Forums → Popular Media → My Little Pony: Friendship is Metal

Welcome everypony. This is a thread to talk about My Little Pony. More specifically, the new animated series, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

I'll open by telling about my own MLP (My Little Pony) experience. Maybe I'm arrogant, maybe I feel inadequate, or maybe my beat up leather backpack has formed a symbiotic relationship with me and I've gone full on hipster, but I feel an obligation to point out that I was here first. Unlike most of the Internet, I didn't jump on the MLP bandwagon after it was cool. I've been a long running fan. Even when I was a wide-eyed youth, there was something about those ponies that caught my imagination far more than Barbies, or teddy bears, or any of the other little girls' toys I played with. I think it was because they were horses, and because of their amusing color schemes. When I was young, my aesthetic philosophy was undeveloped. I believed more colors was inherently better, as it brought more things to the table that were visually pleasing. I had little understanding of holistic qualities. Writing this makes me want to take them out of the attic. I hate nostalgia. I think I just don't want anyone to see me as new, a convert. I didn't start the show with the twinge of irony that accompanied many others. Rather, I want all to know I am the one on the sidelines, pony in hand, smirking "I told you so."

My favorite pony wasn't actually a My Little Pony. She was a pink plastic horse with a sparkly orchid mane. She also had golden hooves, to which I attributed her magical powers. Being about three times the size of the MLPs helped jettison her to a position of authority as well. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

In some ways I see it as justice that the show is so popular. After all, it's a solid franchise and the creator's a legend. I have longstanding personal interest. It deserves nothing less than its legion of fans. But part of me can't shake the idea that you newbs just don't appreciate ponies like I do. But oh, you do.

I identify a lot with Twilight Sparkle. She was a learned loner. Intelligent, wise, and extremely knowledgeable. Not, as she discovers, lacking in charisma, but a little asocial and unsure of what to do. Most important, she is utterly unaware of what she's missing until she learns the magic of friendship. This is, in a way, the story of my life. No princess (well, that's complicated) ever forced me to make friends. Instead, it was an idea I had. It somehow wormed its way into my mind, tightening its hold until I couldn't let it go. After much deliberation and a consultation with my best adviser, I did what I never thought I'd do: I, like Twilight Sparkle, left my life behind to discover the magic of friendship. Only my place wasn't a library. It was the Internet. Sure, I read as much (maybe not quite) as Twilight, and surely match her intellect, but I became a denizen of the Internet by default. I'm not sure how it happened. God knows I never wanted it to,but I realized I was here, and it was an important part of my life.

The neat thing about Twilight is that she didn't change. She didn't turn her back on brilliance, learnedness or reading. All she did was go out and met people who appreciated her -- loved her -- for who she was. "Be yourself", such cliche advice, but it worked for Twilight Sparkle. Is it any surprise, then, that this show has enormous popularity on the Internet? We're all Twilight Sparkle. We're all little nerds who feel an aching loneliness, only barely aware of it. And we all want to find those people who will love us for who we are. Twilight appeals to us because she's more than a figure with which we identify. She is an idea, and ideal. Twilight is what we hope to become. Part of us, deep down, thinks if Twilight did it, so can I, and I like to think that part of us is right. You know, there's another pony who's also pretty important. Yes, you all know who I mean. He's a great pony. We all love him, but how could anyone not? He's every bit as brilliant as me or pHacon or thisisnotanalt. He is, in many ways, the best of us. And you know, he was probably Twilight Sparkle too. I think her archetype strikes a cord in all us denizens of the Internet. Twilight, more than its creator's status and clever writing, I think, accounts for the show's unforeseen popularity so far out of its target audience. Surely we too can find the magic of friendship, if Twilight can, if Strop can. Sorry Strop, I couldn't resist. In my defense, this IS a pony thread.

So, uh, yeah, AG just got 20% cooler. Let's talk ponies. Opening question: Who's your favorite and why?