I think at this point anyone who asks "Why do so many <insert samey thinly veiled insult here> enjoy watching MLP?" is trying to start something. It's uniform and sharp like a knife, wielded by every well to do walker of the one paved road. After hundreds of interviews, comments, blogs, youtube arguments, debates all posted on the internet that could explain every logic set and reasoning behind why someone would want to watch such a cartoon. A lot of which are depressingly bland, I know, but the information is there for your enlightenment. You don't need to ask anymore and you shouldn't think you are impressing anyone.
I treat this no different than the people in the help section asking the same question over and over again even though the answer is stickied right above their thread.
An army of normals, all so dreadfully boring when compared to what can be done and said by mankind, asking why an adult would watch a show. They are mesmerized and horrified that one of their own could watch cartoons of ponies. Because it yanks at their plug and certain defenses must go up to keep them under. When it comes to things one should worry about, an adult watching a colorful cartoon is as mundane as it comes.
The real question one should ask is: Why are so many normals (technical term) worrying about people watching MLP?
I already answered that question but there you go.
Any intelligent, self-aware Brony surely must ask themselves the same question and it's fair enough for others to question it as well. Judging others for being completely bemused by a phenomenon shows an equal amount of ignorance doesn't it?
How dare you not understand us? How dare you not understand
us? Swings and roundabouts.
Despite all the explanations for Brony-ism it's still not well understood. That's totally cool if you like a TV show for your reasons but when you have professional psychologists studying you you can't deny it's a
phenomenon.
I am completely bemused by it but I don't hate it, I'm not "horrified" and I don't have "certain defenses" going up. Like most humans, I'm just an intelligent creature who yearns to understand things. But to prevent the "annoying" question popping up all the time - well at least in this thread hopefully - I'll have a crack at explaining it to the rest of us "norms".
Two independent researchers did an
extensive study on Brony psychology and there is another pro-Brony group of researchers
here as well. I'll abridge their findings here for you. (Sorry for making it sound like Bronies are a bunch of lab rats to be studied but we all fit into demographics that can be studied, even us non-Bronies do, so let's all man up for science).
Bronies are largely made up of a smaller demographic of males who are "considerate of others, don't tease, don't bully, and aren't critical". They are much more likely to have "agreeable, introverted, harmony seeking" personality traits. They are more "emotional and sensitive" than the non Brony male.
They pretty much relate to the personalities of the ponies themselves in the show - something many non Brony males don't really relate to. Colloquially speaking, and not necessarily derogatively speaking, they may be called "beta males".
So "norms", just watch the show. See how those ponies are behaving? That's how the dudes who like the show behave. It's why we don't get it. We may appreciate that "friendship is magic" and working together harmoniously gets results but it doesn't really hit any visceral side of us. We'd rather watch our dragons tear the limbs from innocent ponies.
As far as other things go like homosexuality, employment, weight, etc. There really is no difference between Bronies and non-Bronies, and Bronies have only a slightly higher rate of being single - understandable considering they are generally more introverted.
50 years ago (and less) such men, being in the minority and not having the social networks of today, would have been bullied and beaten by the more extroverted and aggressive males. And while that still may go on today, thanks to social networking, such men can at least form communities and unite. That may explain why the Brony fandom can come across as annoyingly aggressive - united together they feel more empowered to stand up to their Alpha bullies.
At the end of the day, I think it's good minority groups of people with like minds, whoever they may be and whatever their interests are, especially one so harmless as MLP fans, can get together and find friendship and community with like minded people. I'd rather individuals in our world "fit in" to a loving environment somewhere than feel like outcasts who want to take a loaded gun to their local school.
I don't care for the show, it does nothing for me, and I'm pretty indifferent to the fans of the show. If it's your bag baby then more power to you. I hope other non Bronies "get it" just a little bit now.
on you and what you like because it's more exciting than their boring lives.
