MLP and gender roles

[Al-1701]

That's easier said then done.  Marketing is very set in its ways.

Though, I was thinking.  What if one of the main character ponies on the show was a stallion?  You have Arcee and Airachnid on Transformers Prime.  I wonder if their toy would sell like the others.

[Opalescence]

From what I've seen in the toysection of some other board, Arcee is quite popular among the folks there. For the wrong reasons mostly though.

[Al-1701]

Terrific.      The mental images sear my frontal lobe.

Anyway, you'll more often see the one girl in boys cartoons than the one boy in girls cartoons.  Even those that do, like Jem, keep the guy at arms length, not really a part of the group.  What?  Do they think it's not manly for a guy to be surrounded by women they're on good speaking terms with?  It's really less manly than a bunch of guys interlocking and trying to force the other to the ground in suggestive positions?

Also, it would be an opportunity to show girls and boys being friends without necessarily being romantic.  Even if you do have a romantic with one, they could show him being friends with the others without suggesting cheating.

[Sunset]

Terrific.      The mental images sear my frontal lobe.

Anyway, you'll more often see the one girl in boys cartoons than the one boy in girls cartoons.  Even those that do, like Jem, keep the guy at arms length, not really a part of the group.  What?  Do they think it's not manly for a guy to be surrounded by women they're on good speaking terms with?  It's really less manly than a bunch of guys interlocking and trying to force the other to the ground in suggestive positions?

Also, it would be an opportunity to show girls and boys being friends without necessarily being romantic.  Even if you do have a romantic with one, they could show him being friends with the others without suggesting cheating.

I think Big Mac is supposed to fill this role on FIM.  I rather like Big Mac and wouldn't mind seeing more of him and more of him interacting with other characters besides his sisters.

[Stuntmang]

Terrific.      The mental images sear my frontal lobe.

Anyway, you'll more often see the one girl in boys cartoons than the one boy in girls cartoons.  Even those that do, like Jem, keep the guy at arms length, not really a part of the group.  What?  Do they think it's not manly for a guy to be surrounded by women they're on good speaking terms with?  It's really less manly than a bunch of guys interlocking and trying to force the other to the ground in suggestive positions?

Also, it would be an opportunity to show girls and boys being friends without necessarily being romantic.  Even if you do have a romantic with one, they could show him being friends with the others without suggesting cheating.

I think Big Mac is supposed to fill this role on FIM.  I rather like Big Mac and wouldn't mind seeing more of him and more of him interacting with other characters besides his sisters.

I don't really mind that too much, considering it gave him the setup for a Silent Bob speech in Ponyville Confidential.

[Sunset]

Terrific.      The mental images sear my frontal lobe.

Anyway, you'll more often see the one girl in boys cartoons than the one boy in girls cartoons.  Even those that do, like Jem, keep the guy at arms length, not really a part of the group.  What?  Do they think it's not manly for a guy to be surrounded by women they're on good speaking terms with?  It's really less manly than a bunch of guys interlocking and trying to force the other to the ground in suggestive positions?

Also, it would be an opportunity to show girls and boys being friends without necessarily being romantic.  Even if you do have a romantic with one, they could show him being friends with the others without suggesting cheating.

I think Big Mac is supposed to fill this role on FIM.  I rather like Big Mac and wouldn't mind seeing more of him and more of him interacting with other characters besides his sisters.

I don't really mind that too much, considering it gave him the setup for a Silent Bob speech in Ponyville Confidential.

You don't have to speak in order to interact or hang out. 

[Pinecone]

I think Spike plays the platonic male friend the most. He has been in G1, too. Of course, he's a kid, so he's kind of the team's baby brother.

It bugs me how bronies assume that girls can't watch scary stuff. Midnight Castle was pretty creepy (especially how Tirac threatened to kill Spike, and poor Ember's terrified "What's happening to my friends?!), and there are plenty of girl-aimed things that have creepy elements. Such as Sailor Moon (especially the original Japanese version). It just seems like bronies are sometimes desperate to deny that they are watching a little girls' show, and claiming that things aimed at girls are bad. Kind of mean, if you ask me. 

[Al-1701]

Which kind of defeats Faust's original purpose.  She wanted to show a girls show can be good and epic if the effort was put in.

Frankly, I think some bronies are afraid if they gave G1 MLP a real chance, they'd like it.

[Wardah]

I think the assumption that "girls can't handle scary stuff" comes more from the fact that most programming aimed at girls these days is rather tame. They are getting their assumptions about the old MLP cartoons from the G3 and G3.5 stuff that their sisters and cousins watched while they were growing up.

[Stuntmang]

I think Spike plays the platonic male friend the most. He has been in G1, too. Of course, he's a kid, so he's kind of the team's baby brother.

It bugs me how bronies assume that girls can't watch scary stuff. Midnight Castle was pretty creepy (especially how Tirac threatened to kill Spike, and poor Ember's terrified "What's happening to my friends?!), and there are plenty of girl-aimed things that have creepy elements. Such as Sailor Moon (especially the original Japanese version). It just seems like bronies are sometimes desperate to deny that they are watching a little girls' show, and claiming that things aimed at girls are bad. Kind of mean, if you ask me. 

Nice strawman.

[hyenacub]

That's easier said then done.  Marketing is very set in its ways.

BOY, isn't it!  Stupid marketing.  LOL

Also, it would be an opportunity to show girls and boys being friends without necessarily being romantic.

THIS!  I wish platonic relationships between the sexes would happen more often!  Yes, a man and woman can be good friends without being romantic sheesh.  LOL  I yell at movies and other shoes for this too.  I rant a lot. 

Pinecone...I like girly stuff!  I just like male characters in the stuff I watch too.  C:  And I know girls can watch creepy-ass stuff.  I know plenty who do! 

Frankly, I think some bronies are afraid if they gave G1 MLP a real chance, they'd like it.

Haha!  I like both!  Gotcha!  ; ) 

[Pinecone]

I think Spike plays the platonic male friend the most. He has been in G1, too. Of course, he's a kid, so he's kind of the team's baby brother.

It bugs me how bronies assume that girls can't watch scary stuff. Midnight Castle was pretty creepy (especially how Tirac threatened to kill Spike, and poor Ember's terrified "What's happening to my friends?!), and there are plenty of girl-aimed things that have creepy elements. Such as Sailor Moon (especially the original Japanese version). It just seems like bronies are sometimes desperate to deny that they are watching a little girls' show, and claiming that things aimed at girls are bad. Kind of mean, if you ask me. 

Nice strawman.

Please tell me where bronies actually acknowledge the show is for little girls, and don't try to claim the scary stuff is for men. Please. Really. I'd like some hope for the fandom that have been pretty cruel to younger fans. Or am I just a bad person becasue I didn't say positive things about bronies?

SPIDER (sorry a spider walked across my monitor and scared me)

[Al-1701]

Do those who like G1 as well as FiM count?

I think of it as a show geared towards little girls but as an appeal for all ages and both genders.  There are things in the show meant to go over younger viewers' heads, but that's nothing new for cartoons.  It also doesn't talk down to the audience or try to hold its hand.  Being meant for and appealing specifically to are two different things.  As Disney said, if you make media to appeal to a certain demographic, you're dead.

[LadyMoondancer]

Please tell me where bronies actually acknowledge the show is for little girls, and don't try to claim the scary stuff is for men. Please. Really. I'd like some hope for the fandom that have been pretty cruel to younger fans. Or am I just a bad person becasue I didn't say positive things about bronies?

I am sad to say I see this all the time too . . . Bronies assuming that anything remotely scary or referencing anything outside the show is put in for their benefit.

I.e. "Changelings, OMG!!! . . . ha ha, for LITTLE GIRLS, right?" 

Ditto with the Star Wars ending. Because God knows no little girls have seen Star Wars.   O___o

[Al-1701]

Oh yes.  God forbid a show for girls has an effective villain that's actually menacing.  coughTriacCatrinaSquirkGrogarLavancough.

Actually, the staff has said they put a lot of stuff in the show to entertain themselves.  So, the Star Wars endings were in there because they wanted it.  That along with the all the other references in the show.