Let's talk about our first big subculture today. Bronies. ^_^

This is one of the more gender and sexuality inclusive subcultures as well as one of the more diverse ones. All of this Brony subculture is centered around "My Little Pony" the Hasbro product.

As a Brony myself, I recognize that I'm not allowed to speak for everypony else. People in this fandom are diverse and come from all walks of life.  It's part of what makes the fandom so amazing and fun to participate in. However, that doesn't mean that this subculture doesn't have some standard sets of values and beliefs. The cardinal motto of bronies is to "Love and Tolerate" meaning that no matter what kind of person you are or what your back ground is, if you accept your fellow bronies for who they are and their quirks, then bronies will accept you.

Now, I know Brony sounds like a gender exclusive thing, or like only males can be bronies. There have been many, many, arguments on forums and over the net, and at panels about whether or not women can also be bronies. I believe so. So, to me and my close brony friends at least, Brony is a gender neutral term. Women who wish to call themselves something to mark themselves as distinctly female may call themselves Pegasisters if it makes them feel better/ empowered. I personally see doing so as silly, because this fandom is all about inclusion.

We talked earlier in the semester about our guilty pleasures and it is apparent that some people consider watching my little pony to be a quailty pleasure. I find this to be funny, because there should be no guilt in watching a show that is genuinely good, well produced, and sending a good message to people of all ages. There comes an assumption that people attach to "My Little Pony",  the assumption being that the show and products are marketed toward girls and therefore should only be consumed by little girls. This rather sexist mode of thinking made it so that bronies, both male and female, were initially treated poorly for their exquisite sense of taste.

Males were made to feel guilty because watching a colorful show with interesting female characters with personalities made them "less masculine".  Females who liked the show suddenly felt as though their appreciation for the show was being overshadowed by the fact that men were watching a "girls show".  It's funny how gender expectations have a tendency to ruin the fun parts of life for both genders.