Well, you guys requested another article from me, so here it is! Instead of writing about anime, this time I'm going to write an analysis of the popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Don't worry if you're a fan/non-fan, this article is for both of you. Hold on securely to your masculinity, because here we go!
The Equine Phenomenon: My Analysis of the Popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
If you spend any amount of time on the internet, time outside of Facebook and YouTube (and even then, it may be unavoidable depending on the company you keep) you've probably heard something about a new My Little Pony series, and for some bizarre reason, everyone seems to be obsessed with it. And by "everyone", we're not talking young girls with a (possibly Freudian) love of all things horses. We're talking older males, probably the last people who you would expect to love a show about friendship, magic and ponies. Perhaps it's all part of some elaborate joke that they're all in on? Surely they can't actually like the series? If they do, why? What would they possibly find so appealing in a show made to sell dolls to young girls?
As bizarre as it is to imagine, a cartoon about cute ponies and their adventures that's part of the My Little Pony franchise is incredibly popular among older males
Let's start at the beginning. Lauren Faust, who worked on popular animated programs The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, was brought onboard by Hasbro, the creators of the My Little Pony toyline to create a new animated series for the toys. Faust, who felt that the typical animation produced for young girls, was "boring and un-relatable", was asked to take the show in a new direction. She wanted to forgo the usual "puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness" common in animation for girls, and instead give the characters more diverse personalities and a more interesting story. She wanted to make not just a show for young girls, but also for their parents to enjoy. And on October 10, 2010, the first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired.
But, you're not here for a history lesson are you? How is it possible to truly enjoy a cartoon, not only aimed at young girls, but one also intended to sell dolls? Well, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, Friendship is Magic is a cartoon with a young female audience in mind, and is suppose to sell toys. The show looks cute. It has musical numbers (though the show does poke fun at the tendency of girls cartoons to do this, with the cast quipping "Tell me she's not" when Pinkie Pie suddenly breaks into song in the second episode, and Pinkie herself later calling these musical outbursts a "random song outta nowhere")
Just another one of Pinkie Pie's "random song outta nowhere" musical numbers
But remember, the show's creator, Lauren Faust, normally makes traditional cartoons, and she has a knack for making ones that often appeal to audiences outside the intended one. And again, her purpose for Friendship is Magic was to make a cartoon for girls that wasn't the nauseatingly cute tripe that's normally associated with the genre. And finally, she wanted the show to also be enjoyable to more than just the core audience. If there's anyone who can pull this off, it's Faust, and from the overwhelmingly positive response to the show, I'd say she's been successful.
Another thing to note is that the show's flat art style would be very challenging to translate into a three-dimensional toy. I would think that if the show's sole purpose was to sell toys, Hasbro would have requested that the characters be designed to make the manufacturing process simpler.
The show's flat art style, as well as little details in the character designs (such as the highlights in Twilight's mane and the particular way Rarity's mane curls) would actually make process of creating toys from the show more difficult than if the show had been 100% dedicated to acting as a toy commercial
But what's the deal with "bronies"? Well, I think this may depend on the individual. Sure, I like the show, I've seen every episode and I'll continue watching it as new episodes become available. But has it changed my life and taught me things I never knew about friendship? Well, no. That's not to imply that the people who talk about how Friendship is Magic changed their lives are lying or anything like that, but personally, I didn't really find any messages in the show that I wasn't already aware of.
Important to some, less-so to others
Well, perhaps it's one of my favourite children's animations? Neee-ope. That honor goes to Daria. Or if we're not cheating by choosing a show technically aimed at teenagers, then Pinky and The Brain. But mostly Daria (seriously, I would drown several bags of kittens for new episodes of that show). Anyway, my point is, I can't hope to speak for all the fans of the show, but I think there are a few points where we all meet.
For me personally, the number one thing I find most appealing about Friendship is Magic is the show's animation. It's not only stylish and unique, it's also of a very high quality, with lots of attention to detail, despite being made in Adobe Flash, (a program infamous for it's use in crude, amateurish internet cartoons). And since I'm a fan of animation, something that looks and moves like Friendship is Magic will naturally catch my attention. I have a pretty strong feeling that a good majority of fans are also fans of animation like myself, and enjoy the show's animation.
Even in a still image, the fluid, detailed animation of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shines through
The show's animation also hits every one of the 12 basic principles of animation established by Disney, despite having a modern, computer-animated production. This give the show a "classic" feel, like an old Warner Bros. cartoon, making it a lot of fun to watch.
For a number of fans, I think the show's humor is also part of the appeal. As already mentioned, the classic style of the show's animation allows the characters to be very expressive. Despite the show having a number of funny lines (one of my favourites would be Spike's suggestion that Twilight's poorly-made bird's nest would be best served as an outhouse for the birds), in a lot of cases the funniest moments come just from the expression on a character's face or some kind of slapstick comedy. There's also a point where the cuteness of Friendship is Magic's art style lends itself to comedy. That point is where something angers or annoys one of the characters. The contrast of a style best intended for the characters to look cute and happy, and a non-cute and happy facial expression is comedic gold. Thankfully, the animators are very generous with these moments, with the characters spending less time continually smiling like in early episodes, and more time being expressive.
Furious pony is funniest pony
And the creators of the show throw in plenty of jokes for the show's older fans. Everything from internet memes (Chocolate Rain), references to R-rated movies (The Big Lebowski) to just jokes that children watching the show won't pick up on (such as the time Spike falls asleep in a punch bowl, prompting Pinkie to crack a joke about the punch being "spiked").
Perhaps one of the biggest shout-outs to Friendship is Magic's older fans is the character "Derpy". In the first episode, there was a pony in the background, which due to an animation error, had crossed eyes, something the animators corrected when they later re-used the character. But after the airing of the first episode, fans had fallen in love with this character, who they had nicknamed "Derpy" on the account of her silly-looking facial expression. Upon hearing about the fan love for this character, the creators of the show gave the background pony back the crossed eyes and made her into a reoccurring background character who would be hidden somewhere in each episode. This all came to a head in the episode "The Last Roundup" where they not only gave the cross-eyed pony a speaking role, but they also had Rainbow Dash call her by the name the fans had given her: Derpy.
Fan-favourite "Derpy" gets a starring role, and her fan name is officially adopted by the show
As I'm sure you were already aware, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is strangely popular among older males. As I've shown you in this article, there are a number of good reasons for this. If you're not a fan, perhaps now you're curious, and you're thinking about giving it a shot. Well, to begin with, good on you for being open-minded! Second, you're going to have to get past the fact that it's kinda cute, it's part of the My Little Pony franchise and that the first few episodes probably won't grab you, leaving you wondering what everyone sees in the series and more than a little embarrassed. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE who loves the show now felt the same way.
My personal experience was I watched the first episode out of curiosity and didn't really like it. I then watched the second episode months later, because the first episode was only part one, so I should be fair. Again, even after watching episode two, I still didn't really like the show. But I felt the second episode was a small improvement over the first. So I decided to give the third episode a try. Then the fourth episode. Then the fifth. Suddenly, I'd watched the entire series and was now writing an article about ponies.
And my story isn't unique, when I talk to other people who watch the show, they had almost the exact same experience. For the sake of fairness, you need to keep an open mind and watch more than the first few episodes before you judge it. Oh and don't worry if you can't stomach the opening theme, I still skip it, even now. Well, after the part where Derpy makes her appearance anyway.
Pardon, but at risk of being nitpicky I want to say that Lauren Faust didn't create Foster's or Powerpuff Girls. She certainly did work on them, including directing and storyboarding some episodes. But the creator of those is her husband, Craig McCracken.
That aside this was very pleasant to read, it is always nice to hear someone's view on the show and why they think something has become popular. You really covered quite a couple bases and mentioned some very good points. Very good job. =D
Gearabelle: Pardon, but at risk of being nitpicky I want to say that Lauren Faust didn't create Foster's or Powerpuff Girls. She certainly did work on them, including directing and storyboarding some episodes. But the creator of those is her husband, Craig McCracken.
Ah, my bad. But she does get credited with them
Promethax: Yeah, we get it, it's popular, tell us something we don't know.
I did, right there in my OP, I told you WHY it's popular. ;)
FireAza: Ah, my bad. But she does get credited with them.
Often actually. And that's mostly by fans who haven't done their research. >.> Anyway, good read of an article. A fair outlook without overstaying its welcome. The points I mean. <.<
Or perhaps why people who hate said topic insist on entering and posting in threads about it.
Easy. In search of kindred souls. I mean it's hard to tell if someone who is complacent about this shit secretly supports it and is letting it go on. However someone who's calling someone in favor of a topic 'an annoying fat prick' or whatever, it's like, 'hey someone else is annoyed by this. I'm not alone here. I don't come off as insane for saying this is annoying cause it totally is' .
But yes I feel disgusted with myself for not being able to avoid this. It feels like I'm running in all the wrong circles.
I don't know, I was expecting something something I haven't heard before to be said about it in this. After all it's a weird phenomenon. I got my own theories about why it goes on, not that it matters. Also were all those pictures really necessary? Feels like they take up space a bit.
I tend to use a lot of pictures in my posts, not only to visually illustrate something, but it also helps to break up my post and make it easier to read. Prevents it from turning into a wall of text don'cha know. Plus, it's fun.
Promethax: Yeah, we get it, it's popular, tell us something we don't know.
I did, right there in my OP, I told you WHY it's popular. ;)
That's been said plenty of times in the many previous mlp threads. How about a way to keep bronies from trying to drag you into their cult? I like the show, but that fanbase is fucking annoying.
Haven't read any of the other MLP threads, so I dunno what's already been said. Well, even if it has, I'd like to think I've said it in a better way ;)
As a big fan of the show, and as one who studies sociology and psychology, my own personal theory on the show's widespread popularity is how outside the norm something like this is.
it manages to combine the things demonized by other males (on the basis that we're, as expected by general society, supposed to be masculine and avoid things feminine) with attractive qualities that aren't usually accompanied by shows of the same nature, as in ones that are feminine and somewhat childish.
MLP:FiM manages to be straight up cute, positive, and fun while still offering developed, relatable characters, appealing animation, professional voice work, decent writing, clever humor, and mature/sensible dialogue. as well, the characters avoid perpetuating norms stereotypes that are usually associated with "girls" entertainment, they have realistic flaws and desires, making them more relatable. These are qualities that are unexpected to be found in a show with such feminine overtones (as is the case where "girly" is often associated with "lame" or low quality). but because they were present, appealing to us and entertaining us, it allowed us to ease into the feminine aspect, allowing us to accept and even adhere to it.
It's that aspect, that I feel, is what compels so many of us males to fall in love with it, because it's so outside the norm and different, as if it's satiating a craving we've been deprived of, due to the expectation of us to be masculine.
To test this, I'v tried multiple programs with the same girly, sugary, feminine overtones, such as strawberry shortcake, to see if I enjoy those just as much. Instead, I found them to be rather revolting, mainly because they're just so poorly made and of low quality, in almost every respect of the word.
I would also like to note that the difference in cultures may also factor into the phenomenon as well. people from certain countries and regions, where gender stereotyping and gender roles aren't a norm, seem to be more easily dissatisfied with the cartoon, while people from other places, such as general american society, where gender roles and stereotypes are more dominate, are more prone to embrace it.
that's just an observation of mine however, I haven't enough research or evidence to fully support that notion.
That was an enjoyable read, thanks for posting. It's nice to see a somewhat neutral opinion, especially in a Pony related thread, as you've seen above, you make a thread about ponies, and some people just can't wait to jump down your throat for liking something they don't. SOmeone should really study -that- behaviour. Oh wait
Another pony thread starts while I'm sleeping? Figures. I guess I'll just have to post a link to the user group at the bottom of the page with the other latecomers...
TopazFusion: I guess, in the absence of @Aidinthel: I should post a link to the usergroup ...
Dtox333: It's that aspect, that I feel, is what compels so many of us males to fall in love with it, because it's so outside the norm and different, as if it's satiating a craving we've been deprived of, due to the expectation of us to be masculine.
Pretty much this.
It fills a space in my psyche that I wasn't previously aware existed. Like an entire branch of my personality had been closed off and I've just recently rediscovered.
Lauren Faust has said it herself, the show's popularity among males is not unexpected. The show was modeled around being a family feature and not just for little girls, it's something everybody can enjoy. They succeeded in making a good family show and it has become popular as a result.
Disney animated features aren't just for kids, they're for everybody, and everybody watches them, they're like the prime example of why this business model works.
yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
god in a year your pony crap will be in your closet next to your hot topic vampire makeup set and your skinny jeans
Liquidacid23: yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
I didn't get that vibe from the OP (and just the OP, I've seen the shoving part in other places). It's popular, some people like it and the thread suggests why.
Liquidacid23: yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
god in a year your pony crap will be in your closet next to your hot topic vampire makeup set and your skinny jeans
My daughter likes it, and it's not as "gay" as I thought it was a month ago. Still, it's just a TV show and the memes aren't funny. It's not as good for children as the magic school bus or wishbone or reading rainbow, but it's not as FUCKING PISS SHIT HORRIBLE AS ICARLY/SPONGEBOB/DORA/DIEGO! It's just filler.
Liquidacid23: yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
god in a year your pony crap will be in your closet next to your hot topic vampire makeup set and your skinny jeans
Single topic on whole site = shoving in face.
Seems legit.
if you think this is the only single post about this on this entire site I suggest you make an appointment with your optometrist
Liquidacid23: yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
god in a year your pony crap will be in your closet next to your hot topic vampire makeup set and your skinny jeans
Single topic on whole site = shoving in face.
Seems legit.
if you think this is the only single post about this on this entire site I suggest you make an appointment with your optometrist
I have only seen one or two posts trending at a time, ironically because of the comments by flamers.
Additionally, even if their were more posts, why would it matter?
Many people like Ponies, many of those same people are gamers, many gamers go to the Escapists and post threads about things that interests them, ponies are one of those things.
If there is a period of time where their seems to be an influx of pony related threads, then so be it, look at some of the other amazing content on this site.
Anyways, that is not even the case here, as I see dozens of other posts that seem very interesting.
if you think this is the only single post about this on this entire site I suggest you make an appointment with your optometrist
I have only seen one or two posts trending at a time, ironically because of the comments by flamers.
Additionally, even if their were more posts, why would it matter?
Many people like Ponies, many of those same people are gamers, many gamers go to the Escapists and post threads about things that interests them, ponies are one of those things.
If there is a period of time where their seems to be an influx of pony related threads, then so be it, look at some of the other amazing content on this site.
Anyways, that is not even the case here, as I see dozens of other posts that seem very interesting.
If you do not like the current posts, then start your own on things you want to talk about and stop spitting unnecessary poison on other peoples'.
Contribute
your reading comprehension isn't up to snuff huh? this thread was about the "fad" of people enjoying MLPO which is what my post was about.. which guess what? makes my post 100 percent relevant.. while your's well isn't
if you think this is the only single post about this on this entire site I suggest you make an appointment with your optometrist
I have only seen one or two posts trending at a time, ironically because of the comments by flamers.
Additionally, even if their were more posts, why would it matter?
Many people like Ponies, many of those same people are gamers, many gamers go to the Escapists and post threads about things that interests them, ponies are one of those things.
If there is a period of time where their seems to be an influx of pony related threads, then so be it, look at some of the other amazing content on this site.
Anyways, that is not even the case here, as I see dozens of other posts that seem very interesting.
If you do not like the current posts, then start your own on things you want to talk about and stop spitting unnecessary poison on other peoples'.
Contribute
your reading comprehension isn't up to snuff huh? this thread was about the "fad" of people enjoying MLPO which is what my post was about.. which guess what? makes my post 100 percent relevant.. while your's well isn't
I was simply pointing out some misinformation you might have had on the subject.
I would still like to see an example of content on a non-Pony related site blatantly "shoving" pony related content in your face.
Then I would like to see proof that the people who like the show (that means everyone who likes it) does this.
Dtox333: As a big fan of the show, and as one who studies sociology and psychology, my own personal theory on the show's widespread popularity is how outside the norm something like this is.
it manages to combine the things demonized by other males (on the basis that we're, as expected by general society, supposed to be masculine and avoid things feminine) with attractive qualities that aren't usually accompanied by shows of the same nature, as in ones that are feminine and somewhat childish.
MLP:FiM manages to be straight up cute, positive, and fun while still offering developed, relatable characters, appealing animation, professional voice work, decent writing, clever humor, and mature/sensible dialogue. as well, the characters avoid perpetuating norms stereotypes that are usually associated with "girls" entertainment, they have realistic flaws and desires, making them more relatable. These are qualities that are unexpected to be found in a show with such feminine overtones (as is the case where "girly" is often associated with "lame" or low quality). but because they were present, appealing to us and entertaining us, it allowed us to ease into the feminine aspect, allowing us to accept and even adhere to it.
It's that aspect, that I feel, is what compels so many of us males to fall in love with it, because it's so outside the norm and different, as if it's satiating a craving we've been deprived of, due to the expectation of us to be masculine.
To test this, I'v tried multiple programs with the same girly, sugary, feminine overtones, such as strawberry shortcake, to see if I enjoy those just as much. Instead, I found them to be rather revolting, mainly because they're just so poorly made and of low quality, in almost every respect of the word.
I would also like to note that the difference in cultures may also factor into the phenomenon as well. people from certain countries and regions, where gender stereotyping and gender roles aren't a norm, seem to be more easily dissatisfied with the cartoon, while people from other places, such as general american society, where gender roles and stereotypes are more dominate, are more prone to embrace it.
that's just an observation of mine however, I haven't enough research or evidence to fully support that notion.
Great theory! It sounds right on the money if you ask me.
Valanthe: That was an enjoyable read, thanks for posting. It's nice to see a somewhat neutral opinion, especially in a Pony related thread, as you've seen above, you make a thread about ponies, and some people just can't wait to jump down your throat for liking something they don't. SOmeone should really study -that- behaviour. Oh wait
Yeah, I was kinda hoping that people who hate ponies would find this article really interesting since the reason they don't like this show is probably because they don't get why people would like a show about magic friendship ponies. But, it seems like some people just see a pony-related thread and immediately assume it's a pro-pony thread about how ponies are 20% cooler than anything else out there.
Liquidacid23: yay another stupid fad people who like constantly bring up and shove in everyone's face while claiming it's just who they are and that they aren't really seeking attention...
god in a year your pony crap will be in your closet next to your hot topic vampire makeup set and your skinny jeans
I think it's going to be more than a "fad", at least, while new episodes are being produced anyway.
Also, I have warewolf makeup in my closet, and I wear stretch jeans, not skinny, and I still wear them! :P And also:
DoPo: I didn't get that vibe from the OP (and just the OP, I've seen the shoving part in other places). It's popular, some people like it and the thread suggests why.
That. I wasn't saying "ZOMG U SHOULD WATCH PONIES" I was trying to figure out what makes this show so popular among older males.
TimeLord: I've moved this to User Reviews as I feel the content of the OP is more appropriate there :)
Nice read though
Huh. I guess it's technically a review...?
Liquidacid23: your reading comprehension isn't up to snuff huh? this thread was about the "fad" of people enjoying MLPO which is what my post was about.. which guess what? makes my post 100 percent relevant.. while your's well isn't
Well, you're kinda right and kinda wrong. It is about the "trend" or "meme" about people who watch MLP. But I wouldn't use the world "fad", that implies something which is only liked because it's popular and tends to only stay popular for a brief period of time. I don't feel either of these things applies to MLP.
A fad is any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period, generally as a result of the behavior's being perceived as novel in some way.
i'd say that hits it spot on... even if it lasts for a decade and dies (which I doubt it will last that long) I've seen more annoying ones last longer.. hell baggy, droopy pants are considered a "fad" and that shit has been going on since the 90s and in some ways earlier
again nothing against you guys personally... I could care less what you enjoy
TopazFusion: Sorry. I didn't mean to steal your thunder.
I don't mind. I'm not quite so self-centered that I've forgotten the actual purpose of the thing.
TopazFusion: I will never comprehend why people (who believe this particular topic is being shoved in their face all the time) click on threads about it.
People like being angry. I sometimes intentionally seek out hateful Christian articles about atheists when I want to feel victimized, while some people prefer to crusade against an oppressively popular cartoon show.
Well, you guys requested another article from me, so here it is! Instead of writing about anime, this time I'm going to write an analysis of the popularity of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Don't worry if you're a fan/non-fan, this article is for both of you. Hold on securely to your masculinity, because here we go!
If you spend any amount of time on the internet, time outside of Facebook and YouTube (and even then, it may be unavoidable depending on the company you keep) you've probably heard something about a new My Little Pony series, and for some bizarre reason, everyone seems to be obsessed with it. And by "everyone", we're not talking young girls with a (possibly Freudian) love of all things horses. We're talking older males, probably the last people who you would expect to love a show about friendship, magic and ponies. Perhaps it's all part of some elaborate joke that they're all in on? Surely they can't actually like the series? If they do, why? What would they possibly find so appealing in a show made to sell dolls to young girls?
As bizarre as it is to imagine, a cartoon about cute ponies and their adventures that's part of the My Little Pony franchise is incredibly popular among older males
Let's start at the beginning. Lauren Faust, who worked on popular animated programs The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, was brought onboard by Hasbro, the creators of the My Little Pony toyline to create a new animated series for the toys. Faust, who felt that the typical animation produced for young girls, was "boring and un-relatable", was asked to take the show in a new direction. She wanted to forgo the usual "puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness" common in animation for girls, and instead give the characters more diverse personalities and a more interesting story. She wanted to make not just a show for young girls, but also for their parents to enjoy. And on October 10, 2010, the first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic aired.
But, you're not here for a history lesson are you? How is it possible to truly enjoy a cartoon, not only aimed at young girls, but one also intended to sell dolls? Well, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, Friendship is Magic is a cartoon with a young female audience in mind, and is suppose to sell toys. The show looks cute. It has musical numbers (though the show does poke fun at the tendency of girls cartoons to do this, with the cast quipping "Tell me she's not" when Pinkie Pie suddenly breaks into song in the second episode, and Pinkie herself later calling these musical outbursts a "random song outta nowhere")
Just another one of Pinkie Pie's "random song outta nowhere" musical numbers
But remember, the show's creator, Lauren Faust, normally makes traditional cartoons, and she has a knack for making ones that often appeal to audiences outside the intended one. And again, her purpose for Friendship is Magic was to make a cartoon for girls that wasn't the nauseatingly cute tripe that's normally associated with the genre. And finally, she wanted the show to also be enjoyable to more than just the core audience. If there's anyone who can pull this off, it's Faust, and from the overwhelmingly positive response to the show, I'd say she's been successful.
Another thing to note is that the show's flat art style would be very challenging to translate into a three-dimensional toy. I would think that if the show's sole purpose was to sell toys, Hasbro would have requested that the characters be designed to make the manufacturing process simpler.
The show's flat art style, as well as little details in the character designs (such as the highlights in Twilight's mane and the particular way Rarity's mane curls) would actually make process of creating toys from the show more difficult than if the show had been 100% dedicated to acting as a toy commercial
But what's the deal with "bronies"? Well, I think this may depend on the individual. Sure, I like the show, I've seen every episode and I'll continue watching it as new episodes become available. But has it changed my life and taught me things I never knew about friendship? Well, no. That's not to imply that the people who talk about how Friendship is Magic changed their lives are lying or anything like that, but personally, I didn't really find any messages in the show that I wasn't already aware of.
Important to some, less-so to others
Well, perhaps it's one of my favourite children's animations? Neee-ope. That honor goes to Daria. Or if we're not cheating by choosing a show technically aimed at teenagers, then Pinky and The Brain. But mostly Daria (seriously, I would drown several bags of kittens for new episodes of that show). Anyway, my point is, I can't hope to speak for all the fans of the show, but I think there are a few points where we all meet.
For me personally, the number one thing I find most appealing about Friendship is Magic is the show's animation. It's not only stylish and unique, it's also of a very high quality, with lots of attention to detail, despite being made in Adobe Flash, (a program infamous for it's use in crude, amateurish internet cartoons). And since I'm a fan of animation, something that looks and moves like Friendship is Magic will naturally catch my attention. I have a pretty strong feeling that a good majority of fans are also fans of animation like myself, and enjoy the show's animation.
Even in a still image, the fluid, detailed animation of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shines through
The show's animation also hits every one of the 12 basic principles of animation established by Disney, despite having a modern, computer-animated production. This give the show a "classic" feel, like an old Warner Bros. cartoon, making it a lot of fun to watch.
For a number of fans, I think the show's humor is also part of the appeal. As already mentioned, the classic style of the show's animation allows the characters to be very expressive. Despite the show having a number of funny lines (one of my favourites would be Spike's suggestion that Twilight's poorly-made bird's nest would be best served as an outhouse for the birds), in a lot of cases the funniest moments come just from the expression on a character's face or some kind of slapstick comedy. There's also a point where the cuteness of Friendship is Magic's art style lends itself to comedy. That point is where something angers or annoys one of the characters. The contrast of a style best intended for the characters to look cute and happy, and a non-cute and happy facial expression is comedic gold. Thankfully, the animators are very generous with these moments, with the characters spending less time continually smiling like in early episodes, and more time being expressive.
Furious pony is funniest pony
And the creators of the show throw in plenty of jokes for the show's older fans. Everything from internet memes (Chocolate Rain), references to R-rated movies (The Big Lebowski) to just jokes that children watching the show won't pick up on (such as the time Spike falls asleep in a punch bowl, prompting Pinkie to crack a joke about the punch being "spiked").
Perhaps one of the biggest shout-outs to Friendship is Magic's older fans is the character "Derpy". In the first episode, there was a pony in the background, which due to an animation error, had crossed eyes, something the animators corrected when they later re-used the character. But after the airing of the first episode, fans had fallen in love with this character, who they had nicknamed "Derpy" on the account of her silly-looking facial expression. Upon hearing about the fan love for this character, the creators of the show gave the background pony back the crossed eyes and made her into a reoccurring background character who would be hidden somewhere in each episode. This all came to a head in the episode "The Last Roundup" where they not only gave the cross-eyed pony a speaking role, but they also had Rainbow Dash call her by the name the fans had given her: Derpy.
Fan-favourite "Derpy" gets a starring role, and her fan name is officially adopted by the show
As I'm sure you were already aware, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is strangely popular among older males. As I've shown you in this article, there are a number of good reasons for this. If you're not a fan, perhaps now you're curious, and you're thinking about giving it a shot. Well, to begin with, good on you for being open-minded! Second, you're going to have to get past the fact that it's kinda cute, it's part of the My Little Pony franchise and that the first few episodes probably won't grab you, leaving you wondering what everyone sees in the series and more than a little embarrassed. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE who loves the show now felt the same way.
My personal experience was I watched the first episode out of curiosity and didn't really like it. I then watched the second episode months later, because the first episode was only part one, so I should be fair. Again, even after watching episode two, I still didn't really like the show. But I felt the second episode was a small improvement over the first. So I decided to give the third episode a try. Then the fourth episode. Then the fifth. Suddenly, I'd watched the entire series and was now writing an article about ponies.
And my story isn't unique, when I talk to other people who watch the show, they had almost the exact same experience. For the sake of fairness, you need to keep an open mind and watch more than the first few episodes before you judge it. Oh and don't worry if you can't stomach the opening theme, I still skip it, even now. Well, after the part where Derpy makes her appearance anyway.