my little pony appreciation thread - Page 90  

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Originally Posted by buffalowings 

... hm i don't quite know but i think its derpy hooves

No, that mane is far too long and the color is supposed to be grey

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Originally Posted by Head Injury 

It's Lily Blossom. She's not in the show, at least not as anything but a background pony, but they made other toys of her for some reason.

Hmm... Maybe she'll be getting some major parts in some upcoming episodes.
 

Also, SHED.MOV is out, if you guys haven't seen it yet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-yA8U2XgI&feature=channel_video_title

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Originally Posted by Parall3l 

Also, SHED.MOV is out, if you guys haven't seen it yet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-yA8U2XgI&feature=channel_video_title

Thank you so much for that.... Started my day off with a laugh. 

I saw the first season all the way through last year and I thought it was reasonably fun to watch, but I don't really understand the gigantic mega-community following of this. I mean, is the show truly that ground breaking to everyone, that it inspires thousands of videos, artwork, statues, forum discussions, irl-meets, etc? What does it take for a show to make such an impact in society, and what does MLP have that gives it this power?

I'm not here to be condescending or put anyone on the defensive for being a big fan, I'd just like to hear if some of you have thought about why MLP:FiM has become such a cultural phenomenon. I would have never expected it to be this big.

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Originally Posted by Timestretch 

I saw the first season all the way through last year and I thought it was reasonably fun to watch, but I don't really understand the gigantic mega-community following of this. I mean, is the show truly that ground breaking to everyone, that it inspires thousands of videos, artwork, statues, forum discussions, irl-meets, etc? What does it take for a show to make such an impact in society, and what does MLP have that gives it this power?

 

I'm not here to be condescending or put anyone on the defensive for being a big fan, I'd just like to hear if some of you have thought about why MLP:FiM has become such a cultural phenomenon. I would have never expected it to be this big.

You know, I would have to agree with you. I think it's the fact that the characters are so well developed and it has references that expand beyond a narrow moral. Such as the episode "Feeling Pinkie Keen" could be about trusting your friends, respecting peoples religions, opinions, etc. It's a show that is meant to be a show for little girls, but it's done so well and in such a way that makes it entertaining for all ages. It's definitely a break from the usual ABCs and 123s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timestretch 

I saw the first season all the way through last year and I thought it was reasonably fun to watch, but I don't really understand the gigantic mega-community following of this. I mean, is the show truly that ground breaking to everyone, that it inspires thousands of videos, artwork, statues, forum discussions, irl-meets, etc? What does it take for a show to make such an impact in society, and what does MLP have that gives it this power?

 

I'm not here to be condescending or put anyone on the defensive for being a big fan, I'd just like to hear if some of you have thought about why MLP:FiM has become such a cultural phenomenon. I would have never expected it to be this big.

Consider its roots. It started in the cartoon section of 4chan, and in response to an overly critical and doomsaying article by the site Cartoon Brew. So there was a lot against the show from the beginning:

• Critical fans who watch a lot of animation
• Critical "professional" response
• Negative stereotypes against the brand name and expected quality (flash animation, low budget, 30 minute commercial)

The first ones to watch it fully expected it to be a "so bad it's good" series. So they were all the more interested when they realized that the show is objectively good for what it has to work with. If the show was big budget, hand-drawn, and part of some well known and popular product line (I dunno, Transformers) viewers would be far more critical of it. They expect it to be good, so it better be good. A show that's supposed to be bad and is okay might get the benefit of the doubt. A show that's supposed to be bad but is actually very good is going to seem that much better.

From there that small nebula of animation fans grew by word of mouth and exposure. Once you get a critical number of fans, growth is going to increase exponentially because not only do you have more exposure, but you have a stronger sense of justification for the fans ("This isn't some passing fad, and I'm not alone"), even some sense of power ("We're popular, we're important"). Social groups in action. The bigger something becomes, the more appealing it is.

There's also still a sense of controversy around the show, thanks in no small part to the divisive nature of the internet and 4chan in general. Everything on the internet seems like a love/hate thing. That's more likely to push a fan or troll to an extreme. Fans are more passionate about it out of necessity, to defend others and themselves from trolls (though that tends to backfire). Trolls are more aggressive, because they need to stand out in the fight against it. It also opens up the potential for hipsters to "ironically" jump on the bandwagon. This is probably how the show took root in /b/, even if ultimately many people there did become wholesome fans.

And once you mix the rapidly growing fan base with the increasingly passionate embrace of the show, you get more and better fan art. I expect a lot of fans still stick around because of the art. After all, there's only 43 episodes so far, and this number of fans wouldn't be sustained by just that. It's even hard to fully appreciate the show without immersing oneself in the fan community. Personally I'm as much into fan stuff as I am the show. The episode every week cheers me up, and the fan content generated from it extends that cheer. Then I can fill the gaps with all the other fan art I missed. I even started reading fan fiction  (there are buckin' novels written by fans really, I'm reading a 150,000 word story right now and just finished a 600,000(!) word one).

All that, and we get extra justification from the wonderfully responsive people working on the show, the great charity efforts fans start, and the general positive message of the show.

Thanks Head Injury, that's a very insightful and well-reasoned post. 

Knowing the roots of the core community helps in understanding of the wild growth of the larger fandom.

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/02/dhx-employees-confirmed-for-badass.html

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Originally Posted by lilkoolaidman 

You know, I would have to agree with you. I think it's the fact that the characters are so well developed and it has references that expand beyond a narrow moral. Such as the episode "Feeling Pinkie Keen" could be about trusting your friends, respecting peoples religions, opinions, etc. It's a show that is meant to be a show for little girls, but it's done so well and in such a way that makes it entertaining for all ages. It's definitely a break from the usual ABCs and 123s.

I don't find the show that special. It's not particularly quirky, deep, or out-of-the-box, and seems to be mostly loved by people who *think* they're quirky, deep, or out-of-the-box. The rest of the fans are just in it to mock the former or have an animated equestrian fetish.

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Originally Posted by Kirosia 

I don't find the show that special. It's not particularly quirky, deep, or out-of-the-box, and seems to be mostly loved by people who *think* they're quirky, deep, or out-of-the-box. The rest of the fans are just in it to mock the former or have an animated equestrian fetish.

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Originally Posted by kyuuketsuki 

You know, I've heard MLP:FiM described in a number of ways by fans. Not one described it like that. In fact, I don't think it is meant to be that way either, it's a kids show after all. I mean, how deep was the Animaniacs or Rocko's modern life? If that is your reason for disliking it, that is your choice, but as for me I have my own reasons for liking it. And it falls into a category of "none of the above" for your descriptions of this show's fans.

Agreed kyuuketsuki. I'm not exactly sure why you'd expect a children's show to be quirky, deep, or out of the box. Maybe people expect that's the only reason adults can appreciate cartoons.

If I want quirky, I'd watch Family Guy or any number of adult shows that are trying to be quirky. Quirky is in this season. Everything wants to be quirky. Commercials have been trying to be as quirky as possible for ages. I enjoy this show because the humor is honest, not quirky. It's slapstick and character driven comedy. It has its surprising moments and moments that make you chuckle because they're just so bizarre (the CMC vacuum the color off of a rainbow in the latest episode, for example), but there's lots of variety otherwise.

The plots aren't deep, but the characters are surprisingly deep for the medium. It won't make it to Broadway any time soon, but I'm pleasantly surprised and pleased with the amount of depth that can be squeezed out of the character personalities considering everything else that the show does well. Character is actually so vital to the show that an otherwise great episode can be tarnished if a character is mishandled (I'm thinking of the Mare Do Well episode and Rainbow Dash in particular). And again, despite their relative complexity, each character can contribute to the humor. The moral lessons aren't deep. They're things every adult should know. But it's nice to have them fresh in mind.

The show's only out of the box in the sense that's it better than it should be considering medium, topic, and target audience.

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Originally Posted by colgate 

oh my god, I didnt expect to find ponies on head-fi 

Hate to break it to you, but there's a pony named Colgate. At least it's just a fan name.

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Originally Posted by kyuuketsuki 


You know, I've heard MLP:FiM described in a number of ways by fans. Not one described it like that. In fact, I don't think it is meant to be that way either, it's a kids show after all. I mean, how deep was the Animaniacs or Rocko's modern life? If that is your reason for disliking it, that is your choice, but as for me I have my own reasons for liking it. And it falls into a category of "none of the above" for your descriptions of this show's fans.

I meant relatively, for the target audience and such. Which fans have inferred if not outright said. People have become attached to the characters and humor more so than other similar shows, is it not somewhat due to the slight peculiarities in their behavior as well as story writing? (At least as perceived by its fanbase) Otherwise it'd just be another average, in-the-box series like any other, unworthy of praise.

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Originally Posted by Kirosia 

 

 

I meant relatively, for the target audience and such. Which fans have inferred if not outright said. People have become attached to the characters and humor more so than other similar shows, is it not somewhat due to the slight peculiarities in their behavior as well as story writing? (At least as perceived by its fanbase) Otherwise it'd just be another average, in-the-box series like any other, unworthy of praise.

Relatively? Have you seen the other kids shows at that targeted demographic? Or the other kids shows that are currently being produced? You can't even count Adventure Time and the Regular Show as kids shows anymore, because those shows now air during prime time. But as for the rest... most are horrible. Currently, the only two shows that I can think of off the top of my head that have been this well received are MLP:FiM and Phineas and Ferb at least in recent years that are still ongoing. If you want to go back further you can include Avatar, but that was a different sort of show entirely. Everything else? Yeah, not nearly on the same level. At least I don't think so.

I'm not a cartoon connoisseur like some of my friends, but it seems that a lot of people consider MLP:FiM as a call back to the style of comedy found in cartoons of the 90s, which is why I mentioned Animaniacs and Rocko's Modern Life. Shows that are clearly meant for kids but are not afraid to make references and jokes far above the heads of the target demographic. Which is at least partly why it garnered such a cult following, and why it continues to grow.

I'm not saying you have to like it, or even agree with any of our reasoning, but you should at least respect our choice. And think of it this way, if you are right, people will realize that and it will dwindle as an internet fad, much like other fads have in the past. 

I personally think that there is something different about MLP:FiM that attracts its viewers... Perhaps its the comedy, or the pop culture references (and not so pop culture) like parodies of The Music Man's "Ya Got Trouble," Streisand's "Putting it Together" and Star Wars. Or perhaps its the dynamic characters. I really don't know, nor do I care. As of right now I enjoy the series, and think its one of the few quality shows aimed at the younger demographic. Also there is the fact that it seems that whatever Lauren Faust touches turns to gold (I think she sold her soul to the devil, you can take that explanation to the popularity of FiM if you like).

Please feel free to disagree and continue thinking what you think. And I shall do the same. It really doesn't matter... It is media, something which can easily be ignored. You can ignore the fanbase entirely if it bothers you that much. I didn't even REALIZE there was a crazy fanbase until after I entered it myself. I heard about the show, saw the stray pony meme, and thought almost nothing of it because I wrote it off entirely. When it really became hard to ignore, I actually asked in here the appeal and didn't come back for months because I just didn't see the appeal and resumed ignoring it (it really isn't that hard to do). It wasn't until my friend recommended the show to me did I decide to actually watch it and find that I actually enjoyed it. 

Oh right, and yes, writing has A LOT to do with it. The writing team is simply stellar. Its an all star team that Faust picked herself that she worked with in the past.