I'll preface this by stating my "credentials": I am both a furry (and have, in one shape or another, been a furry for 13 or so years) and a self-identified Brony. Additionally, I am a PhD social psychology grad student who studies fantasy engagement, identity formation, and group interaction. While I may not claim to be the most expert on this topic, I feel I can, at very least, contribute a bit to the discussion on bronies and brony culture.

So, what this is about: In a nutshell, I have heard a lot of people, brony and non-brony alike, asking about (or claiming to know) the "reason" for bronies. Essentially, they want to know (or to claim to know) why it is bronies are bronies. This wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that almost invariably, the answers given are either demonstrably wrong, painfully simple, or based on ignorant assumptions or generalizations about bronies. Sadly, I hear just as many of these coming from both bronies and non-bronies.

I'll start this with a quick statement about human psychology that is both empirically demonstrable and largely uncontested by psychologists after decades of study: we, as a species, are often unaware of the reasons we do the things we do. We like to THINK we know the reasons why we do the things we do: we think we know why we purchased a particular brand of pop, or went into the field of study that we did, or chose the friends we did. We're supremely confident that we know the reasons why we listen to the music that we do, like the movies we do, and have the hobbies that we do. However, the reality is this: our attitude towards something is just as often determined AFTER THE FACT. What does this mean? It means that, very often, we do something without knowing WHY we do it, and only come up with a reason for it AFTERWARD.

Now, this isn't necessarily a problem... unless you genuinely want to know the reasons why you did something. Have you ever talked to a 4 year old? They can be the most honest people on the planet. Why? When I 4 year old does something, and you say "why did you do that?", what will they often say? "I don't know". We press them for an answer, demand that they GIVE us an answer. Why? Because we have this belief that we ought to know WHY we do the things we do. The four year old has no idea why they did it - in much the same way that we typically don't know why we do the things we do. So, what does the four year old do? They come up with a "good enough" explanation for their behavior. "Why are you playing with that toy truck?" The actual answer might be something really mundane and kind of stupid: because it was the most attention-catching thing in front of them at the moment. What they actually say: "because I like trucks". It's an answer that makes sense, an answer that seems to explain their behaviour.

We never grow out of this and, in fact, we do this EVEN MORE when we become adults. Try it next time you see a friend do some piece of mundane behaviour: ask them why they did it. Why did they grab the blue pen instead of the black pen? Why did they choose Coke instead of Pepsi? Why did they park in this parking spot instead of that one? Why did they choose that shirt over the other one in their closet? They will almost invariably give you SOME reason for it. Why? Because it's threatening to people to realize that we often make decisions for really dumb/ unknown reasons.

Which brings me back to bronies. Why do people self-identify as bronies, and why did I precede this topic by ranting about people not knowing the reasons why they do the things they do?

I want to make the argument that bronies may be bronies for other reasons than the ones they claim. I'm not saying it's deception, or even something they're aware of. But it IS a good question when people look at a grown male watching a show intended for a VERY different demographic, to say "hey, why are you doing that?" And a good question about some strange behaviour necessitates a reasonable-sounding answer. And my argument is that many bronies aren't aware of the real reasons they watch the show. And so they come up with some good-sounding answers which seem reasonable enough until you start to investigate them and realize they're insufficient to explain the behaviour.

What are some of the commonly given "reasons" given to explain why someone is a Brony? I'll list some below (created either by bronies or by non-bronies), and comment a bit on why they are insufficient explanations (and most likely to be after-the-fact explanations):

1) "Breaking down conventional gender stereotypes" --> This sounds like a GREAT idea, and I don't deny that the act of being a brony does indeed challenge existing notions about what boys and girls "ought" to do. That said, I hardly think it the case that bronies identify as bronies simply to challenge existing gender stereotypes. Were that the case, they would be just as open to the notion of watching "Littlest Pet Shop", playing with Polly Pockets, braiding their hair, and other "stereotypically female behaviour". I don't disagree that challenging conventional gender stereotypes is a pleasant side effect of the brony movement, but I don't believe this is what motivates the vast majority of bronies to watch the show and identify as a brony.

2) "Friendship, love and tolerance" --> Like #1, I agree that this is a very pleasant side effect to come about from the brony movement. The show does have a very positive and pro-social message of tolerance and friendship. That said, Sesame Street and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood espouse the exact same values, and last I checked there wasn't a stampede of twenty-something males crowding around to watch the newest episode of Sesame Street. However, when pressed to give an explanation as to why they like the show so much and identify as a brony, many bronies feel obligated to give SOME kind of answer that makes sense, and saying "because it has a positive message" sounds good and feels good. It may even promote these virtues. But I don't feel that's the actual motivation behind participation in this fandom.

3) "It's a high-quality show with great animation/voice-acting" --> One of the most popular explanations is that the show is a high quality show. This is because, yes, it is: the animation is superb, the voice acting is excellent, and the writing itself is reminiscent of many fantastic cartoons from our childhood (e.g. Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, etc...) These are great reasons to like the show, I agree. But this ignores two important facts: there are OTHER shows out there with fantastic animation/great writing, and this explanation would, at best, explain only why people like the show, NOT why they self-identify as a brony and engage in brony culture. For example: the show "Breaking Bad" is an exceptionally popular one, and for good reason: fantastic writing, gripping plot... there are a LOT of Breaking Bad fans out there. That said, there are very few people who would actually define themselves by their love for Breaking Bad. There is no term for a Breaking Bad fan that is analogous to "brony". So, while the quality of the show is indeed one draw for fans of the show, and it's a REALLY great way to justify your loving of the show in what seems like a perfectly rational way, I still feel this is an incorrect, or at very least insufficient reason to explain the brony phenomenon.

4) "These are damaged / socially awkward / people who are regression to their childhood" --> No, and for so many reasons. Our research has empirically demonstrated that this answer is incorrect, primarily because self-identified bronies do not show up as being lower on any metric of well-being that we've assessed. They are just as happy, well-adjusted, and in just as many relationships as the rest of us. Are there strange/socially awkward bronies? Of course there are... just like there are strange and socially awkward non-bronies. The only difference is that we notice the socially awkward brony more because they're doing it while dressed up in a Twilight Sparkle outfit (whereas you may simply ignore and subsequently forget the socially awkward person sitting next to you on the bus, dismissing them as just another crazy).


So, if I don't think any of the above are the reasons why bronies are bronies, what ARE the reasons? While I fully acknowledge that the reasons are plentiful (there is no simple explanation for behaviour, let alone behaviour as complicated as fan membership), I will limit my explanation to what I think are three of the main reasons.

1) Membership in an "embattled minority" community. An "embattled minority" is a group of people who are outgunned, outnumbered, and ultimately represent the "little guy". We like embattled minorities. We write stories about them. We call them heroes (e.g. Rocky vs. Ivan Drago in "Rocky 3", The Spartans in "300", Bruce Willis in "Die Hard", etc...) We tend to frame our social identities in this manner as well, choosing to see ourselves as embattled minorities, whether it's fighting against "society in general" or against "the normals/mundanes", or "the man". Why? Because it makes us feel like heroes - we root for the underdog. Not only does it tell a better story, but it speaks to the righteousness of their position. If a person is outmanned and out-gunned, you naturally have to ask the question: "well then why the hell doesn't he just give up?". The reason: he must be right, he must be standing up for something virtuous and worthwhile. Where do bronies fit into all of this? Well, brony culture is the perfect example of an embattled minority. Bronies take flak from all sides: from popular media, from the internet, from their co-workers and family members. I can almost guarantee that if bronies were alone in this (e.g. you were the only 25-year old male fan of MLP:FiM), they certainly wouldn't self-identify as a brony or make it public knowledge that they were fans of the show (in the same way they would keep it a secret that they watched Sesame Street, for example). BUT: because there are enough of them out there to form this "embattled minority" group, bronies, as a group, can band together. It's validating to know that you're not the only one. And the combination of knowing a) you're not the only one, and b) you're going up against a vastly larger and seemingly more cruel/mean enemy, has the effect of making you feel virtuous, righteous, and ultimately right in your cause. Think about it: many bronies (myself included) LOVE wearing MLP swag: t-shirts, buttons, keychains... anything we can to display our identity as bronies. Why? Because it inevitably gets a response: people roll their eyes and say "oh God, you're one of them", or they want some kind of explanation. When you get negative attention, it only reinforces your membership: you feel even more justified in being a member of the group because the rest of the world, the majority, looks like a bunch of judgmental jerks. It's pretty easy to take the high ground when this is the way the world around you looks!

In short, being a brony infuses an otherwise plain and boring life with this exciting embattled minority narrative: you feel a sense of purpose, a sense of righteousness, and a sense of belonging to a noble cause. The same phenomenon has been demonstrated with religious movements and social movements. And, as I'm hoping many bronies will attest, the negative attention or flak that you get from non-bronies does come with a sense of empowerment, doesn't it? The fact that people disapprove of it, in some way, only makes you want to do it more, doesn't it?

2) A sense of group identity: Similar to the above reason, being a brony is similar to being in a fraternity or a secret society. For one thing, there's an elitism established with regard to knowledge: bronies know information, facts, and details that non-bronies do not. They get to use words and make references that go over the heads of those "not in the know" (which can feel empowering). They get to talk about things that others don't know (talking about the most recent episode, or a rumor floating around about the show). There's also a "hazing" or "initiation" process, just like in many fraternities or secret societies. Membership isn't necessarily free. In the same way that there are hazing rituals to get into fraternities, let's face it: to become a brony you first have to take that plunge and sit down and watch a show that was intended for 8 year old girls. It's not a prospect that most go into willingly: most bronies will readily admit that they were hesitant at first: they resisted, they fought it, they rolled their eyes or expected it to be horrible. Ultimately, they did something they felt was undesirable, and wound up in the club for it. And, in the same way that we justify our efforts after-the-fact when it comes to hazing and fraternities, many bronies do the same thing: why did I agree to watch a show that I was so against the idea of watching in the first place? Well, it must be because it's actually a great show! It must be because bronies are actually a really cool and worthwhile group? And, well, bronies do feel like a secret society because, let's face it, the vast majority of the world around you is not a brony. But when one brony sees another brony wearing a t-shirt or other bit of swag, there's that moment of recognition followed by a huge grin. You both know what's going on. You've made an instant connection, an instant friend - you instantly have something to talk about. It can feel great to belong to a group far bigger than oneself, and to feel a sense of community tempered and strengthened by the fact that you've been stigmatized by the rest of society. For many bronies, this is one of the biggest draws to the community. This is even reflected in the expression "join the herd", reflecting the importance of the social or group mentality to the identity of bronies.

3) A unique relationship between content creators and fans. In a way seemingly unlike most other fandoms, the staff of MLP:FiM interact with and are influenced by their fans. Perhaps it's because they never expected the brony demographic and were thusly caught off-guard by it, the shows creators have frequently nodded and acknowledged the brony fandom, with content in the show directly aimed at them, letting it be known that the content creators do listen to what they have to say and that it does play into the writing of the show (there's no more evident an example of this than the character Derpy Hooves). Not only that, but the leniency of the show towards the remix culture of bronies (who take the show's content and make it their own through remixing, addition of music, artwork, writing, merchandise, etc...) is almost unheard of in comparison to other fandoms. It's a fandom in which everyone can contribute content in their own way, and which feels very customize-able to ones own interests, however idiosyncratic they may be. More than anything else, it's a participatory culture: one does not just watch the show and move on. Bronies buy the merchandise, attend conventions, post in forums, draw, create content, debate and defend... it's a very active and involved fandom in comparison to many other more passive fandoms. As a result, it's an exceedingly engaging fandom to be a part of, especially when viewed in conjunction with the above two reasons (it's an engaging activity collectively participated in, and one done in self-righteous spite of the stigmatization and disapproval of broader society).


These three reasons, of course, do not fully explain the complexity of brony involvement, but I feel like, at very least, they represent a start when it comes to understanding the motivation underlying many bronies' interest and participation in the fandom. These are likely not the reasons most bronies would give for belonging to the fandom, but I feel that they are reasons which, if bronies were self-critical and reflective, they would acknowledge are likely underlying reasons for what drives them in the fandom, and that they probably resonate as being more true than some of the other reasons given which, on the surface, seem like clean, rational, reasonable explanations (but which are ultimately incorrect and likely post-hoc rationalizations for participation).

I'm definitely interested in feedback on the subject, from bronies and non-bronies! Feel free to comment below and post your own experience or thoughts on this: did I get it totally wrong? Am I missing something? Do you agree?