So...My Little Pony

Observation and analysis are two things that I love to do. Collect some data, make some assertions, try to prove that they hold up to criticism and scrutiny. Recently, a friend of mine convinced me to watch the new My Little Pony cartoon. I trust her opinion when it comes to cartoons, so I gave it a whirl.

It also seems to be the most interesting cultural phenomenon I have heard occur on the internet. Ever. It seems to be a movement that is a rebellion against the cultural fabric of the internet.

Naturally, you ask: How so?

Ok, so at this point in time I have watched five episodes, and I am trying to understand why this gets the attention that it does.

From what I understand, this began with some folks over on 4chan, particularly the /b/ thread posting things about My Little Pony, and about how they enjoy the show and the characters. Naturally, nobody plays nice, and those that like the show were subjected to ridicule and subsequent flaming from troll central. Eventually the mods had to interfere harshly, and a great egress began of the pony community, which took on the name of "brony," a combination of /b/ and "pony."

Initially I thought brony referred to "boy" and "pony," because the show seems to pull in fellas my age, which is interesting.

Eventually the bronies made their own website, and image based posting board called pony chan, and a news blog called Equestria Daily, where people can come away from the 4chan community to talk.

Easily the most notable thing about this community is its reaction to the trolls that still try to harass them...they just talk about loving and tolerating the heck out of them. The people of this culture strive to inculcate the friendship and loving principles of the characters in the show, and go to great lengths to make it so.

I don't think I'm engaging in hyperbole by saying that this is the greatest thing I've ever seen on the internet.

In all its futility and idiocy, of all its arguments and hate (of which I am a perpetrator) there actually is a place that takes the opposite approach to the internet, and it's all based around a new adaptation of a show that originally only appealed to young ladies.

Hot damn this is interesting, and I'm going to write some more on this later.

As an aside, I've got part of my Wheel translation done, but I have to learn if Latin can make the distinction between myth and legend.

BANZAI!