We've recently written a couple posts about Bronies, adult men who love the cartoon My Little Pony. This touched a nerve with one Brony, who is also a Gawker commenter. He was kind enough to explain a bit about his corner of the internet.

Bronies share an unironic love of the new My Little Pony series, based on the classic 80s toys. They have a vibrant community on the web, with news sites like EquestriaDaily, and an annual BronyCon. (Wired has the definitive article on the phenomenon.) But bronies are also burdened by prejudice and ridicule from the non-brony world.

Commenter Rephil wanted to set a few of the more common misconceptions straight:

I should start this off by saying that my wife and I are bronies. Given the comments that I have seen when brony-related news appears, I feel the need to set the record straight about the brony phenomenon.

First, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is not enjoyed exclusively by homosexuals. While I know gay men who enjoy it, many of our straight friends are enamored of the show as well.

Second, liking MLP:FIM doesn't go hand in hand with being a furry. There may be some crossover, but there is also crossover between bankers and furries and people don't automatically assume that their local bank tellers yiff like crazy in their spare time.

Third, MLP:FIM is a new version of the show because Lauren Faust, who worked on Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, wanted to make a kids show that wouldn't cause the adults that watch with their children to slam their heads into the wall to make the saccharine, high-pitched, aural trauma go away.

Fourth, an acceptable term for a female brony is pegasister or pegasis for short.

This concludes your brony lecture of the day. Any questions?

Any questions? Hopefully Rephil will hang out in the comments and answer them, if he's not too busy frolicking in Equesteria.

[Image of bronies via Lynne_watanabe/Flickr]