By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger reporting from Baltimore.
We were in Baltimore for a family event this weekend. Our hotel was near the Convention Center. We soon noticed hundreds of people walking around in costumes with iridescent tales and hair, pony ears, wigs, wings, and wild clothing. There were young girls and adult young men as the predominant demographics, but there were many adult women, and most participants were wearing a wide spectrum of bizarre outfits. I saw very few boys involved.
It turns out that an idea from the 1980’s, where Hasbro sold plastic ponies to 3 year old girls, has exploded over the ensuing years into a sort of cult. It evolved into a marketing franchise aimed later at girls around age 10, and then recently it exploded into a fad that interests adult young men (and women.) Hundreds of them were marching around, and I saw some young guys carrying fake guns, masks, and stuffed toys cradled in their arms.
I asked a few Brony adults about it, and they said that they love the Brony culture where “friendship is magic.” They call themselves “Bronies” and there are hundreds of thousands of them on social media sites around the world. I was on another elevator ride with a bunch of Bronies. A young woman, perhaps late teens, was singing quietly a catchy melody; the guy next to her joined in. It seems that they have their own soundtrack (see video below)
A full length movie is in production now (due out in 2017). This phenomenon has a long and varied history, but Hasbro is making out really well by this strange situation.
As for Baltimore, it is hosting the world’s largest Brony convention. They are expecting about 10,000 people at BronyCon 2015.
My opinion? It seems weird and worrisome, and I couldn’t get a straight answer as to why adults are into it. But there is something about it that reminds me of a religious cult.
