Wednesday, November 6, 2013

My Little Brony

Last week I mentioned on Twitter that John had voluntarily watched two episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic with me, and who wanted to bet I had a Brony-in-the-making.

John was mildly scandalized, but all of the responses I got were so unbelievably encouraging that I think he was secretly delighted. Here's my favorite reply:


I've been trying to get into MLP for a while now, but the first half dozen episodes left me nonplussed. So when John agreed to watch a few with me, I skipped ahead a ways and then cherry-picked (apple-picked?) a few that looked promising. They were better, but it wasn't until we stumbled across the episode May The Best Pet Win that - you guessed it - we both got hooked.

Ooh, hey, I even found the full episode online! Here ya go:



 (After this I also highly recommend The Sonic RainBoom if you're looking to give the show a try.)

The next day John sternly declared that he was only watching to be a supportive husband, and that he was really just going to be sitting over here playing a racing game on his phone anyway -  but before I knew it he was yelling at Rarity to stop being a snob, and how could Pinkie Pie think they were all ignoring her on purpose, anyway? I mean, COME ON.

We've watched a few episodes every day since, and John's been quizzing me on everyone's names in-between.

Last night he went online to see if a guy had ever cosplayed as his favorite pony.

The answer? AyyyYUP. (But only one that he could find.) (And no, it's not Macintosh!)

I know there are some questionable areas to the Brony fandom -  areas which neither of us have any interest in exploring, btw  - but I like to think most Pony fans love the same things we do: a show with heart, laughs, and gentle stories that let us escape from real life for a while.

And in case anyone new discovers this post, let me state for the record that John is a former football linebacker who can re-plumb an entire house in a day, lift a couch over his shoulder, and is routinely told by friends that he's the "manliest man" they know. He also tears up over cute animal pictures, can pick out his wife's makeup better than she can, and yes, HE LIKES MY LITTLE PONY. 

 He IS... the most interesting man in my world:

 ...dramatically removing his glasses.


So, yeah. You know what it means if you're a My Little Pony fan? That you like My Little Pony. That's it. And I'm so glad that we've found a circle of friends - both online and off - that totally gets that.

And finally, since I KNOW you're dying to ask - and I'm proud to say I guessed this before John even knew himself - his favorite is Fluttershy.
 
(Mine's Pinkie Pie - but you probably already knew that. :D Her pet alligator Gummi cracks. me. up.)

96 comments:

  1. Welcome to the Herd! *Brohoof* Been a brony myself for about a year, I'm one of the kind who just watches the show, reads the news, and looks at all the pretty art. :D I don't cosplay or make anything but I always give brohooves to fellow bronies. :3

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're a sexy beast, John, and if you like MLP, then I guess I'm going to have to watch the episode that Jen linked to. Dammit. I've managed to completely avoid all things MLP until now. Thanks a lot, Jen. *Sigh*

    KW

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband actually loved the show long before he even tried to get me to watch. I'm still not a huge fan, but I can see the fun in it. His favorite episode- The Best Night Ever. He could sing that whole ep. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My husband will grudgingly admit that he enjoys MLP, he still claims that he watches it because the kids are watching it. But there are a few episodes that he laughs out loud at, can't remember which ones at the moment. My 9 year old son really enjoys the shows along with his sisters, my husband told him that some people might try to make fun of him because of this but to just ignore them. I told my husband that I think it is funny that we try to get girls to play with tools and tell them they can do anything but boys are told they can't like pink or ponies because they are for girls. I think that Pinkie Pie is my favorite too, just because she has more random singing and we all need more random singing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's actually not all that surprising that John's favorite is Fluttershy. A lot of the bronies I've met or heard about love her! (My favorite is Twilight Sparkle!) And thankfully there is a lot of love on the internet for bronies (or at least, a lot of tolerance :) ). I haven't seen too much hate come towards them, and the hate that does is responded to in such an adult manner that my faith in humanity is restored. Much like our friends here on Epbot. :) I would recommend watching Nightmare Night, the Halloween episode of season 2. That is one of my favorite episodes, and only a few days late!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My two and a half year old loves My Little Pony. Sometimes on weekends, as a special treat, Mommy, Daddy, and baby watch it together. My husband and I are both hooked and started cracking up when Q guest voiced as Discord. My hubby likes Twilight Sparkle because she is a librarian just like him. I like Twilight and Pinkie Pie (she cracks me up). I am glad that there are other "bronies" or "pegasisters" out there.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How sad that you feel compelled to defend his manliness. It's really awful that men can't just enjoy what they enjoy without society questioning their masculinity. Piffle to that, I say! Enjoy what you want without shame or judgement--it's nobody's beeswax!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nah, I think Jen is just pointing out that stereotypes don't always apply. Like it or not, the term "Brony" carries some negative connotations, so maybe knowing a guy like me likes ponies will help encourage someone else out there.

      Delete
    2. " He also tears up over cute animal pictures, can pick out his wife's makeup better than she can, and yes, HE LIKES MY LITTLE PONY" She's saying 'don't judge a book by its cover..in fact, just don't judge at all"

      Delete
  8. Welcome to the herd, John.

    I agree with your choice of best pony. It's definitely Fluttershy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I figured I would see a comment from you on here! :-)

      Delete
  9. Who DOESN'T love Fluttershy? She's adorable. And aren't there "questionable" aspects to any fandom? (Especially fanfic?) I liked the episodes with Discord.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Heads up the newer My little Ponies have a magnet in their front paw. I come downstairs and there was a herd of MLP climbing up the front of my refrigerator. I think you should get him a Fluttershy to stick to anything metal in the garage. Imagine the fun.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Boyfriend and I both love Rarity. Assumed the whole way that Pinkie was my fav, but Rarity is just too awesome.
    We've been watching through the entire series the last few months, and he's turned into a full blown brony. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, I forgot to mention my fav episode! My fav is A Dog and Pony Show, and I think my boy friend's fav might be Suited for Success, as he, as a programmer, can really relate to that one. It was also these 2 episodes that really established Rarity, and helped her form a real personality.
      I love her showing the other ponies she didn't need their help!

      Delete
  12. I love watching MLP:FIM with my son and daughter (6 & 3) who both adore the show. If you get a chance and are interested, I highly recommend the MLP comics that came out this year. Also, when I want my daughter to quiet down, I try to get her to talk like Fluttershy. (yay!) Jeez, I love Fluttershy just for that lol. So glad you're both enjoying the show! New episodes start this month!

    ReplyDelete
  13. When all my friends started watching, my reaction was "How can all of you be getting so worked up over a remake of a really thin eighties toy commercial?

    And now a couple of years later, here I am at a con cosplaying Equestria Girls Twilight Sparkle next to my girlfriend Maya as Pinkie Pie and our friend Kara as Sunset Shimmer. I swear, it's like the Pony Borg or something. Resistance Is Futile and Friendship Is Magic.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Full of win! "Hearts & Hooves" day is a favorite here.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My fourteen year old son is delighted that John likes MLP. His dad has been giving him a bit of a hard time about liking it. I feel the same as Isle Family - if girls can enjoy playing with tools then boys can enjoy watching My Little Pony without it "meaning" anything.

    ReplyDelete
  16. If you enjoy it, I suggest looking up a fan made short called "Children of the Night". It has Luna in it, she's my favorite character.

    Maralyn H.
    P.S. thanks for the "anonymous" setting

    ReplyDelete
  17. *ahem* I think his name is Big Macintosh.

    ReplyDelete
  18. In a sort of ironic way, it was my boyfriend who got me into My Little Pony. He showed me the first episode of season 2, and then I spent the next three days watching all three seasons. :D Welcome to the herd, John!

    ReplyDelete
  19. My whole family loves watching MLP together. My husband is the most obsessed, closely followed by me and then our ten yr oldson. Our 12 yr old has accepted it, and the two year old could take it or leave it. Lol. May the Best Pet Win is my favorite episode!!! That turtle is so cute and he cracks me up! If you could combine Rainbodash and Pinkie Pie, that would be my favorite pony!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yes yes yes!
    Says the girl who drew your pony a while back.
    But yes! Great to see you're enjoying the show! And good timing too, we finally get more episodes this month and they look like they'll be pretty great :D I'm so proud of you guys *sniff*

    Btw, If John wants someone to pony art for him, toss me a note! (Deviantart: 22bubble-eyes22) I'm busy this month, but maybe not so much over the holidays. Or really if you want me to art for you in general X)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello Jen and John,
    welcome to the herd and brohoof. I am so happy to hear that John's favorite is also my favorite of the mane6. My all time favorite is Apple bloom. I cosplayed Fluttershy this year on Gamescom (a gaming expo in GErmany) and had one of the craziest moments when a full dressed, camouflaged soldier with rifle ran after me (they exhibeted, the rifle was not loaded). He told me he wanted a photo with fluttershy and was huge fan. He had a broad grin on his face. Here is a photo of me in my cosplay: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/75379823/962983_542232715848771_976255281_n.jpg
    I love the show and I love to cosplay. I would love to see you, Jen, jumping through the crowds of DragonCon and giving away Cupcakes.

    Thanks Jen to give me the confidence in cosplaying in the second year. I read your blog almost since the beginning and it helped me a lot to stop thinking that I'm too old.

    ReplyDelete
  22. For the real deal check out some of the original MLP movies/episodes. So much 80s love, reminds me of my childhood. Rescue at Midnight Castle was the first, then Escape from Catrina, and My Little Pony: The Movie. (I actually wore out the tape of the last one when I was a kid)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES! I have avoided this whole reboot because the original MLP WAS my childhood!

      Delete
    2. Jenn, I'm a huge fan of the 80's show, and the new show was made by someone who loved them just like we did. She put a huge amount of her heart and childhood into it. It's not going to ruin the original series. If anything, it very much honors it. Please consider giving it a chance.

      Delete
    3. Thanks for your thoughts, Zidders! I may have to give it a shot and watch a few episodes. There have just been so, SO many terrible reboots lately that do not at all honor the originals (I'm looking at you Garfield, Smurfs, Chipmunks...). I'm glad to hear this isn't one of them!

      Delete
  23. Cosplay Idea: Steampunk Ponies that would be so sassy. And you should hand out cupcakes as I already said.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yea! Love MLP: FIM. My husband and I watch it together. We're the opposite of you two, though. Pinkie Pie is his favorite (Spike is a close second) and Fluttershy is mine. Our anniversary was yesterday and I got him a Pinkie Pie Beanie Baby. [As far as I can tell, the MLP Beanies only come in Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle].

    Our favorite episode is called "Spike at Your Service" [season 3, episode 9]. Just watch it. You'll figure out why. :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. If John did a Fluttershy cosplay, he'd have to do the Angry Stare whenever someone asked for a picture. That'd be so awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  26. My boys, ages 6 and 9, love My Little Ponies. They also like to play with Barbie dolls and other "non-masculine" things. They also like the traditional boy toys. We've always encouraged them to like what they like. It was kind of funny when the youngest came home from kindergarten furious that another boy had said that only girls could like princesses.

    ReplyDelete
  27. My brothers are both Bronys too! My 18 year old brother likes Rainbow Dash, and my 21 year old brother likes Fluttershy. He's a trucker and often wears MLP t-shirts.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love Fluttershy too! I think my favorite episode of the first season, next to the pet episode you mentioned, has to be Bridle Gossip. Watching Fluttershy sing in a lovely Baritone while Pinkie Pie mimes in the background made me laugh harder than I would like to admit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! This is the episode where I actually kinda got hooked on them

      Delete
  29. once again, i have read your blog and found where i want to belong. for the last 2-3 weeks, i have been galloping my way through all three seasons of MLP and have enjoyed every minute of it. i even have a post it at work that remindes me to be kind and polite. it says WWFSD: What Would Fluttershy Do? i find that i have WAY too much reality in my life. Stresses with work and bills and being a grown up and all that melarkey sometimes make me feel bad about myself. i feel like other people have thier sh!t together and here i am, just trying to keep my head above water. So... i watch MLP or Doctor Who or Fraggle Rock or The Animaniacs and remember that it is ok to be different and to laugh and remember the lust for life that the corporate world tries to stiffle out of me each week. thank you for being... well... you. for being open and proud and silly and creative. thank you for consistantly reminding me that i'm not the only one out there that is like me. Thank you for creating a warm safe place to geek out and be myself. p.s. Fluttershy is my fav of the main six but Princess Luna is my overall favorite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ^Couldn't agree with this more!! :-) I am 33 and LOVE MLP - Pinkie Pie is my fav, but Fluttershy is a close second personality-wise. Princess Cadence is my favorite art-wise - she's just so purdy. ;-) I think it's great to be a "kid at heart," especially with all the reality (yuck!) out there. So what if I eat Monsters U shaped mac and cheese or rock my 80's animated movies soundtracks while cooking said mac and cheese?! (Chipmunk Adventure ftw!!)

      Glad that you and john have found yet another show to watch! :-)

      Delete
  30. YAY! Fluttershy is my favorite too. And while I still don't label myself as a brony (yet) I live with one so by default I know way more about ponies than I should. That said, Andrea is working to help me make a steampunk Fluttershy outfit, and since she cosplays as Rainbow Dash I think it would be fitting to have a Daring Do cosplay to accompany her.
    And I personally love the guys that cosplay as the Mane Six. They look so amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Glad to hear we've expanded the fandom! ;) My cousins, some friends, and I have even cosplayed as the group! My cousin Patrick (who is just short of 6 feet tall) was Applejack, my cousin Matt was Twilight Sparkle, Josh was Rainbowdash, Liz was Rarity, there were some others, and I was Applebloom :D It was fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Awesome! It is great when couples find something they like to do together!
    BTW -- did you see the article interviewing Allie from "Hyperbole and a Half" about her new book? Squee!! Find it on the CNN page, under CNN Living. Titled "Know 'all the things' about Hyperbole and a Half creator Allie Brosh" There is a picture of her there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/06/living/books-allie-brosh-hyperbole/

      Delete
  33. First of all, you can like My Little Pony WITHOUT being a Bronie. Secondly (and lastly) John takes his glasses off dramatically better than anyone else in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  34. John is a modern Renaissance man.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hooray for John! My husband, while not watching MLP, does Ballet, likes cute animal pictures and gets sentimental, he also picks out my clothes because he has better taste than I do. I consider him a manly man also!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ha Ha Awesome :D. And just so you know, my husband is going to be cosplaying as Rainbow Dash next Halloween, while I am going as Queen Chrysalis (the changeling queen). I have no idea if any of the kids will be joining us in Ponyville for the holiday, but we might get one or two.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Fluttershy is my favorite, too - John has good taste! But I agree with you too - Gummy, Pinky's pet, is HILARIOUS!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I cried when I found out we were having a girl (our 2nd child, the first girl in his family for 60 yrs)--and I'm not ashamed to admit that a few tears owed to knowing I would get to dig out MY old ponies and play them with my daughter. My husband has actually seen more of the current shows than I have, and my son has seen them all--more than once.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My little girl loves playing with my old ponies and the new ones together. She even gives the older ones names.

      Delete
  39. My husband introduced me to MLP:FIM. I think the show is well-written and often steers away from the obvious, flat morals to incorporate a bit more of the depth involved with the type of situations that friendship cartoons feature. I think it's a funny, touching show and I like the characters and animation. Though she's not my favorite, I probably the most like Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to the Herd.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Exciting! Where are you watching it? Our library doesn't have it, and I obviously don't want to buy it until I know I like it. Although, based on Epbot past precedent, I probably will. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you have Netflix, everything that has aired is on there. There's also places on YouTube with full episodes, but those do risk being taken down.

      Delete
  41. I have not watched MLP yet. I'm trying not to. I know, I'm bad. I just don't like the new look of the Ponies. They're too anime for me. I miss the old look. Why does everything have to get anime-d up? I still have all of my ponies--Glory was always my favorite. Don't know if she's called Glory on the show--in the original MLP, she was a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail, a blue streak in her mane, and a shooting star on her rump. I had the castle and everything when I was a kid, and of course my She-Ra dolls had to ride the Ponies.

    ReplyDelete
  42. We watch them all the time at our house(with or without our kids!) and I am happy to say I sing the songs at work. It is a good show that has a good message. You guys should check out the episode 'Too Many Pinkies' especially if she is your favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I kinda didn't think it was possible to love either of you more, aaaaaaaaaaand then this happens! We gave MLP a shot and didn't fall in love, but it doesn't matter! The lesson is be entertained (or don't) and eff the noise. Or, to paraphrase Patton, WE ALL JUST LOVE THE STUFF WE LOVE. Right? Right. OFF TO READ RASSLIN' RECAPS. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  44. Yay! I love the show. And I have tons of friends who are bronies and awesome people, so he's in good company :D My favorite episode is actually "A Dog and Pony Show", because I adore Rarity and I love that this one portrays what some see as a weakness of character (her prissiness) as her own strength as well. Also, John De Lancie plays discord in the series. Who can protest a show with him!?

    ReplyDelete
  45. I think you two are some of the most wonderful people in the world. Thank you for giving my friends and I so much to smile about. You two have helped me through some very depressing moments & helped give me something to live for. This just...don't ever let anyone or anything dull your sparkle. I love you two so much. I wish nothing but love and happiness for you for the rest of your days <3

    ReplyDelete
  46. This post makes me so ridiculously happy!! Have you seen the Royal Wedding episode, yet? I think that one is my favorite. Or a Friend in Deed with the best song EVER "Smile" by Pinkie Pie. *warm fuzzies*

    ReplyDelete
  47. This makes me very happy. The day I was introduced to my now-boyfriend, he was wearing a cutie mark t-shirt. As we got to talking, we realized that we shared Fluttershy as a favourite pony and that was that. An awful lot of our dates end with us re-watching season one and we're going to a local convention at the end of the month to meet several voice actors from the show (and I'll be cosplaying Fluttershy). He's hilariously outspoken about his bronyness. It's delightful.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Thank you for your episode suggestions! I've been wanting to watch MLP, mostly because I LOVED my ponies when I was a little girl, and I think Rainbow Dash is freaking cute. The idea of MLP has been poo-pooed by my 6 and 3 year old boys, but I forced them to watch "May the Best Pet Win" and I think I've got the 6 year old hooked! The 3 year old insists he can't like it, but keeps sneaking out of his toy room and hiding in the hallway to watch. Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. My dude's friend (a dude tattoo artist) got us watching. My dude had MLP gear before I did! He's totally a brony and his favourite is also Fluttershy (although Big Mac comes in second). I identify way too much with Twilight Sparkle.

    There are so many good episodes! I love the Cutie Mark Crusaders too.

    ReplyDelete
  50. This is my 6yo niece's favorite show. She has the "The Elements of Harmony" official guidebook for the series which she reads to us, using each character's own voice. It contains episode summaries and apparently all the lyrics to all the songs, because when it comes time for a song in the ep description she's reading to us, she breaks into song. It's adorable it. We call it her one girl, My Little Pony, extravaganza!

    ReplyDelete
  51. You only found one Fluttershy cosplayer? She's the most cosplayed pony I've seen aside from Applejack. Welcome to the herd, my favorite pony is Applejack, personally. My boyfriend's favorite is Fluttershy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He only found one *male* Fluttershy cosplayer - lots and lots of ladies, of course! :)

      Delete
  52. Pinkie Pie is my favorite too!! Gummi is the best pet! :D The two of them always crack me up! And Fluttershy is definitely awesome - she's my best guy friend's favorite also. Surprisingly though: Rarity really grew on me, and now I love her too. The overly dramatic moments make me laugh. ^_^ Yay for MLP:FiM! Yay for new fans!

    ReplyDelete
  53. I was resistant, until things started to get incredibly stressful. Then my housemate sat me down, gave me booze and we watched Suited for Success - between the pony version of Karl Lagerfeld and the adapted version of Sondheim's "Putting it Together" that became Rarity's "Art of the Dress" i nearly fell off the couch laughing and have been hooked ever since. My obsession with Dragons, however, means Spike is my favorite :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. This post makes me so happy, I love MLP. Pinkie Pie is my favorite & Fluttershy is a close second! YAY!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Welcome to the herd! MLP: FIM is awesome! I can't decide between Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack as my favorite ponies. Glad you're both enjoying the show it really grows on you as the seasons go on. I really loved the last few episodes of S3. Yay for more bronies! Don't forget to watch the movie Equestria Girls once you fnish season 3. :)

    ReplyDelete
  56. My son loves the show. He can tell you all about the show in its current iteration and he has done research on the previous interations of the show. I'm not certain if his favorite is Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, but mine is Fluttershy. :D

    ReplyDelete
  57. I've never seen the show, but people seem to get so bent out of shape that a guy watches it. I mean people are finally coming to grips with girls liking star wars how is this any different? I say more power to you John :D And i think i could like a pony named fluttershy :) (oh and i am a 24 year old girl still in love with the show Rolie Polie Olie and PB&J Otter)

    ReplyDelete
  58. I made my husband watch the episode where John de Lancie plays Q *ahem* I mean Discord... he was hooked! Excellent voice acting + wonderful story writing; it's no wonder there's such a huge adult fanbase. The brony community is pretty fun, too, and there's a lot of cool fan-made music, art, and writing out there.

    ReplyDelete
  59. My husband has the brony shirt. And HE'S the one that got ME into it. And I'M the one that loved MLP as a kid!!! But I was a little put out at first by the redesign and the complete and obvious lack of my childhood favorite, Firefly. Then I discovered that Rainbow Dash is what Firefly would have been IF Faust could have used her, which she couldn't, which she was totally bummed about because that was HER favorite too. Bye the way, my husband's favorite is Pinkie Pie, mine is (of course) Rainbow Dash.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I never thought that I'd be that into My Little Pony ..... until my friend did her undergrad sociology thesis on bronies. When she did her poster presentation, she had episodes playing on her laptop with headphones plugged in so people could listen. I literally stood there for a whole episode. I honestly can't decide on my favorite. I have bits of all the ponies in my personality (animal loving from Fluttershy, crazy enthusiasm from Pinky Pie, bookworminess from Twilight, work ethic from Apple Jack, a little bit of a tough edge from Rainbow Dash, and an artistic flair from Rarity) although if there was an Indiana Jones pony, I would probably be her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, there is an Indiana Jones pony. She is called Daring Do starring in the episode "read it and weep" season 2 episode 16. She is very cool. Watch it.

      Delete
    2. Yep! Including the outrageously over-trapped temple, and grabbing her hat before the door closes. She wears a pith helmet instead of a fedora, but.. yeah, it's a direct homage of the first water.

      Delete
  61. Hi Jen (and John!)
    I discovered this blog 4 days ago, and have been reading all your posts whenever I can ever since. This is just plain awesome. Thank you for your blog, it makes my heart all squishy and my face all smiley. I think you now have another fan girl.
    Best wishes and hugs in a non threatening way,
    Shebby the coal train driver from Australia. XxX

    ReplyDelete
  62. Ermahgerd! This is great! Nobody I know can get into MLP like me so this is probably the best thing ever! I've seen all the movies and episodes and I have to say, my favorite is Rainbow Dash! I love this blog! Keep doing what you're doing!

    ReplyDelete
  63. My 9 year old son is a Bronie and proud. His father questioned his viewing MLP, but proudly Danny stated "I'm a bronie, deal with it dad". My son will also is a Cakewrecks/Epbot fan and we check each website daily for a good chuckle and amazment at your Steampunkery, it is our bonding time. Danny loved the costume of Apple Jack you posted this past week and I can't wait to get home and show him that John is a "brother in arms"! Thank you Jen and John. "then I said, 'Oatmeal! Are you crazy?'"

    ReplyDelete
  64. Hee! Hooray for breaking gender stereotypes; especially the much more rigid male ones.

    At the last con i worked, i met a sweet couple of furs who liked MLP so much they'd decided to combine hooded pony sleepers, complete with cutie marks, with pieces of their fursuits; imagine a couple of bipedal cartoon dobermans in the sleepers with the pony heads carefully pulled down over their ears, and you've got the picture. The girl seemed cheerfully pointed out that her boyfriend had to have the pink sleeper because pinky pie is his absolute favorite. I even got a couple of pictures of them together to share with my niece, since she's big into dogs as well as the ponies.

    I will admit there are a few quirks of the 80's art that i miss; the ponies then had a little more meat on their bones, and so more closely resembled the horses i grew up riding. But i find the modern characters and storylines so charming, i can't resist keeping up with the series. And if you haven't yet seen Bridle Gossip yet, i highly recommend it; watching spike try, and fail, to come up with a moniker for twilight sparkle that isn't dirty is delightful, and i cackled my way through the whole episode.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Fluttershy is my daughter's favourite, too! She and her friends love creating original characters, too.

    ReplyDelete
  66. And THAT is why My Little Pony is awesome! It's awesome for anybody and everybody.

    Sonic Rainboom was my intro into the series. As soon as I had seen it I sent my 30 year old (manly, grease monkey) brother a message, "Sparkly. Rainbow. Mushroom cloud. You have GOT to see this." And just like that we are both hooked. There are now so many mlps in my house it's embarrassing because fewer than half of them belong to my four year old. :)

    Love and tolerance, everypony!

    ReplyDelete
  67. Bwahahahaha! Watching the 3rd episode now and I can't believe they used a modified version of the Benny Hill chase music.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Success! Was watching the 7th episode, Dragonshy, and laughing quite a bit when hubby came home so I restarted it and he agrees, definitely watchable.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Ohmygosh ohmygosh how exciting! I just finished putting together my first ever cosplay, and it's Pinkie Pie! That's kind of a big deal for me since I struggle with anxiety much like you do, but I just have the feeling that if I can go to a convention cloaked behind Pinkie's sunny and carefree disposition, I might be okay. Is it weird to feel like I'd be better off in a costume?

    I'm so excited that you like the show - I've come to love it since it has entered my life since it's such a wonderful story about friendship and is perfectly appropriate for all ages without the need to throw in sexual innuendo or "adult" jokes to keep parents watching like so many other kids shows. But the show still has amusing nods that perhaps only adults would get - like the nod to I Love Lucy in The Last Roundup. Me and my husband watch it together and I consider myself a Brony if only to help bring that word back out of the darkness of rude college frat boys. It's probably one of my favorite shows ever :)

    ReplyDelete
  70. OK, so I didn't read all the comments, but you guys know there's a Dr. Whoves, right? (Google it) My two sons are total bronies and we've seen every single episode at least 5 times including the new one where they turn into people. I bought them each a ponies/portal crossover tee this year and they also each have their own bronies shirts, too. A man liking ponies is no more ridiculous than a woman liking them in my opinion, it's a good show!

    ReplyDelete
  71. I am a 30-year-old guy, married to a wonderful woman, and absolutely a proud brony! Like you and John, I stay far, far, far away from the dark corners of the brony world and choose to stay focused on what makes MLP:FIM so wonderful: the characters, the stories, the animation, the songs, and the messages each episode shares. Also, I am a fourth grade teacher and every single girl in my class thinks that I am the coolest teacher ever because I am a brony. (Well, not just because of that, but it has certainly been a strong selling point!) And, to top it all off, a girl in my class last year convinced her dad to watch the show with her *because* I watch it and now HE is a brony, too! (And, much like John, he's built like a linebacker and could easily rip trees out of the ground with his bare hands if needed.) Yay for bronies!

    ReplyDelete
  72. When I asked my husband what he wanted to watch for movie night he said "We haven't see My Little Pony Equestria Girls". Okay, I watch the episodes by myself; I didn't realize my husband also watched them. AND he knows all the characters names better than me. It made me think immediately of this post. Glad to know we have amazing husbands.

    ReplyDelete
  73. It's Monday already? Where did the weekend go?
    Alright, Stanley, we need a checklist. We need to recapitulate what happend.
    I stayed clear of ponies before this link was posted... I got curious and watched it, imagining Jen as Pinkie Pie and John as Shutterfly.... Ohmygosh ohmygosh so hilarious! Then I had to see the episode with shutterfly singing baritone...tehehe... then my husband complained about the random singing... and we compromised by skipping the titles.... then I explained to him which of our friends those ponies reminded me of.... later he wanted to rewatch the Granny-Smith-gives-a-school-presentation episode.... afterwards he complained about me being such a child... and about Rainbow Dash being a jerk... then Daring Do appeared and I heared him murmur "Indy cured you, Egghead, hah" ... and this morning his mobile alarm played a pony song.... just to punish me he said... and somehow he always wanders near whenever he hears Applejack.... and now there's episode 51 waiting.... Ah, there went the weekend!

    Ahem.

    Dear Princess Celestia,
    here is my report what I learned about Ponies and Friendship this weekend. Even if you don't know somebody all that well (because you always lurk in the background and read), those Bronies still can have positive influence in your life and relationships if you have a little trust and let them. You have to try something before you can decide to not like it. If someone you love can't understand at first doesn't mean you should just give up - help them relate instead, and they may be able to enjoy it just as much as you do. They don't have to admit it either, seeing them having fun is enough.

    I'm sure noone in this little german town will understand, they don't get Doctor Who either. So thank you for introducing me to the MLP, and thanks for letting me share ;)

    ReplyDelete
  74. PinkiePie is also my favorite, but that margin is the absolute slimmest thing.

    What got me hooked was the pilot episode, when Twilight experiences her first PinkieParty (tm). Poor pony just wants some quiet time, yet here is this motormouth chatterbox talking to her while she tries to adjust to the party happening in what she had hoped would be her sanctuary. What does she do? Heads straight over to pour herself a badly needed drink.

    That made me love this show. Foorrreeeveeerrr!

    ReplyDelete
  75. Brohoof! /)

    I'd heard some bits of the fandom from online, but was generally 'meh'. Then I heard that they had made Derpy an official character in 'Feeling Pinkie Keen'. I thought, 'Ok, this might be interesting enough', watched the clip where she appears. Then realized, 'ok, let's get some context here' and watched the whole episode. I then said 'Well, that was good, but I'd better see the first episode, so I know just how everything is set up...' By the time I hit Winter Wrap-Up I knew I was hooked. Of the Mane Six, my fave is probably Twilight, but I do love me some Derpy, for dragging me into the fandom.

    ReplyDelete
  76. I am simply stunned by this. Grown men, or should I say adults, watching and showing interest in My Little Pony? I just can't believe it.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Fluttershy?!?!?........ She's my Fav, too.

    ReplyDelete
  78. The ONLY issue I have with grown Brony's is the buttmunchers who make it into something....not MLP related and ruin it for all the little Brony's and girls who watch the show. I've seen grown men swarm kids dressed as MLP characters and completely terrify them at cons. So while I have absolutely NO issue with it (I mean, I still watch and cry over Care Bears and love cartoons myself) I think that some people just enjoy ruining things meant for your children. (I don't have kids btw, but I love them!)

    ReplyDelete

Please be respectful when commenting; dissenting opinions are great, but personal attacks or hateful remarks will be removed. Also, including a link? Then here's your html cheat sheet: <a href="LINK ADDRESS">YOUR TEXT</a>