Last night my
wife and I watched the documentary on Netflix called "Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little
Pony." For those that may not be familiar with the phenomenon: a 'brony'
is the title of a male (they average between high school and college ages) who
is a fan of "My Little Pony"—specifically the animated television
series that has started up within the last couple years.
I remember first
hearing about bronies a few years ago, and at the time I cocked my eyebrow and
thought it sounded very... eh… questionable? But soon after my initial reaction
my perception of it changed when I began to consider a couple things. Firstly,
I heard that one of the primary reasons young men were attracted to the show
was because of how happy it was. And in the Post-9/11 age we live in where a
lot of the movies that have been coming out are dark and depressing and the
overall tone in America tends to feel… well… dark and depressing… I thought to
myself "I understand." And, heck, started to find encouragement that
the next generation was looking for some rays of sunlight in a rather dismal
time period. It may not be what we expected, but in a sense the 'brony
phenomenon' is almost like this generation's "Star Wars." That thing,
that big thing that allows audiences to escape into perhaps a more exhilarating
world, if but for a small vacation away from troubles.
So that was one
reason. The second reason for me accepting it was just more of a logical
reasoning… I remember thinking "We don't think it's weird when there are female
fanbases for specifically MALE-audience-targeted things… So why should it be
weird in reverse?"
"But the
man! The man must be MANLY! How can He be a true man of God if he's watching
girlie shows??" But God never gave a prerequisite in the Bible that men
could only be 'men of God' by chopping wood all day, killing lions with their
bare hands, keeping their emotions hidden (i.e. not crying in front of people).
I still do not understand why we, even in Christendom (specifically American Christendom),
have that image of the so-called "True Man [of God]." It's like,
there is a strange understanding that being more sensitive and showing a bit
more emotion completely nullifies the man's ability to be a "Leader."
Yet… if you'll recall… Jesus Christ wasn't exactly the picture of a "Manly Man."
He was QUITE sensitive/emotional. Even the Woman at the Well took note that He
was not 'normal' for a man the more she talked with Him. And yet, despite not
being what we might think is a traditional "Manly Man," He was/is a
LEADER. His emotions and sensitivity did not nullify His leadership in the
slightest. In fact, I daresay it actually BOOSTED it, if anything. Because He
was more relatable. He was REAL with people.
I mean, by much of the culture's reckoning, heck, even the mainstream CHRISTIAN culture's reckoning, I am not a true Man. That was one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place. I love flowers, romantic comedies, romance films in general, musicals, my favorite color is purple, I am not ashamed to cry in the open, I appreciate floral designs on flatware... I mean, gosh, the list goes on.
Anyway, I
digress… The point is, I think we severely misunderstand what it really means
to be a "real man."
HOWEVER…. All of
this is not to say that I have no problem with the Brony Movement. Well, actually
that's not true. It's not the Brony movement I have any trouble with, per se…
But more the "My Little Pony" phenomenon itself, and its dangerous
potential.
You see, while I
watched all of these young men singing songs from the show, wearing pony shirts
and costumes and tattoos, it wasn't that in itself that I had trouble with.
What really caused me to worry, rather… was the potential I saw for something
like this to be abused. Almost everyone who was interviewed had the same thing
in common… They were attracted to the overwhelming positivity of the show. The
messages of Love, and Compassion, and Friendship, and Peace, and Harmony.
And while those
are good qualities, certainly, what unsettled me was the almost intense nature
in which these qualities were embraced… And suddenly I found myself concerned
at the almost alarming similarities between what I was hearing some of the
interviewees say and what I have seen, heard, and learned about the 70's. And I
think you know what I mean.
My fear here is
not about men "losing their masculinity." If I have a fear, it's that
the people (men and women alike) involved in this community seem to have the
potential to be drawn into an almost escapist reality, where "all is
love" or "all you NEED is love…" and at the expense of some of
the harsher realities in the world that, rather than being swept under the
carpet, NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
Look, I'm all
for escaping temporarily into a place of peace and rest. I have had to take MULTIPLE sabbaticals away from Facebook this year for just that reason. But it's one thing to
do that temporarily and another to do that permanently. And the latter is what
I'm afraid could happen if caution is not used.
Am I making a
mountain out of a molehill? Am I making unfair generalizations without putting
in some fair research (I mean, let's face it… This documentary is really the
source of all I know about bronies at the moment)? Very possibly yes. And, of
course, I apologize if that's true. But I believe that if those mistakes on my
part are true it still does not negate basically the message I've been building
up to here:
And that's a
plea to USE CAUTION. USE DISCERNMENT. That's all that I ask. Remember this,
like anything else, is just a VACATION, a getaway to get you away from stress,
to help you relax and perhaps help you learn a few helpful things to return
home with. But that's exactly it: remember where your true home is. And
remember that there are people, very real people, there (family, friends,
strangers) who need you. And they need you with your eyes open and not stuck in
a fantasy world where "all is love, and rainbows, and butterflies."
If you can
promise me you'll remember that, then by all means keep doing your thing.
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