Hot on the heels of my recent discovery of Men’s Rights Bronies, a new controversy about My Little Pony has erupted in the Men’s Rights subreddit. Though, to be honest, I might have provoked most of the actual controversy there by wading into the muck and pointing out a few facts.
The discussion centers around a rather obtuse post by Kathleen Richter on the Ms. Blog from two years ago accusing the show’s creators of racism and homophobia, among other things. The post couldn’t be more wrong about everything, and, unsurprisingly, was torn apart by commenters on the site – and by Lauren Faust, then the show’s “creative steward” and executive producer, who was given the opportunity to write a rebuttal on the Ms. Blog.
So why are the dudes on the Men’s Rights subreddit getting worked up by this dead controversy today? Because an MRA who calls himself ThePigman – we took a look at one of his terrible, terrible comic strips here – decided to post Richter’s original post (but not Faust’s rebuttal) to r/mensrights under the title “My Little Pony FIM attacked by nuts at Ms Magazine Blog. NOT, repeat, NOT a satire.”
Perhaps inadvisedly, I posted a comment pointing out that the Richter’s blog post had not exactly been well-received. And this happened. (Click on the pic for a full-sized version.)
The whole discussion is rather surreal. Some highlights.
ThePigman responding to a rather straightforward and factual comment of mine with:
You are a disgusting animal. Go and talk to someone else, just having you on the same planet makes me want to puke.
Ullere repeatedly misrepresenting my recent post on Men’s Rights Bronies.
The dude who regularly posts on r/mensrights as “Manzboobz” makes an appearance.
And this barely coherent little masterpiece of sarcasm from our old friend Eoghan (who posts on r/mensrights as Sigil1):
As someone who speaks fluent Eoghan, let me translate: he is suggesting that the women discussing the issue of MLP on the Ms. Blog are all a bunch of layabouts living off of their hard-working husbands. He’s also making a snide reference to feminism as being an “astro-turf” movement (rather than a true grassroots movement) because, in his mind, feminism is all a big plot created and funded by the CIA and the evil elitists who run the world.
Eoghan aside, this whole episode suggests how difficult it is for a feminist to have any kind of discussion with MRAs even on the Men’s Rights subreddit, probably the most moderate MRA forum out there. (Several other people posted references to Faust’s rebuttal, but weren’t downvoted, because they aren’t the dreaded, more-evil-than-evil-itself “manboobz.”)
A couple of days ago, one poster to r/mr asked “Why are there not more feminists here” debating the issues with MRAs. Here’s your answer.
EDITED TO ADD: ThePigman has responded to this and my previous Brony post in his typically calm and reasonable manner on his blog. By which I mean he spewed forth a bunch of angry nonsense.
My favorite part is the MRA who complains that feminists are wasting their time on “My Little Pony” instead the real problems in the world– and then the example he gives is the false rape accusation epidemic.
Dude, unicorns are more real than that.
I’m waiting for their to be a post about a spermburgling insinuation in season 1…
Especially since they were talking about how The Simpsons probably endorses their arguments about false rape accusations. Sigh. I thought Second Wave feminists controlled the Mainstream Media, or whatever boring troll was talking about last night?
Okay, as a giant nerd I have seen the episode with the Cake babies. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are both Earth Ponies (i.e., regular horses), but their twins are a unicorn and a pegasus. One of the characters asks how this is possible, and Mr. Cake replies that he and his wife have distant unicorn and pegasus forebears. He is not “stuttering” or “nervous,” and it’s obviously just a setup for Pinkie Pie babysitting the twins and having to deal with their magic powers.
The idea that a children’s cartoon would have plotlines about adultery is, of course, completely bizarre. How would that work anyway? Would Mrs. Cake have had a threesome with a unicorn and a pegasus and gotten simultaneously pregnant by both? Why am I devoting thought to this?
I’d think MRAs would be more upset that the episode shows Mr. Cake changing diapers and burping the babies alongside his wife. What a pongina.
Geez, if people want to see a stupid My Little Pony fan argument, just Google “Derpy.”
Next up on the MRA outrage blogroll, Pony Whores Riding the Alpha Pony Cock Carousel.
For realzies. I tend to have a general problem with the “focus on REAL problems” meme that goes around because funnily enough, the issues that tend to have more adverse effects for marginalized folks tend to rarely ever qualify as “REAL problems”. But his example is just absurd. Like, at least put something in there like “THE ECONOMY” rather than an MRA urban legend. That way at least you only look like a jackass instead of a dumbass AND a jackass.
Course, we are talking horses here, so I guess it follows that people will show their asses (ba dum cha!). Sorry, couldn’t resist 😛
“I don’t get why MRAs would like MLP. ”
It’s not an MRA thing, it’s a guy thing, ahem(Rule34)ahem(Furry)ahem i.e. ‘I watch MLP:FIM for the (wink-wink nudge-nudge) plot’ meme
Someone over on reddit/mr called someone else a neigh-sayer. I know they’re our SWORN ENEMIES FOREVER but I laughed a little.
As I heard it, fan lore states that “ass” is the worst swear word in Equestria because it’s a racial slur.
So hey, why are MRAs talking about an article about a show about ponies when there are real problems in the world?
(I don’t actually care about that. But it strikes me funny how the “what about real problems” argument is automatically hypocritical.)
I just had an D: moment when it occurred to me that the cutie-marks on each of the ponies are probably descended in a vague sort of way from branding marks.
Branding marks identify the pony as someone’s property and go on the rump.
Cutie marks identify the pony as an individual and go on the rump.
If you ignore the vast difference between the two, there’s, like, hardly any difference between the two!
OMG why isn’t anyone attacking Lauren Faust about this??!!??eleven
Aww, I was just horsing around.
@cloudiah, sometimes assholes are funny. I often wish that weren’t the case, because then the asshole comedians out there who are only funny a fraction of the time and what they like to call “edgy” (read: propping up the kyriarchy) the rest of the time wouldn’t be getting paid ridiculous amounts of money for saying stupid shit like “those LADIES and their SHOPPING! Amirite gents?”
Why aren’t there more feminists? One reason, even on feminist only sites we get plenty of MRA feedback. Because the male point of view is everywhere so its hardly necessary to consult about what men want. And…as FC has noted and set up specific threads for, there’s often a lot of hostility towards femninists or feminist thinking. I really don’t look forward to wading through a shitstorm of insults whilst trying to make a point. And while I’ve met MRAs capable of debating in a civil manner and in good faith, the viewpoints are so vastly different that you’re not going to change anyones mind. Unless I’m looking for a debate or wish to clarify some thinking or I want the other side of an issue there’s little point to speaking. I mean, if we were really trying to work up a plan to work together, there would be a point. Otherwise, all that happens is viewpoints become more entrenched.
AntZ might like to know there’s already a VR wife made to his specifications called the Tenga Flip Air. Sure, it has no personality and will not cuddle you, but that doesn’t seem to be part of the client’s requirements.
David? How the hell do you manage to decipher Eoghan?
Yeah, I noticed that too. I mean, most of “the REAL problems” arguments are, because that often comes pretty close to Oppression Olympics which I tend to think requires a complete lack of self-awareness, but this one is even more obvious.
“OMG FEMINISTS AND THEIR PONIES!!!11!” “BUT GUYS DID YOU SEE THESE PONIES!!1?/!?”
They practically parody themselves.
pillowinhell, well, I recently got into a “discussion” with him about the CIA thing. He has a very limited number of obsessions that he repeats endlessly, and that one seems to be the newest addition to his limited repertoire. That’s one of the reasons that each time he’s come back to post here using a new seekret identity he’s been caught fairly quickly.
Also, he posted probably several thousand comments here before I finally banned him, so I’ve certainly read enough of him.
No one seems to have mentioned the last part of Sigil’s baffling post — how are ponies a WMD in the war on women??
Which side is using this WMD? Are the CIA feminists using it to pacify and acclimate feminized males to the matriarchy? Or are western “herbivores” rebelliously using the horses as surrogate VR wives until this whole dumb feminism thing blows over?
The world may never know.
So I guess that MRA bronies don’t realize that Lauren Fasut, the (former) executive producer of the show is a feminist who used the show to create quality entertainment for girls and show that there are many different ways to be a girl?
I don’t understand how an MRA could enjoy MLP.
I interpreted the Mr. Cake/Mrs. Cake thing as Mrs. Cake actually cheating on Mr. Cake. It struck me as a one-off joke aimed at the older fanbase– basically a Parental(/Brony) Bonus.
But ozy, as shaennon said:
How does it works, has she slept with a pegasus-unicorn? Except for the princesses, it’s unheard of! And the explanation they gave is plausible.
“I interpreted the Mr. Cake/Mrs. Cake thing as Mrs. Cake actually cheating on Mr. Cake. It struck me as a one-off joke aimed at the older fanbase– basically a Parental(/Brony) Bonus.”
Wow seriously… Thats kind of dark of you if you don’t mind me saying.
What made me read it as a joke was that Mr. Cake said “we have X distant relative who is a unicorn and Y distant relative who’s a pegasus… that makes sense, right?” The joke being that he’s in denial…
Well ok I guess that sort of makes sence if you put it that way but I agree with Kyrie. Maybe genetics work diffrently in pony land or something.
Even if I’m reading the joke right I think it’s a one-off subtexty thing, meant to make the people who get it say “heh” and not meant to be, like, an Ultimate Statement about Gender Roles in Ponyville. If nothing else, Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake seem to be a happy couple who really love each other.