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The article, 'Bronies' explores the men who adore My Little Pony, describes a documentary that I recently watched, and I thought that sharing some information about the documentary would be a useful exercise for identifying and challenging gender stereotypes in the US.
Bronies are adult males that are fans of the children's show, "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic," which centers on six main characters, all of which are females. Through watching the documentary, I discovered that many of these grown men face much discrimination based on their proclivity for this show, and some are even confronted with physical threats by other men who do not share their interest. Even little boys who like the show face similar opposition.
Since I am hoping that this article will challenge your understanding of gender roles and stereotypes, I think it may be helpful to provide some prompting questions:
1. "My Little Pony" is considered by many to be a show for little girls. What makes this show exclusively for little girls? What female stereotypes are referenced to justify this perspective?
2. Why do we find an adult male's interest in this TV show unusual? What stereotypes of men are we referencing to justify this perspective?
3. If you met a brony, without knowing anything else about him, what kind of person would you think he is? Does the article support your perception or not?
4. If you happen to have ever seen the show, how do the characters break away from common female stereotypes?
Here is the trailer for the documentary if anyone is interested:
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