I don’t get Bronies so I watched a documentary to try and understand them better. I’ve watched the show and I think it’s well written with a high production value and excellent moral message. I’m not bashing the show.
What I don’t understand is the intense devotion and excitement bronies feel about the show. But they probably feel the same way about Warehouse 13, Doctor Who, or Star Trek so the fandoms can agree to disagree as long as they show respect. That’s what the whole documentary was about.
Despite the negative PR, bronies are not 30-something unemployed losers living in their mothers basements. The average age is 20 and most have a higher education. They’ve also raised thousands of dollars for charity.
One was a biologist from Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. One of the brony cons had a military breakfast. The voice actress for Twilight Sparkle handed out autographed slap bracelets. I saw at least 3 couples. One girl had cancer and talked about how the show made her feel better. Another brony had Asperger’s and MLP helped him relate to other people.
John de Lancie (Q from Star Trek) voiced a popular villain in MLP:FIM. He was very gracious to his brony fans. One of the younger bronies, Lyle, emailed him about how nervous he was to have his dad at the con. John de Lancie introduced Lyle’s conservative father to a dad who supported his son. I thought that was really nice.
If the documentary taught me anything it’s that bronies travel hundreds or thousands of miles to find someone who can relate to them. To have the freedom to geek out in a safe place because many are judged very harshly.
I don’t think I’ll ever ‘get’ the big deal for bronies but it’s a fandom with a moral lesson that promotes teamwork. One of the European couples got engaged and continue to make merchandise together. Lyle’s dad watched an episode and liked it. One guy turned his laser video techniques into a full-time business. The documentary raised my opinion of bronies as a whole and made me smile. It’s worth a watch if you’re curious about the culture.
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