Can I get a brohoof?

[frigidmagi]

I just like it because of the uncharacteristic and almost Popeye-like facial expression.

Explanation... Acceptable! Proceed citizen!

_{*Totally not a message from your corn growing capitalist overlords... BUY MORE STUFF!*}

[Batman]

What's with all the recent brouhahah about those beasties anyway? They're funnily coloured ponies some of which apparently have dildos glued to their foreheads. So Valendamned what?

[B4UTRUST]

The whole My Little Pony and 'Broney' movement is a mystery to me as well, Batman.

[LadyTevar]

Two Words: Teen Titans.

Like the TT, this is a show that has surprised many with good writing, great animation, and how it entertains all ages. Now, explain Teen Titans popularity, and you'll understand Bronies.

[Derek Thunder]

Since it's a slow day at work I'm going to put on my amateur cultural analysis hat on for a bit and try to explain.

The show itself is fairly well-written, especially for children's entertainment, with a snappy pace and good comedic timing. The characters are compelling, three-dimensional, and as young adults easy to relate to. There's also the community aspect, the creative output is frankly staggering at this point.

That being said, I think there are several reasons why the FiM phenomenon has become such a force on the internet and I believe a lot of them have to do with idealism and optimism in an age of depression, uncertainty, and pessimism. A pony's cutie mark represents a special talent that everyone possesses and which they can capitalize on, and as far as anyone can tell Ponyville has neither poverty nor surplus labor. Contrast this to our society, where young adults face decreasing expectations of living comfortably as offshoring and persistant (perhaps even structural) unemployment create downward pressure on wages, benefits, and job security. Pony society also seems to lack a capital class - Everypony *ugh* generates wealth through providing goods and services, rather than speculation or profit-taking through harnessing previously-existing capital. It's unlikely that a credit-default swap would be necessary in Ponyville. This is not to say that the profit motive doesn't exist at all, but in the case of someone like Rarity, it is a secondary goal subservient to creating works of art and raising the aesthetic standards of society.

The show also asserts a gender-egalitarian universe that in many ways represents an ideal, in which male and female roles are not prescribed by relentless advertising and social policing by authority figures. Anypony *ugh* can fill any role they want, or live any way they choose; the concept of a "glass ceiling" would be unthinkable. Ironically, a show that exists largely to promote the sale of toys also heavily downplays conspicuous consumption, as the characters find meaning through each other and experience rather than the acquisition of things.

My personal theory is that for a lot of fans, the show filled a void of optimism and hope that was created by the inevitable disappointment of the Obama presidency, but there isn't much data about the political orientation of fans so that is just speculation on my part.

*Totally not a message from your corn growing capitalist overlords... BUY MORE STUFF!*

This immediately created a mental image of the sunglasses scene from "They Live" except Roddy Piper looks out upon a cityscape ruled by billboards that just say EAT CORN.

[B4UTRUST]

Derek,

Alright. But I still don't get why it's as popular as it is... It's wasted on me I suppose. It holds no appeal to me what-so-ever so I guess I'm just not able to understand.

[frigidmagi]

Well B4, have you watched the show?

I haven't and have no intention of doing so. I try to be fair yes, but... Between GI Joe Renegade and other things (it's been years but the memory of trying to read the first Twilight book still brings on headaches) well there's a damn limit to the crap I'm willing to subject myself to. So I don't sit around wondering about it, I don't watch it, never have watched it and frankly don't ever intend to watch it. Has such, I will never know why it's popular.

Derek, don't the Ponies liver under an eternal God(dess) Monarch?

[Steve]

I learned enough about it from Chuck's review, which was good and hilarious with all the modified Rorschach quotes. And his response to the creator's surname. He mentions how the show's mysterious ability to attract a male and geek secondary demographic is a "boon from all high... or due to a deal with the devil", then comes up on referring to the creator.... Lauren Faust. "Wait a minute, Faust? Oh come on, that's just too easy!"

[frigidmagi]

And I'll say Neigh! Yeah I saw that review to.

[Batman]

Did Frigid just make a funny?

[rhoenix]

I... just don't get it. But, whatever floats your boats.

[Derek Thunder]

Derek, don't the Ponies liver under an eternal God(dess) Monarch?

This is true, but I think there's something appealing about the idea of a nearly-perfect and entirely virtuous god-queen ruling instead of a messy, rent-seeking political system where ideology goes to die.

[Batman]

I... just don't get it. But, whatever floats your boats.

...But I'm the one who doesn't have a sense of humour.

[frigidmagi]

Did Frigid just make a funny?

What? I can't make jokes?

This is true, but I think there's something appealing about the idea of a nearly-perfect and entirely virtuous god-queen ruling instead of a messy, rent-seeking political system where ideology goes to die.

I submit for your consideration that under an eternal God-Queen, who as I understand it rules the very sun itself there can be limited at best political freedom. Do we see any protest or disagreement allowed over her policies? Any monarch must devote time to displaying themselves as good, noble, virtuousness and right. Even if... Especially if they aren't. This is true to a lesser extent for elected rulers but they do not have to present a image of being better (and therefore justified in their rule) then the commoners, as elected officials can claim virtue of popular support. As from what I saw in the review she is multiplicative and secretive keeping her subjects in the dark of her plans and motives and moving them around like chess pieces. Additionally, it is possible that we see no capital moving about because it is already tied up, is the political system feudal? Do certain ponies just get certain things because of their breeds or birth?

I must also ask, are we sure this is a egalitarian paradise? Are there any males in positions of authority? I am given to understand that the flying ponies can control the very weather itself and live separately in their own cloud cities, while earthbound ponies mainly labor on farms and live in the mud that doesn't seem very equal.

[Derek Thunder]

Well, there does seem to be some sort of nobility class, though as Prince Blueblood was not able to have Rarity sent to the dungeon after she obliterated his pride with a shower of cake it's quite likely that their power is ceremonial, like the British House of Lords. Also, as far as we know Sweet Apple Acres is owned by Applejack's family, and Sugarcube Corner is owned by the Cake family (a couple, both earth ponies and both not involved in farming), so a feudal system seems unlikely.

While some Pegasi do seem to live in cloud cities, not all do, and Unicorns seem to coexist in the same space with earth ponies without RaHoWa spontaneously breaking out. Also, Ponyville does have an elected mayor, and there doesn't seem to be any commissar behind the shadows, so popular government does exist at some levels.

As from what I saw in the review she is multiplicative and secretive keeping her subjects in the dark of her plans and motives and moving them around like chess pieces.

I like to think that Celestia's role as head of state is as a figurehead, and she spends her ample free time messing with Twilight Sparkle and her group. I suppose you are right though that a political system would not easily be able to remove Celestia though.

That being said, it's becoming an increasingly popular theory that Pinkie Pie is the raven-trickster god of the Ponyverse and can manipulate events outside of spacetime, so Celestia may not be the cosmic prime mover anyway.

[frigidmagi]

What evidence do we have that she is a figurehead? Also I must ask, is the mayor shown to have any actual power? With the appearance of a Prince we do see at the very least the remains of a feudal system what with people holding feudal ranks. Additionally, the feudal system does allow for freeholding and small business ownership, not all feudal systems automatically mean serfs toiling the land under the lash of nobles ruling every moment of their lives.

Another couple of thoughts on the prince, he might not have been able to throw Rarity because she was protected, if he called for it he would have to have some expectation that he could. If nothing else the prince has wealth enough to be idle while everyone else is working... Hmmm where is the capital indeed. In fact what makes him a prince? Is he related to the Goddess Queen on Earth, she who brings the sun?

Another question, the purple one, Twilight Sparkle I believe? What does she do for a living?

[LadyTevar]

Twilight Sparkle runs the Town Library, Frigid ... although mostly she continues her studies into Magic.

Prince Blueblood is the x-amount great-nephew of Princess Celestia. It's never explained if he's Princess Luna's, or if there is another sibling we've never met. He lives in Canterlot, which is as uppity as the British Nobility and just as inbred, it seems. ;)

While Ponyville is the main town we see, it is still a small-town. There is Manehattan, a huge city of unicorns and earth-pony, which we see in a flashback of how AppleJack got her CutieMark (the mark on her flank).

I have to agree with you on the seeming Feudalism. Earth ponies work the land, bake goods, and run restaurants. Unicorns manufacture goods using their horn magic. Pegasi create and control weather, under the Princess' guidance, there is even a schedule they follow

[RogueIce]

Two Words: Teen Titans.

Like the TT, this is a show that has surprised many with good writing, great animation, and how it entertains all ages. Now, explain Teen Titans popularity, and you'll understand Bronies.

This.

It's a well-written show, with good animation, consistent characters, and intelligent comedy. What more reason do I (or anyone else) need to be a fan of the show?

Or is it just because it's a "girl show" that lets people mock it and the male fans? Do you mock female fans of Transformers or GI Joe?

Watch it or don't watch it, your choice. But all the "lol male fans of girls show" is retarded.

[Steve]

I tease more than anything. And as I said.... I teared up over the end of "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep". I don't get to throw stones on this stuff.

[RogueIce]

So...added a new quote to my sig, again from Power Rangers RPM. It is such an awesome series I had to give it some more love.

[The Minx]

It's implied from Twilight Sparkle's dialogue that Princess Celestia does have enormous political power when she chooses to use it (she actually doesn't use it for the most part). I doubt that Celestia could be removed, except possibly by the Elements of Harmony and Luna working together do so. And then they would have to rely on Luna to do the Sun duties afterwards. Without either of those two, they'd be in pretty bad shape.

For all that, I'd say that Equestria is a better place to live than Earth. A monarchy is as good as the monarch, and Celestia is about as benign as they come. Besides, other than removal of the ruler the main issue with monarchies is that they have a silly selection mechanism for the next ruler - but if the ruler is immortal, that's not much of an issue.

As for equality: Equestria is about as egalitarian as a society could be given the differences in power between the types of pony. If you've got ponies that can work actual magic living among muggle earth ponies, then how do you manage equality? The focus on friendship and tradition with cutie mark given native talents for everyone everypony seems to be what makes it all work.

If the ponies were all of the same type, that would obviously make the society more equal, but that doesn't really say anything about the equality provided by the system itself - after all it's not the Equestrian system's fault that there are different races of pony with different abilities.

[Dark Silver]

....gdi....

am I going to have to move this thread to Fantasy because it sparked actual discussion?


....foine.

!	Message from: Dark Silver
	thread moved

[Steve]

Sorry Rogue, but the recent debacle on SB over MLP erotic fiction has made it likely I will continue jokes about opening the Equestria Glue Factory for some time....

[Derek Thunder]

Sorry Rogue, but the recent debacle on SB over MLP erotic fiction has made it likely I will continue jokes about opening the Equestria Glue Factory for some time....

Debacle over clopfics? I'm curious to know more...

[frigidmagi]

The words pony porn were slung about.