Cool, I like this topic! I like it because MLP threads bring together two of my interests: My Little Pony and hating everything.
JUST THE FACTS: The four noble truths of Xzeno and ponies. 1. I am NOT a brony. 2. I watch and enjoy Friendship is Magic. 3. I'm not a brony for a reason, and that reason is that I liked MLP WAY before FiM, since I was a little kid playing with the toys. 4. Yes, that does make me better than you.
So anyway. The first season was mostly good. It did have three main flaws, and those were the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Anyway, season one was good.
Season 2: Discord episodes were good, wedding episodes were the bomb. A lot of good episodes in between, although some of them were terabad (Baby Cakes, Hearts and Hooves Day). Some were kinda **** but not too bad, like the other Pinkie Pie focused episode. In general, the main problem with the season, besides the fact that the Cutie Mark Crusaders continue to draw breath, is the more character focused episodes. As in, episodes focusing on one or two ponies and not the others. It's like the show's creators don't even know that the fans like it because of the way the characters interact with one another, not because of how the characters discretely are. And the creators are the ones who HAVE to know that, because the fans sure as hell don't.
As a direct result of this character focus, the season transformed Fluttershy from a cute, fun character who hadn't quite reached her potential to the worst character on television. That's an overstatement, but seriously, the only reasons to like Fluttershy after season 2 are stupidity and actual malicious intent.
Anyway, season 3 is just ****ing awful so far. Magic Duel was the only episode even approaching passable. The Crystal Empire looks like it was finished hurriedly. Felt like they had no good plot or writing (because they didn't), they're just going through the motions. All the songs have serious, fundamental problems with rhyme and meter. This is basic stuff. The lyrics are just horrible, they sound like they were hamfistedly arranged the night before the episode aired, forced crudely into the semblance of a song.
Also, it's cool how all the main six are slowly but surely devolving into a series of one-dimensional in-jokes. It annoys me when people see that and think it's a good thing, because it's actually not. It's bad, but people don't even know. They just laugh at the in-jokes. Seriously, you don't like Rainbow Dash because she says things are 20% cooler or Pinkie Pie because she has a party cannon. You like them because of the way their characters are portrayed.
I'm glad you asked. bronies are by definition the male fans of My Little Pony above the age of 12 or so. There are a lot of girls that call themselves bronies although a lot of them choose to be called pegasisters. The fandom is bound together by the shows messages and morals of friendship. It started when a few people started watching the show and posting things on 4chan there was actually a huge (nerdy) flame war between bronies and haters that eventually ended with 4chan banning anything pony related.
Not a brony, but I have to admit, LivingTombstone, and WoodenToaster make amazing music; as for MicTheMicrophone, I believe he's the white Morgan Freeman.
I like how Xzeno writes a 4 point disclaimer essentially arguing that he is "not a Brony", then goes on to write a detailed analysis of his opinion on the series.
... okay okay I know this doesn't necessarily make you a Brony or does it??? *trollface* For my part I thought the whole MLP:FiM thing would be relevant to my interests, but despite trying to get into it, I found it just wasn't my thing and gave up watching after I realised I was doing it purely so I could understand Brony in-jokes.
Just to expand on Ferret's post, as well as pre-empt a few things, because I've "travelled the internet" and see all kinds of things, including about MLP fandom that you may or may not know about: we welcome everybody (everypony) here; our only restriction is age (13 or older). All other restrictions relate purely to post content: you may not post certain things (porn, excessive violence, hateful stuff, see the forum rules) regardless of who you are.
For that reason it's not necessary to request that a certain group be excluded from the forum (unless in the very special case that the group by definition exists to break forum rules). And I certainly don't want to see any arguments about "what's wrong about being a Brony" here, there's plenty enough of that crap on YouTube, probably 4chan, and associated community/fandoms populated largely by teens and young adults fumbling about trying without much success to find their place in this world.
Regardless it's a remarkable phenomenon, and I'm more interested to see how it all unfolds.
