November 5, 2014




At its core, what is My Little Pony? Well, in all reality, it's a brand that can be exploited to create animated programming and children's toys, all of which can be sold to consumers in order to turn a profit. I mean, let's not kid ourselves. Maybe you could question whether the concept initially began as a means to an end to sell toys (the cynic in me assumes that the answer is "yes"), but given that this show is airing on the Hub Network, a cable channel affiliated with Hasbro, it's a safe bet that the My Little Pony brand is now viewed as a marketable asset.

And while it's easy to assume that when the executives at The Hub decided to revive the My Little Pony brand in 2010, they did so with the goal of selling advertising time and posable figurines, they probably also realized that that goal can't be reached if the animated series isn't appealing to the target audience. It's easy to underestimate (or simply not understand) what kids will and won't put up with, so the fact that the network struck a deal with Lauren Faust to develop the revival demonstrated an interest in attempting to make the show more than just a phoned-in cash grab.

I don't pay meticulous attention to the credits of animated series, but I did recognize Faust's name from two past shows: "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends." While she wasn't the creator of either series, her name could be seen at the beginning of many episodes in storyboard/writing and directing capacities. And both of those shows had distinct, clearly-defined characters, plots that could hold even an adult's interest, and jokes that weren't dumbed down (kids will understand that funny things are funny -- all of the greatest animated series were written not with a juvenile audience in mind, but were written to amuse the adults creating them).



(Here's a screen grab from an episode of "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends." Lauren Faust didn't direct, write, or storyboard this episode, but it's still funnier to see it now.)

Ask a brony, and he'll likely credit Faust as being the primary reason this version of the show is unpredictably appealing across multiple age groups and genders. She took an already-existing set of characters and concepts and developed them into something surprisingly watchable.

It's at this point that it's worth mentioning that the current, unexpected "My Little Pony" fanbase exists solely in conjunction with this 2010 version of the series -- "generation four" as the fans say. The original "My Little Pony" (and its subsequent revivals prior to this one) is the pandering, sickly-sweet girly pony show that lives up to its common reputation. Well, I assume. Hey, while I'm on this journey of learning about a series I never thought I'd learn about, let's see what the original 1980s version of "My Little Pony" was like.

(skims through the first episode on YouTube)

Ooh, okay. Yeah, that's nothing I, as an adult male, care to watch. It wasn't quite as feminine as I expected, but it sure is an '80s children's cartoon.

That's one rule to keep in mind about bronies: Their fandom is limited to the current "Friendship Is Magic" version of the franchise. They don't like just any old pink-and-purple version of "My Little Pony," they specifically like these characters that have been reimagined and developed by Lauren Faust.

So let's take a look at the main characters of this series, learn why it's subtitled "Friendship Is Magic," and try to understand why this group of adults finds it all appealing. Jumping in at a random point during season two doesn't really explain a whole lot (other than that the characters apparently enjoy desserts), so here is a general overview:

The series takes place in Equestria, a land filled with cities that all have names that are horse puns. There are no humans -- talking ponies appear to be the highest species (though there are also some mythological creatures running around). The ponies that live in Equestria come in every color imaginable and are a variety of ages. Our main characters appear to be the equivalent of some indeterminate young adult age -- old enough to be living on their own but with enough of a youthful spirit to forge an aspirational connection with the target pre-tween audience.

There are six main characters:

Of those six, Twilight Sparkle is the central focus of the series. Her story in a nutshell: She studied magic under the princess that oversees this world of ponies. Though excellent at book learning, she spent so much time immersed in her studies that her social skills were nearly nonexistent. So her teacher, the princess, gave her the "assignment" to travel to one of the pony towns, make some friends, and regularly report to her on what friendship means. Twilight initially doesn't see how friendship could possibly be related to learning about magic, but given that the series is called "Friendship Is Magic," it isn't exactly a spoiler to say that she quickly learns that it's important to have friends.


 Pinkie Pie is the comic relief member of the group. She's the zaniest, most cartoony character, who is most likely to utter non sequiturs. I don't know whether it's fair to call her "stupid" per se, but you know how in most comedies, there's always one character who's depicted as not the sharpest tool in the shed? Pinkie Pie fills that role here -- she's not unintelligent, but she is... let's say "flighty." Her primary characteristics are that she likes to laugh and have a good time.


 Rarity is the most feminine member of the group, interested in looking fabulous and operating a fashion boutique. She appeals to little girls' seemingly hardwired inclination to be drawn to things that are pretty, but the character will leave that comfort zone when necessary to teach the target audience that there's more to life than trying to be beautiful. I have a hunch that since this is the most girly character, most bronies probably find Rarity to be the least-relatable member of the six.


 Applejack is your typical country-western "Annie Get Your Gun" type. She's a hard worker and helps run a large apple orchard (you see, because horses like to eat apples). According to the premiere episode, she represents honesty, though since it's a bad idea to have any of your main characters out-and-out lying to serve their own self-interests, she usually serves a role in plots about tenacity and familial bonds.


 Fluttershy is an online photo service that allows you to print your pictures on a wide variety of... no, I'm sorry, I'm thinking of something else. Fluttershy, as her name implies, is quiet, timid, and shy. She has a special fondness for animals ("animals" in this series being defined as "creatures other than ponies") and is useful when we need to learn lessons about standing up for oneself.


 Rainbow Dash is the cool one. There is no token male in this main group of ponies, though Rainbow Dash is the most tomboyish of the six: she likes flying fast, winning, and being cool. One of her primary functions in the series is to shatter stereotypes of what girls can and can't do by means of being good at activities that are traditionally male-oriented. (The fact that she's a girl engaging in these activities is viewed as irrelevant -- her interests simply run toward the physical. That nobody thinks anything of it is what fights the stereotypes.)

There are plenty of secondary characters, of course (for example, a group of fillies that often show up for the plots that are about childhood experiences), but most of the episodes usually involve some or all of these six characters. As you can see, each has a distinct and varied personality -- between the six of them, there's likely to be at least one character that any given viewer can relate to.

And that's one of the reasons that I think people of both sexes have found this to be a captivating show. I admit that I'm engaging in broad stereotypes that don't apply to everybody, but think about some common personality traits of people who spend a lot of time on the internet: Plenty of book learning but not as much experience getting out and making friends (Twilight Sparkle), often shy around others (Fluttershy), aspiring to be cool (Rainbow Dash). None of these six characters are unlikable and you're bound to identify with at least one.

(Before I get angry e-mails from fans saying that I oversimplified these brief biographies: I will readily admit that even though the main characters can be described in broad terms (as I've done), each has also been given plots that flesh out their personalities so that they're not just stereotypes. Just as you wouldn't expect characters in a live-action sitcom to be one-note personalities, the same is the case here. But I'm here to provide an overview of the series as opposed to a complete history of it.)

While we're on the subject of the show's popularity being at least partially because of distinct and likeable characters, let's address the whole "pony" part of the show. Yes, this universe is primarily populated by four-legged animals with manes and tails, but look at their faces compared with the face of an actual pony:



There is a distinct lack of a muzzle on these characters. In fact, I've seen cartoons in which the human characters look less human than these so-called ponies do. Their big, expressive eyes make it easier to become emotionally involved in their adventures. Even the characters in the previous incarnations of "My Little Pony" were more horse-like, so kudos to the "Friendship Is Magic" design team for coming up with a basic face shape that makes it easier for audiences to connect with these horses.

This leads me to another aspect of the show that I think can be credited in contributing to its surprising popularity: the animation. The overall palette is vibrant, rather than relying too heavily on pastels (which is easy to do in a "girls' cartoon"). And the Flash animation means that even if there are multiple characters in a scene, they'll usually all still exhibit some small amount of movement, often not perfectly in sync with one other, which makes them look more alive (as opposed to the more limited timings that are necessitated by the restrictions of traditional cel animation).

I'm not particularly artistically inclined, but I can recognize that many of the scenes have been staged in visually interesting ways. And while I don't know whether they were written in the script or added by the storyboard artists/directors, I've found that some of the funniest jokes are visual gags that have been included in a scene. The series doesn't get many laugh-out-loud moments from me, but when it does, those moments usually come from the animation rather than the writing.

Which leads me to the reason that I don't find myself becoming a bronified fan of the show: the writing. I'm not blaming the writers -- I'm blaming the E/I guidelines.

You see, FCC regulations state that every broadcast television network is required to air three hours of "educational and informational" ("E/I") programming per week. It's a pretty broad definition, but the audience has to be taught some kind of lesson by the end of the episode, whether it be factual (for example, "Bill Nye the Science Guy") or moral. Since most scripted plots in general can be summarized in the form of a moral, that's the direction most E/I children's shows take. Take a basic plot, lay out the consequences in unambiguous terms, and have one of the characters state what they learned at the end of the episode. Bam, E/I requirements met.

Interestingly, even though you'll see the "E/I" designation on some of the kids' shows that air on cable, since those networks are not using public airwaves, cable networks are not obligated to air any specific quantity of E/I programming. However, the Hub Network has branded itself as a channel that offers family-friendly shows, so they have voluntarily labeled some of their programming with the E/I designation to reinforce that perception among parents. "My Little Pony" was one of the series that the network launched with, and when it began, The Hub attached the E/I label to that series, along with the guidelines that the designation represents.

Which is why at the end of each episode of "My Little Pony," one of the characters has to explain what moral lesson they learned in a letter to Princess Celestia, the ruler of the land. (Incidentally -- why so many princesses? I mean, I understand that little girls aspire to be the teenage princesses that they see, as opposed to the actual adults that call the shots. But Celestia is the seemingly immortal ruler over this entire world -- shouldn't she be a queen?)

So the writers have been given this stable (again, pun not intended) of diverse, interesting characters, a rich fantasy land in which they live... but are only allowed to come up with plots in which one of the characters has to be ignorant of some aspect of how to be a decent person (er, pony) and then learns their lesson within the span of thirty minutes. Oh, and since the series is called "Friendship Is Magic," that lesson ought to relate in some way to how important it is to have/be friends. You try writing an entertaining story under those restrictions!

This emphasis on teaching a lesson also means that characters have to act unnaturally to serve the needs of the moral of the week. Take the episode I recapped -- Pinkie Pie has invited her five BFFs onto this train for the sole purpose of traveling to a dessert competition. Common sense dictates that no matter how delicious the cake sounds, no person/pony is going to sabotage the success of one of their best friends just because they couldn't wait 24 hours to taste it. Not only that, these characters ruined the cake via premeditated actions and deliberate deception of their so-called friend! But because this episode's moral isn't about self-control, so long as they feel a tiny bit guilty, they're instantly forgiven and face no consequences.

Rumor has it that Lauren Faust left the show because of creativity-restricting directives from the network, and if that's the case, I can understand why. All of the pieces are there to make a great animated series that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, but any potential edge has to be sanded away so the kids won't be distracted from learning their valuable lesson. If it frustrates me as a viewer, I can't imagine what it must be like to be the creator/developer.

So that's why I don't find myself a fan of the show, yet I still find myself entertained by it. It's filled with engaging characters (there are a couple of ponies I could imagine having as a pet if I had a bigger home). The acting -- both the voice acting and the animated acting -- is well-done, too. But the imposition of informational requirements (and subsequently, the limitation of what the characters can do, since you can't present negative imitable behavior if you're trying to teach kids how they should act) keeps the show from being fully enjoyable to me. I'm intrigued by what the show could be... just not what it is.

Still, I'm not going to begrudge bronies their fandom of the show. I admit that it's easy to get drawn into this fictional world (just as it's easy to get drawn into some of the most famous fantasy novels and movies) and if you discount the preexisting notions of what is and isn't a "girls' cartoon," there's no reason this can't appeal to both sexes.

We as a society are gradually moving away from broad gender stereotypes. Since the extended cast of characters in this show is usually engaged in activities that could be of interest to people of either sex, the fact that seemingly more than 95% of the characters are female, truthfully, is irrelevant. (After all, the majority of cartoons on television -- even the ones aimed at both boys and girls -- have casts in which nearly all of the main characters are male. I'm not saying it's necessarily intentional -- most of these shows are created by men, and it's easiest to write what you know. But fair is fair. If girls can be interested in shows with predominantly male casts, why can't boys be interested in shows with predominantly female casts?)

So don't be so quick to judge the bronies. Yes, some of them take it to unhealthy extremes. But you can say that about the fanbases of nearly every popular movie or TV series. And I've met male fans of the show who are perfectly reasonable people. The show does have plenty of good things going for it, so to the extent that it's "normal" that any other fictional entertainment series has an adult fanbase, it's just as reasonable that this show has its own adult fanbase. It's different, sure, but that doesn't automatically make it bad.

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