Meet the Bronies

Patrick Edwards is a retired clinician who has been working in the field and teaching for well over 30 years. He is the founder of the Brony Study Project and has published both within the field and recently finishing a series of fantasy fiction novels based on fan experience and psychology inspired by his work with the brony community. He lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Daniel P. Chadborn is an assistant professor of psychology at New Mexico Highlands University. He has published a number of papers in both psychological and cross-disciplinary journals on social identity, fan culture, and their association with a number of factors including stigma, charitable giving, inspiration, and sense of community. He lives in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Courtney N. Plante is a faculty member at MacEwan University in Canada and is a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project which has studied the furry fandom for over a decade. His published works on fandom research, media influence on behavior, as well as other interests span a variety of topics within the social psychological perspective. Stephen Reysen is an associate professor of psychology at Texas A&M University–Commerce, and has had a longstanding interest in researching fan communities. His research focuses on personal and social identity, as well as global citizenship. Marsha Howze Redden is a retired full-time clinician with more than 30 years working in clinical practice. In addition to volunteer work she has continued to maintain her license and maintains a small private practice. She lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface1. Meet the Bronies!What Makes a Fan a Fan?A Crash Course in the History of MLPOkay, So What Is a Brony?What’s the Plan?2. Science Is Magic: The History of Brony StudyWhat Is Brony Study?The HistoryWho Are the Brony Researchers?So What Kinds of Studies Have We Done?Wave One: 2012–2016Wave Two: 2015–2018What Does the Future Hold?3. Sampling, Statistics, Research Design and Other Nerd StuffA Crash Course in the Scientific MethodOperationalization: Putting Numbers to ExperienceThe Science (and Art) of Study DesignSampling: Who Are We Talking AboutData Analysis: Making Sense of the NumbersLimitations and the Fallacy of the Perfect Study4. Just How Extremely Unexpected Are the Adult Fans of My Little Pony?The Prototypical Brony: It Isn’t the “Mane” Thing About ThemBasic DemographicsAge and SexFandom MembershipSexual OrientationDating LifeThe Brony TypologyConclusion5. From Ponyville to Manehattan: The Background and Family Life of BroniesWhere the Herd RoamsSuited for SuccessEducationEmploymentBeing a Pear in a Family of Apples: Brony Parents and AcceptancePraise the Sun and Rock the Vote: Bronies, Spirituality and PoliticsConclusion6. Equestria Girls and Pony Boys: A Few Final Demographic ComparisonsSex Differences in the Brony FandomDemographic and Personality DifferencesMotivations and ExposureFeminismComparing Bronies to ­Non-BroniesConclusion7. Welcome to Equestria: The Making of a BronyHow People Think Bronies Come to BeCommon Paths to MLP DiscoveryThe Role of Social Media and the Internet“I just don’t know what went wrong”: Accidental FansFriends, Family and the Power of Word of MouthWhy Did It Have to Be Ponies?8. Come for the Show, Stay for the SwagWatching MLPHow Bronies Watch: ImmersionWatching ­Fan-Made ContentConvention AttendanceBrony Swag9. “Yes, but why?” Brony MotivationEarly Studies of Fans: What Motivates Sport Fans?Explaining Fan Motivations in ­Non-Sport FansThe ­Multi-Dimensional Motivation of BroniesFandom Functions: What Does Being a Brony Do for You?Conclusion10. The Pony I Want to BeThe Allure of Interesting CharactersNo, Really, Who is “Best Pony”?What Your Favorite Pony Says About YouIdentifying with Characters11. Rule 34: Ponies, Pornography and Perceptions of the FandomThat Which Shall Not Be Named: The History of “Rule 34”Rule 34Pornography, Art and HistoryPornography and FandomPornography and the Brony FandomSupportExposureGeneral ConsumptionWho Consumes?Production and Sharing of Explicit ContentWhat Should the Fandom Do?Conclusion12. The World Outside MLPSubgroups Within the Brony FandomInterest in Other FandomsBronies and Internet Culture13. “One of us”: Bronies as a FandomUnderstanding Group Psychology: The Social Identity PerspectiveUnderstanding Group Psychology: ­Self-Categorization TheoryApplying Group Psychology Theories to Fan Groups159 FanshipFanship, Fandom and Engagement with MLP and the Brony CommunityFanship, Fandom and Sense of Brony CommunityFanship, Fandom and Brony ­Meet-Ups and ConventionsConclusion14. “Where I belong”: Other Motivations for Fandom Participation“I’ll be there for you”: Where Bronies Seek Social SupportOptimal Distinctiveness TheoryMe or Somepony Like Me“Who am I and why am I here?” Purpose in LifeConclusion15. Inter–and ­Intra-Fandom Dynamics“My fandom’s better than yours!”“Real” vs. “Fake” Bronies: Gatekeeping, Status and Entitlement“Join the herd!” New Brony Recruitment16. Personality Profiles of People Who Prefer PoniesThe Big Five Dimensions of PersonalityPersonality and FansBronies versus ­Non-BroniesCorrelations of the Big Five Dimensions in BroniesA Word of Caution: A Social Identity Perspective of the Big Five Personality Dimensions17. “Eww, bronies!” Stigma Toward the Brony FandomFandom StigmaBullying and Hiding One’s Brony IdentityCoping with Stigma: Denial of Personal DiscriminationCoping with Stigma: Rejection IdentificationCoping with Stigma: Change in Discrimination (“Things are getting better!”)Reducing Stigma Toward Bronies: ­Non-Bronies’ Exposure to MLPConclusion18. Bronies: A Surprisingly Happy, ­Well-Adjusted Group of FansFandoms, Friendships and ­Well-Being: Wann’s Model of Identification and ­Well-BeingFan Conventions, ­Well-Being Highs and ­Post-Con DepressionPrevalence of Psychological Conditions in Brony FandomIdentifying as a Brony and ­Well-BeingPerceived Change in ­Well-BeingConclusion19. Making the World Better, One Kind Act at a TimeFrom Charity to Protest: Why People HelpMedia EffectsFandom and HelpingMoral MessageMoral Foundations and PerceptionReason for Liking the ShowFandom ComparisonChange in HelpingGiving and Receiving Help Within the Brony FandomProsocial Fandom NormsConclusion20. All Good Things: The Future of Friendship and the FandomExpectations of Future InvolvementPredicting Future InvolvementWhy Do People Leave the Fandom?What the Future HoldsNostalgia’s One Hell of a DrugSharing SpacesProtecting the FandomThe Show and the FandomConclusion: All Good Things21. Dear Princess Celestia: Parting Words from Bronies and the Research TeamDear Brony StudyDear Princess CelestiaChapter NotesReferencesIndex