Video: Are Bronies Changing the Definition of Masculinity?

Interesting video using gender theory to investigate the Bronie sub culture I'm not saying wathing it will make you 20% cooler but it might so you know.

Not while the community has transmisogyny embedded right in it, see the Purple Tinker incident.

Just read up on the Purple Tinker insident... *sigh* this is the reason I never get to involeved with online sub cultures. God damn it why can't we have nice things?

Although to her credit she is still very active with the culture she isn't letting the bastards grind her down.

From the criticisms I've read on "Brony" culture, it's not changing the definition of masculinity, it's just adding girl's TV shows that they like to it. There's a LOT of problematic stuff in it, including acting as if the show belongs to them and should now cater to them rather than them being nifty guys who are interested in a girl's show, there are attitudes like "we like it, therefore it's not a girl's show, make it more for us". Plus the sexualization of the ponies, and the imputing female stereotypes onto them as if they could be their fantasy girlfriends, such as Fluttershy having a lot of admirers cuz they see her as being the perfect girlfriend, and seeing the more assertive ponies as being "bitches" and etc :\

This doesn't mean ALL Bronies, but I do think there's a lot to address about the entitlement culture that exists in any male fandom, and just because this one's of a "girl's show" doesn't make it much different.

Fair points Amy I guess it was bit silly to get my hopes up but part of me just really hoped that this was a small sign that things we're getting better.

Yet I feel allot of that claiming the show as their own is I imagine could be put down to over compensation and insecurity on their part quite unnecessary IMO.

Although I would just like to point out it’s not just guys doing the sexualising theres allot of fan fiction and art work out there by women who are into the show thats pretty shady as well.

I do agree very strongly with you though on the subject of male entitlement that runs through fan culture it should be challenged as much as possible I seriously don’t know why my gender is so obsessed with being the boss of everything its really starting to grate on me.

I am still just cranky that the My Little Ponies now look nothing like the My Little Ponies did when I was a kid! It's like they took the first-gen ponies, that were already cartoon-horses and made a cartoon version OF THEM. I can't get into the new My Little Pony because it is ALL WRONG.

Also, you kids get off my lawn!!

I've revised my view on bronies.

I actually strongly dislike the subculture because I really, really hate bro culture. A kids' show with a theme that induces sugar poisoning just from looking at it, is not going to radically change the attitudes of douchebros.

It's like that Sensitive Guy thing. Tolerating potpourri and scented candles, wearing pastel colours on occasion, having Kate Bush's albums on your shelf, and acting saccharine doesn't suddenly mean you don't have the entitled attitude. (see examples: white/white-passing male fauxminists)

plymouth wrote:I am still just cranky that the My Little Ponies now look nothing like the My Little Ponies did when I was a kid! It's like they took the first-gen ponies, that were already cartoon-horses and made a cartoon version OF THEM. I can't get into the new My Little Pony because it is ALL WRONG.

You know, I felt that way at first, but then I got used to it. And at least in this series, you can tell the characters apart.

plymouth wrote:I am still just cranky that the My Little Ponies now look nothing like the My Little Ponies did when I was a kid! It's like they took the first-gen ponies, that were already cartoon-horses and made a cartoon version OF THEM. I can't get into the new My Little Pony because it is ALL WRONG.

Also, you kids get off my lawn!!

They were chubbier, and the dolls had a hollow abdomen so you could squish them like a stress-ball. That's a thought - if i could hunt my old dolls down they'd probably be worth a fortune on ebay!

Ah, the memories...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRm0HW9Q_XY

From the criticisms I've read on "Brony" culture, it's not changing the definition of masculinity, it's just adding girl's TV shows that they like to it.

Adding something to a definition is changing it, no? Changes in acceptable gendered behavior virtually always flow from masculine to feminine (that is, guy stuff is socially coded as "good," so women start claiming it), so it's nice, and IMO a sign of a significant cultural shift, to see something feminine-coded being embraced by men, even though the positive aspect is pretty thoroughly overwhelmed by the problematic shit in that community.

Obviously the very existence of the term "brony" is an indicator that they don't want to just be MLP fans, as such; they want a separate category that preserves their masculinity.

Are you going to claim that if scented candles become popular among bros, they're going to become gentle and empathic?

Liking a pink-saturated kids' show with an almost all-female cast, doesn't suddenly turn someone from a jerkass to a gentle saintly being. Bro culture is just fucked up full stop--even if they call themselves Sensitive Guys, wear pink shirts sometimes, cook, have cats and call themselves feminists too. Pedestalising femininity or adopting the aspects that make you feel least uncomfortable doesn't necessarily mean you start giving a damn about making things better for women.

I don't think it really demonstrates a shift in culture for them to partition themselves off as the true audience and try to claim the ponies are totes okay for masculine dudes such as themselves, because...

I keep saying this, and nobody listens to me: We already have examples of masculine dudes who like kids cartoons marketed for kids. It's called transformers. It is categorically different in how its adult fandom operates. For one thing, it recognizes the children as the audience for the show. I mean, it's great that dudes can enjoy FIM because FIM is legit good (for a kids show), but it doesn't indicate the huge shift we may want.

Exactly, Rutee. That goes right with what I said that liking pink or scented candles or whatever doesn't make a bro not a bro any more.

I don't know how many bros are actualy watching MLP I just thought bronie was a funny play on words.

I'm no fan of bromanteaus either, they show the speaker's fear of femininity.

Are you going to claim that if scented candles become popular among bros, they're going to become gentle and empathic?

Absolutely no clue where you got that from. Care to point to where someone said or implied that?

katz wrote:

Are you going to claim that if scented candles become popular among bros, they're going to become gentle and empathic?

Absolutely no clue where you got that from. Care to point to where someone said or implied that?

Well, you seem to think that adding some feminine-coded things to one's life will somehow negate toxic masculinity.

There is no evidence of this whatsoever. You could love pink, scented candles, long baths with those weird fizzy things, Hello Kitty and all of that stuff, and still be misogynistic, cissexist, heterosexist and transmisogynistic. See: famous drag queens being racist, misogynistic, cissexist, etc.

Well, you seem to think that adding some feminine-coded things to one's life will somehow negate toxic masculinity.

No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous.

From what I've seen? No. They claim the show is now manly, because they like it. They get mad at Hasbro for making cute toy sets for little girls. They basically pitch a fit every time they're not catered to. And complaints that there aren't enough male characters.

Because boys' shows are just swimming with female characters, right? Oh who cares, as long as men get what the want.