It's 4AM and I'm bored.

Let me preface this by saying that I don't really feel the need to write this as a means to defend myself, let's face it, it's pretty socially acceptable at this point to admit you like My Little Pony, even if you're a male in your twenties. It seems shallow, however, to imply that I'm only admitting such because it is already socially acceptable. So let's take a closer look at what exactly is going on in my mind, at least.

First let's consider the primary targeted demographic and the intended message. Lauren Faust has said on multiple occasions her intent was to provide strong, female characters as role models for young girls. This comes as no surprise and I believe that the characters act as good role models for women of all ages. Providing good role models only goes so far in building character though if society on the whole still deems these traits as socially unacceptable. That brings us to the secondary, unintended yet almost necessary demographic of the older (and hopefully to some degree the younger) males. By targeting this group as well the foundation is set for creating a culture that is going to be receptive of these female archetypes. It's not just OK for a little girl to say she wants to grow up to be a strong, industrious worker like Applejack but also OK for a male to admit he considers such traits desirable in a woman.

Now let's look at the ponies themselves and why men might be attracted to them physically, mentally, and emotionally. The designs of the characters are meant to be very aesthetically appealing with pleasing proportions and vibrant colors. As well they are voiced by some talented actresses that help give the characters depth and bring them to life. There's a reason we like watching them prance about the screen and interacting, even if the level of comprehension is aimed at an audience a good 10 or more years below us. In so far as sexual attraction is concerned, I think a lot of that has to do with the over-sexualization of society in that admitting that anything that is attractive, physically, mentally or both, must also be sexually attractive. I don't mean to make deep-cutting implications (especially here in the furry community because, hey, your thing is your thing and I don't judge) but I don't necessarily find this the case. Attraction and sexual attraction need not be mutually inclusive.

I'm sure the internet already has opinions on the supposed age of our heroines but I'm going to take a stab at it myself. When looking at the Mane 6 we see individuals who are independent homeowners sometimes with self-owned businesses (Applejack, Rarity.) This puts a lower bound of 18 as a possibility though not a high probability. Early 20's is also possible but not likely. Mid to upper 20's seems most likely with a stretch to low 30's even being in the realm of plausibility. Take this in conjunction with the portrayal of the characters as anthropomorphized ponies and you end up with a certain level of disconnect that actually ends up making the characters more relatable to the secondary demographic. Instead of simply saying, "I like Applejack" or "I like Rainbow Dash" they can admit, "I consider myself more like Applejack" or "I'm more like Rainbow Dash." Having the characters portrayed as ponies also deemphasizes the perceived importance of physical beauty and focuses more on the desirability and acceptance of the personalities.

In conclusion: I like to overanalyze things until I ruin them and make them no fun and also I could have cited sources to lend this essay a sliver of credibility but screw it I'm going to sleep now goodbye.