"My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic"...and why it's Awesome!

This was me at first.



So I think it's about time we talk about ponies. I'm sure most of you have seen pony related materials springing up here and there and wondering "JUST WHAT IN THE HECK IS UP WITH ALL THESE PONIES?!" then allow me to explain. For starters I do indeed consider myself to be a Bronie (MLP lingo referring to male fans of the series) and I think I can explain why "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" has managed to become such a hit with the male audience. For the 90's kids (like myself) we all remember the simpler cartoons, shows like "Doug", "Rugrats", and more specifically, "The Powerpuff Girls". Cartoons nowadays suffer from a REAL lack of focus, meaning they don't know if they wanna be dark and edgy or goofy and thoughtless. There are a few gems in the era of course ("Kim Possible" comes to mind).

But "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" is a very RARE creature in the world of modern day cartoons. "MLP:Fim" is created by Lauren Faust, creator of "Foster Home For Imaginary Friends", she's the husband of Craig McCracken (the guy who bought us "The Powerpuff Girls" and directed "Dexter's Laboratory". If those are shows you enjoyed back in the day then "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" is RIGHT up your alley. I say this because much like "The Powerpuff Girls", "MLP:Fim" has becomes the quintessential cartoon about girls but not exactly FOR girls. There are some shows out there that are made to target a strict audience BUT The Ponies of "MLP:Fim" go above and beyond being girl characters and have becomes the strong female leads we guys have been waiting to see in cartoons.

It's all in the family!



This sounds alarming because the characters are female ponies BUT female nonetheless and despite them being female I completely relate to them all on many different levels. All too often cartoons that feature a main cast of ONLY female characters, the focus of the show becomes GIRL POWER & I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR...and other things of that nature. The problem with some producers is they think THAT'S what makes a strong female character! When really the ponies in "MLP:Fim" are some of the strongest female characters I've seen in awhile. I say this because the focus of the show, despite having a completely female main cast is NOT about GIRL POWER, rather it's about something we ALL can relate to...FRIENDSHIP!

The magic of Friendship is a lot like taking shrooms...

Not some kinda mushy idea about friendship but the very idea of having people who have your back and someone who's gonna help you out no matter what. I think that's what draws us to the series. It's very honest about the innocence of the concept and at the same time dealing with it's complexities in a fun and entertaining way. In this day in age where cartoons are over saturated with innuendo it's good to have to a cartoon that's a throw back to old days; where it was about telling an awesome story and learning something by the end of it. "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" is smart without being edgy, it's honest without being preachy, and it's heartfelt without being sappy.

SO NOT SAPPY!! TRUST ME!!!

I won't lie, when a buddy of mine told me about the series I was UBER skeptical, much like the image I posted above, BUT I'm glad I kept an open mind because I might have missed a little nugget of awesomeness over what, not wanting to be a dude watching a girl's show. Keep in mind I watched "Sailor Moon" when I was younger and I gone through a strange period of watching "The Winx Club" on Saturdays (No, I'm not gonna apologize for that last one, "The Winx Club" was AWESOME!) I like "MLP:Fim" mostly because it makes me feel good after I watch it, makes me feel really thankful for having such cool people that I call my friends and it makes me wanna be a better friend to them. 

Scootaloo...adorable, awesome and 100% correct!

But seriously, if you enjoyed "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Dexter Laboratory" you'll have NO problem enjoying "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic", so swallow that pride and give it a shot, you really have nothing to lose and in the end you'll have something to brighten your day.

WORD!!