Bronies, men who dig My Little Pony, feel misunderstood
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| News Media Commentary | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Bronies, men who dig My Little Pony, feel misunderstood |
| Commentator: | Alex Consiglio |
| Date(s): | 8 July 2013 |
| Venue: | Toronto Star |
| Fandom: | My Little Pony |
| External Links: | Bronies, men who dig My Little Pony, feel misunderstood, Archived version (Toronto Star article) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
"Bronies, men who dig My Little Pony, feel misunderstood" is a 2013 article on the fan phenomenon of Bronies, adult male fans of My Little Pony. It appeared in the Toronto Star newspaper's Entertainment section for Monday, 8 July 2013 (both in print and on-line).
The show, produced by Hasbro and originally targeted toward young girls, has many fans, the oddest to outsiders being Bronies, the adult, male fan base that feels misunderstood.Reaction to their love of the show usually ranges from disbelief to outright criticism and judgment, suspicion even that there’s a sexual nature to their obsession. Not so, they say — they’re just, in one word, nerds.
The article includes quotations from various sources, including interviews with:
- two Bronies
- a psychologist, Marsha Redden, who is conducting research on them ("She’s found Bronies, usually single, computer-savvy men struggling socially, get three uses out of the show: Socializing, escape/avoidance and conflict resolution.")
- Mike Brookhoff, who has produced a documentary on Bronies ("“They’re getting a message from it they’re not getting anywhere else,” he says [...]")
- the parent of a 7-year old, who discusses the appeal of the show but had never previously heard of adult fans.
Although the second paragraph of the article might give the casual reader pause ("Sometimes, the men are so excited they come dressed as their favourite pony, trotting around the shop before buying the newest volume of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, based on the children’s television show."), once one gets further into the body of the article, the slant is largely favourable/tolerant.