Pound Foolish wrote:But anyhow, MLP is actually a very charming show with characters people latch onto and love. Not to mention lovely and colorful animation with characters designed so that they're actually appealing. Rug rats, Phineas and Ferb, South Park... why have animators of today's cartoons decided the characters must be ugly and the animation bland? And no, I haven't actually watched South Park, or Family Guy and such cartoons. But really, from what I can gather, popular cartoons are going down the tubes, it's as if people have no taste anymore. MLP is a true light in the darkness.
THIS. Deranged or cheap animation is the reason why I hate most modern cartoons. It's the reason why adults think animation is for babies or for stupid people. As someone who aspires to animate, cartoons like MLP that don't have to have wild takes every other scene and don't have to insert subtle adult humor into every scene to be clever are wonderful. (Although I must disagree on Phineas and Ferb; I find that show a delight as well.)
Pound Foolish wrote: also like the whole brony "philosophy" if you will. That you can like things the other gender likes and not have a gay hair in your tail. Base your interests on your true personality, not on what people will think. Or on what's cool. A guy liking gal stuff is no weirder than a gal with transformers. When you you think about it, the difference between boy and girl entertainment is just companies trying to target their marketing to specifics audiences.
Also this.
There shouldn't have to be such things as "girls' shows" and "boys' shows". Men should be allowed to like traditionally "feminine" things without being labeled as effeminate or gay—there are plenty of straight, masculine men in theatre (many of whom are more attractive for it). I think a guy who likes MLP and isn't ashamed of it and yet can keep his head screwed on straight about it is pretty cool.
What I also like about the show is that it doesn't continue to perpetuate the idea that there's only one way to be a girl—to be composed, stoic, and wiser than your male counterparts. I've never seen an intelligent female character who isn't lauded, either in-universe or out-of-universe, as the best thing EVER who is a total go-getter and is president of everything and everyone likes her. Look at Twilight Sparkle—she's one of the most intelligent characters on the show and she's very blunt and take-charge, but she's also anti-social, dorky, and prone to stressing out over minor things. That is
me, to the freaking letter. I can identify with Twilight Sparkle so easily—and she is still a girl, a strong female character who doesn't have to be conventionally tough to be tough anyway.
Faust and the current showrunners have used these characters as an excellent way to show that there's more than one way to be a girl, and that we can still be dorky or awkward or weird or anti-social without being labeled as freaky loners. Rainbow Dash, who likes both sports and the occasional dress-up, tells athletic girls that it's okay to be a tomboy with a girly streak. Rarity, with her love of fashion and art, demonstrates to girls that creativity expressed through love of clothes and attention to looks doesn't have to be vain or shallow. Applejack tells girls that hard work and fair play are valuable traits, and that even if it's just a "little white lie", that doesn't make it okay to tell. Fluttershy shows girls that even though it shouldn't cripple you, there's nothing wrong with not being outgoing and brash, and that kindness and compassion can be great weapons as much as great tools. Pinkie Pie asserts to girls that there's nothing wrong with having fun and loving life, and that you can make people smile through means of true cheerfulness rather than bullying a social pariah.
The thing about MLP is that it's just a straight-up fun show. It's not happy all the time, but the moments of grit or sadness and the epic battle scenes feel real, not tacked-on for shock value. Does the show falter? Yes, absolutely; it's not perfect. But it's always going to be one of my favorites, because even in a world of candy-colored equines, it feels so
real. It even feels like Adventures in Odyssey sometimes—I can listen to it and know I'm dealing with real people facing real difficulties that don't have to involve Michael Bay-worthy explosions to be entertaining.
