Rebooting Ponies and Men: Discordant Masculinity and the Brony Fandom

Abstract

In recent years, Brony fandom has grown from a small Internet-based fan community into a pop culture phenomenon complete with large-scale conventions. The appearance of Bronies in mainstream media confounds onlookers because the majority are young adult men celebrating the virtues of candy-colored ponies. This fandom is openly contesting traditional concepts of masculinity, particularly in the United States, by embracing the pony mantra of “love and tolerance.” This theme promotes sharing feelings, acceptance of others, and improving interpersonal relationships. This article seeks to describe some of the characteristics of the fandom and how Bronies are creating a new construction of masculinity called discordant masculinity that steers away from postfeminist trappings in other, “hybrid,” forms of masculinity.