The Deal With Bronies 3: Isn't It For Kids?

Part One
Part Two

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is the fourth generation of a show to market toys. As such, one would imagine that the show is for children. The short answer, yes and no. The original market base for the show and the toys was pretty heavily expected to be directed at children. Through the generations, the series has had its ups and downs. Children tend to be the largest buyer of toys, and the largest consumer of most cartoons (so many think, though I could hypothesize that in this era many ages have animation they actively consume.)

The childishness that I hope to rebut needs to break into two parts, the toy market, and the show. Beyond that I will argue that conventions and artwork beyond that are completely regular things that are in no way peculiar, and that it is a conservative mentality rejecting the novel, which, frankly, isn't novel.

I would posit that most adults have purchased some sort of "children's" toy for themselves, be it a stuffed animal, a box of LEGO pieces, a figurine, Hot Wheels, a Barbie doll, or any number of other well-respected toy lines that have existed for generations. My Little Pony is no different in that respect. My father receives Hot Wheels cars every year from his mother. I receive LEGO gifts at many of my holiday events. My mother collected Barbie dolls for years. These things aren't rare. Some toy markets and collections are a completely sound business strategies and labors of love. Toy ownership by adults is rather common. Cubicles and offices may have a Star Wars figurine, a Pound Puppies figure, a teddy bear, a Kewpie or Troll, or, really, almost any toy you can name. Likewise, presently, the casual observer may notice a Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle figurine above coworkers' computers.

Perhaps then, it is cartoons that are childish. The first nail in the coffin for that, is numerous shows are animated and designed exclusively for adults and maturer audiences. Anime is a significant source of this. A young child would not understand Serial Experiments Lain or XXXHolic. Further, some have topics that aren't kosher with most parents for younger children. South Park, Futurama, Family Guy, American Dad, and The Simpsons are generally classified as "adult cartoons." Their themes and topics are in no way topics many parents want their children exploring at young ages.

So is it a separate category? In some ways, yes. Genre with respect to adult cartoons is often different from general cartoons. However, many works by people like Lauren Faust, Pendleton Ward, Craig McCracken, and Danny Antonucci aren't exclusively children's works, further, all-age anime can have a significant amount of adult-oriented jokes, references, and topics (episodes of Pokémon, for example had scenes banned for being too adult for American children). Adventure Time and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends both had large adult fandoms. Indeed, I would suggest that a "children's" cartoon is more harmful to children than a standard cartoon is to adults: overly childish shows which pander heavily or solely to children try to pride themselves as educational, but many become babysitters, leaving adults without interest. Part of development is time with one's child, awareness of their media consumption. A proper and respected (in my personal opinion) cartoon which has any focus on children, should be something that a parent would be able and willing to watch with their child.

For more on this, cartoons in modern times have become more child-pandering: compare Looney Tunes, or even Scooby Doo (which I honor as a very spectacular show in rewarding research and exploration, and empowering "kids," as the show often reminds viewers,) to Dora the Explorer. Don't get me wrong, Dora the Explorer does a good thing by promoting multilingualism at a young age, but the tone and aggression in such shows have dropped (arguably for the better, there are correlations between exposure to aggression as youths, and aggression in youths.) I've heard from more than one person that Looney Tunes or even the Muppets is inappropriate for children. In the past, these were considered shows for children.

Further, voice actors who work for these shows care enough about them to renew their contracts. The workers who make these shows are often fans of the products (I would hope all of them are, but I am sure some people have disliked their completed products.) Realize: this is an entire group of adults working together on a product. These people care about their work, and offer their time for the job. If they didn't, they could seek a new position at another show.

So if cartoons are not exclusively for children, and toys are not exclusively for children, why should adoration for such things be eyebrow raising? Conventions for My Little Pony are in no way different than conventions for anime or Star Trek. They're safe (or that's the goal) locations for people with a common interest to express their appreciation for a form of media they honor. The convention circuit is a great networking tool for adults, as well. Artists are aware, or should be aware, that convention-goers include ad agency representatives, corporations looking for new logos and mascots, and many other business workers attending with the specific goal of evaluating work for potential job offers.

Fan artwork, thus, is not a childish endeavor. Art is a job. Custom made plushies are not made simply for fun (at least not for some people.) People sell these for actual hours of work. A $200-1000 plushie is not something for a child. It is a handmade product which someone or a group of people put more than twenty man-hours into. Likewise with $10-70 drawings (sorry to those I couldn't fit), or hundred thousand word stories (or six hundred thousand word stories), or fully recorded, written, and produced fan songs or organized and orchestrated fan mixes. The fact that the artwork is or references a pony from a successful cartoon means little more than that the artist who designed it, felt enough interest in the media to honor it with their time and resources. While some artists may design work on topics that don't interest them, many work with things they enjoy, because it makes a job easier to work with things one enjoys. Fan art made by adults (or children) is still work. Those artists put their time and passion into these products because they care. There is nothing childish about passion and effort.

So, if toys, cartoons, conventions, and artwork are not childish, why is this particular fandom so strange to people? It's not about a single person subverting a single expected role in society. It's about a large number of people subverting multiple expectations at once. People don't find older females nearly as peculiar of fans as older males. Is a 50 year old male fan a devious predator? No. A 50 year old male fan has three descriptors: they are fifty years old, they are male, and they are a fan of the media they consume. None of those classifications makes them dangerous or strange. It is expected social norms that are archaic and severely in need of updating that are wrong.

The critical firestorm (if it can be called that, it's mainly people grumbling about things they don't understand) comes primarily from older males who refuse to understand what they don't understand. Not everyone will like the show, but not everyone likes Pokémon, Family Guy, or Justin Bieber. This mentality is a form of handwaving, in my eye. They simply don't understand something different, and don't want to understand it. I have engaged with a great deal of folks in this fandom by this point. You know what I know about them? Many have genuine interest, genuine passion, diverse backgrounds, and want to be part of a group that shares the passion and interest. There are the same types of people who enjoy My Little Pony as Adventure Time, Looney Tunes, and South Park: people.

At the end of the day, though, even if the show was childish (which I comfortably feel I have explained is a falsehood,) what is wrong with an adult enjoying something childish? Most folks have a childish side, a playful side that wants to lay back and look at the clouds, or enjoy games, or have a water balloon fight. There has never been anything wrong with people being a child at heart, because life isn't easy, and any safe way someone can find to cope with the day-to-day is reasonable. That's my thoughts, anyway.

{Please do discuss this, as I really want to hear other people's input on this idea. I may be totally wrong, or I may be spot on for some of you. If you have thoughts, please do share them!}

Part Four

Skin by MoongazePonies