Human behavioral science student doing extra research on how to write my term paper (an auto ethnography.) Just feedback, I'm an artist and a lot of my friends were Bronies when it was in its heyday. Got asked to do a lot of My Little Pony art, and got invited along to a couple of conventions. So, even though I wasn't a member of this community via my own personal interest in it, I was immersed in it through association and participation. Saying that it's a good way for fathers to bond with their daughters is probably true, but it's a huge minority in the culture - in fact this is the first time I've ever heard that example, and I don't remember seeing very many men with their children at the conventions. Most of the art I was asked to make was for the individual not for his daughters. If this perspective came from interviews of people that you didn't know it makes sense that they would say something like that because there's a lot of shame associated with being a member of this group due to subgroups who sexualize these cartoon characters. In fact, when My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic released a full-length feature film in theaters, trying to find kids to go with you (nieces, young cousins, friends' kids) so that you didn't present in public as an adult male buying tickets to this movie alone was a huge thing. And so I would say that that is a very sterile and palatable way to present the group to the mainstream. A more accurate way to present it would be that Bronies challenge the idea that you can ever be too old for something that is fun, or that any form of media should be for boys or girls exclusively. Most adult male fans of the show will say that the storytelling and character development is amazing and so well done that it's engaging for audiences of all ages and genders, even adult males. It also creates a support network and community for people who are enthusiastic about art and animation, storytelling, world building and character development as literary and media art forms. Fan made content such as OCs (original characters) or fan-fiction, costume design, hand-made stuffed animals, even original music and animation are huge parts of this culture. Saying that it's a good way for fathers to bond with their daughters is an explanation, but it's attempting to justify the the groups existence, not understand them.
Learning about Autoethnography for my own research purposes and being introduced unexpectedly to the brony subculture, this is why I internet!
Excellent insight on the Autoethnographic method. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you!!
you helped me so muchhh!!!
Human behavioral science student doing extra research on how to write my term paper (an auto ethnography.)
Just feedback, I'm an artist and a lot of my friends were Bronies when it was in its heyday. Got asked to do a lot of My Little Pony art, and got invited along to a couple of conventions. So, even though I wasn't a member of this community via my own personal interest in it, I was immersed in it through association and participation.
Saying that it's a good way for fathers to bond with their daughters is probably true, but it's a huge minority in the culture - in fact this is the first time I've ever heard that example, and I don't remember seeing very many men with their children at the conventions. Most of the art I was asked to make was for the individual not for his daughters.
If this perspective came from interviews of people that you didn't know it makes sense that they would say something like that because there's a lot of shame associated with being a member of this group due to subgroups who sexualize these cartoon characters. In fact, when My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic released a full-length feature film in theaters, trying to find kids to go with you (nieces, young cousins, friends' kids) so that you didn't present in public as an adult male buying tickets to this movie alone was a huge thing.
And so I would say that that is a very sterile and palatable way to present the group to the mainstream.
A more accurate way to present it would be that Bronies challenge the idea that you can ever be too old for something that is fun, or that any form of media should be for boys or girls exclusively. Most adult male fans of the show will say that the storytelling and character development is amazing and so well done that it's engaging for audiences of all ages and genders, even adult males.
It also creates a support network and community for people who are enthusiastic about art and animation, storytelling, world building and character development as literary and media art forms. Fan made content such as OCs (original characters) or fan-fiction, costume design, hand-made stuffed animals, even original music and animation are huge parts of this culture.
Saying that it's a good way for fathers to bond with their daughters is an explanation, but it's attempting to justify the the groups existence, not understand them.