WillgasM

I’m really not sure how this happened. Like usual, I blame the Internet. I don’t watch “traditional” TV. I watch a couple shows on Hulu, I have a Netflix account for most things, and everything else I get from the randomness of the Internet. I spend a good bit of time stumbling through all sorts of videos, but recently one caught my eye. It was a music video for a Reggie Watts song dubbed over a clip from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Actually, here’s a link to the video (warning: it’s crude/hilarious). I was already a fan of Reggie Watts, but I had no idea what was up with these colorful little ponies. I thought nothing of it and kept stumbling. Time passed. Weeks, months, who knows how long went by; but I eventually found myself curious. I went back and started googling. I came up with all sorts of clips from the series. Most were just short sound bites, little snippets from various episodes. Some were funny, most were cute, but then something happened. I met Fluttershy, and I fell in love. She’s just soooo cute. Her soft-spoken voice is angelic. Her flowing pink mane is ethereal. Her love of animals is touching. I’ve always found I have a soft spot for a shy girl, but she was just perfect. So I started watching the show because I have a crush on a cartoon pony. That’s probably one of the strangest sentences I’ve ever typed. Nonetheless, that’s how it all got started. As I’m writing this, I’ve just finished watching the entire first season. With each episode, I fell more and more in love. Not just with Fluttershy, but with everypony. The show truly is magical. I can be a pretty harsh critic of movies and television. I routinely tear apart programs for bad acting, predictability, or being just plain lame. This show does not disappoint in any way. The story revolves around Twilight Sparkle, the personal pupil of Princess Celestia. Twilight is a very apt student but somewhat socially awkward. On royal orders, she is sent to Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship. Twilight becomes fast friends with a a group of ponies; and together they have many adventures, defeat powerful enemies, and learn important lessons that are reviewed in Twilight’s correspondence to Celestia at the end of each episode. The lessons learned are those you would expect from a children’s program, but almost all of them revolve around the value of friendship. I can say that this show has had an impact on my life. I’ve been reminded of some very important values, laughed along, almost cried, and fallen in love with six little ponies. The second season is just starting and I’m already hooked. So I’m a little late to the game, but I’m now a full fledged brony. I find absolutely no shame in my love of this program. Granted, this is coming from a guy with a Hello Kitty toaster; but I don’t see any reason why every guy shouldn’t step outside the social norms and give these ponies a try. You have every reason to. On the surface you’ll enjoy a great children’s show. Underneath you’ll find a subtle, dry humor. You might see some parallels and group dynamics within these ponies that apply to your own circle of friends. Maybe some life lessons will be reaffirmed. Maybe you’ll even learn to love. I encourage everypony to give them a try. At worst you waste an hour or two of your life; but if you’re lucky, you may find that you’re a brony just like me.