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"Are Bronies Changing the Definition of Masculinity?"
Discuss.
Comments
no
next question
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No.
Slightly less cheeky answer: Nobody cares if a dude watches a cartoon. I don't know why so many people like to draw so much attention to it. It makes them look kinda insecure, if you ask me.
lolno
NOPE.AVI
Actually, I'm inclined to say yes, and I'm not even an MLP fan myself.
Though I admit I'm biased against the traditional gender associations of things like bright shiny colors for girls and action roles and mean faces for boys.
This, pretty much. I think the show is pretty good, as such things go, but...it's a show. The only reason anyone makes such a big deal about it is because events conspired to make some people on 4chan notice that it existed and decide to check it out.
the definition of "masculinity" doesn't change because some people on the internet brag about watching cartoons involving technicolor horses
are Bronies possibly a symptom of a much larger shift away from traditional general roles? Maybe.
are they that shift, in of themselves? Absolutely not, and to imply such is both absurd and offensive.
No we're not. A decent studio is changing the definition of "targeted at girls" to "not vapid shit". That's all.
^^ Well, how would you differentiate a symptom of a change and an agent of a change, especially when it's a social change?
And here's a few sorta related questions.
Is the MLP:FIM show and/or fandom changing the definition of femininity?
Is the Pretty Cure metaseries and/or its fandom changing the definition of masculinity?
Is the Pretty Cure metaseries and/or its fandom changing the definition of femininity?
"No we're not. A decent studio is changing the definition of "targeted at girls" to "not vapid shit". That's all."
I agree with this. It's kind of a bummer that some loudmouths are trying so hard to get credit that it distracts people away from the fact that an animation studio is raising the bar in a way that nobody's cared to in, like, forever.
"are Bronies possibly a symptom of a much larger shift away from traditional general roles? Maybe."
I wouldn't say that-- if anything, they're reinforcing them by drawing so much attention to the fact that they're slightly deviating from them. I mean, they saw fit to call themselves 'bronies' afterall. 'Brony' says nothing that "MLP fan" doesn't except for "I am a male who enjoys this show".
The agent caused it and the symptom did not? Not really that hard to figure out.
Again, no, it's a cult television show. Nothing else.
I don't understand what Pretty Cure has to do with anything. Pretty Cure isn't even that popular.
Yeah, we kind of need to realize how niche certain things are. Most people in the US are at least familiar with My Little Pony to some degree of general awareness, but I've never heard Pretty Cure so much as name-dropped in any Western circle outside of TV Tropes and its offshoot forums. Like, I'm pretty sure not even half the the anime club around here has heard of it (granted, they're a rather shitty anime club consisting largely of Narutards, but still).
If this thread has taught me anything Bronies are a topic of discussion that really isn't worth the effort.
Well, Precure has sadly not been dubbed into English since the first season, though it is apparently extremely popular in Japan, and has seen installment after installment produced, kinda like how Power Rangers gets season after season made here. (Yes I know it's partly-dubbed partly-reacted Super Sentai shows. But it's still a big enough thing to be done over and over here.)
The reason Precure came to mind is because I've read some comments about it being groundbreaking regarding gender expectations. Specifically, it features magical girls in combat roles involving lots of action, which I think was a rather new thing when it started out. (I think I've also heard something to the effect of not involving much in the way of romance, though I'm less sure about this.)
So a male MLP fan who neither is afraid to indicate his fandom nor advertises it to a huge degree would be more groundbreaking than a brony, basically?
"So a male MLP fan who neither is afraid to indicate his fandom nor advertises it to a huge degree would be more groundbreaking than a brony, basically?"
Well, yeah, I guess. Acting like that would help normalize the fact that grown men can like cartoons/whatever, rather than make it seem like it's something that's strange and out of the ordinary.
Going "Look how weird it is that I like this!" is pretty much just reinforcing the opinion that liking whatever it is is a weird/taboo thing to do.
Come to think of it, I had a big picture of Madoka Kyouno with Vox Aura in the background, from Rinne no Lagrange, as my wallpaper, the other day when I gave my laptop to my prof to look up something on it. (Not a panty shot or anything, in case you're wondering; though I guess she's in her uniform, which to a layperson probably looks like a cheerleader's outfit.)
I couldn't conclusively read any reaction out of him, even though I was a feeling a bit anxious about it...but the conversation pretty much continued as if nothing had happened.
Honestly, attributing the changes in gender perceptions to fandom is very...uhhh...what's the word? obtuse sounds too cruel. But it is definitely along the lines.
I really wish I could watch a cartoon without getting into a philosophical debate. Just once please.
Then don't even think about starting a Dora the Explorer thread.
I'd describe it as confusing the direction of causation: this fandom event came about because of changing gender roles, not the other way around.
That said, at this point, those who self-describe as bronies tend to have the worst traits of stereotypical masculinity. It's a cute show, but...bronies, man.
This is partially why I think Mai-HiME was so cool. The visual aesthetic was no more girly than a Kamen Rider show. KR Ryuki in particular. There's also Symphohgear, I guess, but some of the designs look like real horny dudes were behind them. The Nehushtan armor in particular (bulletproof underboob? Seriously?).
At the actual topic: I don't think so.
Basically, that. And I find fandoms in general annoying anyway. But I guess I'm biased.
Nope. They are, however, changing the definition of furry, and of autism.
Sadly, no. Everybody who watches it is either a little girl or a nerd.
And Heartcatch still has that weird reinforcing stereotypes thing with Itsuki anyways.
Also this.
This is also a thing that should become commonplace. Not replacing girly, cause that'd suck a lot, but maybe one day be on the same level with it.
Can we consider Jojo's the opposite gender Precure then?
That said, at this point, those who self-describe as bronies tend to have the worst traits of stereotypical masculinity. It's a cute show, but...bronies, man.
I'll still never understand the obsession with My Little Pony (and Adventure Time, actually). I mean, I don't actually care if people want to watch either of them, but from what I've watched...neither of them are particularly good. I mean, they're fine...but if some said to me what's better "A Game of Thrones" or "Adventure Time", well...
In any case, no MLP isn't changing the definition of masculinity at an absolute stretch (and I'm talking about Plastic Man, Mr Fantastic and Elongated Man being stretched to their absolute limits) you could say it's making femininity in men more acceptable.
It's probably the pr0n. A random cross-search between Wikipedia's list of paraphilias and 4chan shows 9 out of 10 fetishes are present(even dendrophilia-WTF).
And of course the notion that one gets accepted no matter how socially malfunctioning one is. Chris-Chan is, after all, the original brony.
If anything, I'd say that people's tastes are changing, and are now more open to different things.
But that's it.
Reminds me: I came across this poorly done fanvid which puts audio from Ultraman Nexus into Madoka Magica footage. Nexus, despite being a high point of manliness in some aspects, did have some girly aesthetic going on. Like the "sparkling" sound effects, the light shows, and how monsters turn into sparkles when they die.
I guess I rather like shows that can be both masculine and feminine.
Probably just the way so many things get treated like they're the best thing EVAR!!111! It is annoying.
That'd be perfect.
Then all these dumb gender lines can disappear forever.
What has been said already +1
How about naïve?