Of course, still being in 'college mode', I end up asking myself why I enjoy the frivolous things I do, and why other people do as well. I don't mean the simple act of partying or letting off steam in that manner... I speak of... ponies.
Perhaps you've encountered the pony phenomenon if you use the Internet or social media to a certain extent; maybe you've caught a glimpse of the new face of ponies in their almost Powerpuff Girl-like incarnation, envisioned by Lauren Faust. And maybe you've just noticed a bunch of grown men obsessing over a little girl's show with motives that you- or the general public- have no idea of, but suspect to feel superior to. Gosh, so did I!
But as it turns out, ponies are addictive to an artistic mind, most likely because it invokes the hallowed tool of today's big-world games: the sandbox.
You hear 'sandbox' in reference to massive video games, like Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto. There's a plot, but you can not only take it or leave it, you can craft entire plots of your own simply by using the tools left for you. But ponies I want to relate to as a 'sandbox' in a purely artistic exercise in character creation and simplistic plot-making, a-la what we've been seeing from fanartists and writers on Pokemon for about a decade now. It is not only generally regarded as a good time to be had by all when an artist makes their own vision of a Pocket Monster, but rewriting the entire premise of the franchise has had fans chomping at the bit for gritty reboots and pseudo-philosophical implications since I can remember setting toe in DeviantArt.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is essentially the same exercise. You could take it at face value, or you could imply the kind of dystopian universe ruled by the depraved minds of pagan goddesses in pony form. It's this entire act of reading entirely too far into the world that allows fans to take the concept and run.
Also, bright colors. Actually, it may just be the bright colors.
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