“fan cultures are a problem for legitimate culture because they muddy it, demanding attention to there culture. “
Taken from todays lecture, when shown I couldn’t help but think about the fandom that forms around children tv show: My Little Pony.
Cartoons are often a mixed audience of the children the show is intended for and the adults who are also avid viewers. However the a lot of the adult male fandom of My Little Pony, wanted a distinction from the rest of the shows audience and coined the term. “Bronys”
Bronys not only needed to establish that they were in fact a male audience (evidence by the name it’s self a mixture of Bro and Pony but their insistent to call older female fans, Pegasisters.) enjoying a “girls” cartoon, but also they’re “real fans of the show.”Although it’s been suggested that theres nothing wrong with adults enjoying media originally targeted at children, the idea of Bronys are less about enjoying a show, but the act of a like minded audience trying to reassure themselves that it’s okay to like a show target towards little girls and when that failed they tried to make the show theres.
The fact that most conventions panels start with, if there are any little ones in the audience can we please allow them to the front. This example shows that rather than being welcomed little girls are pushed out of a space that had every intention of belonging to them.