I made this comment in another blog, but I think it kind of deserves it's own blog post.

Someone was talking about all this "Brony" nonsense, and someone was like "Bronies aren't doing anything to start any flamewars".

And I'm not going to say they're doing anything, but I know as someone who has no interest in the show (after having watched several episodes and found it uninteresting), that it is actually pretty annoying to open the blogs and see what seems like every other one blogging about nothing but those darned ponies and how great it is to be a "brony" and all the pony avatars and such. It's cool that people like what they like, I think it's off-putting that so many people seem to be almost defining themselves based on their interest in a children's cartoon, and it's a little weird to see people obsessing over something that will last maybe another year or two (much in the same way those who cannot move on from Bionicle ending are off-putting).

So to say that as someone who has no interest one way or the other (well, I kind of think the art direction is neat, so I do sway a little bit that direction, I suppose), to find it incredibly off-putting, I don't see why anyone would be surprised that people who think the show is immature, or a terrible cartoon, or whatever legitimate or illegitmate complaint they have are having such an extreme reaction.

(Of course, to them I'd also say "chillax, it'll blow over in like a month anyway.")

But seriously, both groups need to chillax. "Bronies": we know you like the show. Cool. Stop obsessing. It's weird, it's off-putting, and it makes people uncomfortable to see you almost defining yourselves based on a children's show. I don't care if you like it. But like I said, the almost defining yourselves by it is weird. Also, it also comes across a bit as some sort of twisted masculinity challenge. Like "Yeah, I'm so manly that I can totally get into this show that is very obviously focused on elementary aged girls! My manliness knows no weird gender boundaried, sparkles and femininity and girliness fill me with delight because I'm so manly that I can like girl stuff too". It doesn't help that they used the word "bro" for their portmanteau. It's clever, but in a lot of circles "bro" has a very "frat guy manly party dude yeah!" connotation. (Not that I think that is why any of you guys like it, that is more a general thought from someone who studied psychology in college and it's hard to turn that "analyze everything!" urge off.)

And anti-bronies: Let people like what they like, and if you don't like it, don't blog about it. It's also off-putting to see you letting all this stuff everywhere rile you up so badly. It's like you aren't secure enough in what you like and do not like to just let it go. Like you need people posting to agree that this show is "bad" or "for girls" in order to justify how you feel. You don't need other people to validate your tastes. You like it, or you don't, and you don't. That's cool. Run with it. Do so quietly and stop provoking the "bronies". Let them get over their new-toy excitement, and it'll all go back to normal soon anyway. They're excited about something they love. Let them be! And enjoy their love for something. No reason not to enjoy someone's innocent passion, even when it's for something you don't enjoy.

Addendum: Because I ended up stream-of-consciousness writing more critically of the Brony thing than I meant to. I didn't mean to be like "you are all weird for liking this" or anything. I am cool with the Bronies. I am not one. I have no desire to be. And like I said, I think the actual movement or whatever you want to call it is a little off-putting for those reasons. But that doesn't mean everyone who is a Brony or likes the show, or anything like that has any of those characteristics. Be a brony, that's cool! Maybe chill out on posting so much brony stuff everywhere. That was really my only real point is that the pushback shouldn't be a surprise, but the pushback isn't necessary either.