The idea of today’s blog post came from
my cousin and an issue he has faced for years. My cousin is a Brony and if you
do not know what that is I will tell you. A Brony is a teenage or adult male
that is a HUGE fan of the show My Little Pony (which is actually an amazing
show in my opinion). These guys get a lot of heat for liking a show that was
created for little girls. It gets to the point where these Bronies are being
called pedophiles, future child molesters, and even fags because they enjoy
watching this show. Now don't get me wrong, I thought it was weird the first
time my cousin had me watching My Little Pony with him at 19 years old.
However, after a few episodes, I really started enjoying the show and became a
fan of the character Rainbow Dash. Although I only watch it with him, I do very
much enjoy the show. The issue that I have is that these men are being
stereotyped because the type of tv show that they like is directed towards
young girls. This show has a lot of action and some good morals and lessons
that it teaches kids. Yes, it is aimed from girls age five to ten and it is not
like an R Rated movie or an exclusive club. Anyone can watch the show because
it is on Netflix and HUB, which is accessible via the web. I feel that people
who give Bronies a hard time are just people who have never watched the show or
are uncomfortable with themselves. At the same time, our society is forced to
make men as "manly" as they can be. Violence, power, and aggression
is highly acceptable when it comes to grown men. However, all three categories
are found in the show, which people tend to ignore. This is because people
become blind to what they do not want to see. People see pink everywhere and
rainbows and think the worst of these men who are usually innocent fans of a
catchy show. I guess it is a problem because the complete opposite thing of
being a "manly" man is being a little girl.
When I was a young girl,
I was a big fan of the Simpsons, which didn't seem like an issue to society.
It's never really an issue when anyone wants to be "manly" but when
the tables turn, then people are bashed for what they enjoy. We give the “okay”
for females that like things that are designed for males but we shun males when
the roles are switched. As a society, we should learn not to always judge
others and keep opinions to ourselves because at the end of the day people are
going to do what they want to do. I support the Brony movement!
So glad you touched on the subject of Bronies. While I'm no fan myself, I understand the appeal and why it is liked so much. I find the subculture fascinating, and I applaud these men and boys for going against societal norms. It's a shame how other people are treated for liking something girly. I, myself, am a Transformers fan, and when I tell people this there is no backlash because it's "okay" for women to like guy stuff. Yet if I was a guy I said I liked My Little Pony, I would be called a homophobic slur or be seen as week. It's really inspiring to see hundreds of thousands of men like something that is for girls, expressing their emotions, and spreading the message of love and tolerance. This is the complete opposite of what men are told in our society; don't show your emotions, don't dry, don't like things girls like.
I find this post very interesting. The first thing I thought out when I read your opening statement was, “wow, what a double standard,” because if an older female were to admit liking the show, no one would really care. It is a shame that our society tries to make it seem as if someone is less of a man because they watch a show that has ponies, instead of violence. I also cannot believe that in the article you posted, the author was associating men who like this show with pedophiles. That is so extreme and in no way appropriate. What is even more of a double standard is that women can do “manly” things and it is sometimes seen as attractive. I personally work on my own car and have an interest in the Fast and Furious movies, and I have been told by men that that is “hot” or “sexy.” It raises an interesting question, why does our society glorify “manliness” yet look down on femininity? I actually started researching that exact question and came across an unusual blog post by someone inquiring about how to raise his newborn son to be a man. If you want to check it out here’s the link: http://www.thethousandmarch.com/apps/blog/show/12194228-manliness-what-i-will-teach-my-son
I have to be quit honest, my natural instinct to the first couple of sentences was “pedophile”. But as you said in your blog, people who disagree with the “bronies” haven’t seen the show. And no I have not seen the show, but even if I have I’m sure I wouldn’t agree with a grown man watching a show targeted towards young girls of the ages 5-10. Yes, I agree I’m stuck in my ways that society has taught me, but it’s hard to get out of. I don’t see what would attract a grown man to rainbows, and pink horses but I guess that brings in the whole question of “real masculinity”. Now if this were a story of a man watching Mickey Mouse or another unisex children film it would be bizarre to me because of the sex similarities. I would like to point out that girls are not always praised for their participation in male activities, as explained in our textbook.
I feel as if there are a few fans who take the show too seriously. I've seen posts on Tumblr or just random things popping up on other sites that I frequent and some are disturbing (I'll give a hint: it involved perverting their fanart in ways that... make you want to burn your laptop and throw it onto the highway to get run over). I don't really want to supply any examples, but they are out there. The main part of that was to tell my bias on the subject. There are fans who take things seriously with any "fandom". Supernatural fans try to summon a crossroads demon - fine. Doctor Who fans who paint their car into a TARDIS - yeah, bro, you go. But a man enjoys a show that has deeper messages than the wandering eye can see? Oh, no, that's not cool. I'm glad you did touch up on the idea of Bronies because I think they are the most chastised group on the internet. Because of my bias, I can see why, but I equate it to "Destiel" shippers with Supernatural - they'll create fan art and fan fictions, sometimes explicit, so when Bronies do it, why is it any different? Oh yeah, because their "man card" is on the line and watching such a girly show destroys it.. Maybe I'm defeating my point by saying I was disturbed by the art I saw and the things I will never be able to un-see, but it just wasn't within my tastes. And, I also think that was a small portion of the fanbase. HOWEVER, I do agree that targeting the fanbase and putting them down because the show is for "little girls only" is completely wrong. I don't see why society wants to butt in to every thing we like and everything we do - and I also don't see why people let it get to them.
So glad you touched on the subject of Bronies. While I'm no fan myself, I understand the appeal and why it is liked so much. I find the subculture fascinating, and I applaud these men and boys for going against societal norms. It's a shame how other people are treated for liking something girly. I, myself, am a Transformers fan, and when I tell people this there is no backlash because it's "okay" for women to like guy stuff. Yet if I was a guy I said I liked My Little Pony, I would be called a homophobic slur or be seen as week. It's really inspiring to see hundreds of thousands of men like something that is for girls, expressing their emotions, and spreading the message of love and tolerance. This is the complete opposite of what men are told in our society; don't show your emotions, don't dry, don't like things girls like.
ReplyDeleteI find this post very interesting. The first thing I thought out when I read your opening statement was, “wow, what a double standard,” because if an older female were to admit liking the show, no one would really care. It is a shame that our society tries to make it seem as if someone is less of a man because they watch a show that has ponies, instead of violence. I also cannot believe that in the article you posted, the author was associating men who like this show with pedophiles. That is so extreme and in no way appropriate.
ReplyDeleteWhat is even more of a double standard is that women can do “manly” things and it is sometimes seen as attractive. I personally work on my own car and have an interest in the Fast and Furious movies, and I have been told by men that that is “hot” or “sexy.” It raises an interesting question, why does our society glorify “manliness” yet look down on femininity?
I actually started researching that exact question and came across an unusual blog post by someone inquiring about how to raise his newborn son to be a man. If you want to check it out here’s the link:
http://www.thethousandmarch.com/apps/blog/show/12194228-manliness-what-i-will-teach-my-son
I have to be quit honest, my natural instinct to the first couple of sentences was “pedophile”. But as you said in your blog, people who disagree with the “bronies” haven’t seen the show. And no I have not seen the show, but even if I have I’m sure I wouldn’t agree with a grown man watching a show targeted towards young girls of the ages 5-10. Yes, I agree I’m stuck in my ways that society has taught me, but it’s hard to get out of. I don’t see what would attract a grown man to rainbows, and pink horses but I guess that brings in the whole question of “real masculinity”. Now if this were a story of a man watching Mickey Mouse or another unisex children film it would be bizarre to me because of the sex similarities. I would like to point out that girls are not always praised for their participation in male activities, as explained in our textbook.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if there are a few fans who take the show too seriously. I've seen posts on Tumblr or just random things popping up on other sites that I frequent and some are disturbing (I'll give a hint: it involved perverting their fanart in ways that... make you want to burn your laptop and throw it onto the highway to get run over). I don't really want to supply any examples, but they are out there. The main part of that was to tell my bias on the subject.
ReplyDeleteThere are fans who take things seriously with any "fandom". Supernatural fans try to summon a crossroads demon - fine. Doctor Who fans who paint their car into a TARDIS - yeah, bro, you go. But a man enjoys a show that has deeper messages than the wandering eye can see? Oh, no, that's not cool.
I'm glad you did touch up on the idea of Bronies because I think they are the most chastised group on the internet. Because of my bias, I can see why, but I equate it to "Destiel" shippers with Supernatural - they'll create fan art and fan fictions, sometimes explicit, so when Bronies do it, why is it any different? Oh yeah, because their "man card" is on the line and watching such a girly show destroys it..
Maybe I'm defeating my point by saying I was disturbed by the art I saw and the things I will never be able to un-see, but it just wasn't within my tastes. And, I also think that was a small portion of the fanbase.
HOWEVER, I do agree that targeting the fanbase and putting them down because the show is for "little girls only" is completely wrong. I don't see why society wants to butt in to every thing we like and everything we do - and I also don't see why people let it get to them.