Opinion of Dora the Explorer

[President Marokai]

I've written this while being very sick, medicated, and sleep deprived. So of this comes off as rambling gibberish, then please disregard it and consider me a crazy person.

Can we get this out once and for all? Why the Hell are people watching "My Little Pony", ironically or not? What the Hell has happened to this world?

http://icrontic.com/article/why-grown-ass-men-love-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-so-much

http://sdmomfia.com/2011/06/bronies-adult-men-who-like-my-little-pony/

http://the-land-shark.deviantart.com/art/Why-Guys-Like-My-Little-Pony-202579900

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/06/bronies-my-little-ponys/

These are what the Internet says is the answer to your 1st/2nd questions. The 3rd will take a lot longer than a few links.

None of these are actual explanations, and I genuinely read them because I wanted to see an answer to that question. The first two links essentially admit that the appreciation for My Little Pony is, indeed, ironic in nature, with the first link explicitly arguing that it's mostly just increasingly popular for the sake of being popular (people liking it, because other people like it) the third is just someone's random blog about how he likes it because.. he desperately needed to think of a reason, and the last article, it being Wired of course, was the most interesting, but only because it reminded me of an older Wired article on "neo-sincerity."

The article on neo-sincerity is a much better read for understanding the increasing popularity of MLP, because what that trend is, is essentially just reverse-irony. Symbolic of the overall trend in the last few years of some in society kicking off the ironic backlash to irony. As the article highlighted:

“Not only are sincerity and passion now ‘out,’ TV-wise, but the very idea of pleasure has been undercut,” Wallace wrote in his essay, “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction” (.pdf) for the Review of Contemporary Fiction in 1993. He went on to note that “TV can flatter [us] about ‘seeing through’ the pretentiousness and hypocrisy of outdated values, it can induce in [us] precisely the feeling of canny superiority it’s taught [us] to crave…. Further viewing begins to seem almost like required research, lessons in the blank, bored too-wise expression that [we] must learn how to wear.”

Wallace concluded the essay by suggesting that the next rebels could be “born oglers who dare to back away from ironic watching,” who risk being labeled as too sincere or melodramatic.

The love for My Little Pony is basically just rooted in a wild overreaction to a broader pop culture that has been too saturated in ironic detachment. The, of course, ironic thing, is that the overreaction is just as feigned and f**king annoying as someone trying too hard to be ironic. This rebellious attitude to the irony of the 90s and early 00's "risks being labeled as melodramatic" because it is (childish, and) melodramatic. It's the opposite end of the spectrum, basically. Postured and annoying, but for entirely opposed reasons.

A logical and objective reason for liking something (anything, really) is not necessary, but it becomes necessary when you apply objective terms to it and you attempt to place it on a pedestal as something greater than it really is.

My Little Pony succeeds because of several factors:

1. Ironic appreciation. This is inarguably what spawned the "fad."

2. Being part of the zeitgeist with the rest of the cool kids. People are into it because, for other people, it's the hot new thing to be into, and while they're into it, they're going to be really into it.

3. Over the top "neo-sincerity," wherein people seem to feel the need to go above and beyond the call of duty in trying to make sure everyone around them knows for goddamn sure that they just loovvveee My Little Pony.

4. Kids.

At the end of that Wired article, it highlights someone from New York magazine who writes about how neo-sincerity could be just as, if not more, dangerous than ironic detachment. About how fanboy culture has "won," and yet, in doing so, it's also done irreparable damage to what being a nerdy little fanboy was originally all about, creating two distinct camps: people who hate everything, and hate everyone that doesn't hate everything, and people who love the things they love a little too much, and shun everyone that doesn't conform to the fanboyish group-think.

In other words, there is increasingly less and less room for people who don't have a position in either camp. Who love some things and hate some things, but don't feel the need to go out of their way to unnecessarily throw the things they love and hate in other people's faces. Who don't posture either way, they just have opinions and that's that.

So basically, what I'm saying is, keep your goddamn pony memes to yourself and out of the hair of people who want nothing to do with it. If something is truly worth loving, it's worth loving quietly.

Also, everyone should go join The AV Club.

[Χahar]

Also, everyone should go join The AV Club.

Oh, it wouldn't be any fun if everyone did.

[President Marokai]

As far BRTD's evangelizing of the show goes, this is all I really feel like saying:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.  

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Also, everyone should go join The AV Club.

Oh, it wouldn't be any fun if everyone did.

Fair point. Any like-minded individual, then.

[So the Heroes Fall]

You're seriously comparing a verse about not being self-righteous and praying quietly to talking about liking a TV show?

[CathKhan]

You're seriously comparing a verse about not being self-righteous and praying quietly to talking about liking a TV show?

You've been known to use Bible verses for things as trivial as whether to ban a poster or not. Triviality & lack of proportion is the name of the game on this board.

[a Person]

You're seriously comparing a verse about not being self-righteous and praying quietly to talking about liking a TV show?

You've been known to use Bible verses for thongs

[UNWANTED MENTAL IMAGE ALERT]

[CathKhan]

You're seriously comparing a verse about not being self-righteous and praying quietly to talking about liking a TV show?

You've been known to use Bible verses for thongs

[UNWANTED MENTAL IMAGE ALERT]

Sorry man, typing on a little iPod keyboard has it's drawbacks.

[Senator Snowstalker]

The community itself is somewhat ironic in nature, though it sprouted up in the first place due to being a good show.

Also, don't complain about us while you watch the magical tentacle girl crap.

[So the Heroes Fall]

When I took the job, I braced myself for criticism, expecting many people — without even watching the show — to instantly label it girly, stupid, cheap, for babies or an evil corporate commercial. I encourage skeptics like this to watch My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic with an open mind. If I'm doing my job right, I think you'll be surprised."

The funny thing is the things people are complaining about in the show (who probably have never even seen it) are EXACTLY the type of things Faust said she was trying to move away from when she created the show. She explicitly stated that she wanted to make a show that little girls could watch with their parents that the parents could actually enjoy as well, and that would have positive and strong female characters, not just ones obsessed with being princesses and girly stuff.

[The Mikado]

Oh, goddamn it.  Talk pony in ponythread, talk Dora in Dorathread.  This is exactly what I was worried about when I created the damn Pony Ghetto.

[Hatman]

When I took the job, I braced myself for criticism, expecting many people — without even watching the show — to instantly label it girly, stupid, cheap, for babies or an evil corporate commercial. I encourage skeptics like this to watch My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic with an open mind. If I'm doing my job right, I think you'll be surprised."

The funny thing is the things people are complaining about in the show (who probably have never even seen it) are EXACTLY the type of things Faust said she was trying to move away from when she created the show. She explicitly stated that she wanted to make a show that little girls could watch with their parents that the parents could actually enjoy as well, and that would have positive and strong female characters, not just ones obsessed with being princesses and girly stuff.

And yet the show is called "My little pony". I guess one shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

[King]

The rest of this thread is stupid. Search for the SNL short Maraka, enjoy it, and go home.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

This thread is bad and some people who posted here should feel as bad as Al did after learning of Rochambeau's existence.

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

Let's get on topic.

Backpack's song isn't as bad as Map's song (It's still pretty bad though.) Pulse later they shortend both songs, thankfully. There must be an "I'm the map" challenge video on Youtube somewhere.

Why do I know this stuff?

But anyway, Red, don't complain about shows that weren't ment for you.

[a Person]

Now Red, Backpack's song isn't as bad as Map's song. Pulse later they shortend both songs.

Why do I know this stuff?

I'll assume the best and say Wikipedia.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Let's talk about Hinduism.

[realisticidealist]

Oh also:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5LDnFGfLXk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Best post in this thread.

[For Oklahoma]

Good for young kids, but godawful as soon as you get older.

[I left.]

Swiper no swiping!

[Californian Tony]

So you poor deluded fool think you're a map ?

Here is what a map looks like :

[Holmes]

I think, in a practical sense, that's a pretty poor map. Very few would be able to interpret it.

[asexual trans victimologist]

The community itself is somewhat ironic in nature, though it sprouted up in the first place due to being a good show.

Also, don't complain about us while you watch the magical tentacle girl crap.

I'm not aware of anybody who watches things about magical tentacle girls, mainly because I'm not aware of any anime that combine those two things that aren't hentai (and would like to remain not aware if possible and finish watching Kara no Kyoukai in peace).

Also, Antonio's map, while not for the layman, is better at accomplishing what it's meant to accomplish, which is something highly technical, than Dora's map.

[President Marokai]

The community itself is somewhat ironic in nature, though it sprouted up in the first place due to being a good show.

Also, don't complain about us while you watch the magical tentacle girl crap.

I'm not aware of anybody who watches things about magical tentacle girls, mainly because I'm not aware of any anime that combine those two things that aren't hentai (and would like to remain not aware if possible and finish watching Kara no Kyoukai in peace).

Didn't you know that anyone who likes anime also loves fictional rape of many different varieties?

[realisticidealist]

The community itself is somewhat ironic in nature, though it sprouted up in the first place due to being a good show.

Also, don't complain about us while you watch the magical tentacle girl crap.

I'm not aware of anybody who watches things about magical tentacle girls, mainly because I'm not aware of any anime that combine those two things that aren't hentai (and would like to remain not aware if possible and finish watching Kara no Kyoukai in peace).

Didn't you know that anyone who likes anime also loves fictional rape of many different varieties?

Well, duh. Only creepy Asian otakus watch anime, right? Right?

[The Mikado]

This thread has gone off into creepy country.  If you want, you can make an official Dora watch thread or whatever in Off Topic, but none of this s**t will be tolerated in the future.