My Brony Tale (Off Topic)

2011 was a tough year for me. I lost many friends (At least I thought they were friends, that is), I fell behind on my school work, and people began to see me as a creep with mental issues (For the most trivial things, like being a teenager who likes Pokemon). There was one thing which still made 2011 the best year of my life, and that was when I discovered friendship, through a TV Show. If you're not aware of what show I'm talking about (You should be, considering you're reading a blog with "Brony" in its name), it's My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.



Now as I said, 2011 was a bit hard on me. Nothing really excited me anymore, and I was being picked on and pressured for every little thing I did wrong. I found myself praying that it would all end (Even though I only half believe in God). I couldn't have predicted that the Ponyville equestrians would be the answer to my prayers. This tale starts in June of last year, when I came across this image:



It didn't quite spark my enthusiasm, but it piqued my interest. I was intrigued, and I was wondering "Why My Little Pony?". Eventually, I came to hear of Bronies: Adult/Adolescent males of the new MLP Fandom. One day, I went to the Brony section of Memebase, just for the sake of curiosity. All these bright, colourful Pony Memes were everywhere, and I found myself having a bit of a laugh at all the memes talking about how manly the show was, and how awesome it was. I get picked on all the time for watching Pokemon, and being "Childish", so I never made fun of Bronies, neither did I go through phases of denial. I just sat down and watched the show after learning a bit about Bronies.

It was amazing! The tasty animation hooked me, and the humour and plot kept me coming back for more! At first, yes there was a bit of irony, but the same sense of irony in me being a teenager playing and watching Pokemon! Eventually, though, I realised that I had grown close to the ponies. Their diversity, their interactions, the way they work out their problems! On the outside, you see a well-oiled machine, a show which ticks all the boxes for a quality cartoon. It's modern and relevant, it's funny, it's deep and very simple and accessible at the same time, it has a hint of adult humour, and most of all, it can be a bit dark at times, but remains sweet, childlike, adorable and innocent despite! Although, it's what to be expected from Lauren Faust, known for her work on The Powerpuff Girls and Foster Home for Imaginary Friends.



One of my favourite things about the show is the song composition. They range from simple fun 30 second Pinkie Pie songs like "Cupcakes", to orchestrated masterpieces that sound like they belong in a (good) Disney movie, such as "Find A Pet", to elegant songs like "Art of the Dress", to full-length songs, with solos giving each mane character a singing role and time to shine like "At The Gala" and "Winter Wrap". I love music, just give me some Queen, KISS and Foo Fighters and we'll be best friends FOREEEEEVER!!!!!! My Little Pony has amazing composition, all thanks to Daniel Ingram!



At first it was just a show I enjoyed watching. I was a bit lonely, being that I knew no other Bronies (Out of my school of over 1000 people, I'm actually the only Brony), so I took to Facebook on a mission to find Bronies. I joined all the Brony groups and made friends, which was easy considering most of them pride themselves on Love & Tolerance. I made many Brony friends, and I found them all to be really nice.



And then, just like everything else I like, there's this minority of haters. You can't expect others to like everything, but these haters are much worse than most hate groups. They're calling us pedophiles, they're telling us there's something wrong going on in our heads, that we have no lives, simpy for enjoying a TV Show. Every time they see a pony, just one, they take to personal insults! I posted a pony picture on my Facebook, and then one of my "friends" came along and complained about it, and told me I was a loser. Usually when someone picks on me, I'm left to defend myself on my own, but this time, my Brony friends came to the rescue. This kid complaining also brought his friends in to pick on, but they taught them a lesson: Don't mess with the Brony community.



This showed me that there were still good people out there, people willing to defend a stranger from bullying. It showed me the #1 thing about My Little Pony: The Bronies. That was when it clicked, when I found that happiness hidden inside of me! As I got to know them, they turned out to be really cool people, and they thought the same of me. Read that again, people from my school: THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK I'M A CREEP. I'm really a one of a kind at my school, no one is even remotely similar to me, no one has much in common with me at all, but that doesn't mean I'll have no friends or social life in my future. It means that myschoolisfullofidiotswhodon'ttakeanythinginlifeseriouslyandbettermaturesoonorthey'regonna'endupbeingeatenaliveintherealworld. In all seriousness, it shows that I'm alone. These people are just like me. These are the people who do nothing wrong, and still end up being the outcast with no friends, these are the bullying victims, those who work hard and want a future, those with a sense of modesty and acceptance that gets shoved back in their face, day in and day out, those who have faced misfortune, and the candy coloured ponies of Equestria have changed their lives.



Perhaps you're wondering who I think best pony is? That Would be Pinkie Pie! Her cheerfulness, spontaniety, humour, different view of the world and overall optimism. She can do it all; break the fourth wall, defy physics, make up words and expressions, bake cakes, host parties and babysit. Pinkie is what makes the show a cartoon, she's always over the top, hilarious and crazy!



So, if you're a Brony, I love you (No homo)! If you're a hater, continue to hate it if you really want to, but you shouldn't even be here. If you're in the middle, get out of there! Thank you, Bronies! I hope you found it to be a good read!