1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You from House Toupports 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and today we are talking about Brownie's, 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: which are male fans of My Little Pony. Friendship is magic. 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: I was. I was my Little Pony fan growing up, 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: although I don't think I could call myself a Brownie 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: considering I was like the target audience. Yeah, you'd be 8 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: a peg as sister in today's terms. Uh. This was 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: actually a conversation too that got started over on the 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: Stuff I've Never Told You Facebook page because there was 11 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: news that came out a couple of months ago about 12 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: a boy at school who was being bullied for bringing 13 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: uh My Little Pony lunch box, and the school's response 14 00:00:55,800 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: to him was we'll stop bringing the lunchbox. Yeah, And 15 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: so I posted that on our Facebook page, and we 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: heard from some moms of Brownies, and just to kick 17 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: things off, wanted to share a note from Justine, who 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: also sent along a photo of her ten year old 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: Brownie with one of his My Little Ponies and it's 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: very cute, but she writes, we haven't raised our kids 21 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 1: with a lot of gender stereotyping. I honestly don't think 22 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: his love of my little pony is indicative of his sexuality, 23 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: not that that would bother me. I just think he's 24 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: sort of oblivious to the misogyny and our culture at large. 25 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: He doesn't think girls are less than I'm curious to 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: see how that plays out as he enters the teenage years. 27 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: But I wonder if his generation really hasn't been as 28 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: acculturated to sexism as ours. I can't fathom it, but 29 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: it might be true. We saw another brownie in the 30 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: Build to Bear in Oklahoma City on March eighth of 31 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: this year. My son and the boy total strangers, just 32 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: gave each other high fives over their love of my 33 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: little pony. I'm very proud, but also think the embrace 34 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: of feminine culture by probably straight tween boys is pretty 35 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: amazing and bizarre. We might be on the cusp of 36 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: a tipping point toward real gender equality. Wow, so we 37 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: had to do a podcast, right? Yeah? Absolutely? And it's 38 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: funny like the the end of her letter talking about, 39 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: you know, boys liking traditionally girl things and are we going? 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: Are we heading towards gender equality? It was thoughts like 41 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: that that just gave me like, you know, warm fuzzy feelings. 42 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: When I was reading about this, it it just puts 43 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: stars in my eyes as I was reading about brownies, 44 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: because I just thought, oh my gosh, here are young 45 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: boys all the way through, you know, men in their 46 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: thirties and maybe even beyond, who are like cool with 47 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: something that's traditionally feminine, Like this is anti fem phobia. 48 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: This is an embrace of all things like pink and 49 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: rainbowie and um, you know. Then I read some more 50 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: and and there are some dark parts of brownism, but 51 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: really it's not the majority. No, not at all. Um. 52 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: But for listeners who are like what, yeah, we're scratching 53 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: their heads wondering what on earth we're talking about, let's 54 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: back up for a moment and just talk about my 55 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: little pony, because I have a feeling for a lot 56 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: of women listening this is these are very familiar toys. 57 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: I know that my older sister had a stable of 58 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: my Little Ponies. Somehow I never got my little ponies, 59 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: I don't. I think I probably just got them handed 60 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: down from her. But they launched in one originally as 61 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: my pretty Pony and then became my little Pony. In 62 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: nineteen Yeah, my pretty Pony looks a lot um sadder 63 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: then my my My Little Ponies. I feel like it's 64 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: she's kind of like my pretty Pony. And then my 65 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: Little Pony came out. Uh, but I had a million 66 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: of them, And do you remember the ones that like 67 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: if you got the flank wet or like he was 68 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: like heat or like water or whatever, the pattern would 69 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: come out. I do remember those. Um. I also just 70 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: remember asking my sister to play with them. She was 71 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: pretty proprietary over her ponies, but every now and then 72 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: she would let me brush their tails. For some reason, 73 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed using those little plastic brushes to comb 74 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: fake horse tails. Childhood is bizarre, carolyzed, so bizarre and amazing. 75 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, so this is all in the eighties. This 76 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: is you know, when Kristen and when Kristen and I 77 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: were growing up. But um, the whole thing was rebooted 78 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: back in with an emphasis on My Little Ponies elements 79 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: of harmony. Yeah, that's why it's called My Little Pony. 80 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: Friendship is Magic. And this was essentially launched as a 81 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: partnership between Hasbro, which is the toy company that manufactures 82 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: My Little Ponies and and the TV show The Hub. 83 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: It's like a kid's channel all Nickelodeon that's also owned 84 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: by Discovery Communications. And so the elements of harmony that 85 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: it emphasizes our generosity, loyalty, honesty, kindness, laughter, and magic. Magic. Um. So, okay, 86 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: let's look at the six stars of the show. We've 87 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: got Twilight Sparkle, whose power is magic, Rainbow Dash symbolizes loyalty, 88 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: Apple Jack with the with the Texas accent is honesty, 89 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: Pinky Pie laughter, Fluttershy is kindness, and rarity the Unicorn 90 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: who ties it all together with generosity. Yeah, and they're 91 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: referred to as the Main Six, and that's m A 92 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: N E. Six. I'll tell you what, folks, if you 93 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,559 Speaker 1: like Horse Punch, then you need to watch My Little 94 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: Pony because all of their ponies speak is pony fied. 95 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: And so saying, for instance, everybody, you would say every pony. 96 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: And don't worry, listeners, we're not just going to go 97 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: on and on and on about My Little Pony. There 98 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: is a point, a greater point to this whole conversation. 99 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: But just for a couple more details about this, because 100 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: explaining the show really drives home to how Little girl oriented. 101 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,679 Speaker 1: It really is. And so so My Little Pony Friendship 102 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: is Magic is set in the town of Ponyville and 103 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: the land of Equestria, and it's ruled over by Alcorne's sisters, 104 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: Princesses Celestia and Luna. And in case you're wondering, because 105 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: I was an Alicorn, is a Unicorn Pegasus combo. So 106 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: there's just a lot of fanciful, magical, pro friendship fun, 107 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: lots of sparkle, glitter, pink, very traditionally girly stuff. Yeah, 108 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: and so when has Bro slashed the Hub launched this 109 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: new show in two thousand and ten, obviously they were 110 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: selling of this TV product two girls, so wing they 111 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: would go and buy My Little Ponies. But something happened 112 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: where all of a sudden, a lot of guys started 113 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: watching it. Yeah, it's kind of like how the Powerpuff Girls. 114 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: When that cartoon was around, it also appealed to guys. 115 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: My my first high school boyfriend was like a huge 116 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: Powerpuff Girls fan. He even had a favorite. I couldn't 117 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: tell you which one which one it is. But you know, 118 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: there are a lot of cartoons around nowadays that are 119 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: really even though there are four kids they're also four adults. 120 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: You know, you have things like SpongeBob or Adventure Time 121 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: that are definitely I mean, they're very cartoony and silly, 122 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: but they are very enjoyable for grown ups. And so 123 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: what started happening very quickly after My Little Pony rebooted 124 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: in you start to see a lot of young men 125 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: being drawn to it. And not only are they drawn 126 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: to it, but they they start forming these really rapidly 127 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: growing communities. And not so surprisingly, as has happened with 128 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: a lot of these subcultures that have popped up in 129 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: more recent years, they found each other on the Internet, 130 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: and the case of Brownies, they specifically found each other 131 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:11,239 Speaker 1: on a message board called four chan. And soon after 132 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: My Little Pony French Magic launched, there was a blog 133 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: that was cross posted onto four Chan by this animation 134 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: critic name I Mean Amadi, who was essentially decrying the 135 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: demise of what he called creator driven animation and name 136 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: checked My Little Pony along with a lot of other 137 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: shows as being part of the sign of sort of 138 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: the demise, basically saying these shows were just being manufactured 139 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: to sell things they don't really have any true spirit. 140 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 1: Wasn't a big fan and even though his his blog 141 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: post doesn't focus too closely on my little pony, that 142 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: was all it took. The floodgates, the browny floodgates. The 143 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: stable doors were opened, right. Yeah, So all these guys 144 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: start popping up on four Chan talking about my little 145 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: pony friendship is magic, and by February there were six 146 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: thousand plus daily pony threads going on on four chance 147 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: cartoon board, to the point where like a four Chune 148 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: moderator was like your band no more pony post. It 149 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: even bled over into like animal boards where people were 150 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: talking about real life furry ponies, like you couldn't say 151 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: anything with pony in it. Yeah, because, not surprisingly, if 152 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: you know anything about four Chan, four chan is a 153 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: very powerful entity. Allah read it on the Internet, which 154 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: also Allah read it comes with a lot of trolling 155 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: and what like more perfect Internet trolling target could you 156 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: put on your forehead then to say, Hey, I'm a 157 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: guy and I really enjoy my little pony friendship is 158 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: magic and I'm earnest about it and I'm not being 159 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: ironic exactly, have at me. So that was part of 160 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: the reason why four chan for a little while said 161 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 1: no more Brownie talk because there was so much in 162 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: fighting back and forth, although in fighting actually isn't the 163 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: correct term to say, because the Brownies, in response to 164 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: the trolls did not fight back because they wanted to 165 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: embody the friendship. Element of the friendship is magic that 166 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: is taught in My Little Pony, which is kind of incredible. Yeah. 167 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: A word that keeps coming up again and again when 168 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: you read about this particular era in Brownie history is acceptance. 169 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: Everybody's preaching acceptance, like Okay, well you know, obviously you're 170 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: not into this. I'm into this, and if you're going 171 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: to be angry about it, you know that's your deal. 172 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna keep enjoying my my happy friendship, loyalty 173 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: driven my Little Pony thing. Yeah, and four Chan founder 174 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: Christopher Pool was actually so impressed by the way that 175 00:10:55,280 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: the Brownies were so successfully resisting this trolling effort that 176 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: he finally lifted the ban on the Browny post. And 177 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: there was one response from a Brownie to this that 178 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: was kind of funny. He said, my Little Pony is 179 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 1: the only group to take on four Chan and win. 180 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: Four Chan once took over the FBI and one, so 181 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: you might say that my Little Pony is more powerful 182 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: than the FBI. Yeah, well, which is incredible to think 183 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: about it, hilarious. Um, But so they moved on from 184 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: four Chan building their own pony safe spaces online. They 185 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 1: have pony Chan. They posted things on deviant art and YouTube. 186 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: There's the website Equestria Daily and lots of different like 187 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: fan fic um pony art. There's also some like darker 188 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: corners of that art and fan fic as well erotic 189 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: pony art. It we'll get to that. We'll get to that. Yeah, 190 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: this also harkens back to our episode a little while 191 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: ago on fandom and shipping. Um, this is Brownie's are 192 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,240 Speaker 1: a prime space ace for this. So the reimaginings of 193 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: different adventures for the ponies, different relationships the ponies might have. 194 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,839 Speaker 1: There's even music mashups that Brownies will make, all sorts 195 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: of things, and Brownies have started congregating as well. In 196 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: June two thou eleven, the first Browny Con took place 197 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: in New York and about a hundred people attended. But 198 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: compare that to two thousand thirteen, when Browny Con drew 199 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:30,319 Speaker 1: six thousand attendees. Yeah, I mean talk about talk about 200 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: like just separate from Brownie's even but talk about how 201 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: incredible like internet communities are the fact that you can 202 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: live your whole life or you know, like, let's think 203 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: back to the seventies eighties, where you could have lived 204 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: your whole life thinking you were the sole weirdo who 205 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: likes something. But these message boards fueled by this whole 206 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: like background of acceptance and friendship and loyalty, like, all 207 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: of these people are finding each other. And so now 208 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 1: six thousand plus people are going to this conference. It's incredible. Yeah, 209 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: I mean it's a similar kind of effect as we 210 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: saw in the A s MR podcast. Totally different kind 211 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: of thing, but the effect of people finding each other 212 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: on the Internet and this community growing from it, of 213 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,599 Speaker 1: people saying, oh, I thought I was the only one. No, 214 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 1: you like it, Oh he likes oh awesome. And just 215 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: imagine at browne Con though these are i mean younger 216 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: boys as well, and some peg of sisters, some some girls, 217 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: but up to you know, grown men dressing up as 218 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 1: their favorite my little pony right, hanging out playing games, 219 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: just having a really good time. So the question is then, 220 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: who are these Brownies, Like, who are there? They just 221 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: are they just weirdos are are they outliers in society? 222 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: I mean, it turns out, at least according to surveys 223 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 1: of brownies, they're kind of just average guys. Yeah. So 224 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: this survey that took place in August and September had 225 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: nearly respondents and they found that the average age was 226 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 1: nearly twenty years old, and they hailed from from far 227 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: and wide. Um, most of them are from the US, 228 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,439 Speaker 1: but if you move in descending order, you've got people 229 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: represented from the UK, from Canada, Australia, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, 230 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: and Brazil. This is not an American phenomenon. And when 231 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: you look at gender, I mean, brownie is the combination 232 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: of bro or brother and pony. But the gender breakdown 233 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: shows that it's eighty six percent male, twelve percent female, 234 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: one percent who identifies neither, and one percent unsure. Now, 235 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: this next statistic on sexual orientation is one that comes 236 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: up in pretty much any article that you read about 237 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: brownie culture because there is this knee jerk assumption that, Okay, 238 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: here's a guy who really likes pink stuff and ponies, 239 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: and you know a show that is for girls, the 240 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: are four he must be gay, right, this must be 241 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: just a you know, group of okay guys really enjoying ponies. 242 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: Not exactly. Uh of brownies identify a straight as bisexual, 243 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,479 Speaker 1: four percent as a sexual, only three percent identify as gay, 244 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: and three percent identify as pan sexual. So I mean 245 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: a bulk of again, kind of like the mom who 246 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: pointed out in the letter that we read at the 247 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: beginning of the podcast, this is a lot of straight 248 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: tween boys and adult guys who are loving them some pony. Yeah. 249 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: Of the respondents were in steady relationships, um, with forty 250 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: six percent of those saying that they're the soul brownie 251 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: in the relationship. Thirty eight percent of those were actually 252 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: in dual brownie relationships. You wonder, like, do they just 253 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: talk about it all the time, like if you get 254 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: together with someone who also has such a specific like 255 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: niche interest, Like, I wonder they just talk about brownie's 256 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: all the time? Well, I mean, well, in terms of 257 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: brownie openness, say they did look into that, say that 258 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: they would proudly identify themselves as brownie's both online and offline, 259 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: whereas would only identify as brownie online. Because understandably, there's 260 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: still a lot of confusion about what does this actually 261 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: mean about who you are if you like this one 262 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: particular thing. But then the question is, well, why are 263 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: we sitting here trying to extrapolate so many meanings upon 264 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: the appreciation of ponies. Well? Yeah. As far as why 265 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: they identify as Brownie's and identify with the show, the 266 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: survey respondents said that the most appealing aspects of the 267 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: show were the characters, the humor, and the style and 268 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: design of the animation. Um. And so when they were 269 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: talking about how they like to, I don't know, be 270 00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: Brownie's act as Brownie's what that entails, they responded that 271 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: they browse fan art and watch fan videos, they read 272 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: fan fiction, and they visit Equestria Daily. Yeah, Equestria Daily 273 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: is pretty much the go to site for for Brownie's 274 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,479 Speaker 1: all things Brownie, and it is, I mean, there is 275 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: the daily aspect of Equestria Daily. It's essentially the Huffington's 276 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: Post of Brownies. Um. And when when you look at though, 277 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: like who, especially among the older brownies, like who who 278 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: are these guys? I mean, you'll you'll meet brownies who 279 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 1: have traditionally very masculine jobs, like their mechanics or they 280 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 1: work on motorcycles. There's one what's his name, I ever 281 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: get his name, but he's kind of known as the 282 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: Manliest Brownie, kind of big old Mustang, and he works 283 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: on cars and motorcycles. And there's even a squadron of 284 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: pilots in training in the U. S. Air Force at 285 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma who are now wearing 286 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic themed patches on their 287 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: flight suits. Yeah, but instead of friend Ship is Magic, 288 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: it's just flying is Magic is magic because some of 289 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: the ponies have flying powers. Uh. But and there are 290 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: other um there have been other articles too about Brownie's 291 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: in the military. So this is not just a thing 292 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: for what we would consider more effeminate men as well. 293 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: This is really challenging in a lot of ways our 294 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: ideas of well, what is masculine and feminine and what 295 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: is okay for boys and men to like? Yeah, well, 296 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,120 Speaker 1: a lot of those guys are kind of asking themselves 297 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: the same question. Wired talked to Brownie Luke Allen, who said, first, 298 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: we can't believe the show is so good. Then we 299 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: can't believe we've become fans for life, and then we 300 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: can't believe we're walking down the pink aisle at Toys 301 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: r us are asking for the girls toin our happy meal. 302 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: Then we can't believe our friends haven't seen it yet. 303 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,920 Speaker 1: Then we can't believe they're becoming Brownie's too. And this 304 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: guy also went on to talk about how he has 305 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: asked Berger's and how the show has taught him so 306 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: much just about getting along with people, the basic tenants 307 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: of friendship and loyalty and sort of helped him understand 308 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: that in a way that he never had before, which 309 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: is pretty incredible. Um. There's also a documentary called Bronis 310 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony, And 311 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: they interviewed one kid named Alex Thickmen, and he said, 312 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: as soon as Ponies came into my life, I was like, Wow, 313 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: I never want the day to end. Yeah. And Alex's story, 314 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: I mean it's a it's a terrible story of of 315 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: bullying and how you know he had My Little Pony 316 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: decals on the back of his car and and some 317 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: guys like smashed the back of his car and and 318 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: all this stuff. And you know it comes from this 319 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: really small town in in North Carolina and Appalachia, and 320 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: like nobody understands it, and um, how he's been able 321 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: to sort of connect with people like him, like minded 322 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: guys who aren't all about hunting in and you know, 323 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 1: being like super traditionally masculine, and how how that just 324 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: lets him find other people that he can form a community, 325 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: really loyal community of friends with. Yeah. In this same 326 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: documentary Brownies and this also is not the only Brownie 327 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 1: documentary there is out there. This one is on Netflix 328 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: too if you if you have it and want to 329 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: watch it. But it also follows this boy who is 330 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: going to Browny Con for the first time and his 331 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: dad is really uncomfortable with the fact that his son 332 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 1: likes My Little Pony. Um. There's also the way that 333 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 1: it's termed when younger guys especially will inform their their 334 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: parents that they are fans of the show. It's almost 335 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: like a coming out process. Um, and the dad's like 336 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: super uncomfortable, but he ends up going to Browny Con 337 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: with him, and he talks to far more enthusiastic Brownie 338 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,199 Speaker 1: dad who kind of breaks it down for him, like, Listen, 339 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: I know this kind looks super weird that our sons 340 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: are playing My Little Pony, but I'm just really happy 341 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: to be sharing this experience with him, and this is 342 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: our new way of bonding and it's pretty cool, and like, look, 343 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: look how happy this is making our kids. And then 344 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: you know Q crying fast. Well, there's there's clips of 345 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: of all these guys like linking arms and singing, and 346 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: you know, they talked to um one young woman who 347 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: I don't know if she was a Pega sister or 348 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: if she's in a band or something, that she was 349 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: on stage singing and she talks about how like, you know, 350 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: nobody's here to judge other people. Everybody is here to 351 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: like be friends, have fun. You know, this is the 352 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: most acceptance I've ever felt. And we mentioned the manly 353 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: is BRONI. It's this guy named Dusty Rhodes and he 354 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: was interviewed also by Wired magazine about this and getting 355 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: his take is as an older guy who is invested 356 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: in this culture is really telling because he says, you're 357 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: supposed to be the guy who was on TV, You're 358 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: supposed to be the moral Broman, You're supposed to be 359 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: the guy from die Hard. That's all well and good, 360 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: but we got spoon fed enough of that crud through 361 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: the eighties and nineties that people are starting to believe 362 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: that that's the way you had to be. Everybody's a person, 363 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: everybody is a human being on this planet, and the 364 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: sooner we figure that out, we might be a little 365 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: better off. And then he goes on to talk about 366 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: how that's why he loves my little Pony so much 367 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: because it sort of was the catalyst for helping him 368 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: sort of embody those kinds of ideas, which is incredible. 369 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: I mean, sort of like using a children's show to 370 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: reevaluate what you think about hegemonic masculinity. Is that's some 371 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: heavy stuff. That is heavy stuff, and I mean it's 372 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: it's just the fact that it's such heavy stuff, and 373 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: it it seems so deep for what it is, which 374 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: is like a two dimensional children's show. Um. But the 375 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: sudden and rapid rise of this older male fan base 376 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: has a lot of people, like especially in academia, kind 377 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: of scratching their heads, going like, Okay, something's got to 378 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:10,959 Speaker 1: be weird here. This, this can't be normal. Um. And 379 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: two of those people who were just kind of trying 380 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: to investigate what was going on are dr Patrick Edwards 381 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: and Marcia redden Um. Patrick Edwards son, by the way 382 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: he became interested in researching brownies and this whole topic 383 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: because his son came out so to speak to him 384 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: as a Brownie and he's like, all right, let's figure 385 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,640 Speaker 1: out what's going on here. Is this like some sort 386 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: of like pathological thing. Are they making up for other 387 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: lacking aspects in their lives? And um, they didn't really 388 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: find anything that said, Okay, these guys are weird. Yeah. 389 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: They surveyed over twenty thousand self identified brownies, and they 390 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: found some common hallmarks, such as Brownie's being slightly more 391 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:57,120 Speaker 1: introverted but more agreeable than non brownies. They also tended 392 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: to be more tolerant of others and bullied less often. 393 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: And when it comes to Brownie's home life, not surprisingly, 394 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: they found the happiest ones tended to come from open 395 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: minded homes with accepting, more liberal parents. And they identified 396 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: a lot of these guys as social brownies, and social 397 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 1: brownies actually made up the largest subsection of all of 398 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 1: the ones that they talked to. And they're the most open, 399 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: extroverted and uh, they compared them to the pony pinky pie, 400 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,199 Speaker 1: who is, you know, kind of the party love and pony. 401 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: That's funny. So they have their little avatar um. They 402 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,719 Speaker 1: also found another subsection of secret brownies that makes up 403 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: twenty percent of this group, and these guys typically come 404 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: from more closed minded homes, and the researchers said these 405 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,640 Speaker 1: guys were the browny equivalent of the withdrawn patients they 406 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: had seen in therapy for years. So these guys are 407 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: less likely to have the dad who was open and 408 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,719 Speaker 1: willing to go to the conference, learn what it's all 409 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: about out just make sure his son is happy. And 410 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: there's some interesting theory swirling around this, this rise, this 411 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: lack of irony, this this genuine acceptance of happiness and 412 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: you know, loyalty that's going on with this whole movement. 413 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: And so there's a theory that this is like post 414 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: nine eleven escapism, that that we had, our our generation 415 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: had this terrible, horrific event that kind of bisected our 416 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: young lives, and so this is now a return to 417 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,360 Speaker 1: something more innocent. We're we're trying to get away from 418 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: this planet that's so concerned with terrorism and war and 419 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: and focus on sparkly, shiny ponies. But there's also this 420 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: idea that a lot of people are talking about called 421 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 1: new sincerity, and it's not that this is like a 422 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: new movement or something, but it's kind of just like 423 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: a pop culture trend away from all of that irony 424 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: that kind of all of our social media is dripping 425 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: with these days, the hipster irony. Yeah, and pretty much 426 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,200 Speaker 1: any article that you'd read about new sincerity, Brownie's are 427 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: upheld as the exemplars of it because they truly love 428 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: this cartoon for exactly what it is and are unabashed 429 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: in their fandom. Um. But there is also a researcher 430 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: Venetia Laura Delano Robertson, who thinks that it might also 431 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: have to do with the anthropomorphic element of My Little Pony, 432 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: and she graciously sent us the full text of her 433 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: recent study called of Ponies and Men, My Little Pony 434 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: Friendship is Magic and the Browny fandom, and she thinks 435 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: that it has to this connection that Brownie's have and 436 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: the learning about friendship and loyalty that they're deriving from. 437 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: It has to do with the fact that these are 438 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: cartoon animals that act as people. Yeah, she's talking about 439 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: all this anthropomorphism and says, uh, the candy combination of 440 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: My Little Pony's subcultural qualities and the value of non 441 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: human but humanlike role models or avatars speaks intimately to 442 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: a group of individuals typically bound up in anonymous internet networks. Yeah, 443 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 1: and so all of that to say that maybe the 444 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: anthropomorphism on screen sort of creates enough distance from the 445 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:23,400 Speaker 1: human experience that is might maybe more fraught in these 446 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,879 Speaker 1: posts on eleven days with uh fear or anxiety. It 447 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: creates enough distance from that to kind of build a 448 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: relationship with these viewers. I mean, the fact that people 449 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: are forming relationships with animated characters, you know, animals that 450 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,199 Speaker 1: can talk and run around and have similar, almost humanlike lives, 451 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: is nothing strange at all. Disney exists, hello. Um. But 452 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: there's also to the element of hypercuteness in My My 453 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 1: Little Pony that also seems to appeal to brownies. Um. 454 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: There's this Japanese concept of kauai I hope I'm pronouncing 455 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: that correctly, which is sort of that hyper cuteness. And 456 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: if you look at My Little Pony, friendship is magic, 457 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: it is drenched in kauai. And and there's this sky. 458 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: Brian McVeigh, who back in the mid nineties talking about 459 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: this appeal of hypercuteness and cartoon nous, argues that these 460 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: kinds of super cute mascots in a way embody the 461 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: essential qualities of cuteness and by invoking affection, are able 462 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: to exert authority. So in other words, they're teaching guys 463 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: like Luke Allen, who's high on the Asperger scale, what 464 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: friendship and loyalty really means in action. And we're going 465 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: to talk way more about a whole lot of interesting 466 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: aspects of brownie culture when we come right back from 467 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: a quick break and now back to the show. Okay, 468 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: So Kristen was just discussing the concept, the Japanese concept 469 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: of kauai, basically things that are just like dripping with cuteness. 470 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: They often have like big eyes, and they're maybe little 471 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,719 Speaker 1: animal ears and stuff, and how this concept really plays 472 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: into what we're talking about now, which is My Little 473 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: Pony and Brownies. And there's something great about the fact 474 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: that these ponies can kind of service avatars for for 475 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: a lot of guys who maybe don't have great in 476 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: person like life connections, and they can form these connections 477 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: online through My Little Pony. But there's also something a 478 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: little weird and that's worth bringing up, and that's just 479 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, these these ponies are super 480 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: vulnerable and but also harmless. They're dependent, very feminine, very gentle, 481 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 1: so very non threatening. Yeah. Fluttershy, for instance, is a 482 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: Browny favorite among the main six ponies, and flutter Shy 483 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: embodies kindness, but as her name implies, eyes, she's also 484 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: very shy, very unsure of herself. She's too scared to fly, 485 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: and this raises some red flags among some people kind 486 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: of looking from the outside end of the brownie culture, 487 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:17,160 Speaker 1: thinking well, why is this particular pony so appealing, Like 488 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: why why is it the shy, submissive one. There's there's 489 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: kind of a protective white hat element to brownie fandom 490 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: as well of loving these ponies so much, not just 491 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: because of the lessons they might teach, but also because 492 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: they feel protective of Fluttershy and the other ponies. Yeah. 493 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: So I think it's interesting that this whole arena, this 494 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 1: whole browny arena, is on the one hand, so anti 495 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: gender norms. It's guys feeling like they can be more 496 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: open with their emotions and and love their friends and 497 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,720 Speaker 1: be open with their love for their friends and for 498 00:30:55,840 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: this cartoon. But on the other hand, um, these very 499 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: sort of like cute harmless, gentle feminine creatures. These ponies 500 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,160 Speaker 1: also sort of bring out, like Kristen said, that that protective, 501 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: very stereotypically male behavior aspect feelings. And this the thing is, 502 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: though this isn't it's a good thing that this isn't 503 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: the typical line of conversation when it comes to brownies. 504 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of Uh, there are a 505 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: lot of people who have rude things to say, but 506 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: there's also a lot of embrace of it for the 507 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: fact that it is sort of transgressing those gender norms, 508 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: because that whole appeal of the cute and hyper feminine 509 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: in animation, especially if we're talking about you know, the 510 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: Japanese concept of Kauai is not it's not solely a 511 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 1: product of brownies. I mean, attraction to hyper feminine, cute 512 00:31:52,680 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: animated girls, for instance, is super common in anime culture too. Yeah, exactly. Um, 513 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: And so speaking of that Venetia Laura Delano Robertsons study 514 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: that we were talking about before the break, Um, she 515 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: does acknowledge in her study that yes, there is a 516 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: level of attraction to the ponies among a certain subset 517 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: of brownies. Yeah, this is this is by far not 518 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: all Brownies. But we would be remiss not to acknowledge 519 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: the fact that in that two thousand twelve Brownie study 520 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: of respondents said yes to the question of are you 521 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: sexually attracted to the friendship is magic stylized ponies now? 522 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: Six also said no, absolutely not. I just love the 523 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: ponies for the ponies. But yeah, there is there is 524 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: some sexualization that goes on. There's something called clop fick, 525 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: which is the erotic uh my Little pony fan fiction. 526 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: There's also if you start digging into go on deviant 527 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: Art and start looking at my Little Pony fan art, 528 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: it does get sexuel at certain points. So so there's that, 529 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: But I mean there's a name for it that I 530 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: that is living my mind right now. But essentially there's 531 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: a rule on the Internet that if something exists, there's 532 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: also porn of it, Like everything is portified at this 533 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: point on the Internet. Yeah, I I don't yeah exactly. 534 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: But Robertson also argues that maybe one reason why the 535 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: more erotic side of Brodie the brony subculture is swept 536 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: under the rug a little bit that we don't talk 537 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 1: about it as much, or at least it doesn't raise 538 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: perhaps as many red flags is because again due to 539 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: the anthropomorphism, they're not doing this. If this was a 540 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: group of little girls, you know, animated characters, then people 541 00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: would probably not be so pumped about browny con But 542 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: the fact that it's horses their animals not as big 543 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: of a deal if we put them in sexual situations 544 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: and fan art right, and a lot of guys are 545 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: saying like, I don't even like real horses. Yeah, that 546 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 1: was that was one funny thing. Overwhelmingly brownies don't want 547 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: anything to do with horses in real life. Yeah. One 548 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:13,400 Speaker 1: guy brought up the same thing that I think the 549 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:17,760 Speaker 1: Oatmeal has a cartoon regarding this exact same thing, saying that, basically, 550 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: to paraphrase, like, horses poop a lot, and they're gross 551 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: and you've got to scoop the poop all the time, 552 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: and so I'm not interested in real life horses and 553 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: their poop at all. Well, and they're just massive, powerful creatures, yeah, 554 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: as opposed to these little, flying, fairy horse creatures. So again, 555 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: while we don't want to give the impression that all 556 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: brownies are only interested in my little pony, because they 557 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:44,800 Speaker 1: are either consciously or subconsciously attracted to these Ponies. Nonetheless, 558 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,879 Speaker 1: we do want to acknowledge that there there is this one, 559 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,319 Speaker 1: there's a corner of this culture that exists. But I 560 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 1: think you would find something like that in any kind 561 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: of fan culture. I mean, if you are going back 562 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: to the shipping episode again, pretty much all shipping eventually, 563 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: no matter what you're talking about, whether you're you know, 564 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: looking at the X Files or Twilight or My Little 565 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: Pony whatever, it might be little trail off at some 566 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,919 Speaker 1: point into erotic fick yea um. But you know what, 567 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: you know who's really loving it as has Bro Because 568 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: if you look one one of the sites we were 569 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:26,359 Speaker 1: looking at, how to graph showing Hasbro sales of their 570 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:30,880 Speaker 1: merch and I mean not that the chart itself or 571 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 1: even Hasbro itself can really tell us for sure that 572 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 1: Brownies are propping up there their industry, their sales, but 573 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:41,359 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's Hasbro sales and My Little Pony 574 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: sales have steadily increased. Oh yeah. Well, and it's interesting 575 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 1: too to see how Hasbro is also not just now 576 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: selling to little girls that the Pegga sisters watching the show, 577 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: but specifically to Brownie's because they're selling things like trading 578 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 1: cards comic books, USB drives, in addition to more typical 579 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: products like plush toys and dolls like they're they're clearly 580 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: trying to reach an audience. Um, and I mean just 581 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:10,480 Speaker 1: the fact too that it's become I don't think that 582 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: I didn't have to find a concrete number of how 583 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: many Brownies there are, but I mean we're not talking 584 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,799 Speaker 1: about millions of guys. It's still a pretty relatively small 585 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 1: group of men. But the fact that they're getting articles 586 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 1: and wired in grant Land and have a convention that 587 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: makes national news. You know that Stephen Colbert mentions them 588 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:35,000 Speaker 1: on the Colbert Report, that Bob's Burgers has a Brownie 589 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: spin off show or episode, I should say, I mean, 590 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,280 Speaker 1: it's kind of incredible that such a you know, relatively 591 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 1: small group of people has generated this much conversation. So 592 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: of course has Bro is riding the right, the right, Yeah, 593 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,760 Speaker 1: riding the saddle, that's right. But I mean it makes 594 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: sense that there's so much attention paid even though this 595 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: is a really small subset of young men in our 596 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: country and and many other countries. I mean, it makes 597 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: sense that that people are like wired or digging into 598 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:11,719 Speaker 1: it because you just don't see big groups of of 599 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: guys who are really earnest in their love and affection 600 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: for something that is so typically geared towards girls. That's 601 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,240 Speaker 1: so unusual. It's okay for girls to to play with transformers, 602 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: to play with their brothers g I Joe dolls, but 603 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: it's it's not okay, like we've said a million times 604 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: in different podcast episodes, you know, it's it's not as 605 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,280 Speaker 1: okay for guys to like girl things. And so everybody's 606 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: looking at this going like, are we on some precipice 607 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 1: all of a sudden that we didn't realize, right? I 608 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:43,520 Speaker 1: mean because just in my own child play, I totally 609 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: played with my brother's Gi Joe's all the time, No 610 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,720 Speaker 1: big deal. I have a feeling if my brother started 611 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 1: playing with my sisters my little ponies, my parents would 612 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:58,120 Speaker 1: probably have raised an eyebrow. You know, There's not as 613 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:02,399 Speaker 1: much fluidity for for boys. So so it is cool 614 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: to see that this kind of stuff is happening, particularly 615 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:07,240 Speaker 1: for the younger boys. But that's not to say though, 616 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,920 Speaker 1: that when they are out not hanging among their brownie pals, 617 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: that everybody is pro brownie. Like we mentioned, this entire 618 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: conversation was instigated by news of Grayson Bruce, a nine 619 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 1: year old who was bullied at school for bringing you 620 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,200 Speaker 1: know that my little pony lunchbox, to which the school, 621 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: shaking my fist, just told him to leave the lunch 622 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 1: box at home, which is not the answer at all. 623 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:40,279 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe broaden your mind, maybe tell the bullies that hey, 624 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: this is your your lame I would make a great principle. 625 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,240 Speaker 1: But a far more heartbreaking example though, of brownie bullying 626 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 1: is the case of eleven year old Michael Moronez, who 627 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:57,840 Speaker 1: attempted to hang himself as a result of relentless brownie bullying, 628 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: and also as an example of how this bronie community 629 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: really supports their own and really does try to live 630 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: out the friendship is Magic motto. The Brownie's have set 631 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:12,320 Speaker 1: up a recovery fund for him, same thing with Grayson 632 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: Bruce as well. They started a whole stand with Grayson 633 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 1: hashtag that trended on the internet and got a lot 634 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: of attention you know to his case. Um So, brownie's 635 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 1: definitely look out for their own, but it's unfortunate to 636 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,320 Speaker 1: see still, especially for the younger guys, that they do 637 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: still face bullying for wanting to play with my Little 638 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: Pony instead of g I Joe. Yeah, And I mean, 639 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: and who's to say that even it's an either or thing, like, 640 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: you know, like I played, you know, I played with 641 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: all sorts of different toys as a kid. Because I 642 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 1: was an only child, my parents didn't really care. I 643 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:52,120 Speaker 1: had a million barbies and a million my Little ponies, 644 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: but I also had monster trucks, you know. Like so 645 00:39:55,960 --> 00:40:00,439 Speaker 1: I I hope we can get to a point, all 646 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:02,799 Speaker 1: of us together in general, can get you a point 647 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,360 Speaker 1: where it is okay for boys to play with whatever 648 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:07,359 Speaker 1: girls are playing with and it not be a big deal. 649 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: But you know, we've just gotta I don't know, we've 650 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: just got to work on. It's a whole cultural thing. 651 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: I mean, these trolls aren't just going to disappear overnight, right, 652 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 1: I mean, but it is. It does see something though, 653 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:22,400 Speaker 1: that we are talking so much about, you know, again, 654 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 1: a relatively small group of men who are, whether intentionally 655 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: or not, challenging what we consider to be acceptable masculinity. 656 00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: And I think that's only for the better of all 657 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: of us, because if girls are granted, you know, more 658 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: fluidity in the sense of like, you know, we're told 659 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: that you can be anything, and you can play with anything, 660 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 1: and you can wear skirts or pants. Boys boys won't 661 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 1: enjoy that same amount of social fluidity, and I think 662 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:59,400 Speaker 1: that it's time that that that changes, one brownie at 663 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 1: a time. So I hope that there are some brownie's listening, 664 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: or mom's and brownie's, dads and brownie's we want to 665 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 1: hear from you on this, or just fans of my 666 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: little Pony, any Pegga sisters, we want to hear from 667 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: you as well. Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com is 668 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,000 Speaker 1: where you can email us. You can also tweet us 669 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,720 Speaker 1: at mom Stuff podcast or send us a Facebook message 670 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 1: as well, and we have a couple of messages to 671 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 1: share with you right now. All right, Well, I have 672 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 1: a letter here from a lady listener who wishes to 673 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,920 Speaker 1: remain anonymous because she is writing in about our women 674 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: and Weed episode. Um. She said, I was especially interested 675 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 1: in the women in Weed episode because I am a 676 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 1: woman and I love weed. I have a college degree 677 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:43,600 Speaker 1: in an office job, and whenever people find out I 678 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 1: smoke weed, they're always shocked. I do not look like 679 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:49,439 Speaker 1: your typical stoner. I'm sometimes left out of joint pass 680 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:53,279 Speaker 1: and circles because new people assume I don't smoke. I 681 00:41:53,320 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 1: find it helps me let go of work stress, and 682 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,360 Speaker 1: it helps me sleep and enjoy music, food, books, and 683 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:02,680 Speaker 1: the outdoors even more usual. Thanks for your awesome podcast 684 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:05,000 Speaker 1: and for promising not to wrap anybody out if they 685 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 1: wrote to you on this topic. Well. I also have 686 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 1: a letter about our marijuana episode. This is from a 687 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 1: woman named j M and she writes them talking about 688 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,400 Speaker 1: how she started smoking pot in high school and then 689 00:42:17,480 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 1: kind of stopped for a while, and says after college 690 00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:23,439 Speaker 1: I saw started smoking again to treat my migraines, which 691 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: also led to smoking for recreation but also for stress relief. 692 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: I'd become a manager in my profession. By the time 693 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:31,880 Speaker 1: I was twenty six, I was working long hours, and 694 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,439 Speaker 1: I loved coming home after work and taking a few 695 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,600 Speaker 1: bong hits. Ten years later, I have two children and 696 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:41,720 Speaker 1: ran a very successful business all while smoking blunts after work. 697 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,239 Speaker 1: I do occasionally smoke in the afternoons when I'm home 698 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:46,400 Speaker 1: with my children because it does help me relax and 699 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,799 Speaker 1: enjoy some of the boring or tough things about parenting. 700 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: I just wanted your listeners to know, especially the ones 701 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 1: who are skeptical of legalizing that many people are productive 702 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:59,360 Speaker 1: members of society and smoke weed. Unfortunately, being that it 703 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,760 Speaker 1: is not lead goal, I really don't share my experience 704 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,120 Speaker 1: often because I'm afraid that it would negatively affect my 705 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 1: business or impact my children. Thanks so much for your podcast. 706 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,919 Speaker 1: It's an important topic that needs to be discussed, so thanks. Also. 707 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: Her her subject mind was marijuana Mommy, So thank you 708 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: marijuana Mommy and everyone else who has written into us. 709 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com is where you can 710 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:23,600 Speaker 1: email us and to find all of our podcast, blogs 711 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,760 Speaker 1: and videos. There's one place to go, and it's Stuff 712 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 1: Mom Never Told You dot com. For more on this 713 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:34,880 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, does it How stuff Works 714 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 1: dot com