WikiFur - User contributions [en]

User talk:Chocolate Chip

2015-12-24T00:37:09Z

Chocolate Chip: blank talk page, discussions were old

User:Chocolate Chip

2015-12-24T00:36:37Z

Chocolate Chip: Edit page a bit

{{ContributorU}}
[[File:OC_Lifty.png|right|200px]]
==Welcome to '''Choco's''' User Page.==
Hi! I'm Chocolate Chip! I edit pages.

==Furcode==
I made a {{furcode|FEH6admrw A C- D++++ H+++ M++++ P+ R T++++ W Z? Sm+++ RLCT* a! cdlmo+++ d-- e! f+++ h! iwf+++ j++ p+ sm+}}

==Other stuff==
yeaaaaaaaah... Not much else...

I like that [[w:Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)|Headwig]] movie. And some other movies. Do you like movies?

==External Links==
[http://choco.neocities.org/ Chocolate Chip's Website] on Neocities

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{{Userpage}}

[[Category:IRC Wikifurries]]

Talk:Chocolate Chip

2015-12-24T00:25:03Z

Chocolate Chip: Add new notice

== Blank Page ==
I want to blank the wiki page. I realize now that I have made no notable contributions to the fandom (yet), and there are people trying to dox me anyway. [[User:GreenReaper|Greenreaper]] told me to put the request in the discussion page. I want the page deleted. Any objections? --[[User:Chocolate Chip|Chocolate Chip]] ([[User talk:Chocolate Chip|talk]]) 19:25, 23 December 2015 (EST)

User:Chocolate Chip

2015-12-03T00:43:07Z

Chocolate Chip: remove obsolite account templates

{{ContributorU}}
[[File:OC_Lifty.png|right|200px]]
==Welcome to '''Choco's''' User Page.==
Hi! I'm Chocolate Chip! <s>I'm somewhat new to [[wikifur]], so please excuse my sloppy edits. I'm going to try to get better!</s> I have been a member for quite a while now, so... I shouldn't be making sloppy edits! I hope you all enjoy my edits <@:^)

==To do list==
*Jack Off
*Fuck around
*Love
**Hate
**Make my booty shake
I think that's it...

==Furcode==
I made a {{furcode|FEH6admrw A C- D++++ H+++ M++++ P+ R T++++ W Z? Sm+++ RLCT* a! cdlmo+++ d-- e! f+++ h! iwf+++ j++ p+ sm+}}

==Other stuff==
yeaaaaaaaah... Not much else...

I like that [[w:Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)|Headwig]] movie. And some other movies. Do you like movies?

==External Links==
[http://choco.neocities.org/ Chocolate Chip's Website] on Neocities
[https://civil.neocities.org/ Chocolate Chip's Politics Blog] on Neocities

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{|border="1px" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: center; width: 250px; margin: auto;"
|'''[http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/User_talk:Chocolate_Chip Please click here to leave me a new message.]'''
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|{{user IRC|Chocolate_Chip}}
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|{{User Fur Affinity Name|DuChocolatePony}}
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|{{User Inkbunny Name|ChocolateChip}}
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{{Userpage}}

[[Category:IRC Wikifurries]]

Talk:Chocolate Chip

2015-12-03T00:03:21Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Irrelevant Information */ new section

== Last Edit ==

After editing my own article last night, with aid by [[Greenreaper]], the article was removed of its infobox and “wikified”. I was fine with that, however it was edited again by a user named [[Spirou]] who severally broke the article, added a large number of templates that were un-needed (such as “Not citing References” disclaimers, which was untrue), and added a message saying not to edit the article as it was “currently undergoing a massive edit”. His edits created a number of fragment sentences, removal of information, and esentially vandalized the article. He did this around 2 O'clock. It has been half a day later, and it seems that he has abandoned it again. I have reverted his edits, and with guidance with [[greenreaper]], I will correct the article further.

--[[User:Chocolate Chip|Chocolate Chip]] ([[User talk:Chocolate Chip|talk]]) 22:42, 2 August 2015 (EDT)

:Wiki lesson #1:
{{inuse}}
:This template warns (curators and editors) that a large edit of an article is in progress, and it's common courtesy to not edit such until the editor has finished his current, ongoing edit. No, I don't think Greenreaper has informed you to go ''ahead and revert the edits'' while the '''INUSE template''' is in effect. - [[User:Spirou|Spirou]] ([[User talk:Spirou|talk]]) 00:28, 3 August 2015 (EDT)

::I told him he should edit, though not that he should revert - all edits should build on the work of other editors. When you hit save, ''you should be prepared for it to be edited mercilessly''. I'm deleting that template now as it is inappropriate for a wiki, which is about quick editing. I know I created it, but its subsequent use has made me uncomfortable for years. Complete overhauls which cannot be made in place can be drafted in user space or a subarticle without leaving an article in a half-working state, or denying others the right to edit. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])

:::Sorry that RL life had to take me away from the edit, hence the use of the use of the inuse template, which some editor have abused its use to the record of 72 hours (with no consequences). so here is the question of the day: Taking the granted notion that edits should be almost immediate, what is Wikifur's maximum allotted time after implementing this template (dd:hh:mm:ss?), assuming the maximum used ever (03:00:00:00) as the unofficial benchmark?.

:::A note on my user page about the incoming reversal as per your wishes prior to the user reversal would have helpfu/informativel as it would not have left egg on my face as a curator. - [[User:Spirou|Spirou]] ([[User talk:Spirou|talk]]) 00:49, 3 August 2015 (EDT)

::::...And your comment was edited, making my point to the initial one completely moot. - 00:57, 3 August 2015 (EDT)

::::::I'm sorry; I was frustrated, and perhaps a little over-caffienated. I don't want to make it hard for people who have other things going on in their life to contribute. We ''all'' have other things going on in our lives. It's also reasonable to want to avoid lots of little edits, although I've seen some editors do this when making a series of changes, so as to make it easier to justify each of the edits.
::::::At the same time, I believe that [[Wikipedia:Every edit must stand on its own feet|all edits should stand by themselves]] - both improving an article ''and'' leaving it in a state where others can contribute. Due to time pressure and computer unreliability, it may not be possible to complete all desired changes, and in that case saving a draft in a local file/notepad (I use [[Wikipedia:Notepad++|Notepad++]], which has auto-backups), or user space (e.g. [[User:GreenReaper/Chocolate Chip]]) may work.
::::::We should also build on the edits of others [[Wikipedia:Revert only when necessary|rather than reverting good-faith changes]]. If someone comes along in the middle of a series of edits and makes their own, don't think "that guy got in my way! I'll just undo…" but "wow, I'm glad he did that; now my edit can incorporate ''his'' and it'll be even closer to consensus!" New users, especially, must see that their contributions, while being mercilessly edited, are not mercilessly ''dismissed'' - and they must feel that they have an equal say in how the article turns out. Encouraging and integrating contributions from new users is perhaps the ''most'' important role of a curator; it's crucial that they get a good impression, even if that means spending more time incorporating their changes. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]]) 01:52, 3 August 2015 (EDT)

:::::::No problem, but it will be a missed feature. I had to quickly tackle a job that had to be taken care, so it helped that I could suddenly had to be put this long article edit aside (so one could come back [reasonable] later on to it). It also helped on dual conflict edits (we had the share of them), but, so we move on. Now that I finished this animation job, I can tackle the subject at hand now (it will be long by the looks of it, but why I saved a edit copy on the desktop and reverted to the prior user edit). Allons-y - [[User:Spirou|Spirou]] ([[User talk:Spirou|talk]]) 02:16, 4 August 2015 (EDT)

::::::::Stopping on edit until told how to proceed. - [[User:Spirou|Spirou]] ([[User talk:Spirou|talk]]) 03:34, 4 August 2015 (EDT)

== Irrelevant Information ==

I removed a large amount of irrelevant information that has no sense being on the wiki, and most of it other people found odd as well. My views stated in the article have since changed anyway, and I have removed them. Sorry I didn't log in to do it. HTTPS doesn't seem to like me logging in. If you think that it ''is'' relevant information, then I can put it back to update my viewpoints, I guess. I will be honest, a lot of what I put there sounds really, '''really''' stupid in retrospect.
--[[User:Chocolate Chip|Chocolate Chip]] ([[User talk:Chocolate Chip|talk]]) 19:03, 2 December 2015 (EST)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-22T03:49:16Z

Chocolate Chip: Added YouTube video as a visual aid for the section involving Hasbro Copyright Takedowns

{{cleanup}}
{{wikify}}
{{unref}}
[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013, and Season 5 premiered April 4, 2015, and took an unexpected hiatus after July 11, 2015.<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2015/07/hasbro-pisses-off-everyone-everywhere.html Horse-News: Hasbro Pisses Everyone off Everywhere Yet Again] Retrieved August 9, 2015</ref>

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[wikia:c:mlp:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

===Hasbro and bronies===
{{#ev:youtube|oZiYL0iShCw|200|left|“Horsefamous” brony and [[furfan]] [[Crown Prince]] created this video as an [[w:April Fools|April Fools]] joke, claiming that he was a [[w:double agent|double agent]] for Hasbro, and was single handedly responsible for the copyright strikes.}}
A number of fandom artists and animators have been taken down due to Hasbro claiming violation of intellectual copyright:

* ''Ask Princess Molestia'', a pornographic blog that portrayed a version of Princess Celestia as a rapist, was taken down in 2014 due to copyright claims,<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/01/the-truth-behind-molestias-shut-down.html "The Truth Behind Molestia's Shut-Down: An Interview with Team Member Calpain"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News''. Dated Januuary 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref> though not until after concerted effort of fans, who organized under the name "Down With Molestia", which was founded by [[Pinkie Posh]]. ''Ask Princess Molestia'' was popular in the brony fandom, with ''[[Equestria Daily]]'' reporting over 68,600 followers.<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/01/ask-princess-molly-officially-closes.html "Ask Princess Molly Officially Closes Its Doors"], ''[[EQD]]'' article by [[Sethisto]]. Dated January 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

* In 2013, the popular [[wikipedia:Abridgement#Abridged series|abridged series]] ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'' and ''My Little Pony: The Mentally Advanced Abridged Series'' were taken down. ''Friendship is Witchcraft'' returned in 2014 under the name ''Horse Women''.

* [[Jan Animation Studios]], despite having several videos not relating to ''My Little Pony'' in anyway, was taken down in response to a [[wikipedia:Cease and desist|cease and desist]] order claiming to come from "counsel for Hasbro, Inc. and Hasbro Studios LLC".<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html "JanAnimations receives C&D from Hasbro"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News'', dated March 22, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

As a result of the legal actions, [[FiMFlamFilosophy]], creator of ''[[Rainbow Dash Presents]]'', posted a video reaction explaining the failure of modern copyright laws, and in particular, [[wikipedia:Criticism of Google#YouTube|criticism of YouTube]], calling the way the site handles copyright "complicated, dangerous, and full of mines".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PphqQFLw7k "The Real YouTube Copyright School"], video by [[FiMFlamFilosophy]]. Dated December 20, 2013, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
* [http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
* [[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]
* ''[[Equestria Daily]]''

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-10T00:28:18Z

Chocolate Chip: Fixed own mistake. Double "2" in 2015

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013, and Season 5 premiered April 4, 2015, and took an unexpected hiatus after July 11, 2015.<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2015/07/hasbro-pisses-off-everyone-everywhere.html Horse-News: Hasbro Pisses Everyone off Everywhere Yet Again] Retrieved August 9, 2015</ref>

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[wikia:c:mlp:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

===Hasbro and bronies===
A number of fandom artists and animators have been taken down due to Hasbro claiming violation of intellectual copyright:

* ''Ask Princess Molestia'', a pornographic blog that portrayed a version of Princess Celestia as a rapist, was taken down in 2014 due to copyright claims,<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/01/the-truth-behind-molestias-shut-down.html "The Truth Behind Molestia's Shut-Down: An Interview with Team Member Calpain"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News''. Dated Januuary 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref> though not until after concerted effort of fans, who organized under the name "Down With Molestia", which was founded by [[Pinkie Posh]]. ''Ask Princess Molestia'' was popular in the brony fandom, with ''[[Equestria Daily]]'' reporting over 68,600 followers.<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/01/ask-princess-molly-officially-closes.html "Ask Princess Molly Officially Closes Its Doors"], ''[[EQD]]'' article by [[Sethisto]]. Dated January 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

* In 2013, the popular [[wikipedia:Abridgement#Abridged series|abridged series]] ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'' and ''My Little Pony: The Mentally Advanced Abridged Series'' were taken down. ''Friendship is Witchcraft'' returned in 2014 under the name ''Horse Women''.

* [[Jan Animation Studios]], despite having several videos not relating to ''My Little Pony'' in anyway, was taken down in response to a [[wikipedia:Cease and desist|cease and desist]] order claiming to come from "counsel for Hasbro, Inc. and Hasbro Studios LLC".<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html "JanAnimations receives C&D from Hasbro"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News'', dated March 22, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

As a result of the legal actions, [[FiMFlamFilosophy]], creator of ''[[Rainbow Dash Presents]]'', posted a video reaction explaining the failure of modern copyright laws, and in particular, [[wikipedia:Criticism of Google#YouTube|criticism of YouTube]], calling the way the site handles copyright "complicated, dangerous, and full of mines".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PphqQFLw7k "The Real YouTube Copyright School"], video by [[FiMFlamFilosophy]]. Dated December 20, 2013, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
* [http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
* [[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]
* ''[[Equestria Daily]]''

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-10T00:27:45Z

Chocolate Chip: Corrected dates in summary

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013, and Season 5 premiered April 4, 2015, and took an unexpected hiatus after July 11, 22015.<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2015/07/hasbro-pisses-off-everyone-everywhere.html Horse-News: Hasbro Pisses Everyone off Everywhere Yet Again] Retrieved August 9, 2015</ref>

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[wikia:c:mlp:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

===Hasbro and bronies===
A number of fandom artists and animators have been taken down due to Hasbro claiming violation of intellectual copyright:

* ''Ask Princess Molestia'', a pornographic blog that portrayed a version of Princess Celestia as a rapist, was taken down in 2014 due to copyright claims,<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/01/the-truth-behind-molestias-shut-down.html "The Truth Behind Molestia's Shut-Down: An Interview with Team Member Calpain"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News''. Dated Januuary 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref> though not until after concerted effort of fans, who organized under the name "Down With Molestia", which was founded by [[Pinkie Posh]]. ''Ask Princess Molestia'' was popular in the brony fandom, with ''[[Equestria Daily]]'' reporting over 68,600 followers.<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/01/ask-princess-molly-officially-closes.html "Ask Princess Molly Officially Closes Its Doors"], ''[[EQD]]'' article by [[Sethisto]]. Dated January 17, 2014, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

* In 2013, the popular [[wikipedia:Abridgement#Abridged series|abridged series]] ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'' and ''My Little Pony: The Mentally Advanced Abridged Series'' were taken down. ''Friendship is Witchcraft'' returned in 2014 under the name ''Horse Women''.

* [[Jan Animation Studios]], despite having several videos not relating to ''My Little Pony'' in anyway, was taken down in response to a [[wikipedia:Cease and desist|cease and desist]] order claiming to come from "counsel for Hasbro, Inc. and Hasbro Studios LLC".<ref>[http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html http://www.horse-news.net/2014/03/jananimations-receives-c-from-hasbro.html "JanAnimations receives C&D from Hasbro"], ''<nowiki>></nowiki>Horse News'', dated March 22, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

As a result of the legal actions, [[FiMFlamFilosophy]], creator of ''[[Rainbow Dash Presents]]'', posted a video reaction explaining the failure of modern copyright laws, and in particular, [[wikipedia:Criticism of Google#YouTube|criticism of YouTube]], calling the way the site handles copyright "complicated, dangerous, and full of mines".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PphqQFLw7k "The Real YouTube Copyright School"], video by [[FiMFlamFilosophy]]. Dated December 20, 2013, retrieved August 8, 2015.</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
* [http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
* [[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]
* ''[[Equestria Daily]]''

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T16:41:59Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Bronies and pegasisters */ Added new section reguarding Hasbro Copyright.

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[wikia:c:mlp:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

===Hasbro and Bronies===
{{#ev:youtube|1PphqQFLw7k|200|left|A video entitled ''The Real Youtube Copyright School'' made in response to a copyright takedown. (See also: [[w:Criticism_of_Google#YouTube|Criticisms of YouTube on Wikipedia]])}}
A number of fandom artists and animators have been taken down due to Hasbro claiming violation of intellectual copyright. This has led to Hasbro and the Brony Fandom entering an uneasy relationship. Princess Molestia, a blog depicting a sexualized, perverse version of Princess Celestia was one of the first to be taken down in 2012. Princess Molestia's Blog was a popular one in the fandom. In 2013, the popular series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'' was taken down. MLP:FiW was an abridged-like series. They returned in 2014 making a spin-off called ''Horse Women''. No video has been made since. Also taken down is ''My Little Pony: The Mentally Advance Abridged Series''. Both MLP:FiW and ''The Mentally Advance Series'' were “Horsefamous”. FlimFlamFillopsoy created a video reaction explaining the failure of modern copyright laws. Jananimations was probably one of the most impacted. Jananimations was an animation studio creating a variety of videos including non-pony related videos. Famous for his series featuring the background pony Button Mash, voiced by [[wikia:c:abridgedseries:ShadyVox|ShadyVox]], and an OC of his mother, his entire animation studio was taken down via a Cease and Dissist order directly from Hasbro's Legal team. This caused a great number of complaints in the fandom. Jananimations has taken a break from the fandom, after announcing he will attempt to redesign Button to lose the copyrighted elements.

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T15:58:51Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed broken link

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[wikia:c:mlp:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T15:56:59Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Indented the level 5 heading bodies to better separate them from Level 4

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
::The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[w:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
::Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
::Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
::These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T15:50:33Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Added more information, also re-added section /*Lost Treasure of Griffonstone*/

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
In the season 5 episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'', the long fanonized Griffon Empire became canon. The episode is not depicted as it is in fanon, however, and shown to be poor and run-down, much to the ponies' surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]

In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}} The episode continues to drift in and out of fanon, showing Dr. Whooves as an intelligent inventor rather than a timelord, and derpy as less of a klutz. Trotstep was also canonized for the first time. Hitherto, dubstep songs were not included in the show, but some auto-tuned songs were. In M.A. Larson's original draft, more characters were going to be canonized, including Flash Serenity, [[w:Coco Chanel|Coco Pommell]], and a number of members of the Royal Guard. These segments were cut for time, however. The reception of this episode was taken very well. On [[twitter]], M.A. Larson made a number of tweets thanking the Brony Fandom for years, saying he could not have done this with out the characters they invented. <ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610009327689011201 The first tweet in MA Larson's Thanks to the Brony Fandom] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010145892896768 The second tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010513687183360 The third tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010690959466496 the fourth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610010976478302208 the fifth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011034313625600 the sixth tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011498002264065 the seventh tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/M_A_Larson/status/610011559679496192 the final tweet] Retrieved August 8, 2015</ref> The brony fandom was very thankful for this episode. The episode had the following canon scenes:

=====Dr. Whooves and Derpy=====
The Doctor and Derpy are canonized in this scene. Dr. Whooves is shown to be an inventor, who is annoyed of the easiness that comes from magic spells. Derpy is a companion to this inventor, speaking with a Boston accent. Derpy was supposed to make invitations for the wedding of Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, but rushed them. All the invitations give the wrong date, which is the date of the episode. Derpy leaves to speak with the Doctor to ask for advice. Dr. Whooves is too busy with other things. At mention of the wedding, he remembers that he needs his suit tailored. He leaves to speak with Rarity about the suit. Asking Vinyl Scratch for help, she leads him to a bowling alley. He ends up playing a quick bowling game with what are known as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' due to their similarities with the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]. After playing, he wins the suit of [[w:Jeff Letrotski|Jeff Letrotski]].

=====Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon=====
Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon are preparing a church for the wedding of the donkeys. It is relieved that they are very close friends, but that Bon Bon was actually Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops, sworn to protect the Equestrian Nation from what is known as a Bug Bear. Lyra is surprised that her friend could hide this for so long. At the end of the episode they make up, continuing to be friends with this new-found secret out in the open.

=====Matilda and Stephen Magnet=====
Matilda is being pampered in the Ponyville spa, and meets the [[w:metrosexual|metrosexual]] sea serpent known as Stephen Magnet. Stephen Magnet reveals that he is close friends with her fiancé, to the surprise of Matilda who had never heard of him before. They have a long conversation about the adventures he and Cranky Doodle Donkey went on, also a surprise to Matilda. This is the first time since Episode 1 that Stephen Magnet is shown.

=====Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody=====
These two ponies are shown to live together and play music together, despite their opposite genres. Together, they play a classical trotstep remix, which they play on the road down to the wedding, picking up a number of ponies on the way. In this scene, Pinkie Pie's pet lizard Gummie is given a dark monologue where he contemplates what his life is. The scene then resumes, showing the various characters at the wedding. Shining Armor is crying, and Princess Luna and Celestia are complaining to each other about how they forgot to bring their gift.

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:28:22Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Further fixed positions (was not shown properly in preview)

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[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb||A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|right|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|left|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:27:00Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed missing caption after last edit

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:26:00Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed video position the best I could

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:23:57Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed gramatical errors

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Special Agent Sweetie Gumdrops) are canonized in this scene}}
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', a number of characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:19:35Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed some formatting errors I didn't notice

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|left|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Secret Agent Candy Gumdrop) are canonized in this scene}}
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T08:16:53Z

Chocolate Chip: Added youtube links to clips in episode ''A Slice of Life''

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundr
{{#ev:youtube|xZ5aO0F53Rk|200|left|A canonization of the popular “Trotstep” genre created by bronies. The characters pictured (Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody) are some of the many fanon characters canonized}}
{{#ev:youtube|moS24lRvBlQ|200|right|Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon (Secret Agent Candy Gumdrop) are canonized in this scene}}
eth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T07:57:17Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Acknowledgement of bronies */ Changed to higer-res photo. Old photo will be deleted.

{{cleanup}}
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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.png|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

File:Derpy Combined.png

2015-08-08T07:55:58Z

Chocolate Chip: A combination of File:Derpy Origional.png and thumb

== Summary ==
A combination of [[File:Derpy Origional.png]] and [[File:Derpy Combined.jpg|thumb]]
== Licensing ==
{{screenshot}}

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T07:52:50Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Acknowledgement of bronies */ Extended information in photo caption

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.jpg|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints. The original appearance was returned in the season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T07:46:38Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Acknowledgement of bronies */ Added more refrences

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
[[File:Derpy_Combined.jpg|thumb|right|Derpy Hooves original appearance (left) was altered (right) after complaints]]
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". In this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====Fanon phrases====
[[File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg|thumb|150px|left|An example of fanservice for the Brony Fandom]]
The fanon has created a large amount of [[w:catchphrase|phrases]] for characters. These have often found their way into official merchandise. In the fan series ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Witchcraft'', a robotic version of SweetieBelle (named Sweetiebot by its own fans) calls the “Cutie Mark Crusaders” the “Cutie Mark Acquisition Program”. This phrase can be found on the official SweetieBelle trading card.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, and a multitude of others. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

File:Derpy Origional.png

2015-08-08T07:26:18Z

Chocolate Chip: This is Derpy's original, uncorrected face

== Summary ==
This is Derpy's original, uncorrected face
== Licensing ==
{{screenshot}}

File:Derpy Corrected.jpg

2015-08-08T07:25:15Z

Chocolate Chip: This is derpy corrected

== Summary ==
This is derpy corrected
== Licensing ==
{{screenshot}}

File:Cutie Mark Aqusition Program.jpg

2015-08-08T07:17:28Z

Chocolate Chip: A fanservice to the brony fandom, the fandom phrase "Cutiemark Inquisition Program" is included in the description for Sweetiebelle.

== Summary ==
A fanservice to the brony fandom, the fandom phrase "Cutiemark Inquisition Program" is included in the description for Sweetiebelle.
== Licensing ==
{{subst:No license from license selector|Don't know}}

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-08T06:58:46Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Ditzy Doo */ The word "heterotropic" is used wrong here. Switching to the proper term

{{cleanup}}
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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismus|strabismic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[w:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". IN this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T23:28:42Z

Chocolate Chip: /* MLP:FiM and furries */ Fixed spelling errors, minor tweaks

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismic|heterotropic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[wikt:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". IN this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. The most popular brony IRC networks are [[PonyChat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], an adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard BBS sites molded after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T23:24:24Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Amending Fences */ added "Minunette" to sumary

{{cleanup}}
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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== The "Mane Six" ===
*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Other main characters ===
*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..

=== Supporting/recurring characters ===
* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''. In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

=== Acknowledgement of bronies ===

The show's development team has, on multiple occasions, made reference to the brony fandom and the [[wikipedia:Inernet meme|Internet memes]] it has created.<ref name="Quora">[http://www.quora.com/Are-there-some-documented-ways-that-the-makers-of-My-Little-Pony-are-deliberately-appealing-to-bronies "Are there some documented ways that the makers of My Little Pony are deliberately appealing to bronies?"] [[wikipedia:Quora|Quora]] article by Andrew Meyer, dated October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2015.</ref>

==== Ditzy Doo ====
Fans of the show on 4chan noticed in the pilot episode a grey pegasus pony who, due to animation error, appeared to be [[wikipedia:Strabismic|heterotropic]]. She quickly became a fan favorite, with many fans speculating on her personality and referring to her by the name "Derpy Hooves", after the slang term "[[wikt:Derp|derp]]". Her primary characterization was that of an accident-prone, foolish pony who loves muffins, with a fan-made catchphrase, "I just don't know what went wrong!"

After this, the character began to appear (still in the background) with this "wall-eyed" effect purposely added. In the episode ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'', the character makes her first voiced appearance, and seemed to match the popular fan characterization, including the phrase "I just don't know what went wrong!". IN this episode, Rainbow Dash originally refers to her as "Derpy", but this was later removed after complaints about the name and its use as a slur agaist people with physical and or mental disabilities.

The pony is now referred to in various official media as "Ditzy Doo", "Muffins", and "Everypony's favorite". In official merchandise her name is often replaced by a picture of a blueberry muffin. An additional fan name for the character is Bubblecup, due to her similarities by an older-generation pony of the same name.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.{{clarify}}]]
In the hundreth episode of the series, ''[[wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'', several characters popular with the brony fandom became canon: Dr. Whooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.{{clarify}}

====''Amending Fences''====
In ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'', the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'' and also written by M.A. Larson, more fan-liked background ponies are made into more important characters, including Minunette, and the lesser-fanonized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reveals that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:57:47Z

Chocolate Chip: /* External links */ added Ponyville Live

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]
* [https://ponyvillelive.com/ The Ponyville Live Radio and TV Network] The Largest, and most well known media network in the fandom.
=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:54:15Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Secondary */ Some more minor edits that I forgot to incorperate when modifying the pre-existing information for Dr Whoves.

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Derpy sometimes is with Dr Whooves, which fanon has made him the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]], as well as a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show). In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', he was canonized as an intelligent inventor who is friends with Derpy.
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:49:06Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Supporting/recurring */ added more characters

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Gilda''' - A female [[Gryphon|griffon]] who first appeared in ''Griffon the Brush Off'' as a old school-friend of Rainbow Dash. In the episode, she was depicted as rude and snobbish. She continued to pull “Pranks” that continually increased in hurting ponies' feelings. She appeared again in ''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' and the book ''Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell''. She makes a brief cameo in ''Magical Mystery Cure'' and ''Equestria Games''.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:41:58Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Characters */ Did not see that I provided duplicate information. Fixed.

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - (also known as Dr. Hooves, Time Turner or Clockwork), is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Dr. Who]], the main character of the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] programme(s) of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).
*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''
*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.
*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.
*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.
*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:38:14Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Secondary */ Added other Background Ponies.

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - (also known as Ditzy Doo and Muffin) a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognizable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles. She was canonized in both the Season 2 episode ''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' and again in the Season 5 episode ''A Slice of Life''.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

*'''Dr Whooves''' - (also known as Time Turner and Clockwork) is a pony frequently seen throughout the series, often near or with Derpy Hooves. The fanon name Dr Whooves comes from his close resemblance to David Tennant in the [[wikipedia:BBC|BBC]] television programme [[wikipedia:Dr. Who|Dr. Who]]. He was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' as being a smart inventor, and friends with Derpy.

*'''Rose''' - Rose is a pony that briefly appeared with Dr Whooves in a few episodes, one most notably when Dr Whooves appeared with 3D-Glasses (another shout-out to the Dr Whooves Fanon.) Rose was Canonized in the Seaon 5 episode ''Slice of Life''

*'''Minuette''' - (also known as Colgate due to her color scheme) is a background pony that was canonized in the season 5 episode ''Amending Fences''. She is a blue Earth Pony. Her tail color and style closely resembles Colgate brand Toothpaste, which has led to the fanon of her being a dentist.

*'''Lyra Heartstrings''' and '''Bon-Bon''' - Two ponies who are often seen together. In the episode ''Slice of Life'', it is reviled that they are close friends that live together. Bon-Bon's real name was to be reviled as “Secret Agent Sweetie Gumdrops” and was recruited to serve in Ponyville undercover to prevent future attacks by a creature known as a ''Bug Bear''. Lyra Heartstrings is a green Unicorn, and Bon-Bon is a tan-colored pony with a pink and purple mane. Repeated sightings of Lyra siting up like a person on park benches has led to a fanon of her wanting to be a human.

*'''DJ P0n-3''' - (also known as Vinyl Scratch) is a unicorn who first appeared as the DJ in the Season 2 Finale ''A Canterlot Wedding''. Vinyl often wears purple sunglasses and DJs. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life''.

*'''Octavia Melody''' - Frequently seen with DJ P0n-3, Octavia is a cellist. She was canonized in the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'', showing that she lives with DJ P0n-3. She is an Earth Pony with a brown coat and black mane.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:11:34Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Fan noted episodes */ fixed mistake in "fanon" wikipedia link

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon|Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T08:10:56Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Fan noted episodes */ Added wiipedia links to "Fanon" and "Fanservice"

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks..
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[Wikipedia:Canon (fiction)#Fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as [[#Derpy|Derpy]]. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[wikipedia:Fan Service|fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T07:29:28Z

Chocolate Chip: /* MLP:FiM and furries */ Added information on Brony Music terms

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]</ref>

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]</ref>

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]</ref>

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref> The majority of brony music is a genre known as Trotstep, a “Ponified” version of Dubstep.
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]</ref>

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]</ref>

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image flashed on screen for less than a second, and has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]</ref>

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]]</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref>
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

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'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.<ref>[[[Wikia:c:mlp:Feeling Pinkie Keen|Feeling Pinkie Keen]]</ref>

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone|The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone]]</ref>

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Slice of Life|Slice of Life]]</ref>

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).<ref>[[Wikia:c:mlp:Amending Fences|Amending Fences]] Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref>
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T07:16:59Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Fan noted episodes */ Added a variety of references, corrected minor spelling error, added photo

{{cleanup}}
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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Feeling_Pinkie_Keen Feeling Pinkie Keen: The My Little Pony Wikia] Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref>

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/The_Lost_Treasure_of_Griffonstone The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone: The MLP Wikia] Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref>

====''Slice of Life''====
[[File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png|thumb|right|A Hidden Image in ''Slice of Life'' during a “Trotstep” scene where Vinyl and Octavia are rolling almost uncontrollably down a hill. The image has since become “Horsefamous”.]]
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), Octavia Melody, and Vinyl Scratch were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Slice_of_Life Slice of Life: The MLP Wikia] Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref>

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Amending_Fences Amending Fences: The MLP Wikia] Retrieved August 5, 2015</ref>

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref>
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

File:Crew members in horse masks hidden frame S5E9.png

2015-08-06T07:13:11Z

Chocolate Chip: A hidden image inside the My Little Pony episode "Slice of Life".

== Summary ==
A hidden image inside the My Little Pony episode "Slice of Life".
== Licensing ==
{{screenshot}}

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T07:04:54Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Slice of Life */ Fixed sentence

{{cleanup}}
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{{unref}}
[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffinstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), and a few others were canon-ized. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref>
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-06T07:03:28Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Bronies and pegasisters */ added notable episodes significant in the Brony Fandom

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[[File:Mlpfimlogo.png|right|225px]]
[[File:Hasbro studios logo 1.jpg|right|115px]]
[[File:Studio B.jpg|right|115px]]
'''''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic''''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''Friendship is Magic''', '''MLP:FiM''', or just '''FiM''') is an animated television series based on the long-running [[W:Hasbro|Hasbro]] toy franchise ''[[My Little Pony]]'', adapted for television by [[W:Lauren Faust|Lauren Faust]]. It is designated as the 'Fourth Generation' of ''My Little Pony''<ref>[http://www.strawberryreef.com/Index/G4index.html G4 Friendship is Magic Ponies]</ref>, and is therefore also sometimes referred to as ''G4'', especially when discussing the franchise as a whole.

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has been a critical success among its target demographic of young girls, but is also known for having attracted a surprising periphery demographic of young adult males, known as the [[brony]] fandom. As a result, it has become the subject of a large volume of [[fanfiction]], [[fan art]], websites, and has a thriving [[convention]] scene.

The first episode first aired on [[W:The Hub (TV channel)|The Hub]] on October 10, 2010 as one of the channel's flagship shows. Season 2 premiered on September 17, 2011. Season 3 premiered on November 10, 2012. Season 4 premiered on November 23, 2013.

== Plot ==

The show takes place in the magical land of Equestria, populated by a variety of magical creatures, including the titular ponies. In the opening episode, we are introduced to Twilight Sparkle, a highly intelligent but also rather sheltered unicorn pony, who is concerned about a prophecy predicting the imminent return of the evil Nightmare Moon. Despite her warning, her mentor Princess Celestia refuses to take her seriously, and instead sends her to the nearby town of Ponyville with the task of making some friends.

Although she fails in this task at first, the return of Nightmare Moon sets in motion a chain of events which unites her with five other ponies - Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash - who band together to defeat the villainess. The six discover themselves to be the embodiments of the six Elements of Harmony, and after this, become firm friends. The show largely focuses around these six (referred to as the 'Mane Six' by fans).

The show is largely slice-of-life, with intermittent "adventure" episodes. Episodes typically revolve around problems faced by one or more of the characters, and the moral lessons that they learn in the attempt to find a solution. In seasons 1 and 2, these morals would be presented quite directly as letters dictated by Twilight (and later by other characters) to Princess Celestia at the end of each episode. In seasons 3 and 4, this has been largely dropped.

== Races ==

Equestria and its surrounding territories are home to many different sentient races:

* '''[[Pony]]''' - Equestrian ponies are often brightly colored, and all receive a unique, distinguishing magical mark (a 'cutie mark') on their flanks when they discover what makes them unique. There are several races (sometimes called tribes) of pony:
** '''Earth pony''' - a 'normal' pony without horn or wings. Implied to naturally possess great strength and stamina, as well as an innate talent with plants, animals, and rocks.
** '''[[Pegasus]]''' - a pony with feathered wings. Capable of flight, and with an innate ability to manipulate clouds and weather. Pegasi can naturally walk on clouds, and many live on them; there is an entire pegasus city called Cloudsdale, high above Equestria.
** '''[[Unicorn]]''' - a pony with a single horn on its forehead. Unicorns can use their horns to perform magic. All unicorns can perform simple telekinesis, using their magic to levitate and hold objects in the air. Unicorns can also cast other magic spells, generally ones related to their special talent. Despite the mythological origins of the unicorn, Equestrian unicorns are considered equine, and aside from the horn have a normal pony body.
** '''[[Alicorn]]''' - a winged unicorn pony. Considered to be a combination of earth, pegasus, and unicorn ponies, with the abilities of all three. Alicorns in Equestria are extremely rare - only four are known to exist - and are revered by the populace. It is possible for an ordinary pony to become an alicorn through a form of ascension. Alicorns appear to automatically have royal status in Equestria, and all known alicorns are princesses.
** '''[[Bat]] pony''' - similar to a pegasus, but with slitted eyes and bat-like wings. Bat ponies have only been seen in one episode and have never been named or identified, but have a following among fans.
** '''Crystal pony''' - a pony with a crystalline body, but which otherwise seems to be identical to an ordinary Equestrian pony. Crystal ponies have three tribal variations: crystal earth pony, crystal pegasus, and crystal unicorn. They inhabit the Crystal Empire, but have been seen visiting other locations.
* '''[[Griffon]]''' - half [[eagle]], half [[lion]] hybrids. Griffons appear to have their own society, but nonetheless intermingle with ponies on rare occasions. In the fandom, they are popularly assumed to have their own country, the Griffon Kingdom.
* '''Changeling''' - an [[W:insectoid|insectoid]] pony-like creature with the ability to disguise itself as any pony, and which feeds off of love. There appears to be a very large population of changelings, but they have only been seen once in the series so far. Changelings have a bee-like social structure, with a queen who rules the hive.
* '''[[Zebra]]''' - one zebra, Zecora, is a secondary character in the show. Zebra are explicitly stated not to be ponies, and mostly live in a far off land (heavily implied to be the Equestrian equivalent of Africa).
* '''[[Minotaur]]''' - a species of bipedal [[bull]] with fingered hands.
* '''[[Dragon]]''' - Equestria is full of dragons of many different varieties, although the winged western variety is most typical. Dragons can grow to enormous sizes and are known for their greed and hoarding habits. They appear to be impervious to high temperatures, and can breathe fire.
* '''Diamond dog''' - a bipedal species of [[dog]] which lives underground and mines for gemstones. They appear to have a culture, military organisation, and trade economy.
* '''[[Donkey]]''' - a species which lives among the pony population. Little is known about them, but they appear to be treated like any other pony.
* '''[[Cow]]''' - known to be sapient (one is known by name, and is seen entering a shop), but at other times, are herded like cattle.
* '''[[Horse]]''' - horses are briefly seen in one season 3 episode. They appear to have their own territory (Saddle Arabia) and are closer to real horses than Equestrian ponies. Ponies also often use horse-related metaphors (eg. 'hearts strong as horses'), suggesting that the two races have been close in the past.

==Characters==
[[File:Ponies.png|right|300px]]
=== Main ===

*'''Twilight Sparkle''' - a purple unicorn (and later alicorn) pony. Extremely studious, highly intelligent, but somewhat socially inept at first. She joined Ponyville as their new librarian, before later becoming a princess. She represents the Element of Magic.
*'''Applejack''' - an orange earth pony. A hardworking apple farmer with country mannerisms. She owns the Sweet Apple Acres farm and has a large extended family all over Equestria. She represents the Element of Honesty.
*'''Rainbow Dash''' - a blue pegasus pony with a rainbow-striped [[mane]] and tail. She is athletic, tomboyish, and a very talented flyer who dreams of joining the world-famous flight team, the Wonderbolts. She represents the Element of Loyalty.
*'''Pinkie Pie''' - a pink earth pony. She is incessantly cheerful, hyperactive, and loves to throw parties. Infamous for her tendency to break the [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|fourth wall]] and perform cartoon-like feats that baffle even her friends. She represents the Element of Laughter.
*'''Fluttershy''' - a yellow pegasus pony. She is very timid and soft-spoken, and a poor flyer, usually preferring to remain on the ground. She has a talent for understanding and communicating with animals. She represents the Element of Kindness.
*'''Rarity''' - a white unicorn pony with a stylish purple mane and [[tail]]. She is a self-made fashionista who runs her own business, and dreams of being a part of high society. She represents the Element of Generosity.

=== Secondary ===

*'''Spike''' - a small baby dragon, he is Twilight Sparkle's assistant and sidekick. He can breathe fire, and also has the magical ability to teleport items using his fire breath. This ability is commonly used to send messages to Princess Celestia (and can be used in reverse, to receive messages back).
*'''Princess Celestia''' - an white alicorn pony. Ruler of Equestria, who raises and lowers the sun at dawn and sunset. She is thousands of years old, and Twilight Sparkle's personal mentor.
*'''Princess Luna''' - a dark blue alicorn pony. The sister of Princess Celestia and co-ruler of Equestria. She raises and lowers the moon at sunset and dawn. She is also the guardian of pony dreams, and can freely enter a pony's dreamscape while they are asleep. She was formerly banished to the moon for 1000 years, when her jealousy turned her into the evil Nightmare Moon.
*'''Apple Bloom''', '''Sweetie Belle''', and '''Scootaloo''' - three fillies collectively known as '''The Cutie Mark Crusaders'''. None of them have yet discovered their special talents, and so lack their cutie marks.
*'''Derpy Hooves''' - a gray pegasus pony with a blonde mane. Recognisable by her eyes, which are wall-eyed (facing in opposite directions). Originally an animation error,{{clarify}} she quickly became a fan favorite and was brought back several times by the animators for background roles.

:In season 2, she was given a speaking role, which proved highly controversial as some complained that it was insensitive to the disabled. This resulted in Derpy being given a long absence from the show, but she was eventually brought back in season 4. She is widely considered to be the mascot of the brony fandom.

=== Supporting/recurring ===

* '''Diamond Tiara''' and '''Silver Spoon''' - a pair of rich fillies who bully the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
* '''Snips''' and '''Snails''' - a pair of colts, known for their stupidity
* '''The Apple Family''' - a large family of ponies including Applejack, Apple Bloom, their brother '''Big Macintosh''', and their grandmother '''Granny Smith''', among others.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Cake''' - a couple who operate the bakery where Pinkie Pie lives, and later give birth to twins '''Pound Cake''' and '''Pumpkin Cake'''.
* '''Zecora''' - a zebra who lives in the nearby Everfree Forest and always speaks in rhyme.
* '''Mayor Mare''' - the mayor of Ponyville, who officiates in matters pertaining to the running of the town.
* '''Ms. Cheerilee''' - the local school teacher.
* '''Shining Armor''' - Twilight's brother and leader of the Royal Guard. He is married to '''Princess Cadance''', Celestia's niece.
* '''Princess Cadance''' - a pink alicorn. Twilight Sparkle's former babysitter, and ruler of the Crystal Empire.
* '''Spitfire''' - leader of the '''Wonderbolts''', Equestria's top pegasus flight team.
* '''Dr. Whooves''' - Also known as '''Dr. Hooves''' or '''Time Turner''', is a male Earth pony with an [[hourglass]] cutie mark. The character is based on [[Doctor Who]], the main character of the [[BBC]] show of the same name. With the same fan back-up as Derpy, this character was adopted as canon by the show's crew.<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/jwp94/im_jayson_thiessen_supervising_director_of_mlpfim/c2fq2na ''I'm Jayson Thiessen, supervising director of MLP:FiM, AMA''] interview on [[Reddit]]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref> Although Derpy sometimes plays the role of the Doctor's [[W:Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] in fan and official art media, the actual show has featured a pony with a '''Rose''' cutie mark that follows him around ('''[[W:Rose (Doctor Who)|Rose Tyler]]''', an actual human companion on the BBC show).

==Awards==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has won the following awards and nominations:

* [[Ursa Major Awards]]
** [[2011 Ursa Major Awards|2011]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2012 Ursa Major Awards|2012]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
** [[2013 Ursa Major Awards|2013]] - winner, "Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short or Series"
* [[wikipedia:Leo Awards|Leo Awards]]
** 2012 - nominee, "Best Program", "Best Direction", "Best Overall Sound"<ref>[http://leoawards.com/2012/nominees_by_program_2012.html Leo Awards 2012 nominees by program]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
** 2014 - winner, "Best Overall Sound in an Animation Program or Series" (for "Power Ponies" episode)<ref>[http://www.leoawards.com/2014/winners_saturday/ Leo Awards 2014 Saturday Winners]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>
* [[wikipedia:Daytime Emmy Award|Daytime Emmy Awards]]
** [[wikipedia:39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards|2012]] - nominee, "Outstanding Original Song--Children's and Animation" (for "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)" and "Find a Pet Song")<ref>[http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations]. Retrieved June 30, 2015.</ref>

== Bronies and pegasisters ==

''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' has found a strong following among adults and older teens, despite the target audience being young girls. This has been attributed to a variety of factors, most often the quality of writing and animation on the show.

Some adult fans of the show are known as '''bronies''', a portmanteau of the words ''bro'' and ''ponies'', for male fans,<ref name=WP>[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic] at Know Your Meme: Fans outside the show's demographic, especially teen and adult male fans, have come to be known as "bronies"</ref> and '''pegasister''', a portmanteau of the words ''pegasus'' and ''[[W:Sister|sister]]'' for female fans,<ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Pegasister Pegasister] on Urban Dictionary</ref> though use of this latter term has been criticized{{fact}} and the term is typically seen as gender-neutral.{{fact}} Most self-identified bronies are probably male due to the terms origins from [[4chan]].

Fans of older "generations" of My Little Pony did/do not have such a term, and their conventions and online presence are typically different than that of bronies, many of which do not like older incarnations of the show.

===Fan noted episodes===
Bronies usually use all aspects of the episodes in their [[fanon]], but a number of episodes specifically cater to the Brony Fandom.

====''Feeling Pinkie Keen''====
''Feeling Pinkie Keen'' is notable for being the first episode to feature the character known as Derpy. Previously, Derpy appeared in the background. Due to an animation error, Derpy's eyes apeared to be off-center. This contributed to the fandom's creation of Derpy, a ditzy pony with a tendency of messing-up. In the episode, Derpy is aiding the main character Rainbow Dash in fixing a large building. Derpy continually messes up, speaking in a goofy voice, and ends up damaging the building more than it was originally, and saying the fanon phrase “I just don't know what went wrong!” After complaints from parents that this is mocking of Mental Retardation, all episodes sent for syndication edited this scene, removing mention of her name, and removing most of the klutz-aspects of it.

====''The Lost Treasure of Griffinstone''====
''The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone'' is a Season 5 episode in which The Griffon Empire is confirmed to exist. The Griffon Empire is different from the majority of fanon, and depicted to be poor and worn-down, much to the ponies surprise.

====''Slice of Life''====
In the Season 5 episode ''Slice of Life'' (the 100th episode overall), a number of fanons were made canon. Commonly referred to as a [[fanservice]] episode, characters such as Dr. Whooves, Derpy Hooves, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon-Bon, what are commonly refereed to as ''The Big Lebowski Ponies'' (due to their close resemblance to the cast of [[w:The Big Lebowski|The Big Lebowski]]), and a few others. The canon made for these differs slightly from the fanon they are based on. Derpy Hooves' name is marked in the credits as “Muffin”, and Bon-Bon is reviled to be a secret agent for the Government. This episode was written by [[M.A. Larson]], who has long been a “friend” to the brony fandom.

====''Amending Fences''====
''Amending Fences'' is the episode released the week after ''Slice of Life'', also written by M.A. Larson. This episode furthers the fanon becoming incorporated into the show, with Minunette becoming a canon character, as well as the lesser fanon-ized Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. It also reviles that Twilight Sparkle had been friends with these characters for a long time, and Pinkie Pie had been as well (without Twilight's Knowledge).

== MLP:FiM and furries ==

The creators of the show have reciprocated the feelings of the [[fandom]], referencing bronies in the ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo Equestria Girls]'' promo and even marketing directly to the adult demographic<ref>[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/04/madman-dvd-dubbed-brony-box.html MADMAN DVD Dubbed "The Brony Box"] at Equestria Daily</ref>. Probably the most significant call out came in the canonisation of the character Derpy, whose name and personality was collectively created by the fandom. Other fan names have become canon outside of the TV show such as the name Lyra being adopted in the toy line.<ref>[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lyra_Heartstrings#Depiction_in_merchandise Lyra Heartstrings] on Friendship is Magic Wiki</ref> Derpy - along with other fan favourites [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Whooves]], Octavia, Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Colgate, Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3, Lyra and Bon-Bon - appeared on the poster distributed at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con International|Comic Con]] 2011.

The brony fandom has a significant crossover with the furry fandom. According to the 2014 State of the Herd Report<ref>[http://www.herdcensus.com/2014%20STATE%20OF%20THE%20HERD%20REPORT.pdf 2014 State of the Herd Report]</ref>, 21% of bronies consider themselves furries as well. Many furry artists have branched into pony art, and several of the brony fandom's celebrities are or have been involved in the furry fandom in the past.

Many things familiar to furries have equivalents in the brony fandom:

* An extremely active art scene - one of the best-known and most active [[wikipedia:Imageboard|image boards]] is [https://derpiboo.ru// Derpibooru].
* Costuming - ranging from simple earbands and tails to full pony [[fursuits]].
* Meetups - similar to [[furmeet]]s, and varying from casual get-togethers to gatherings of hundreds of people.
* Conventions - many take place every year, all over the world.
* Avatars - like [[fursona]]s, many bronies have a [[ponysona]] to represent them in the fandom.
* Vocabulary - like the [[furspeech]] of the furry fandom (or indeed, most fandoms) a vocabulary of fandom-specific words exists. Some of the terms are taken directly from the show, such as "anypony" (anybody), or "fillies and gentlecolts" (ladies and gentlemen). Others derive from memes (for example: 'plot' to mean a pony's backside).
* An adult scene. Sexuality is explored in the brony fandom as freely as in the furry fandom, and some aspects of the vocabulary reflect this: most notably, "clop" being the brony equivalent of [[yiff]], which is also used as a euphemism for adult material. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wingboner-clopping|title = Wingboner / Clopping|publisher = Know Your Meme|author = "Epic Fail Guy is a Brony", "RandomMan" et. al}}</ref>.
* [[Troll]]s - sometimes nicknamed 'parasprites' in the brony fandom.
* A writing community, mostly organised on [http://fimfiction.net Fimfiction], with a few also using [[wikipedia:FanFiction.Net|Fanfiction.net]].
* Roleplay - this generally takes place on forums and IRC. THe most popular brony IRC networks are [[Ponychat]] and [[Canternet]]. A large number of forums exist, such as [http://www.redlightponyville.com/ Red Light Ponyville], and adults only forum, and [http://mlpforums.com/ MLPForums], a forum supporting a variety of age groups.
* News sites - [[Equestria Daily]] is the biggest and most active. Other sites include the satirical [http://horse-news.net Horse-News], which lampoons some of the fandom's current events, and [http://derpynews.com/ Derpy Hooves News], which serves as a news site for My Little Pony, as well as a number of other popular cartoons that have attracted a fandom.
* Imageboard sites modled after [[w:4chan|4chan]], such as [http://www.ponychan.net Ponychan].
There are also a few differences between the scenes:

* A heavier emphasis on music. Although there are a number of furry musicians, the brony fandom's musical output is comparatively more popular among members of the fandom, and music is regarded as important as visual art by most. There are a large number of brony musicians who create new music and remixes regularly, often releasing entire albums. The most popular brony song as of 2014 is The Living Tombstone's ''Discord'' remix, which has more than ten million views on YouTube.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfMb50dsOk Discord (Remix)]</ref>
* Cosplay (that is, specifically costuming as canon characters) is more widespread, as the show contains a very large number of characters.
* Younger demographic - the brony fandom's age demographic is skewed well toward youth, with a large proportion in their teens or even younger. As a result, there are efforts to keep the fandom child-friendly and to segregate the adult and non-adult sides. Many of the major conventions are family-friendly, and encourage children and parents.

In 2014, Lee Tockar, a voice actor on the show, was a [[Guest of Honor]] at [[Anthrocon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.anthrocon.org/node/17345/2014-guest-honor-lee-tockar Official announcement] on the Anthrocon website</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' on [[Wikipedia]]
* ''[[W:My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]'' on Wikipedia
*[http://wikiindex.org/Category:My_Little_Pony My Little Pony] wikis at [http://wikiindex.org/WikiIndex WikiIndex.org]
*[[Equestrian Dawn]], [[EquestriaMUCK]], [[EquestriaMUSH]], [[PonyMUSH]] and other [[:Category:My Little Pony multiplayer worlds|My Little Pony multiplayer worlds]]

==External links==

* [http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/en_US/ Hasbro] oficial website
* [http://www.mlparena.com/ My Little Pony Arena]
* [http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MLP-lovers?hl=en My Little Pony Lovers] at Google Groups
* [http://www.canternet.org/ Canternet] [[IRC]] website
* [https://ponychat.net/ PonyChat] IRC website
* [http://www.bronyshow.com/ Bronyville podcast]

=== Conventions ===

* '''North America''':
** Canada:
*** [https://bronycan.ca/ BronyCAN website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyCAN Facebook], [http://ask-bronycan.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/BronyCAN Twitter] (British Columbia)
*** [http://www.bronyexpo.com/ BronyExpo website], [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyExpo Twitter]
*** [http://canterlotconvention.com CANterlot website], [https://www.facebook.com/CaNterlotCon Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/CANterlotCon Twitter] (Ontario)
** USA:
*** [http://www.babscon.com/ Bay Area Brony Spectacular (BABSCon) website] and [https://twitter.com/babsconsf Twitter] (California)
*** [http://www.bigappleponycon.com/ Big Apple Ponycon] (New York)
*** [http://bronyfanfair.com/ Brony Fan Fair website] and [https://www.facebook.com/BronyFanFair Facebook] (Texas)
*** [http://www.bronycon.org/ BronyCon convention website] (Maryland)
*** [http://derpycons.com/ DerpyCon South website], [https://www.facebook.com/DerpyConSouth Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/DerpyConS Twitter] (Louisiana)
*** [http://www.equestriala.com/ Equestria LA] (California)
*** [http://www.everfreenw.com/ Everfree NorthWest] (Washington state)
*** [http://www.fiestaequestria.com/ Fiesta Equestria], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Equestria/465591543463252 Facebook], [http://fiestaequestria.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/FiestaEquestria Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.GrandBronyGala.com/ Grand Brony Gala website], [https://www.facebook.com/TheGrandBronyGala Facebook], [http://thegrandbronygala.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/GrandBronyGala Twitter] (Florida)
*** [http://www.mwbfkc.net/ Midwest Bronyfest] (Missouri)
*** [http://mlp-msp.com/ MLP-MSP] (Minnesota)
*** [http://mylittleponycon.com/ My Little Pony Fair website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Little-Pony-Fair-and-Convention/230605296972598 Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/MyLittlePonyCon Twitter] (Tennessee)
*** [http://nightmarenights.net/ Nightmare Nights Dallas website], [http://nightmarenights.net/ Facebook], [http://nightmarenightsdallas.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/NightmareNights Twitter] (Texas)
*** [http://www.pon3con.com/ PON3 Con] (Nebraska)
*** [http://www.ponyvilleciderfest.com/ Ponyville CiderFest website], [https://www.facebook.com/ponyvilleciderfest Facebook], [http://ponyvilleciderfest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/PonyCiderfest Twitter] (Wisconsin)
*** [http://rotlcon.com/ Running of the Leaves Convention] (Colorado)
*** [http://trotcon.net/ TrotCon] (Ohio)
*** [http://www.whinnycityponycon.com/ Whinny City Pony Con website] and [https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony Twitter] (Illinois)
* '''Asia''':
** Japan: [http://ponycon.jp/ JapanPonycon website], [http://poniko-jpc.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/japanponycon Twitter]
** Philippines: [http://phponycon.weebly.com/ PHPonyCon]
** Thailand: [http://thaiponycon.com Thailand Pony Con website], [https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPonyCon Facebook]
* '''Europe''':
** [http://ponycon.org/ European Pony Convention Union (EPCU)]
** Finland: [http://www.crystalfair.fi/ Crystal Fair website], [http://crystalfair.deviantart.com/ deviantART] [https://www.facebook.com/CrystalFairCon Facebook], [http://ask-aurorapony.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/crystalfaircon Twitter]
** France: [http://www.bronydays.org/?lang=en Bronydays website], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyDays Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyDays/ Twitter]
** Czech Republic: [http://www.czequestria.cz/ Czequestria website] and [https://twitter.com/Czequestria Twitter]
** Germany:
*** [http://www.galacon.eu/ GalaCon website] and [https://twitter.com/gala_con Twitter]
*** [http://lunafest.eu/ Lunafest website], [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunafest/582805341803697 Facebook], [http://lunafest.tumblr.com/ Tumblr] and [https://twitter.com/lunafestival Twitter]
*** Netherlands: [http://www.hwcon.nl/ Hearth's Warming Con website] and [https://twitter.com/HWConvention Twitter]
*** Poland: [https://www.facebook.com/MyLittleKonwent My Little Konwent Facebook] (mlk2014.pl forwards to Facebook)
*** United Kingdom:
*** [http://bronyscot.org.uk/ BronyScot website], [https://www.facebook.com/bronyscot Facebook] and [https://twitter.com/BronyScot Twitter]
*** [http://www.buckcon.org/ BUCK website], [http://summersuncelebration.co.uk Summer Sun Celebration Minisite], [https://www.facebook.com/BUCKCon Facebook], [http://buckcon.tumblr.com/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/BUCKcon Twitter], [https://plus.google.com/u/0/117007229687701100178/posts Google +], [https://www.youtube.com/user/BronyUKCon Youtube], [http://ukofequestria.co.uk/forums/buck-convention-discussion.43/ BUCK Forum], [http://askbritannia.tumblr.com/ Mascot Ask Blog], [http://askbritanniamlp.deviantart.com/ Mascot deviantArt]
* '''Oceania''':
** Australia:
*** [http://www.ponyconau.com/ PonyCon AU]
*** [http://sydneigh.com.au/ Sydneigh website], [http://sydneigh.deviantart.com/ deviantART], [https://www.facebook.com/BronyConSydney Facebook], [http://tumblr.sydneigh.com.au/ Tumblr], [https://twitter.com/Sydneigh2014 Twitter] and [http://www.youtube.com/user/SydneighMLP YouTube]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Ursa Major Award winners]]
[[Category:2010 births]]

[[ru:My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic]]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-05T00:37:01Z

Chocolate Chip: /* MLP:FiM and furries */ Fixed own mistake with MLPchan and Ponychan URLs. Ponychan and MLPchan Murgered. Also, Ponychan is a .net, not a .org. Also fixed style of Ponychan

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

2015-08-05T00:32:04Z

Chocolate Chip: /* MLP:FiM and furries */ Expanded information

RealmsMUCK

2015-08-05T00:12:43Z

Chocolate Chip: Fixed Title

{{cleanup}}
{{Infobox multiplayer world
|name = REALMSmuck
|logo =
<pre class="MU-logo noexcerpt">
____ ____ __ ___
//__/ //_ //_\ // //\/\ /___
// \ //___ // \ //___ // \ ___\
MUCK!!!!
</pre>
|caption =
|subject = Furry
|url = http://www.fur.com/realms/
|server = [telnet://realms.fur.com:7765 realms.fur.com, port 7765]
|operator = [[Kimi]] and [[Mixtle]]]
|status = Ongoing
|duration = 1993?<ref>[http://ftp.ccs.neu.edu/pub/mud/docs/mudlists/vol6/mudlist.v6n11 The Totally Unofficial List of Internet Muds 22 January 1994]. Retrieved June 22, 2007.</ref> - present
|rating =
}}

'''RealmsMUCK''' is a [[furry]] themed muti-realm (thus it's name) social and [[role-playing]] [[MUCK]], hosted on [[fur.com]]. It has areas which are both [[fantasy]] and [[science-fiction]] themed. Portions of this muck have an adult theme.

While this [[MUCK]] is still operational it currently does not see much traffic and it's website claims to have been last modified 13 May 2001.

Update 2/20/2009: RealmsMUCK's website (http://www.fur.com/realms) has been put
back up, though the MUCK itself still has very little traffic.

== Realms ==
'''RealmsMUCK's''' various realms are linked through the central ''Park of Wonderous Realms''.
* '''Pendor''' - Area based on the [[The Journal Entries of Kennet R'yal Shardik]] stories by [[Elf Sternberg]].
* '''ToonTown''' - Area for toon characters.
* '''Macrophile''' - Giant-centric area.
* '''Abyss''' - ??
* '''Dragon Realm''' - Realm ruled by dragons.

== [[Wizards]] ==
* [[Jethric]] - Public Relations/Building/Quota
* [[Kimi]] - Server Wizard
* [[Mixtle]] - [[MUF]]/Server/Cleaning/Registration/Building/Quota
* [[Sevnara]] - Public Relations, Realm Approval
* [[Suzannah]] - MUF Wizard
* [[Taisia]] - Public Relations/Building/Quota

== [[Helpstaff]] ==
* [[Foxina]] - PENDOR: building, IC things
* [[Key]] - Lead HS/Basicstuff/Official SillyFoxness.:)
* [[Luke]] - Building and Basic Newbie Stuff
* [[Taclis]] - Building/Char.Setup/Pendor/!MPI/Ask :)

== References ==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.mud.announce/msg/3841e8da96768d7e?dmode=source Descriptions of Various Furry MUCKs]. February 1, 1995 post by [[Rhal]] to rec.games.mud.announce. Retrieved November 16, 2006.
<references/>

{{MU}}
[[Category:Multiplayer worlds]][[Category:1993 births]]

Sociopolitical Ramifications

2015-08-05T00:12:17Z

Chocolate Chip: Fixed title

{{Unreferenced}}
{{Infobox multiplayer world
|name = Socialpolitical Ramifications
|logo =
<pre class="MU-logo noexcerpt">
_____ __ ____ __ __ __
/ ___/ /_/ / /_/ / / /_/ / /
/ /_________________________________/ /___/ /______________/ /
/__ / __ / ___/ / __ / __ / __ / / /_ __/ / ___/___ / /
___/ / /_/ / /__/ / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / / /_/ / /__/ __ / /
/____/_____/____/_/_____/ ____/_____/_/_/ /___/_/____/_____/_/
______ __/ /_____ __ __
/ __ / /_/_/ __/_/ / / /_/
/ /_/ /___________________/ /________________/ /____________________
/ __/___ / __ __ / /_ __/ / ___/___ /_ __/ / __ / __ / ___/
/ /\ \/ __ / / / / / / / / / / / /__/ __ / / /_/ / /_/ / / / /__ /
/_/ /_/_____/_/ /_/ /_/_/ /_/ /_/____/_____/ /___/_/_____/_/ /_/____/
</pre>

|caption =
|subject = Furry
|url = http://www.tigerden.com/~unci/spr.html and http://spr.ctrl-c.liu.se/
|server = [telnet://spr.ctrl-c.liu.se:23 spr.ctrl-c.liu.se, port 23]
|operator = [[Anputeti]], [[Arian]], [[Benjamin]], [[DivineVixen]], [[Drac]], [[Dru]], [[Enzeru]], [[Moment]], [[PuppyDog]], [[Serailyn]], [[Snout]]
|status = Ongoing
|duration = September 1994 - present
|rating =
}}
'''Sociopolitical Ramifications''' ('''SPR''') is a sci-fi furry [[MUCK]], with an average of 60 to 80 furs connecting nightly (of which between 20 and 25 are usually between 10 hours and 25 days idle).

== Areas ==

SPR's main 'city' has a computer theme with different areas named after different parts of a computer's hardware or architecture. Much of SPR's central and western landscape, as well as the MUCK's title screen, was designed by [[unci]], a building [[wizard]] of the first years, who left SPR in 1999.

[[SocioSpace]] is a hard sci-fi minigame (similar to a MUD) built into SPR. This system includes combat, healing, and a spaceship system, programmed by the lead wizard for that area, [[Arian]].

== [[Wizard]]s ==
* [[Anputeti]] - [[MUF]], no space.
* [[Arian]] - Building Wizard (No characters)
* [[Benjamin]] - Building/PR/Characters/Policy/HelpStaff!
* [[DivineVixen]] - Chairfox
* [[Drac]] - Wizard/Player and Player/Player relations.
* [[Dru]]
* [[Enzeru]] - General Stuff / Building / Space
* [[Moment]] - Policy, coordinator, PR, denotational semanti
* [[PuppyDog]] - MUF/MPI/ANSI/Technical
* [[Serailyn]] - All-around Helpful Serailyn (MUF and more!)
* [[Snout]] - Charreq, PR/HS, policy. Some building, [[MPI]].

==History==
{{Dubious}}
SPR was founded by [[Snout]] and [[DivineVixen]] on Sep 19th 1994 at 04:27:49 CEST, and was announced via @shout just before one of [[FurryMUCK]]'s infamous six- to eight-hour database saves. The name SPR actually comes the parody comic of [[Tank Vixens]], hence why the initial line when you connect is, ''"Oooh, say the words.."'' The phase also made an appearance in the [[anthropomorphic]] Sci-fi comic ''[[Albedo]]''. On that first day, over thirty players connected, each of whom was given a wizbit to make it easy for them to build and attach things.

[[Murphy]] the MUFMouse was a wizard from opening day in September 1995 to his resignation in October 1996. Murphy built the original space station (then called SPR Station), the first solar system, and coded all the vehicle programs.

In 1997, during a fit of pique, the wizard [[Mystique]] chose to @purge, thus destroying everything that she owned, including the page program and the say program. At this time, [[Aerowolf]] (aka Winged) was given a wizbit (along with [[Kathalla]]) to help piece SPR back together from a backup that Snout started running on another port.

Eventually, DivineVixen had to step down as head wizard due to her player's fight with Multiple Sclerosis, leaving Snout in charge. [[Syvel]] chose this time to @purge, thus getting rid of a lot of functionality that the MUCK relied upon.

It was just after Syvel's @purge that [[CATerwaul]] chose to limit the MUCK to wizards-only, for a period of a couple of weeks. During this time, many inactive wizards were dewizzed, and several new rules and regulations went into effect -- including the requirement that MUCK-essential programs and objects needed to be owned by a new, wizbitted character named SPR, so that no @purge could damage the MUCK again.

Eventually, SPR came back for players to use, though its user base was much diminished (from a high of 191 characters connected, it now averages 60 to 80). Snout didn't want anything to do with the administration of the new MUCK structure, so he appointed three wizards to be "gods" -- wizards with the power to grant or remove wizbits. These were [[Natasha]], Aerowolf, and [[Benjamin]].

Due to internal friction (and a lot of miscommunication), Natasha ended up leaving. It was at this point that Aerowolf became pretty much the main God character. He made several unpopular decisions during this timeframe: Space became Arian's area to allow or banish people as he saw fit. [[Zinn]] was toaded and banished for alleged (i.e. disputed) violation of an order to stay out of Arian's space areas. [[Gud]], DivineVixen's non-wizard character, was given a wizbit, and immediately began to violate SPR's rules of ownership, yanking possession of a BDSM-themed area from its owners. When Aerowolf de-wizzed him, he began to bad-mouth the administration of SPR in the park, and Aerowolf @toaded and banished him from what had been his own MUCK several years before.

(Ahem. Not entirely right. The owner of the area violated the local law, and was punitively toaded. What happened to the area I am not aware of, albeit, there might have been a delay in handling its purging, and for that, which is of course my responsibility, I, as the @toading of the player was my doing, of course apologize. However, there was of course never any attempt at forcibly stealing an area - whatever purpose would such an act serve, even if I had wanted to, it would have been all too obvious? Anyway, Gud is the #1 (god) character of the MUCK, comparable to the root account of a UNIX system, SYSTEM on VMS or Administrator on Windows. It is no specific person, and was of course not dewizzed. Also, the character I returned as was DV and nothing else. Yes, I made mistakes, of course, and was a little too unconcentrated and dictatoric, which I just as much as (due to a misunderstanding between myself and Snout, I thought myself to still be in charge, and since there other wizards also did, my great round table idea just made it worse) causing friction I of course regret, and chose to leave for 3-4 years until my health was better. By my own choice, of course, 'banning' a server wizard from SPR would have been...quite hard. :))

Aerowolf resigned as a wizard (much less head wizard) in November of 2001, amidst complaints that he was misusing his power -- among other things, Syvel asked for ownership of her programs back from SPR (Syvel having been removed as a wizard due to her @purging), attempting to revoke the GPL that she had originally licensed them under. Aerowolf refused, citing her prior @purge and her player's legal issues, as well as the GPL which allowed SPR to maintain its own copy of her programs.

== Physical location ==

SPR's server is physically located in [[Wikipedia:Sweden|Sweden]]. Therefore, SPR is not restricted by US laws. In particular, the use of the internet by children less than 13 years old is restricted in the US.

However, rules 0.1 as well as 1.1 of the SPR policies imply that anything you do is subject to:
# Swedish law
# international law, and
# any laws which apply where you are

Soliciting RL sex with those under the age of 15, or in some cases, 18, is not legal in Sweden.

== See also ==

*[[FuzzBall TinyMUCK]]
*[[:Category:Sociopolitical Ramifications locations|Sociopolitical Ramifications locations]]
*[[SocioSpace]]

== External links ==
*[http://community.livejournal.com/sprfurs/ Furs for Sociopolitical Ramifications] at [[LiveJournal]]
{{MU}}
[[Category:Science-fiction multiplayer worlds]]
[[Category:1995 births]]

[[sv:Sociopolitical Ramifications]]

Sociopolitical Ramifications

2015-08-05T00:11:34Z

Chocolate Chip: Added proper wizards

{{Unreferenced}}
{{Infobox multiplayer world
|name = TigerMUCK
|logo =
<pre class="MU-logo noexcerpt">
_____ __ ____ __ __ __
/ ___/ /_/ / /_/ / / /_/ / /
/ /_________________________________/ /___/ /______________/ /
/__ / __ / ___/ / __ / __ / __ / / /_ __/ / ___/___ / /
___/ / /_/ / /__/ / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / / / / /_/ / /__/ __ / /
/____/_____/____/_/_____/ ____/_____/_/_/ /___/_/____/_____/_/
______ __/ /_____ __ __
/ __ / /_/_/ __/_/ / / /_/
/ /_/ /___________________/ /________________/ /____________________
/ __/___ / __ __ / /_ __/ / ___/___ /_ __/ / __ / __ / ___/
/ /\ \/ __ / / / / / / / / / / / /__/ __ / / /_/ / /_/ / / / /__ /
/_/ /_/_____/_/ /_/ /_/_/ /_/ /_/____/_____/ /___/_/_____/_/ /_/____/
</pre>

|caption =
|subject = Furry
|url = http://www.tigerden.com/~unci/spr.html and http://spr.ctrl-c.liu.se/
|server = [telnet://spr.ctrl-c.liu.se:23 spr.ctrl-c.liu.se, port 23]
|operator = [[Anputeti]], [[Arian]], [[Benjamin]], [[DivineVixen]], [[Drac]], [[Dru]], [[Enzeru]], [[Moment]], [[PuppyDog]], [[Serailyn]], [[Snout]]
|status = Ongoing
|duration = September 1994 - present
|rating =
}}
'''Sociopolitical Ramifications''' ('''SPR''') is a sci-fi furry [[MUCK]], with an average of 60 to 80 furs connecting nightly (of which between 20 and 25 are usually between 10 hours and 25 days idle).

== Areas ==

SPR's main 'city' has a computer theme with different areas named after different parts of a computer's hardware or architecture. Much of SPR's central and western landscape, as well as the MUCK's title screen, was designed by [[unci]], a building [[wizard]] of the first years, who left SPR in 1999.

[[SocioSpace]] is a hard sci-fi minigame (similar to a MUD) built into SPR. This system includes combat, healing, and a spaceship system, programmed by the lead wizard for that area, [[Arian]].

== [[Wizard]]s ==
* [[Anputeti]] - [[MUF]], no space.
* [[Arian]] - Building Wizard (No characters)
* [[Benjamin]] - Building/PR/Characters/Policy/HelpStaff!
* [[DivineVixen]] - Chairfox
* [[Drac]] - Wizard/Player and Player/Player relations.
* [[Dru]]
* [[Enzeru]] - General Stuff / Building / Space
* [[Moment]] - Policy, coordinator, PR, denotational semanti
* [[PuppyDog]] - MUF/MPI/ANSI/Technical
* [[Serailyn]] - All-around Helpful Serailyn (MUF and more!)
* [[Snout]] - Charreq, PR/HS, policy. Some building, [[MPI]].

==History==
{{Dubious}}
SPR was founded by [[Snout]] and [[DivineVixen]] on Sep 19th 1994 at 04:27:49 CEST, and was announced via @shout just before one of [[FurryMUCK]]'s infamous six- to eight-hour database saves. The name SPR actually comes the parody comic of [[Tank Vixens]], hence why the initial line when you connect is, ''"Oooh, say the words.."'' The phase also made an appearance in the [[anthropomorphic]] Sci-fi comic ''[[Albedo]]''. On that first day, over thirty players connected, each of whom was given a wizbit to make it easy for them to build and attach things.

[[Murphy]] the MUFMouse was a wizard from opening day in September 1995 to his resignation in October 1996. Murphy built the original space station (then called SPR Station), the first solar system, and coded all the vehicle programs.

In 1997, during a fit of pique, the wizard [[Mystique]] chose to @purge, thus destroying everything that she owned, including the page program and the say program. At this time, [[Aerowolf]] (aka Winged) was given a wizbit (along with [[Kathalla]]) to help piece SPR back together from a backup that Snout started running on another port.

Eventually, DivineVixen had to step down as head wizard due to her player's fight with Multiple Sclerosis, leaving Snout in charge. [[Syvel]] chose this time to @purge, thus getting rid of a lot of functionality that the MUCK relied upon.

It was just after Syvel's @purge that [[CATerwaul]] chose to limit the MUCK to wizards-only, for a period of a couple of weeks. During this time, many inactive wizards were dewizzed, and several new rules and regulations went into effect -- including the requirement that MUCK-essential programs and objects needed to be owned by a new, wizbitted character named SPR, so that no @purge could damage the MUCK again.

Eventually, SPR came back for players to use, though its user base was much diminished (from a high of 191 characters connected, it now averages 60 to 80). Snout didn't want anything to do with the administration of the new MUCK structure, so he appointed three wizards to be "gods" -- wizards with the power to grant or remove wizbits. These were [[Natasha]], Aerowolf, and [[Benjamin]].

Due to internal friction (and a lot of miscommunication), Natasha ended up leaving. It was at this point that Aerowolf became pretty much the main God character. He made several unpopular decisions during this timeframe: Space became Arian's area to allow or banish people as he saw fit. [[Zinn]] was toaded and banished for alleged (i.e. disputed) violation of an order to stay out of Arian's space areas. [[Gud]], DivineVixen's non-wizard character, was given a wizbit, and immediately began to violate SPR's rules of ownership, yanking possession of a BDSM-themed area from its owners. When Aerowolf de-wizzed him, he began to bad-mouth the administration of SPR in the park, and Aerowolf @toaded and banished him from what had been his own MUCK several years before.

(Ahem. Not entirely right. The owner of the area violated the local law, and was punitively toaded. What happened to the area I am not aware of, albeit, there might have been a delay in handling its purging, and for that, which is of course my responsibility, I, as the @toading of the player was my doing, of course apologize. However, there was of course never any attempt at forcibly stealing an area - whatever purpose would such an act serve, even if I had wanted to, it would have been all too obvious? Anyway, Gud is the #1 (god) character of the MUCK, comparable to the root account of a UNIX system, SYSTEM on VMS or Administrator on Windows. It is no specific person, and was of course not dewizzed. Also, the character I returned as was DV and nothing else. Yes, I made mistakes, of course, and was a little too unconcentrated and dictatoric, which I just as much as (due to a misunderstanding between myself and Snout, I thought myself to still be in charge, and since there other wizards also did, my great round table idea just made it worse) causing friction I of course regret, and chose to leave for 3-4 years until my health was better. By my own choice, of course, 'banning' a server wizard from SPR would have been...quite hard. :))

Aerowolf resigned as a wizard (much less head wizard) in November of 2001, amidst complaints that he was misusing his power -- among other things, Syvel asked for ownership of her programs back from SPR (Syvel having been removed as a wizard due to her @purging), attempting to revoke the GPL that she had originally licensed them under. Aerowolf refused, citing her prior @purge and her player's legal issues, as well as the GPL which allowed SPR to maintain its own copy of her programs.

== Physical location ==

SPR's server is physically located in [[Wikipedia:Sweden|Sweden]]. Therefore, SPR is not restricted by US laws. In particular, the use of the internet by children less than 13 years old is restricted in the US.

However, rules 0.1 as well as 1.1 of the SPR policies imply that anything you do is subject to:
# Swedish law
# international law, and
# any laws which apply where you are

Soliciting RL sex with those under the age of 15, or in some cases, 18, is not legal in Sweden.

== See also ==

*[[FuzzBall TinyMUCK]]
*[[:Category:Sociopolitical Ramifications locations|Sociopolitical Ramifications locations]]
*[[SocioSpace]]

== External links ==
*[http://community.livejournal.com/sprfurs/ Furs for Sociopolitical Ramifications] at [[LiveJournal]]
{{MU}}
[[Category:Science-fiction multiplayer worlds]]
[[Category:1995 births]]

[[sv:Sociopolitical Ramifications]]

FurIRC

2015-08-05T00:07:55Z

Chocolate Chip: Fixed URL

{{unref}}
{{copyedit}}
{{Infobox IRC network
|name = FurIRC
|logo =
|caption =
|subject = Furry Fandom
|url = http://www.foxtailtavern.com/
|server = [irc://irc.furirc.org:6667 irc.furirc.org, port 6667] or 6668 for SSL.
|operator = [[Klisoura]], [[Vulpecula (Mr. Fox)|Vulpecula]]
|status = Ongoing
|duration = August 2004 - present
|rating = from {{Rating-g-button}} to {{Rating-pg-button}}
}}
The '''FurIRC''' IRC system is a small, privately-operated [[IRC]] network run by [[Klisoura]] (Alex Osaki) and [[Vulpecula (Mr. Fox)|Vulpecula]].

==History==

The server functions primarily as a host of #FoxtailTavern, and it has served this role since August, 2004. It has resided at its current location for nearly a year, having moved servers in mid-December, 2005, and having added a second server in mid-November, 2007. With minor exceptions caused by unavoidable problems, it has been online nearly continuously since its inception.

==#FoxtailTavern==

[[Image:Foxtail_Tavern_Logo.JPG|thumb|The official logo of the Foxtail Tavern.]]

The Foxtail Tavern is FurIRC's primary and by far most populous channel; all server administrators are commonly or exclusively found there. It is characterised by a small, cohesive group of around 50 individuals (around 20 of which may be online at any one time) marked by their sense of community and varying degrees of sanity.

The Tavern itself was originally conceived as an AIM chatroom spun-off from popular furry writing website [[Yiffstar]] in early May, 2004. Within the first two weeks, it developed the character--and ''characters''--that continue to define its existence.

When the original founder of the AIM chatroom removed herself on sabbatical, the room fell into a period of decline, marked by its change from friendly chatter to flagrant sexual content. Responding to this, current owner Alex Osaki ([[Klisoura]]) and [[Vulpecula (Mr. Fox)|Vulpecula]] drew up a plan to move the Tavern to a moderated IRC format. The move was completed by the end of July and announced publicly on August 18th.

The chatroom is loosely moderated and adheres to a "don't step too hard on other people's toes" mentality, with oversight directed by its three-person operating staff. It is geared towards text-based [[roleplay]], though the physical properties of the Tavern itself, and the world surrounding it, are only loosely defined and open to wide interpretation.

Although the room owes its existence to Yiffstar, and many of its chatters are either current or former contributors or members of that site, the room, having been burned by past experience, sticks to a policy explicitly prohibiting public sexual acts. That's what the back rooms are for, after all.

==External links==

*[http://www.foxtailtavern.com/tavern/ Java access to the network]
*[http://www.foxtailtavern.com/ Wiki for roleplay information on the network]

[[Category:Chat networks]]
[[Category:Chat rooms]]
[[Category:2004 births]]

List of media links

2015-08-04T09:14:04Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Media coverage/Television appearances */ Made mistake. "One Little Word" does have a brief scene in a fictional convention. What I was using to verify it did not have mention of this scene

{{split}}
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
This is a '''list of direct links to media''' of particular prominence in the [[furry fandom]]. Detailed information about any particular topic should go on the relevant page.

'''Note:''' If nobody has added a link to your own work, chances are it doesn't meet the above criteria, and ''you'' shouldn't either.

==[[:Category:Animation|Animation]]==

* '''[[30-Second Bunnies Theatre]]''': [http://www.angryalien.com/ Flash animations]
* '''[[Another Day]]''': [http://www.superflashbros.net/movies/another.php Flash animations]
* '''[[Badger Badger Badger]]''': [http://weebls-stuff.com/toons/badgers/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Da Foxx]]''': [http://www.dafoxx.com/ animation site]
* '''[[Dendyn Dynasties]]''': [http://newgrounds.com/portal/view/320490/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Hardware Store]]''' ([http://www.lennoxbuilt.com/ home]): [http://www.lennoxbuilt.com/hws.html Flash animation] ([http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/hws mirror])
* '''[[Kenya]]''' ([http://weebls-stuff.com/ home)]: [http://weebls-stuff.com/toons/kenya Flash animation] - [http://www.fridayparty.org/albums/Flash/Kenya1.mov live action version] ([http://chaz6.com/storage/fur/movies/Kenya1.mov mirror])
* '''[[Move Your Dead Bones]]''' ([http://www.ashido.com/ home]): [http://www.windwhip.net/~winged/archive/reanimator2.swf Flash animation] - '''see also''' [http://www.ashido.com/slalom/slalom4.html Slalomicide] ([http://pantransit.reptiles.org/media/slalom4.swf mirror])
* '''[[Raiders Of The Trash]]''':([http://www.furaffinity.net/view/221716/ Flash animation - homepage]) ([http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/339003 mirror]) ([http://www.furaffinity.net/art/cerberus/1158411453.cerberus_raiders_of_the_trash.swf download link])
* '''[[There she is!!]]''': ([http://www.sambakza.net/ home]): [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/161181 original] ([http://www.flashplayer.com/music/theresheis.html mirror]) - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/224148 Episode 2] ([http://www.flashplayer.com/music/theresheis2.html mirror]) - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/442805 Episode 3]
* '''[[Thomas Timberwolf]]''': [http://frededison.free.fr/ Flash animations]
* '''[[The Fox and the Mirrior]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/236505 Flash animation] (the actual animation is in pencil)

===Mature Animations===
{{rating-nc17-button}}
* '''[[Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me]]''': [http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/bunny.php Flash animation] - [http://www.top40db.net/Lyrics/?SongID=4202&By=Artist&Match=Tism lyrics]
* '''[[Tenacious D "Classico" video]]''': [http://tenaciousd.com/classico/ Flash animation]
* '''[[High Tail Hall]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/182224 Flash animation (version 1.5)]
* '''[[The Tail Underground]]''': [http://www.furnation.com/Ian_R_Soulfox/TheTailUnderground.html Flash animation]
* '''[[Queer Duck]]''': [http://www.sho.com/site/queerduck/home.do Flash animation]
* '''[[Lovesaber]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/282443 Flash animation]
* '''[[KO Fighter]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/270151 Flash animation]
* '''[[Sonic The Pervert]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/101059 Flash animation] - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/112636 sequel]
* '''[[Yiffy Flash]]''': [http://yiffyflash.furrynet.com/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Proncoyote]]''': [http://home.arcor.de/e_matthew/.Proncoyote/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Night in the Garden]]''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SRy0l5ZFEY Flash animation]
* '''[[Taurin and the Yiffing Machine]]''' and more by Taurin: [http://www.taurinfox.com/animation.html 3D animation]
* '''Furry dating''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47oAcD2qwzM Humorous animation by Meth]

==[[:Category:Media coverage|Media coverage]]/[[:Category:Television programs|Television]] appearances==
[[Image:ZoomanityGirlOnSeesaw.jpg|right|frame|San Francisco Zoomanity - "It's not always easy being different..."]]
* '''[[Wikipedia:American Dad!|American Dad!]] ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1303274/ One Little Word]'' ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708120/ The Missing Kink]''
* '''[[Anna in Wonderland]]''': ''[http://www.slycat.co.uk/index.php?id=6 Anna in Wonderland]''
* '''[[A Furrytale]]''': ''[http://www.oddisee.tv/2010/10/a-furrytale/]''
* '''[[Wikipedia:Back to You|Back to You]]''': ''[[Business or Pleasure]]'' ''[http://www.hulu.com/watch/10799/back-to-you-business-or-pleasure Hulu episode] or [http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6327943BtgJNjnB Veoh episode] (streamed from Hulu)''
* '''[[CSI]]''' ([[PafCon (CSI)]]): ''[http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/csi.flv.html Fur and Loathing]''
* '''''[[Curse of the Lion Men]]''''' ([[Wikipedia:Mega Man|Mega Man]]): ''[http://www.protoman.com/Cartoons/207-Curse_of_the_Lion_Men-Broadband.html#cartoon Curse of the Lion Men]''
* '''''[[Entourage]]''''': [[The Day Fuckers]]
* '''''[http://tinhouse.com/mag/back_issues/archive/issues/issue_15/feature.html Furry Like Me]''''', By Elissa Schappell, ''[http://www.tinhouse.com/ The Tin House]'', Issue 15, Spring 2003
* '''[[ER]]''': [http://www.lildobe.net/furry/er/ ''Fear of Commitment'' (4 MPGs)] ''[http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1YLHA8LD Full episode from Megaupload]''
* MTV's [[Sex2K]]
* '''Foxy Bingo.com commercials''': A few of many UK advertisements featuring a charismatic anthro fox who wears a purple suit. [http://www.foxybingo.com/ Official site] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJhUoLlNw0Q YouTube] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Mvj-zjOyI&feature=related YouTube] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Rh5FiXt8o YouTube] 
* '''Natural Order''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3SeMI47ckY Cascade Beer commercial] [http://nofatclips.com/02007/11/12/natural/Cascade%20-%20Natural%20Order.mp4 HD download] [http://nofatclips.com/02007/11/12/natural/The%20Natural%20Order.mp4 SD download]
* '''Orangina commercial''': French animation for Orangina involving dancing animals. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck14LKBI9GM YouTube] & [http://motionographermedia.com/psyop/orangina_h264.mov H.264 HD]
* [http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/Commercials_Ads/Misc/SFZoogirlwithtail.mov San Francisco Zoomanity] - not ''intentionally'' a furry advert, but . . .
* [[The Drew Carey Show]]: ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mo2vUEPuA4 Mama Told Me I Should Come]'' (2-minute [[fursuit]] segment)
* TLC's [[Animal Imitators]]: [http://www.offthefence.com/content/programme.php?ID=149&Categories=4 Information] [http://www.lildobe.net/furry/ Watch]
* '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_For_Sex Wired For Sex]''': ''[http://www.g4tv.com/wiredforsex/videos/index.html 21st Century Fetishes]''
* '''Furries on the Jimmy Kimmel Show''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDtpQnlaNps Segment on the Jimmy Kimmel show where a man went to a furry convention] ([[Confurence_2003|Confurence 2003]] to be more precise.)
*'''[http://www.1trackmind.com/ 1Track Mind]''': ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YXwPyvF8Ng Furries, Pony People & Sexual Role Playing]'' (also on [http://www.archive.org/details/Pritchard-1TrackMind23FurriesPonyPeopleSexualRolePlaying410 Internet Archive])
:''See also the complete [[timeline of media coverage]]''

==[[:Category:Songs|Songs]] and [[:Category:Music|Music]]==

:''See the [[Furry Music Foundation]] [http://www.furrymusic.org/] for most songs.

* '''[[Beautiful]]''' - A song by Moby. It is notable for its [http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/moby_beautiful_v2.flv.html music video], filmed with a fursuited cast.
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENpvNTRHoeQ Sabotage Tribute]''' Video (NC-17) - A homage to the [[Wikipedia:Beastie Boys|Beastie Boys]] music video ''Sabotage'' starring [[Fredryk Phox]], [[2]], and [[Kutztown Dragon]]
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD6zvIRHFII&fmt=18 Popu-fur]''' - [[Raspberry Roo]] and [[Sophie Cabra]] steal [[Further Confusion 2009]]'s variety show with this song sung by [[Jilduck]] to the theme of ''[[Wikipedia:Wicked|Wicked]]'' 's [[Wikipedia:Popular (song)|"Popular"]] ([http://superwailingbonus.com/stuff/popufur/ MP3 and lyrics])
* '''[[The Distance]]''' A song by the band Cake. The music video includes people in animals costumes including a brown (bear?), a skunk, an elephant, a tiger, a costume with antlers or horns (deer or bull?), a Playboy-bunny-type costume and a yellow-and-green costume. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PU5CVSegg
* '''[[Human Condition]]''' A song by Wither, known for adapting a fan-made furry animation created by [[AmberCoyote]] as their official music video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-siLTV56E
* '''[[We Know Something You Don't Know]]''' A song by DJ Format has the Jurassic 5 crew rapping and dancing in furry costumes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkjTM4AfYdU

==[[:Category:Puppetry|Puppetry]] and [[fursuit|Fursuiting]]==

* '''[[Fluff & Such]]''' ([http://www.fluffandsuch.com/ home]): [http://www.fluffandsuch.com/what.shtml pawpet videos] - [http://www.cafepress.com/fluffandsuch/ shop]
* '''[[Funday PawPet Show]]''' ([http://pawpet.tv/ home]) - requires [http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ QuickTime 7] installed, can then use RealPlayer/MPC/VideoLAN to play
** '''Show''': [http://pawpet.org/streams/fps-hi.mov QT7 broadband] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/fps-lo.mov QT7 dialup] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/34k-a.ram RealPlayer dialup] [airs 5PM-9PM EST Sundays]
** '''Replays''': [http://pawpet.org/streams/fundayhi.mov QT7 broadband] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/fundaylo.mov QT7 dialup]
** '''Other''': [http://www.pawpet.tv/2-pawpets.mp3 Pawpet song] by [[2]] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/pawpet-hampster.mp4 logo animation] by [[Rikki-Tik]] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/index.php?ircchat live chat] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/index.php?contributions donations]
* '''[[Furry TV]]''' ([http://www.furrytv.com/ Homepage]) - [Airs live 8PM-10PM EST Thursdays, streams in high bandwidth Quicktime only, archived shows on Youtube.com]
* '''[[Timduru]]'s [[FursuitTV]]''' ([http://fursuittv.timduru.org/ home]): [http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FursuitTV/ FursuitTV Archives] - generally 9PM GMT every first Saturday of the month
* '''[[pawpet.de]]''' ([http://www.pawpet.de/pawpets.html home]): [http://www.pawpet.de/pawpets.html pawpet videos]
* '''[[Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends]]''' ([http://www.pawpet.org/rapidtrabbit home])
**[http://mnn.org/stream/ch57.asx Streams] Wednesdays 5:30-6PM EST - requires [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/mp10/ Windows Media Player]
**Also run prior to the Funday PawPet Show, 4:30-5PM EST Sundays (see above)
* '''[[Southpaw Video Productions]]''': [http://www.clovertone.com/video/ pawpet videos]
* '''[[Dusty and Oreo Pawpet Show]]''': ([http://do-pawpets.ca home])

==[[:Category:Radio|Radio]] and [[:Category:Podcasts|Podcasts]]==

===Live shows (Mp3 streaming)===

* '''[[The Rabbit Hole With Romeo Rabbit]]''' ([http://www.live365.com/stations/member_10474190075 home]): [24 Hours live show 12am - 3am Sunday night/Monday morning, with [[Howler]] Live Sunday nights after [[Radio Unifurse]] & the only furry radio stream on Live 365. The home of Radio Lawn with [[Ricochet]], as well as the biggest furry singers including [[Bucktown Tiger]], [[Matthew Ebel]], [[Sub-Level 03]], Kurrel The Raven, and more!]
* '''[[FBC|Furry Broadcasting Corporation]]''' ([http://fbc.jaieproductions.com/ home]): [http://212.227.90.49:8058/listen.pls dialup] - [http://fbc.jaieproductions.com/dl/listen.pls broadband] [24 Hours, shows various hours, other hours Furry oriented Rock/Pop/Anime/Dance music]
* '''[[LT3M|Less Than Three Music]]''' ([http://www.lt3m.com/ home]): [http://www.lt3m.com/lowbw.m3u dialup] - [http://www.lt3m.com/listen.m3u broadband Mp3] - [http://www.lt3m.com/aac.m3u broadband Aac+] [Furry oriented techno/trance/dance music - live DJ's most nights - streaming 24/7]
* '''[[Radio Furtopia]]''' ([http://radio.furtopia.org/ home]): [http://radio.furtopia.org:7000/listen.pls dialup] - [http://radio.furtopia.org:7002/listen.pls broadband] [7 days, most hours]
* '''[[Time Machine Show]]''' ([http://www.planetfurry.com/users/sonicblu/ home]): [http://radio.planetfurry.com:8000 dialup] - [http://radio.planetfurry.com:9000 broadband]
* '''[[Club 69 Radio]]''' ([http://www.club69radio.com/ home]): [Furry Oriented Metal, Hard Rock, Pop, Country and Dance music, with live DJ's most nights] - [http://radio.club69radio.net:11734/listen.pls broadband]
* '''[[Ottertunes]]''' ([http://www.taur.net/~ottercomics/ottertunes/]) : [Furry run and occasionally themed radio show, with various shows catering to various tastes, from comedy shows and music, classical, techno, computer gaming and broadcasts of the Otter Island radio show.] - [http://rovr.primcast.com:7120/listen.pls]
* '''[[Friday Night Tech]]''' ([http://fnt.xanacreations.com/ official website]): A live and archived music entertainment show powered by the [[furry fandom]].
* '''[[FurCast]]''' ([http://furcast.xanacreations.com/ official website]): A live and archived [[furry]] talk show, going deep into psychology and culture, and also community powered.

===Podcasts===

* '''[[The Freaky Furry Friends Show]]''': [http://freaky_furry_friends.podomatic.com/ The Freaky Furry Friends Show]
* '''[[FursonaPod]]''': [http://www.fursonapod.com/ A Fun and Informative Discussion of Furry Topics]
* '''[[Umgotts Destroy]]''': The [[Umgotts Studios]] geekdom [[podcast]]. [http://www.umgotts.com/podcasts/index.html Umgotts Destroy]
* '''[[Skunk Smells]]''': [http://skunk.podshow.com/ Skunk Smells podcast]. Hosted by [[Marcus Noble]]
* '''[[Ratcast]]''': Podcast for rodents by [[Jack the Rat]].
* '''[[The Fox and the Hound]]''': Sex, Drugs, Techno, LOL. [http://community.livejournal.com/foxandhoundshow The Fox and the Hound]
* '''[[Woyro's Warren]]''': Podcast about various aspects of furry fandom, hosted by [[Woyro]]. [http://woyroswarren.podshow.com/ Woyro's Warren]
* '''[[KnotCast]]''': A podcast that covers sex in the furry world.
* '''[[Fur What It's Worth]]''': An introduction and immersion into the furry fandom. [http://www.furwhatitsworth.com/ Fur What It's Worth]

===Archives===

* '''[[2 Sense]]''': Rebroadcasted on The Furry Broadcasting Corporation as the ''2 Sense Replay''
* '''[[Sabrina Online Radio Play]]''' ([http://www.psychomouse.phoenixcrash.net/sorp/ home]): [http://www.psychomouse.phoenixcrash.net/sorp/download.html main archive] [http://sabrinaonlinesource.furrynet.com/ mirror]
* '''[[Otter Island Radio Show]]''' ([http://www.virtualhermit.net/~ottercomics/otterisland/ home])
* '''[[Rendal's Ravings]]''' ([http://rendalsravings.podomatic.com home])

===Calendars===
* [http://my.calendars.net/furcast Furcast] - live TV and audio broadcasts for furry fandom

==Videos==
[[Image:KissingLikeAnimals.jpg|frame|right|Kissing to the tune of ''The Animal Song'']]
* '''''[[The Animal Song]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Savage Garden|Savage Garden]]): ''[http://music.yahoo.com/track/1654641 The Animal Song]
* '''''[[Beautiful]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Moby|Moby]]): ''[http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/moby_beautiful_v2.flv.html Beautiful]''

* '''"[[Sarah discovers the truth behind furries]]"'' (hoax/parody)': http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7843328046135961700
** Furry's Response to Sarah: ''[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=931769406814427307 Furries in Action!]'' (filmed at [[Furry Weekend Atlanta 2006|FWA 2006]])
* '''''[[Nature Anthem]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Grandaddy|Grandaddy]]): ''[http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/25580/detail/ Nature Anthem]''
* '''''[[OMGWTF! Furries]]''''' (from [[Umgotts Studios]]): ''[http://www.umgotts.com/omgwtf/index.html OMGWTF! Furries]''
* '''''[[Who Says You Can't Go Home]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Jon Bon Jovi|Jon Bon Jovi]] and [[Wikipedia:Richie Sambora|Richie Sambora]]): [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVTSrCaz3Bg Who Says You Can't Go Home]
*'''''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNZ8IjlkAKA Sentimental Piggy Romance]''''' (Music video by [[Wikipedia:LM.C|LM.C]]) features an anthropomorphic pig searching for true love
* '''The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - [[Higher Than The Stars]]''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQa4k_q_5tU Music video containing fursuits]
* '''Groove Armada - Song 4''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lMJW4V49Yc Music video containing fursuits]
* '''Jeep Liberty commercial''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTLcZ1BCmms Pouring In]
* '''Kaze, Ghost Warrior Trailer 2 ''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmHrA5axtY Trailer for furry film]
* ''[[Human Condition]]'' (Wither's official music video, created by [[AmberCoyote]]) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-siLTV56E
[[Category:Lists|Media links, List of furry]]

List of media links

2015-08-04T09:09:20Z

Chocolate Chip: /* Media coverage/Television appearances */ American dad episode "One Little Word" doesn't have reference to furries. "The Missing Kink" does, with reference to yiffing.

{{split}}
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
This is a '''list of direct links to media''' of particular prominence in the [[furry fandom]]. Detailed information about any particular topic should go on the relevant page.

'''Note:''' If nobody has added a link to your own work, chances are it doesn't meet the above criteria, and ''you'' shouldn't either.

==[[:Category:Animation|Animation]]==

* '''[[30-Second Bunnies Theatre]]''': [http://www.angryalien.com/ Flash animations]
* '''[[Another Day]]''': [http://www.superflashbros.net/movies/another.php Flash animations]
* '''[[Badger Badger Badger]]''': [http://weebls-stuff.com/toons/badgers/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Da Foxx]]''': [http://www.dafoxx.com/ animation site]
* '''[[Dendyn Dynasties]]''': [http://newgrounds.com/portal/view/320490/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Hardware Store]]''' ([http://www.lennoxbuilt.com/ home]): [http://www.lennoxbuilt.com/hws.html Flash animation] ([http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/hws mirror])
* '''[[Kenya]]''' ([http://weebls-stuff.com/ home)]: [http://weebls-stuff.com/toons/kenya Flash animation] - [http://www.fridayparty.org/albums/Flash/Kenya1.mov live action version] ([http://chaz6.com/storage/fur/movies/Kenya1.mov mirror])
* '''[[Move Your Dead Bones]]''' ([http://www.ashido.com/ home]): [http://www.windwhip.net/~winged/archive/reanimator2.swf Flash animation] - '''see also''' [http://www.ashido.com/slalom/slalom4.html Slalomicide] ([http://pantransit.reptiles.org/media/slalom4.swf mirror])
* '''[[Raiders Of The Trash]]''':([http://www.furaffinity.net/view/221716/ Flash animation - homepage]) ([http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/339003 mirror]) ([http://www.furaffinity.net/art/cerberus/1158411453.cerberus_raiders_of_the_trash.swf download link])
* '''[[There she is!!]]''': ([http://www.sambakza.net/ home]): [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/161181 original] ([http://www.flashplayer.com/music/theresheis.html mirror]) - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/224148 Episode 2] ([http://www.flashplayer.com/music/theresheis2.html mirror]) - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/442805 Episode 3]
* '''[[Thomas Timberwolf]]''': [http://frededison.free.fr/ Flash animations]
* '''[[The Fox and the Mirrior]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/236505 Flash animation] (the actual animation is in pencil)

===Mature Animations===
{{rating-nc17-button}}
* '''[[Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me]]''': [http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/bunny.php Flash animation] - [http://www.top40db.net/Lyrics/?SongID=4202&By=Artist&Match=Tism lyrics]
* '''[[Tenacious D "Classico" video]]''': [http://tenaciousd.com/classico/ Flash animation]
* '''[[High Tail Hall]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/182224 Flash animation (version 1.5)]
* '''[[The Tail Underground]]''': [http://www.furnation.com/Ian_R_Soulfox/TheTailUnderground.html Flash animation]
* '''[[Queer Duck]]''': [http://www.sho.com/site/queerduck/home.do Flash animation]
* '''[[Lovesaber]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/282443 Flash animation]
* '''[[KO Fighter]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/270151 Flash animation]
* '''[[Sonic The Pervert]]''': [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/101059 Flash animation] - [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/112636 sequel]
* '''[[Yiffy Flash]]''': [http://yiffyflash.furrynet.com/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Proncoyote]]''': [http://home.arcor.de/e_matthew/.Proncoyote/ Flash animation]
* '''[[Night in the Garden]]''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SRy0l5ZFEY Flash animation]
* '''[[Taurin and the Yiffing Machine]]''' and more by Taurin: [http://www.taurinfox.com/animation.html 3D animation]
* '''Furry dating''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47oAcD2qwzM Humorous animation by Meth]

==[[:Category:Media coverage|Media coverage]]/[[:Category:Television programs|Television]] appearances==
[[Image:ZoomanityGirlOnSeesaw.jpg|right|frame|San Francisco Zoomanity - "It's not always easy being different..."]]
* '''[[Wikipedia:American Dad!|American Dad!]] ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708120/ The Missing Kink]''
* '''[[Anna in Wonderland]]''': ''[http://www.slycat.co.uk/index.php?id=6 Anna in Wonderland]''
* '''[[A Furrytale]]''': ''[http://www.oddisee.tv/2010/10/a-furrytale/]''
* '''[[Wikipedia:Back to You|Back to You]]''': ''[[Business or Pleasure]]'' ''[http://www.hulu.com/watch/10799/back-to-you-business-or-pleasure Hulu episode] or [http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6327943BtgJNjnB Veoh episode] (streamed from Hulu)''
* '''[[CSI]]''' ([[PafCon (CSI)]]): ''[http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/csi.flv.html Fur and Loathing]''
* '''''[[Curse of the Lion Men]]''''' ([[Wikipedia:Mega Man|Mega Man]]): ''[http://www.protoman.com/Cartoons/207-Curse_of_the_Lion_Men-Broadband.html#cartoon Curse of the Lion Men]''
* '''''[[Entourage]]''''': [[The Day Fuckers]]
* '''''[http://tinhouse.com/mag/back_issues/archive/issues/issue_15/feature.html Furry Like Me]''''', By Elissa Schappell, ''[http://www.tinhouse.com/ The Tin House]'', Issue 15, Spring 2003
* '''[[ER]]''': [http://www.lildobe.net/furry/er/ ''Fear of Commitment'' (4 MPGs)] ''[http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1YLHA8LD Full episode from Megaupload]''
* MTV's [[Sex2K]]
* '''Foxy Bingo.com commercials''': A few of many UK advertisements featuring a charismatic anthro fox who wears a purple suit. [http://www.foxybingo.com/ Official site] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJhUoLlNw0Q YouTube] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Mvj-zjOyI&feature=related YouTube] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Rh5FiXt8o YouTube] 
* '''Natural Order''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3SeMI47ckY Cascade Beer commercial] [http://nofatclips.com/02007/11/12/natural/Cascade%20-%20Natural%20Order.mp4 HD download] [http://nofatclips.com/02007/11/12/natural/The%20Natural%20Order.mp4 SD download]
* '''Orangina commercial''': French animation for Orangina involving dancing animals. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck14LKBI9GM YouTube] & [http://motionographermedia.com/psyop/orangina_h264.mov H.264 HD]
* [http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/Commercials_Ads/Misc/SFZoogirlwithtail.mov San Francisco Zoomanity] - not ''intentionally'' a furry advert, but . . .
* [[The Drew Carey Show]]: ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mo2vUEPuA4 Mama Told Me I Should Come]'' (2-minute [[fursuit]] segment)
* TLC's [[Animal Imitators]]: [http://www.offthefence.com/content/programme.php?ID=149&Categories=4 Information] [http://www.lildobe.net/furry/ Watch]
* '''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_For_Sex Wired For Sex]''': ''[http://www.g4tv.com/wiredforsex/videos/index.html 21st Century Fetishes]''
* '''Furries on the Jimmy Kimmel Show''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDtpQnlaNps Segment on the Jimmy Kimmel show where a man went to a furry convention] ([[Confurence_2003|Confurence 2003]] to be more precise.)
*'''[http://www.1trackmind.com/ 1Track Mind]''': ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YXwPyvF8Ng Furries, Pony People & Sexual Role Playing]'' (also on [http://www.archive.org/details/Pritchard-1TrackMind23FurriesPonyPeopleSexualRolePlaying410 Internet Archive])
:''See also the complete [[timeline of media coverage]]''

==[[:Category:Songs|Songs]] and [[:Category:Music|Music]]==

:''See the [[Furry Music Foundation]] [http://www.furrymusic.org/] for most songs.

* '''[[Beautiful]]''' - A song by Moby. It is notable for its [http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/moby_beautiful_v2.flv.html music video], filmed with a fursuited cast.
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENpvNTRHoeQ Sabotage Tribute]''' Video (NC-17) - A homage to the [[Wikipedia:Beastie Boys|Beastie Boys]] music video ''Sabotage'' starring [[Fredryk Phox]], [[2]], and [[Kutztown Dragon]]
* '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD6zvIRHFII&fmt=18 Popu-fur]''' - [[Raspberry Roo]] and [[Sophie Cabra]] steal [[Further Confusion 2009]]'s variety show with this song sung by [[Jilduck]] to the theme of ''[[Wikipedia:Wicked|Wicked]]'' 's [[Wikipedia:Popular (song)|"Popular"]] ([http://superwailingbonus.com/stuff/popufur/ MP3 and lyrics])
* '''[[The Distance]]''' A song by the band Cake. The music video includes people in animals costumes including a brown (bear?), a skunk, an elephant, a tiger, a costume with antlers or horns (deer or bull?), a Playboy-bunny-type costume and a yellow-and-green costume. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__PU5CVSegg
* '''[[Human Condition]]''' A song by Wither, known for adapting a fan-made furry animation created by [[AmberCoyote]] as their official music video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-siLTV56E
* '''[[We Know Something You Don't Know]]''' A song by DJ Format has the Jurassic 5 crew rapping and dancing in furry costumes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkjTM4AfYdU

==[[:Category:Puppetry|Puppetry]] and [[fursuit|Fursuiting]]==

* '''[[Fluff & Such]]''' ([http://www.fluffandsuch.com/ home]): [http://www.fluffandsuch.com/what.shtml pawpet videos] - [http://www.cafepress.com/fluffandsuch/ shop]
* '''[[Funday PawPet Show]]''' ([http://pawpet.tv/ home]) - requires [http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ QuickTime 7] installed, can then use RealPlayer/MPC/VideoLAN to play
** '''Show''': [http://pawpet.org/streams/fps-hi.mov QT7 broadband] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/fps-lo.mov QT7 dialup] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/34k-a.ram RealPlayer dialup] [airs 5PM-9PM EST Sundays]
** '''Replays''': [http://pawpet.org/streams/fundayhi.mov QT7 broadband] - [http://pawpet.org/streams/fundaylo.mov QT7 dialup]
** '''Other''': [http://www.pawpet.tv/2-pawpets.mp3 Pawpet song] by [[2]] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/pawpet-hampster.mp4 logo animation] by [[Rikki-Tik]] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/index.php?ircchat live chat] - [http://www.pawpet.tv/index.php?contributions donations]
* '''[[Furry TV]]''' ([http://www.furrytv.com/ Homepage]) - [Airs live 8PM-10PM EST Thursdays, streams in high bandwidth Quicktime only, archived shows on Youtube.com]
* '''[[Timduru]]'s [[FursuitTV]]''' ([http://fursuittv.timduru.org/ home]): [http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FursuitTV/ FursuitTV Archives] - generally 9PM GMT every first Saturday of the month
* '''[[pawpet.de]]''' ([http://www.pawpet.de/pawpets.html home]): [http://www.pawpet.de/pawpets.html pawpet videos]
* '''[[Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends]]''' ([http://www.pawpet.org/rapidtrabbit home])
**[http://mnn.org/stream/ch57.asx Streams] Wednesdays 5:30-6PM EST - requires [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/mp10/ Windows Media Player]
**Also run prior to the Funday PawPet Show, 4:30-5PM EST Sundays (see above)
* '''[[Southpaw Video Productions]]''': [http://www.clovertone.com/video/ pawpet videos]
* '''[[Dusty and Oreo Pawpet Show]]''': ([http://do-pawpets.ca home])

==[[:Category:Radio|Radio]] and [[:Category:Podcasts|Podcasts]]==

===Live shows (Mp3 streaming)===

* '''[[The Rabbit Hole With Romeo Rabbit]]''' ([http://www.live365.com/stations/member_10474190075 home]): [24 Hours live show 12am - 3am Sunday night/Monday morning, with [[Howler]] Live Sunday nights after [[Radio Unifurse]] & the only furry radio stream on Live 365. The home of Radio Lawn with [[Ricochet]], as well as the biggest furry singers including [[Bucktown Tiger]], [[Matthew Ebel]], [[Sub-Level 03]], Kurrel The Raven, and more!]
* '''[[FBC|Furry Broadcasting Corporation]]''' ([http://fbc.jaieproductions.com/ home]): [http://212.227.90.49:8058/listen.pls dialup] - [http://fbc.jaieproductions.com/dl/listen.pls broadband] [24 Hours, shows various hours, other hours Furry oriented Rock/Pop/Anime/Dance music]
* '''[[LT3M|Less Than Three Music]]''' ([http://www.lt3m.com/ home]): [http://www.lt3m.com/lowbw.m3u dialup] - [http://www.lt3m.com/listen.m3u broadband Mp3] - [http://www.lt3m.com/aac.m3u broadband Aac+] [Furry oriented techno/trance/dance music - live DJ's most nights - streaming 24/7]
* '''[[Radio Furtopia]]''' ([http://radio.furtopia.org/ home]): [http://radio.furtopia.org:7000/listen.pls dialup] - [http://radio.furtopia.org:7002/listen.pls broadband] [7 days, most hours]
* '''[[Time Machine Show]]''' ([http://www.planetfurry.com/users/sonicblu/ home]): [http://radio.planetfurry.com:8000 dialup] - [http://radio.planetfurry.com:9000 broadband]
* '''[[Club 69 Radio]]''' ([http://www.club69radio.com/ home]): [Furry Oriented Metal, Hard Rock, Pop, Country and Dance music, with live DJ's most nights] - [http://radio.club69radio.net:11734/listen.pls broadband]
* '''[[Ottertunes]]''' ([http://www.taur.net/~ottercomics/ottertunes/]) : [Furry run and occasionally themed radio show, with various shows catering to various tastes, from comedy shows and music, classical, techno, computer gaming and broadcasts of the Otter Island radio show.] - [http://rovr.primcast.com:7120/listen.pls]
* '''[[Friday Night Tech]]''' ([http://fnt.xanacreations.com/ official website]): A live and archived music entertainment show powered by the [[furry fandom]].
* '''[[FurCast]]''' ([http://furcast.xanacreations.com/ official website]): A live and archived [[furry]] talk show, going deep into psychology and culture, and also community powered.

===Podcasts===

* '''[[The Freaky Furry Friends Show]]''': [http://freaky_furry_friends.podomatic.com/ The Freaky Furry Friends Show]
* '''[[FursonaPod]]''': [http://www.fursonapod.com/ A Fun and Informative Discussion of Furry Topics]
* '''[[Umgotts Destroy]]''': The [[Umgotts Studios]] geekdom [[podcast]]. [http://www.umgotts.com/podcasts/index.html Umgotts Destroy]
* '''[[Skunk Smells]]''': [http://skunk.podshow.com/ Skunk Smells podcast]. Hosted by [[Marcus Noble]]
* '''[[Ratcast]]''': Podcast for rodents by [[Jack the Rat]].
* '''[[The Fox and the Hound]]''': Sex, Drugs, Techno, LOL. [http://community.livejournal.com/foxandhoundshow The Fox and the Hound]
* '''[[Woyro's Warren]]''': Podcast about various aspects of furry fandom, hosted by [[Woyro]]. [http://woyroswarren.podshow.com/ Woyro's Warren]
* '''[[KnotCast]]''': A podcast that covers sex in the furry world.
* '''[[Fur What It's Worth]]''': An introduction and immersion into the furry fandom. [http://www.furwhatitsworth.com/ Fur What It's Worth]

===Archives===

* '''[[2 Sense]]''': Rebroadcasted on The Furry Broadcasting Corporation as the ''2 Sense Replay''
* '''[[Sabrina Online Radio Play]]''' ([http://www.psychomouse.phoenixcrash.net/sorp/ home]): [http://www.psychomouse.phoenixcrash.net/sorp/download.html main archive] [http://sabrinaonlinesource.furrynet.com/ mirror]
* '''[[Otter Island Radio Show]]''' ([http://www.virtualhermit.net/~ottercomics/otterisland/ home])
* '''[[Rendal's Ravings]]''' ([http://rendalsravings.podomatic.com home])

===Calendars===
* [http://my.calendars.net/furcast Furcast] - live TV and audio broadcasts for furry fandom

==Videos==
[[Image:KissingLikeAnimals.jpg|frame|right|Kissing to the tune of ''The Animal Song'']]
* '''''[[The Animal Song]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Savage Garden|Savage Garden]]): ''[http://music.yahoo.com/track/1654641 The Animal Song]
* '''''[[Beautiful]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Moby|Moby]]): ''[http://www.lildobe.net/gallery2/v/Furry/media/moby_beautiful_v2.flv.html Beautiful]''

* '''"[[Sarah discovers the truth behind furries]]"'' (hoax/parody)': http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7843328046135961700
** Furry's Response to Sarah: ''[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=931769406814427307 Furries in Action!]'' (filmed at [[Furry Weekend Atlanta 2006|FWA 2006]])
* '''''[[Nature Anthem]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Grandaddy|Grandaddy]]): ''[http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/25580/detail/ Nature Anthem]''
* '''''[[OMGWTF! Furries]]''''' (from [[Umgotts Studios]]): ''[http://www.umgotts.com/omgwtf/index.html OMGWTF! Furries]''
* '''''[[Who Says You Can't Go Home]]''''' (music video by [[Wikipedia:Jon Bon Jovi|Jon Bon Jovi]] and [[Wikipedia:Richie Sambora|Richie Sambora]]): [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVTSrCaz3Bg Who Says You Can't Go Home]
*'''''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNZ8IjlkAKA Sentimental Piggy Romance]''''' (Music video by [[Wikipedia:LM.C|LM.C]]) features an anthropomorphic pig searching for true love
* '''The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - [[Higher Than The Stars]]''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQa4k_q_5tU Music video containing fursuits]
* '''Groove Armada - Song 4''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lMJW4V49Yc Music video containing fursuits]
* '''Jeep Liberty commercial''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTLcZ1BCmms Pouring In]
* '''Kaze, Ghost Warrior Trailer 2 ''': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBmHrA5axtY Trailer for furry film]
* ''[[Human Condition]]'' (Wither's official music video, created by [[AmberCoyote]]) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD-siLTV56E
[[Category:Lists|Media links, List of furry]]