On the Subject of Ponies

Jenna asked "What's with the ponies?"

So glad you asked Jenna...

If you have not experienced the wonder that is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, then you are really missing out. You think I'm joking. Take a moment to think back on your childhood. Remember those cartoons you used to watch? The good ones, before they got all weird and dumbed down like they are today? Shows like Gummi Bears, Ducktales (woo-ooo), Gargoyles, Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Batman, Freakazoid, Animaniacs...need I go on?

These were shows that didn't talk down to you just because you were a kid. They took their audience's intellect for granted, and crafted quality children's entertainment. Heck, a lot of these have been resurrected as DVD sets because so many ADULTS wanted a taste of their childhood again, and these shows STILL HOLD UP TODAY!

In passing, I have seen some of the crappy cartoons they put on TV today, and I am not impressed.

Then I found MLP: FIM.

All those shows I listed up there? MLP would fit right in with them.

Perhaps this is why the phenomena known as "Bronies" has occurred. A broney is a male, generally in his 20's or 30's, who is a fan of MLP: FIM. And they aren't making fun of the show in any way, they actually, genuinely love it. And who can blame them?


Here are a few quotes from an article on bronies, you can read the whole thing here:

“First we can’t believe this show is so good, then we can’t believe we’ve become fans for life, then we can’t believe we’re walking down the pink aisle at Toys R Us or asking for the girl’s toy in our Happy Meal,” Allen said in an e-mail to Wired.com. “Then we can’t believe our friends haven’t seen it yet, then we can’t believe they’re becoming bronies too.”

So, why the breathless adoration? Some fans say the show’s appeal lies in good illustration, excellent characters or, as Allen put it, a “perfect storm of ’80s nostalgia and cultural irony.”

Despite a tacit understanding that some people might be surprised by their choice of entertainment, most bronies show little to no compunction about their fandom. They shouldn’t have to. And, intentionally or not, they might be bucking the gender socialization of things considered to be “for girls” or “for boys.”

“This weird alchemy that Lauren Faust tapped into when she set out to make the show accessible to kids and their parents hooks into the male geek’s reptilian hindbrain and removes a lifetime’s behavioral indoctrination against pink,” said New Mexico brony Allen. “As a person with Asperger syndrome, I learned more about theory of mind, friendships and social interactions from this season than I had in the previous 31 years of life.”

It's a great article, so if you have a moment, I suggest you go read the whole thing.

As for my own enjoyment of MLP: FIM? All I can say is that I watched one episode. Then another. Then another. Then another. And before I knew it I had watched the whole season without really noticing that I had become a fan.

It went sorta like this.

Now, the clip I showed you in that other post was actually several clips cut together from one episode. It showed all the different times Pinkie Pie warned Twilight Sparkle about not revealing a friend's secrets. Pinkie Pie, by the way, is the most random and insanely funny character. She's like a combination of Luna Lovegood and Phoebe from Friends. On crack. When she popped out of the bowl of sponges, shouting "forEVerrrrr!" I laughed so hard I shot milk out of my nose. And I wasn't even drinking milk. Then she eats the apple in that threatening way...hilarious.

And with that, I shall leave you with another clip, also of Pinkie Pie singing a song she made up about the "Evil Enchantress" (who, of course, turns out not to be evil at all, but only severely misjudged because she's a zebra pony. Hello subtle lesson about racism! What an excellent lesson to be teaching our children. In fact, I think more people could stand to learn that lesson than just our children. Thank goodness My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic isn't just for kids.)

The first part is Pinkie Pie singing it, then, later in the episode all of the ponies are afflicted with various ailments (which they blame on the 'enchantress') and Pinkie Pie gets Fluttershy (whose voice has been altered by the same thing which has afflicted all of them) to sing it for her. Enjoy.



And one more just for fun, because I also love Fluttershy:

The Cost of a Sink

Searching for an apartment in NYC is incredibly frustrating. Especially in Park Slope where, apparently, having two sinks costs extra.

I have just now made a list of things for which to check next time I see an apartment. At the top of that list: TWO SINKS!!

That mean, a sink in the bathroom AND the kitchen. I know it's revolutionary, maybe even ridiculous, to expect such a thing, but I have got to put my foot down. I have been living in an apartment for over two years with no kitchen sink. I have to wash my dishes in the bathroom. THE BATHROOM PEOPLE!

And last night I went to see another apartment where, lo and behold, there was no sink in the bathroom. Now, granted, I think I would much prefer that version of things. At least the kitchen sink was rather large. But still, is it really that much to ask to have both?

The other requirement on my list are wall outlets. How many and where are they? In my current apartment, I only have two. Yes, two. I want you to think about all the things you plug in: computer, lamps, TV, printer, refrigerator, microwave, various kitchen appliances, AC, fan, internet router, DVD player...I'm sure I could name more, but you get the idea. Look at that list, and tell me that four measly plug holes are sufficient. Power strips can only do so much.

I don't know, maybe I'm just being greedy. Maybe asking for two sinks and more than two outlets is insane. But when you're paying between $1200-$1400 a month, you ought to at least get an entire apartment, not just bits of one.

OK, end of rant. I'm off to check craigslist, wish me luck.