony with butterflies on her rump. She's a shy, gentle, animal lover who always tries to help those in need, even if it means risk to herself. You can like the way they look, too, but I think it'd go over better if you mention more than that. Just talk about it the way you would any other cartoon you were interested in. There are lots of gender-neutral or "boy" likes to the show too. The humor, the villains... there was that big battle with the changelings in the last episode we had. Those are some things you could mention if you wanted to tone down the "girliness" of it.