The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Shenanigans on August 19, 2012, 06:24:20 PM
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I went to Wal-Mart today (and managed to score all 24 wave 4 Bling Bags, eeee!) and while I was in the pony aisle I noticed a boy (he looked about 13 or 14) walking passed the pony aisle about 4 or 5 times. I thought it was kinda strange. I got the Blind Bags and turned down the Disney/board game aisle and then turned back around to show my sister my loot. I passed by the pony aisle when I turned and the boy was now in the pony aisle looking at I think Princess Cadance. I thought maybe he was embarrassed to be seen looking at ponies while someone else was looking at them too? I thought it was kinda cute though and would have been happy to talk to another fan, but didn't want to embarrass him ^.^
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I actually do that same thing, it probably was a brony. :P
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Teehee! Some folks are only okay with coming out of the closet online, 'cause of the anonymity.
I'm shameless. You can see me loudly running through the toy aisles of just about any store, exclaiming my love for ponies and monsters and all that jazz. I mean, yeah, I'm female. I'm also 24 and I'm sure people think I'm a nutter.
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lol yeah, i feel for em, having to be all secretive and such. But i mean come on, you can always use the excuse of shopping for a sister or something lol
i am sooooooooo thankful i never really had one of those stages in life where i was overly self conscious ... life is WAY too short for that ... i mean i had one cashier who was rining up my pony merch at walmart say "Wow, there is gonna be one super happy little girl out there today!" i laid on my geekiest smile and looked him square in the eye and said "Yup! and it's me!" and showed him my Derp209 shirt (as i lovingly call the :muffin: Pony hooves/ed-209 crossover shirt from welovefine lol) and he laughed and showed me his wonderwoman tattoo which i then promptly squeed something super hardcore over and wrote down the pullipstyle site to look up the wonder woman pullip lmao
closet bronies are amusing lol
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Sometimes I walk up to moms with their kids browsing the ponies and talk to them. I asked a little girl what her favorite pony was and she said Rainbow Dash. :D
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That's adorable! I'm 14 and a girl, and that's exactly how I am, less now because I've been buying for awhile.
:P
I need to find him. We would make a great lltte brony couple.
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I'm 24 and I happy prance down the aisles at stores squeeling over my pony toys/Pokemon cards/Doctor who stuff/Starwars stuff/take your pick of nerdy stuff ect.
I always think it's a little sad when people feel they can't express what they love.
Carpe Diem I always say :frolic:
Anyway, good for you letting him shop XD
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Aww, it's probably best I didn't start talking MLP with him then :D I would hate to embarrass a fellow pony fan ^.^ I know when I was in my mid-older teens I would make my sister carry MLP, Barbie, and Disney stuff and told her to tell anyone I knew that it was her stuff, lol. So I know the feeling of being a closet collector XD
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When I was at Walmart to get the posters, the employee I asksed about them had to find a manager to see if they were free or not. While I was waiting, I saw a guy around my age wearing a Fluttershy "yay" shirt walking around the toy department. I said to my sister, "I bet you he's looking for the posters, too," just as he walked by. I was hoping to maybe start a conversation while I waited, but he kept on walking. I wonder if he was actually looking for something, or if he was just lost.
I have no problem chatting with people in the toy aisles, but I find that I usually just get funny looks from parents with their kids. I feel like most adults just see me and think: She's a teenager so she must be here to cause trouble. Though I could probably pass for twelve if I wanted to!
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you should see ME in the pony aisle!!!
here I am a 30+ grown man getting a little huffy because there's all these KIDS are in the toy section!!! :P
no I'm good natured! really!
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I ran into a girl at the church yard sale who loved ponies, she was happy to know someone else collected them.
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I used to be like that when I'd get ponies. Now I wear pony shirts all the time and I'm always standing in the pony ilse. I love it when I meet other MLP fans.
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Boohoo, I'm not even a guy but I admit sometimes I feel a little shy walking towards the pony section, while the shopkeepers stare at me >__< Ponies aren't on every teenage girl's interest list XD
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That's kind of cute. If I were male I'd probably be more self conscious about it, but I still have those moments at the register where the woman remarks on "making some little one very happy". XD Actually, I had something cool happen at Target a while back when I got my Cadence set. A guy and girl at the electronics department were holding it for me and when I got there they told me they'd been admiring it, the man seemed especially interested. When they asked who it was for I said me and the reaction was positive. It made me wonder just a little. Would be cool. :P
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Aw I can totally relate to him to be honest XD
I have collected ponies my entire life, and I'm now about to turn 26 years old, but I'm STILL abit embarresed to buy ponies :blush:
Even as a kid I would feel embarrased about it O.o And I let my mum go to the register herself and pay while I strolled after slowly pretending not to know her XD
When I was in my mid teens and G3's came out I worked in a toystore and everytime something new came out I put it aside and told my co-workers it was for my cousin XD
These days I do avoid going to the pony section if someone else is standing there. If it's empty I can happily digg through what is there and grab as much as I can carry, but then comes the register and I just always pray the cashier won't make a remark. If they do I usually say it's for someone else :blush:
And just recently actually me and my fiance were out scouting for blind bags and when we found a store that had 14 left I picked 6 which I felt was ok. But he just looked at me and said "We both know you want them all", put the rest in the basket and headed for the register while I tried to stop him and say it would be embarrasing to show up at the register with 14 of those XD He told me to go wait in the car then and he'd pay for it lol.
So I can relate :P And beeing a young guy I bet it feels even more awkward.
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I totally know how he feels! I don't have a problem buying ponies anymore...I am 28 and people simply assume they are for someone else. However, only a few members of my family and friends know that I collect ponies. I mean, I can count on both hands about how many people know about my collection. It's funny sometimes because there are so many ponies hidden all throughout the house, but if you come over on any given day you will not see any. I don't normally even post on the boards...I just lurk. Hi! I go by Blu_Clouds and have been on the MLP boards for almost 10 years, check the posts almost everyday and have less overall posts than those who joined less than 6 months ago! Silly me, I know, but I can't help it. It's my special secret. :)
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I'm half and half. I usually walk into the toy aisle and do a quick scope of what's there, sorta like I'm checking for a younger sibling, but when I start checking for specifics I feel a little silly... especially checking blind bag codes. But when it's me and my GF I am a shameless Brony/Collector. We stand there furiously checking all the blind bags and hunting for possible new pony stuff on the shelves of every toy store we go past! :P
And when I'm at the checkout I don't know what people think but I don't care either. I'm 20, female and I've got rainbow coloured hair and piercings (soon tattoos as well I hope)... but I think most people assume I'm still mid teens because I'm short and I wear cartoony shirts, and when I'm with friends we're loud. I won't hesitate to tell people I'm a collector if they ask but nobody really strikes up conversation in the pony aisle... actually it's pretty much deserted every time I visit it anyway, poor ponies. But if I ever bump into a guy looking at ponies I'll try not to scare him, they shouldn't be afraid! :biggrin:
I reckon though when the FS ponies are finally re-released and I get my hands on them I'll be skipping all the way to the register. Most places are self-serve these days too, lol!
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I walk down the toy isle and everyone knows I am happy to be there with all the "Squee!!" that can be heard two isles down :frolic:
I'll be 30 this November and there is no shame in my toy hobbies :P Of course, it helps a lot when I have my eight year old daughter with me... well, sometimes. She's not really into toys and she's all like " Mom, look! New pony that you don't have!" Or " Hey, ma! How many toys are you getting this trip?! Can we go to the clothing section and look at shoes!?"
Shopping with my boyfriend, a former Marine Sniper, is hilarious to see! He's all like, "Pooooonies ^.^ " and he's always picking up pony stuff and asking me " Ya got this yet?" He's not a Brony, but I always tease him that he should just come out and admit it. :lol:
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I do the same thing haha, I go with my gran and try and pretend she's looking for a present for someone and I'm 'helping her choose the right one' :P
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I am like that guy. I sneak over when I see there's nobody else there. I take a quick look to see if there's something new, then I sneak out again.
I think it's easier for you who are 25 or older. Then people think you buy it for your child. I'm 20 myself, but people usually think that I look like I'm about 15.
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As a girl, I do it, too. I'm embarassed of things in stores and in public that I am flamboyant about at home or with friends. Even more so because I'm going into the medical field and go into walmarts wearing scrubs...I know that sounds like an awkward, odd phobia...but I don't feel comfortable in the pony isle if anyone is looking at ponies while I'm in there, too. I feel fine talking to employees, but there is just something about being watched while shopping for toys that has always made me feel uncomfortable/unnerved. Slowly getting over that because of all you lovely pony folks, though! :) That or I'm getting to that age where things like that don't seem to matter as much as they once did. But mainly because of this arena, tbh. XD
Edit: I also use my sister as an excuse and drag her to the toy section (she's 17 and totally mellow about everything XD) and go "Oh look, sis!" *holds up pony pretending it's for her* and she just answers "If you want it, get it. You'll mope for days if you don't get your toy fix now."
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My boyfriend (when he was 19) bought me the huge Toola-Roola plushie from Toys R Us. He lived in North Carolina and drove around for 2 weeks (and then 700 extra miles to give it to me) with it in the backseat of his Mustang.
To this day, I have NO idea how he wasn't embarrassed buying it.
Of course, he has no issue going down the pony aisle with me.
Must just be him. :)
My 8 year old son, though, LOVES looking for ponies. He knows my favorites and his school has reward boxes and Ivan has no issue picking out the little g3.5s for me. He'll come home and be like "MOM! GUESS WHAT I GOT YOU! IT'S YOUR FAVORITE!"
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I never thought of being embarrassed about looking at toys. I never outgrew it. Are people that worried about other people being judgemental? Hm!
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I've seen people do that, I honestly don't care. People could think all manner of things, I'm getting things for a daughter, I'm getting something for a niece. All manner of theories, so I just tend to stay optomistic and grab something.
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Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
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Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
:haha: That made me lol. I'd LOVE to know what went through her mind when you said that to her :P Bet it shut her up though ;)
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*giggles* I used to care, but certainly now I don't. Maybe it's an age thing... after awhile, there are much more important things to worry about than what other people think about you when you're standing in an aisle of a retail store! :-p
It would have been fun to stalk back past the aisle with the closet brony and sing the Sea Pony song or the theme and noticed if they jumped or started looking around. Then you jump out and announce, "You TOO?! HI! Come visit the Arena!" :D
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wow Josie!, can't believe she actually said that... out loud! I would have said, "the ponies are for both of us" !!!! my son has ponies!
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My boyfriend (when he was 19) bought me the huge Toola-Roola plushie from Toys R Us. He lived in North Carolina and drove around for 2 weeks (and then 700 extra miles to give it to me) with it in the backseat of his Mustang.
To this day, I have NO idea how he wasn't embarrassed buying it.
Of course, he has no issue going down the pony aisle with me.
Must just be him. :)
My 8 year old son, though, LOVES looking for ponies. He knows my favorites and his school has reward boxes and Ivan has no issue picking out the little g3.5s for me. He'll come home and be like "MOM! GUESS WHAT I GOT YOU! IT'S YOUR FAVORITE!"
I'm dying from cuteness at both your son and your bf!
Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
What an exceptionally ignorant person!
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I usually browse the pony stuff pretending I am buying for someone else - although, I am sure there are a few people who must have seen me browse more than once by now! :lol:
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Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
omg that's amazing hahaha good for you though for saying that to her :lol:
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Ive only ever had positive comments while buying ponys, though I have never had any shame at all in buying them wherever I am. Sometimes I think its best people at carboots/flea markets think your buying for a child though - they tend to charge less lol.
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I agree with everyone - it must be an age thing! I don't look old enough to be a mom, so I do feel slightly nervous when browsing the toy aisles...
I was at a department store the other day and one of the staff members was cleaning near the pony aisle... so I quickly turned my gaze and started looking at Littlest Pet Shop dolls etc, trying to play it off as "choosing a gift for my younger sister/cousin". ^^;
And when McDonald's had the MLP keychains earlier this year, I had to act uninterested. I asked for the "purple pony"; and when presented with 2 different ones, I coolly chose one and said "This one will probably do/I don't think she has this one." Some of the teenaged workers at McD probably assumed I was a brony - or the gf of a brony! - though. :blush:
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Thats a cute story! Hopefully he found the pony he was looking for and wasnt too embarrassed to buy or ask his relatives to purchase it for him.
I cant say buying ponies or toys no matter what age I have been at the time has ever bothered me - 11, 21 or 31 years old. There are odder things that people collect and toy collecting as a whole is a pretty wide spread hobby, I just assume that most people have heard of toy collecting - whether that be model trains or barbies :)
It is lovely how we can all enjoy the pony-ness here though without the fear of being judged.
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My husband and I were checking out a couple of TRUs for Zecora and the Collector's set this weekend and we actually saw two young boys (grade school age) with their father, buying ponies in the pony aisle to play with.
TBH, I even think some of the ponies like Zecora and Shining Armor (ponies with mohawks and fuzzy manes!!) and playsets like the trainset would be very appealing for young boys. I'm willing to bet if the trainset came with a boy pony and were colored a little bit differently (maybe bright red, or brown, instead of pink) that parents would not balk at buying such a toy for their sons.
My husband has often bought me ponies over the years, and even worked at TRU when we were younger, so he's gotten over the fear of having to handle what appear to be girly toys.
And LOL, now this makes me want to go out and buy another trainset, and customize it so it would be a My Little Manly Pony Trainset.
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He's not a Brony, but I always tease him that he should just come out and admit it. :lol:
I do this to my husband, too! When my cousin came to visit I made him name off the Mane 6 for her. Ha ha!
Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
Psh! What an unmentionable word! I'm glad you stood up for yourself and retorted. I cannot stand people like that, people who think they can judge other people's parenting skills based on what they let their kids wear or what they let their kids play with. And then to make the assumption that you "force" your son to play with "girls' toys" just really pushes all the wrong buttons. What if he likes ponies? Why is that a problem?
Get off your high horse and learn a little humility.
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Cute story :) Poor guy. It's got to be especially hard as a teen when all that cools kids/losers, nerds/jocks or whatever else teens call themselves and each other garbage is in full swing. Being noticed by ANYONE probably would probably freak him out a bit.
Heck, even as an adult that's comfortable in toy stores and used to buying toys for myself, I was pretty self conscious the first time I went to buy ponies at a brick and mortar store. I think I got over that when I was picking up those Rainbow Flash and Daisy Dreams double packs for overseas folk and ended up at the checkout with like a dozen of each. No point trying to be furtive then :P
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Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
LOL, I'm glad you said something to her! None of her busines, crazy old lady :P
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I went to Wal-Mart today (and managed to score all 24 wave 4 Bling Bags, eeee!) and while I was in the pony aisle I noticed a boy (he looked about 13 or 14) walking passed the pony aisle about 4 or 5 times. I thought it was kinda strange. I got the Blind Bags and turned down the Disney/board game aisle and then turned back around to show my sister my loot. I passed by the pony aisle when I turned and the boy was now in the pony aisle looking at I think Princess Cadance. I thought maybe he was embarrassed to be seen looking at ponies while someone else was looking at them too? I thought it was kinda cute though and would have been happy to talk to another fan, but didn't want to embarrass him ^.^
I have to admit... I do it too and I'm a 20 year old female. I know it probably looks completely normal but I still tempt myself into telling someone (if they ask what I am doing with ponies) that they are for my cousin's 9th birthday. :blush:
I'm shy with strangers, but all my friends and family know I love ponies.
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Well, i'm not that shy anymore. I probably looked pretty awkward before buying my first G4 :P
Well, even though i buy toys proudly now, i still haven't told my friends... Sigh.
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Not too long ago, I was in walmart in the pony isle. I was picking up a few, and I had my son in the cart. I heard a lady make a snarky comment basically challenging my abiliity to parent because I was forcing girls toys onto my little boy. I first couldn't believe that someone would care if a boy had girls toys. I turned and looked at the lady, and said, "don't worry....the ponies are for me." She looked extra shocked. Stupid old bag. lol
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!! LOL *People*! Geez. *gets out blood pressure cuff*
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It doesnt bother me to bein the toy section. I actually enjoy browsing around for ponies, Pokemon, and Monster High. Luckily the toy section at Target is right by the video games so hubby just amuses himself over there while I browse. He likes to look at toys but not in the girly aisles. He prefers browsing for Nintendo figures to decorate his desk.
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Can we please not associate coming out of the closet with grown men liking a little girls' show? It's a very serious thing, not just someone liking a show they're not the target audience for.
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you should see ME in the pony aisle!!!
here I am a 30+ grown man getting a little huffy because there's all these KIDS are in the toy section!!! :P
That's how I am! These dang kids crowding the aisles, taking toys away from the hard-working adult! ;)
I love being in the toy aisle. Always have. When I was a teenager, I made up an imaginary nephew "Kevin" who I could say I'm buying Pokemon for. :blush: Fortunately, by the time I got into MLP, I was old enough not to be insecure anymore! My friend, on the other hand, is an incredibly tall young man who has frequently been glared at and taken for a pedophile when he goes hunting for Transformers. He's even seen parents yank their kids away from him, even though he clearly has zero interest in the kids around him, just the toys. Maybe the wide-brimed hat shadowing his face and the leather jacket have something to do with it? I don't know. I don't get people. Especially stupid old bags. :)
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Teehee! Some folks are only okay with coming out of the closet online, 'cause of the anonymity.
I'm shameless. You can see me loudly running through the toy aisles of just about any store, exclaiming my love for ponies and monsters and all that jazz. I mean, yeah, I'm female. I'm also 24 and I'm sure people think I'm a nutter.
Lol me too. :P
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Can we please not associate coming out of the closet with grown men liking a little girls' show? It's a very serious thing, not just someone liking a show they're not the target audience for.
Pinecone, the word closet doesn't have to have anything to do with homosexuality ;) The word means "a state or condition of secrecy or carefully guarded privacy" or "secret and covert" so you could be a closet anything - meaning you're doing something you don't want anyone else to know about ;)
Closet MLP collector - someone who collects MLP but doesn't want anyone to know.
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Can we please not associate coming out of the closet with grown men liking a little girls' show? It's a very serious thing, not just someone liking a show they're not the target audience for.
Sorry to comment again so quickly. The thing is, it's kind of hard NOT to associate it with "coming out of the closet." I mean, any time someone has an interest they don't think people will approve of and hides it, people will make the association. The fact that so many Bronies are also young men makes the association even more tempting.
You're right, though, the big difference is that liking a girls' show is a much less serious thing. But hey, in a perfect world, neither of these things would be issues, serious or otherwise. Sigh.
(Of course, some people would argue it's very similar. My Brony brother actually said it's like admitting you're gay, saying you like My Little Pony is not an admission to be taken lightly, which I think is really silly, but whatever.)
Basically, when people say "closet Brony" or "closet anything," they certainly aren't trying to be offensive. :)
Edit: ^What Shenanigans said!
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I'm half and half. I kinda walk around the toy isles as if I'm not interested, but if there is something rare or HTF or something, I squeal XD
I'm so jealous of you guys finding bronies nearby! There are so many Texan Arena members, yet I can't find a single one. :'C
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I remember when I was 12/13 and I was embarrassed to be buying ponies. I'd often have a story made up in my mind, that I was buying it as a birthday present for a little sister or cousin or something. It was the last year they were selling G1s and I was convinced it was my fault they stopped selling them, because I didn't have the guts to buy them enough!
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Can we please not associate coming out of the closet with grown men liking a little girls' show? It's a very serious thing, not just someone liking a show they're not the target audience for.
Gonna have to agree with this. Considering I see being a brony equated with being gay WAY too frequently, this is a pet peeve of mine.
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I remember when I was 12/13 and I was embarrassed to be buying ponies. I'd often have a story made up in my mind, that I was buying it as a birthday present for a little sister or cousin or something. It was the last year they were selling G1s and I was convinced it was my fault they stopped selling them, because I didn't have the guts to buy them enough!
YOU. You're the one who ended it! >:O Now I know who to blame after all these years.
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Thing is, people can be murdered for being out of the closet (as gay or trans*, etc.)
It is not the same thing. It's kind of dismissive to throw liking a kids' show out as the same thing.
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Thing is, people can be murdered for being out of the closet (as gay or trans*, etc.)
It is not the same thing. It's kind of dismissive to throw liking a kids' show out as the same thing.
But the expression "closet" doesn't have to be associated with homosexuality. You could be a "closet" Red Sox fan or any number of things. As an idiom, it probably predates any connection with "coming out of the closet" as we use it now. I don't think the original poster meant to trivialize the struggles of LGBT people when she referred to the kid she saw as a "closet brony."
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Thing is, people can be murdered for being out of the closet (as gay or trans*, etc.)
It is not the same thing. It's kind of dismissive to throw liking a kids' show out as the same thing.
But the expression "closet" doesn't have to be associated with homosexuality. You could be a "closet" Red Sox fan or any number of things. As an idiom, it probably predates any connection with "coming out of the closet" as we use it now. I don't think the original poster meant to trivialize the struggles of LGBT people when she referred to the kid she saw as a "closet brony."
I realize they didn't mean to, but using "coming out of the closet" to refer to liking a kid's show is still a bad thing to do, regardless of intent. The original use doesn't matter now that it's linked with homosexuality, because coming out as gay is the meaning most attributed to it, and using it as an allegory for enjoying cartoons outside age or gender demographic still trivializes the struggle queers face to the level of bronyism.
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Last week or the week before, I saw a young man wearing a shirt that had a simple outline of Rainbow Dash's head on it while I was coming in to work. On the way to my car after work one night, I heard a little girl say that her favorite pony was either Rarity or 'the princess pony' and last week on the way out of a restaurant, heard another little girl discussing which FiM character she'd be. Think it was Sweetie Belle she'd said. Today while I was paying for my wave 4 blind bag, the coworker ringing me up started singing the MLP theme and said he always has to when he sees that logo.
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Can we please not associate coming out of the closet with grown men liking a little girls' show? It's a very serious thing, not just someone liking a show they're not the target audience for.
1. He was a teenager, not a "grown man".
2. While I understand where all this is coming from, the term "closet" is not exclusive for LGBT. You can be a "closet nerd", a "closet collector", a "closet fashionista". It can apply to anything people are secretive about and to tell someone what they are or are not insinuating is presumptuous. You've taken an innocent saying and turned it into something it isn't.
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Lets keep on the original topic please...
I would love to hear other experiences people have had either in being super enthusiastic or understandably cautious about buying ponies.
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I dunno I keep my clothes in my closet and have no issue at age 52 buying ponies.
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time to get this thread back on track. This is not a discussion regarding the term being in the closet. Thanks!
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I'm a 24 year old guy and when I first started buying pony toys sometime last year I was just as nervous, so I can totally relate. I vaguely remember my first buying experience. I waited until no one was in the pony aisle, then I cautiously walked over to the pony section and grabbed one as fast as I could. I just held it down with the front facing toward me and my hand over the pony on the back. The most embarrassing part was when I got to the register. I just wanted to get it over with and hoped the cashier didn't say anything. I was so nervous, my hands were shaking. I just kept my mouth shut, paid, and got out of there.
The second time wasn't nearly as bad. After I realized that no one seemed to care what I was buying, I was less embarrassed. Eventually after buying so many ponies and no comments whatsoever, the embarrassment went away altogether. Now, I often wear pony shirts when buying ponies and walk down the pony aisle like I would any other, whether anyone's there or not. In fact, yesterday I was looking at the plushies in Walmart and they were on the bottom shelf so I was knelling down inspecting each one to see which one I wanted. At that time an older lady walked over and started looking at something and I just stayed there until I found the one I wanted. I was secretly hoping she would say something, actually. I'm eagerly awaiting the day that either I meet a fellow brony or someone makes a comment about me buying ponies.
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*realizes I'm late checking this out, but it's four pages long and I can't resist now*
I remember buying my first pony at a checkout 8 years ago, and being utterly scared of being judged or condemned. Nowadays, I do it so much it doesn't even bother me anymore (though when a girl like me goes into the crafts store to buy plastic dinosaurs.. I'll get over that eventually :P ).
It's an absolute shame that people have to be judgmental over what another loves or likes collecting. It's not hurting or affecting them in any way. I don't think guys who collect Star Wars or Halo action figures get scrutinized near as much, but that is probably more recognized as a common hobby. And even still, I can bet there are probably a lot of older ladies who collect things like Barbie, and something I've noticed to be pretty common, Mickey Mouse. Santa's and snowmen, too. People have absolutely no business getting on someone's case about what he/she likes, or might be in line at the checkout for. In fact, they're probably unhappy grouches anyway. I could go on and on, but I'm on my lunch break, and time is short -.-"
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I must admit, I'm not ashamed at all to be buying ponies. My problem is guilt over spending money on toys that I feel I maybe should be saving for... something else? Especially since we are doing renos in the house soon to make way for baby, so I haven't bought new ponies in a while (and was SO tempted to). Instead, I'm spending money on craft supplies because I'm really into that right now. And it's actually cheaper. I still get ponies, but they are the ones my cousin gives me that came to her through the recycling center. Just got two of Twilight Sparkle, a Twinkleshine, a mc D pony and a G3 Cheerilee. YAY! I love free ponies.
That said, I got super excited while in the states recently looking at all the new stuff they had that hasn't yet hit Canadian shelves! I think I met a fellow brony too, as he commented on how they had ponies when they were little and stuff. And some other grown men talking about the ponies and how they rememberd their sisters having them, and it was nice to see stuff from their days coming back now. :)
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I do the same thing, I wait until the pony isle is empty, them i swoop in:)
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My problem is guilt over spending money on toys that I feel I maybe should be saving for... something else?
Oh yeah, that's totally me too. I should be saving up to move out of the family home eventually but I justify it with the facts that: ponies make me happy, I'm not draining my bank account and do have a steady income, I denied myself a lot of material objects in childhood... Though my excitement to collect has been a bit overwhelming I'm trying to focus the collection down to something more manageable, just buying G4 that turn up in store or ponies I can get for a good price online. Then I strut down that pony aisle!
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the way i see it is, money is just money, its sole purpose is to buy stuff!!!!!!!! I would rather have cool things i love than have boring money laying around that the inflation is going to eat anyway