My Little Pony is popular with males - males with chest hair. Bronies, as these young men call themselves, dig My Little Pony and are all over the Internet dreaming up new stories, plots, characters, and creating memes. College women dress up as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle. What is this fascination with My Little Pony?
Back when I was a girl, back when Madonna reigned supreme on the pop charts, My Little Pony was a girly cartoon with sighing little ponies. At least that's what it looked like to me, I actually never remember watching an episode. I was too busy watching Thundercats and The Flintstones. My Little Pony was popular with many little girls at the time, but just with little girls. Boys and men wouldn't dare watch it, or admit watching it, let alone form fan groups.
Almost thirty years later, and My Little Pony is back on my radar. I have a five-year-old girl who loves My Little Pony as much as her big brother (8). This is not the My Little Pony from my recollection. My Little Pony is refreshed for the new generation of not just children, but preteens, tweens, teens, and even college students. The show appeals to a wide audience in part because of its focus on universal themes of friendship and great writing. There is action, intrigue, wonderful storytelling, and believable characters. The expressions of the ponies are priceless, well-executed. The music is fun and appropriate, the pace just right. Can you tell I'm a fan?
Where there is quality, the audience will follow, and My Little Pony's producers and creators have reinvented this show and taken it to a new level. To the point that my action-loving eight-year-old enjoys it, my husband, myself, and of course, my animal-loving little girl.
Let's toast to the bronies, who are confident enough to admit enjoying a quality show.
