Lauren Faust explains why I love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

[NuclearDem]

This is from a few years ago, but since I just recently joined the herd of MLP fans, I've been looking for something explaining exactly why, in addition to the excellent writing and art design, I love the show. I found that in a rebuttal to critics written by the show's creator, feminist Lauren Faust.

http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/12/24/my-little-non-homophobic-non-racist-non-smart-shaming-pony-a-rebuttal/

I have been a lifelong feminist, and as an artist working in the animation industry for more than 16 years I have striven to do right by women and girls in the animated projects I have been part of. I try to bring sincerity and depth to the female characters I’ve animated and have fought in development and story meetings to make female characters more than just the typical girlfriend, Mom or sex symbol. I’ve even fought to see that there was more than just one girl character in whatever project I was working on. Sometimes I swayed my coworkers (often it was easy, to their credit) and sometimes I lost. My goal, as an artist and as a storyteller, was to one day have a show of my own for and about girls.

...

There are lots of different ways to be a girl. You can be sweet and shy, or bold and physical. You can be silly and friendly, or reserved and studious. You can be strong and hard working, or artistic and beautiful. This show is wonderfully free of “token girl” syndrome, so there is no pressure to shove all the ideals of what we want our daughters to be into one package. There is a diversity of personalities, ambitions, talents, strengths and even flaws in our characters–it’s not an army of cookie-cutter nice-girls or cookie-cutter beauty queens like you see in most shows for girls.

Find out what makes you you. Follow your passions and ambitions, not what others expect of you. For instance, if you like sports don’t let someone’s suggestion that that is unfeminine stop you from doing what you love. Be considerate of others’ feelings, but not at the expense of your own goals and dreams.

...

Cartoons for girls don’t have to be a puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness. Girls like stories with real conflict; girls are smart enough to understand complex plots; girls aren’t as easily frightened as everyone seems to think. Girls are complex human beings, and they can be brave, strong, kind and independent–but they can also be uncertain, awkward, silly, arrogant or stubborn. They shouldn’t have to succumb to pressure to be perfect.

I highlighted what I consider to be the most important points, but the whole article is worth a read.

[seabeyond]

1. “Girls don’t watch cartoons,”

in what world. my fav.... scooby, winnie, flintstones, jetsens and a few others. raising kids, hey, boys and girls. in what world do girls not watch cartoons?

from the very start, the first argument, they fabricate a lie to manipulate society, for all of us to live. a bunch of men, that know not what a girl does, that are not home raising these daughters to see, are telling us, girls do not watch cartoons.

i have a 22 yr old niece that will still turn on nickolodian, and not for the adult shit.

odd. cartoons have long since been a past until i had kids and had to participate with them. but that was more parenting and the kids were my entertainment, not the cartoon.

other than that, i have never watched the show.