Weāve all heard the rumors that FIM is going to be cancelled, and replaced with a G5 reboot. Ā We all have our own pet theories - hopes, and dreads, and wishlists of what is to become of the franchise.
A good-hearted, well-meaning friend of mine recently wrote a small essay about his. Ā He said that he hoped that in G5, there would be more male protagonists. (His rationale was that it would help young male pony fans not get bullied.)
I could not possibly disagree with this sentiment more.
The show already has appeal for everypony. Ā Aiming to entertain parents as well as children has been part of FIMās mission statement.
However, at its core, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is still first and foremost a safe space for girls - a world populated almost entirely by females with many powerful role models.
The fact that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has male appeal (either despite or because of this) is a sign of glorious progress, (and I donāt use that word lightly). Ā The fact that so many of us find a spiritual home in Equestria is a testament to its awesomeness, and proof that boys and men can and should learn to identity with female characters.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but a lot of people vehemently resist the notion.
The point is: Now that we are here in the fandom, we should not seek to co-opt MLP in any way. Ā Simply put, girls need Equestria more than we do.
My wife and I raised a daughter. Ā Let me tell you, almost all media geared toward girls was coded with highly toxic disempowering messages. Ā Filtering stuff like that out, and helping to foster a sense of self worth in a female child is a massively uphill battle, believe it or not. I did not fully appreciate this until I became a parent.
I donāt want to lecture anypony on gender politics. Ā Thatās not my way, but I do feel thereās something here that bears discussion.
These days, you hear an awful lot of talk in the media about what is and what is not empowering - and what does and does not constitute positive representation for women. Ā Iām not getting into any of that. Ā A comic strip artist from the 1980ās created what is now known as the Bechdel Test, and quite frankly, it cuts through all of the BS better than any HuffPo article ever could.
It is quite simple. Ā Take any movie. Ā Ask yourself three questions:
1. Does it have at least two female characters?
2. Do they talk to one anotherā¦
3. ā¦.About something other than a boy / man?
It sounds silly, but please. Ā Think about it. Ā Run the past ten films you saw through the Bechdel gauntlet.
99% of Hollywood movies fail. Ā The ones that pass usually only barely squeak by.
The My Little Pony Movie is bucking incredible! Ā It not only passes the test, it aces it harder than any mainstream film in recent memory. Ā The whole mane cast is female (except for the Storm King, Spike, the kitty cat, and the henchman with an eating disorder).
Girls need that. Ā Where else can they get it?
The fact that Equestria is populated primarily by females is actually really, really, really important. Ā Itās a fundamental part of its zeitgeist. Ā The fact that bronies can (and do) get behind such a world is a big part of what attracted me to the fandom in the first place. Ā Letās cherish that, and take pride in it.
Bottom Line: We are guests in this phenomenon we call Equestria, and have no right to remake it in our own image.
(That being said, even if, hypothetically, we were to do so, it would not help victims of bullying. Ā At all. Ā It is not our job to change who we are. Ā It is not our job to change what we love, merely to seek out the approval of sadists).
Please support me on Patreon. Ā That is, if you want to. Ā No pressure of course, but I ask because I do have mouths to feed. Ā You can also follow Heart Full of Pony on FimFic
jbbartram-illu
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
andulkaphoto
tangentwithtanner
pixelskylines
prguitarman
