Will MLP ever be gender neutral?

[SaphTalon]

I think that this argument was misunderstood. At least for me it was when I posted my comment. For that I am sorry if I offended anyone. This debate upon MLP being gender neutral is taken way too many directions and I find it sad if there is no agreement among us or at least a resolution.

Let me make this statement one last time. I probably should have posted it here first but I was not thinking.

It is reasonable that the females on this forum desire to keep My little pony's target audience on the girls. If you stop to consider how few boys liked MLP back in the 1980's you realize that most of the women on this forum have a child hood that they hold dear to their hearts. This thread was posted out of curiosity and its responses was not in any way intended to be an attack on us male members of MLParena.

I failed to see that and now that I realize my mistake I want everyone on here to understand this as well. We all love My little pony and the original audience was little girls. The fact is little boys are now part of the audience nothing will change this.   

Don't take me wrong because I love that the females in this fandom cherish their childhood. Its admirable that they want the young girls they have in their lifes to have the same opportunity to have a pleasant childhood. Even if My little pony becomes gender neutral nothing will take away your childhood or the value that My little pony has in its morals for little girls. It will always have value and for the record I find value in the morals as well and so does the men and young men of the Fandom. I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us. 

[Elisto]

This thread was posted out of curiosity and its responses was not in any way intended to be an attack on us male members of MLParena...I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us.

An attack on male Arena members? What are you talking about? Everyone in this thread seems very supportive of guys liking MLP.

And you "find it sad if there is no agreement among us or at least a resolution"? There's some disagreement about what exactly "girly" and "gender neutral" mean, but everyone here seems to be in agreement that MLP should continue to be marketed to or aimed at little girls, but that boys absolutely should not be excluded or discouraged from liking it at well. I really don't understand what you're saying/seeing here.

[Al-1701]

I've never felt personally attacked here.  If anything, I feel more at home here than I do on most brony boards.

And their is a resolution to this.  Keep My Little Pony a girl brand and work to help society not see "girly" as a bad thing.  If My Little Pony became "gender neutral", I think we would have lost something.

[DazzleKitty]

I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us. 

I don't see how anyone excluded males from being in the  MLP forum. If anything we've been singing praises to guys who like something girly for once that finally break the double-standard.

I am going to try to formulate my next statement to where it does not offend and I hope people get my point. I think it's misogyny on the part of the fellas that want it more gender neutral. Those that do want it to be that way.....well, I get the impression they may be embarrassed or ashamed they like something labeled as feminine. We live in a very patriarchal world. I feel like MLP has done a fine job at catering to male fans as they get their own MLP t-shirts and the G4 comics to me seem more male-pandered. Just my opinion. Let those who enjoy femininity have their sanctuary. MLP as it is, is just wonderful.

[Flitter]

I think that this argument was misunderstood.

I'm honestly still kinda confused on what exactly the OP meant by the question. 

Like, what in your mind would have to happen to make MLP gender neutral?
Obviously, a lot of males like it already.
If anyone here sounds defensive I think it's just because they like MLP the way it is and don't want it to change in order to appeal more to a different audience.

[HollowZero]

It is reasonable that the females on this forum desire to keep My little pony's target audience on the girls.

It's not just "females" that want to keep MLP a girl brand. A lot of people with sense realize that women-centric quality programming is extremely hard to come by. MLP is generally a quality program, and USUALLY brand (let's not get into that one) so why not keep it for girls? Why the "neutrality"? Why can't men and boys play with pink horses?

Another thing that always gets me with FIM especially is the latest battle with Tirak, and how bronies immediately have said things such as "and people consider FIM girly, this aint girly!" A female character fighting anything does not make it "manly" or masculine.

I failed to see that and now that I realize my mistake I want everyone on here to understand this as well. We all love My little pony and the original audience was little girls. The fact is little boys are now part of the audience nothing will change this.

The "fact" is that little boys have always been part of MLPs audience.

[Al-1701]

If anything, I think Friendship is Magic is trying to be too gender neutral right now by referencing memes and doing "cool" things like turning the Mane 6 into thin parodies of actual superheroes.

[hathorcat]

I think that this argument was misunderstood. At least for me it was when I posted my comment. For that I am sorry if I offended anyone. This debate upon MLP being gender neutral is taken way too many directions and I find it sad if there is no agreement among us or at least a resolution.

Let me make this statement one last time. I probably should have posted it here first but I was not thinking.

It is reasonable that the females on this forum desire to keep My little pony's target audience on the girls. If you stop to consider how few boys liked MLP back in the 1980's you realize that most of the women on this forum have a child hood that they hold dear to their hearts. This thread was posted out of curiosity and its responses was not in any way intended to be an attack on us male members of MLParena.

I failed to see that and now that I realize my mistake I want everyone on here to understand this as well. We all love My little pony and the original audience was little girls. The fact is little boys are now part of the audience nothing will change this.   

Don't take me wrong because I love that the females in this fandom cherish their childhood. Its admirable that they want the young girls they have in their lifes to have the same opportunity to have a pleasant childhood. Even if My little pony becomes gender neutral nothing will take away your childhood or the value that My little pony has in its morals for little girls. It will always have value and for the record I find value in the morals as well and so does the men and young men of the Fandom. I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us. 

The ability to seek insult where none was intended and discontent where none exists is worrying.

Lets not debate something which was never posted please.

[Empress Celestia]

I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us. 

I don't see how anyone excluded males from being in the  MLP forum. If anything we've been singing praises to guys who like something girly for once that finally break the double-standard.

I am going to try to formulate my next statement to where it does not offend and I hope people get my point. I think it's misogyny on the part of the fellas that want it more gender neutral. Those that do want it to be that way.....well, I get the impression they may be embarrassed or ashamed they like something labeled as feminine. We live in a very patriarchal world. I feel like MLP has done a fine job at catering to male fans as they get their own MLP t-shirts and the G4 comics to me seem more male-pandered. Just my opinion. Let those who enjoy femininity have their sanctuary. MLP as it is, is just wonderful.

But I do feel like most on the forum have a low opinion of Bronies! I don't mean to sound offensive, but it sometimes feels like you guys think that Bronies have somehow 'stolen' MLP and made it their own! But that's just my opinion.

[Al-1701]

Not all male fans of My Little Pony are bronies (and not all bronies are males).  I'm a male fan of My Little Pony, but I don't consider myself a brony.  I've been a fan since 1992, and actually prefer G1 to FiM.  I also don't like the attitudes some in the community have others are complacent in.

And in a way the bronies have have taken My Little Pony and made it their own.  They have the ear of the show staff and Friendship is Magic has started show their influence.  The result has been the series becoming more generic in its storytelling, more flanderized with its characters, and more forced in its humor.

[Empress Celestia]

Not all male fans of My Little Pony are bronies (and not all bronies are males).  I'm a male fan of My Little Pony, but I don't consider myself a brony.  I've been a fan since 1992, and actually prefer G1 to FiM.  I also don't like the attitudes some in the community have others are complacent in.

And in a way the bronies have have taken My Little Pony and made it their own.  They have the ear of the show staff and Friendship is Magic has started show their influence.  The result has been the series becoming more generic in its storytelling, more flanderized with its characters, and more forced in its humor.

I agree with you! I consider myself a Brony but prefer G1 and all the bronies I know just don't get why. But I do still stand by my comment that the ones who watched MLP since G1 look down on Bronies.

[DazzleKitty]

And in a way the bronies have have taken My Little Pony and made it their own.  They have the ear of the show staff and Friendship is Magic has started show their influence.  The result has been the series becoming more generic in its storytelling, more flanderized with its characters, and more forced in its humor.

I agree with this. There are great bronies out there, don't get me wrong. But the ones I have come across have had a low opinion of G1, G2, and G3. They have taken MLP as their own as you have said.

I think this forum should welcome bronies, don't get me wrong. But what I love about this place is there is love for all generations here. Not just G4. I have burnt out on G4 thanks to the hate for G1 bronies have done. I hold G1 ponies dearly because they are part of my childhood. Thanks to G1 I have become a collector and met many WONDERFUL people at the Arena!

[Empress Celestia]

And in a way the bronies have have taken My Little Pony and made it their own.  They have the ear of the show staff and Friendship is Magic has started show their influence.  The result has been the series becoming more generic in its storytelling, more flanderized with its characters, and more forced in its humor.

I agree with this. There are great bronies out there, don't get me wrong. But the ones I have come across have had a low opinion of G1, G2, and G3. They have taken MLP as their own as you have said.

I think this forum should welcome bronies, don't get me wrong. But what I love about this place is there is love for all generations here. Not just G4. I have burnt out on G4 thanks to the hate for G1 bronies have done. I hold G1 ponies dearly because they are part of my childhood. Thanks to G1 I have become a collector and met many WONDERFUL people at the Arena!

Well don't worry! There are some Bronies, like myself, who love G1!

[hathorcat]

I ask from the deepest part of my heart for the female part of this forum to have compassion enough to share your child hood joy with us. 

I don't see how anyone excluded males from being in the  MLP forum. If anything we've been singing praises to guys who like something girly for once that finally break the double-standard.

I am going to try to formulate my next statement to where it does not offend and I hope people get my point. I think it's misogyny on the part of the fellas that want it more gender neutral. Those that do want it to be that way.....well, I get the impression they may be embarrassed or ashamed they like something labeled as feminine. We live in a very patriarchal world. I feel like MLP has done a fine job at catering to male fans as they get their own MLP t-shirts and the G4 comics to me seem more male-pandered. Just my opinion. Let those who enjoy femininity have their sanctuary. MLP as it is, is just wonderful.

But I do feel like most on the forum have a low opinion of Bronies! I don't mean to sound offensive, but it sometimes feels like you guys think that Bronies have somehow 'stolen' MLP and made it their own! But that's just my opinion.

And with that post...I will lock this if necessary :/

I am sick (5 days of the flu is seriously getting to me)...I cannot be bothered with a debate about bronies v collectors.

So I am going to say this like it is...

This is a collectors forum - its been about before G4, it will be about after G4. The majority of people on here are collectors, they are not bronies. Is there a feeling that we, i.e. those who have been collecting and supporting MLP since before G4, have got a little shoved out in favour of a cooler, larger and perhaps more willing to spend their $$ group? Yup, there is. But you know what? In the main, we handle ourselves with class and simply accept it. We have the occasional rant (I include myself in that) because when you see certain things happen within the community, within Hasbro, within licensees its easy to have your nose put out of joint. But thats it - nothing more, nothing less than some personal feelings. And it is far from the sentiment of everyone on this forum - lots of people love what G4 is doing for adult collectors.

Typically everyone gets along, we aim for rainbows & sunshine and sure sometimes we miss and get some rain and thunder but anyone who wishes to join us (scammers excluded) is welcome and I would love to see someone point to a thread or a post which made someone feel unwelcome. So what if some people have a low opinion on bronies on here? I am sure some people on other forums or sites have low opinions of collectors. If anyone gets nasty with it...yup we will lock it down and the poster may feel some penguin wrath but seldom does that ever happen (we get more bent out of shape about things like doll hair and whether a pony should stay MIB than about being a "collector" or a "brony").

None of us care if you are boy or girl, if you only collect G1 or only watch the G4 cartoons. Everyone is welcome; everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I, for one, do get fed up with the "I feel as though no one likes me because I am a guy or because I am a brony" sentiment that is sometimes posted. I never see that anywhere and it feels a little imagined sometimes.

AND THAT WAS WILDLY OFF TOPIC...but I am allowed...I am ill (plus I can access the lock button).

Please get back to the previous 4 pages of interesting discussion and not any of the "nasty bronies v snobby collectors" or "ewwwww boys!!!!!" comments made.

[Al-1701]

All sunshine makes a desert and you need rain for rainbows.  Still, we don't need a hurricane in here.

Back on topic.  What if, in the next installment of MLP media, the main group has a male pony in it similar to how some boy shows have a female character in the main group?