Unlikely male ‘My Little Pony’ fans exposed in documentary

What do loyalty, honesty, generosity, kindness, laughter and magic have in common with adult men? The first six mentioned make up the Elements of Harmony that represent the strongest magic known in Equestria. Still confused?

The documentary, “Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony” (2010), may be the perfect place to look for an explanation of the popular male-fandom of the Hasbro TV series, “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”

The documentary, directed by Laurent Malaquais, explores the controversial sub-culture of Bronies.

Many people’s first reactions to Bronies are those of disgust, confusion and generally feeling creeped out. Typically people think of geeky, old men watching the show. However, the average age of a Brony is mid-20’s, according to the documentary. And even though the show was created for young girls, Bronies argue that the show is well written and teaches many beneficial life lessons.

Bronie’s also enjoy the show because of the great animation and the character development of the Pony’s. Some Bronies become so attached to the characters that they collect plushies, figures, posters and so much more.

The documentary introduces a few key Bronies and their experience with the “My Little Pony” show and the sub-culture. The Brony phenomena has exploded all over the world, and the documentary follows Bronies from Israel, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Many Bronies feel left out of their community and so the community that “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” creates is very important to them.

Some Bronies are targeted and called homosexual or weird for liking a show originally targeted towards girls, but they say it helps to have a community out there that supports them. Bronies tend to be inclusive and genuine, which they say are qualities of the show.

Another important aspect of the Brony culture is the fan interaction. Many fans create music, fan-fiction and other artwork based off of the show and share them over internet forums. There are even Bronycons hosted all over the world where people can go to share their work, dress up and buy merchandise.

The Brony culture grew in the second season when John de Lancie, who played Q in “Star Trek,” started voicing the villain in the show. The writers and designers like to add Easter eggs and other inside jokes to entertain the older audiences. But Bronies also simply enjoy the themes of friendship and the optimism of the show.

So next time you are in a sticky situation, ask yourself, WWPD?

What would a pony do?