Online communities of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom

{{Short description|Online communities of My Little Pony fans}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:Online communities of the ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' fandom}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}} Since the 2010 debut of ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', numerous online communities have emerged to support the show's adult fandom (commonly known as ''bronies''). These communities span dedicated websites, imageboards, social media platforms, and specialized repositories for creative content. Even after the conclusion of the television series in 2019, online spaces dedicated to ''Friendship Is Magic'' have remained active, with some experiencing increased engagement during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020.<ref name="Moran-2023">{{cite journal |last=Moran |first=Joe |title=Their little pony: The weird world of fandom |journal=TLS. Times Literary Supplement |issue=6266 |date=May 5, 2023 |pages=7 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A749302577/LitRC |access-date=April 12, 2025}}</ref>

== List of fan community websites == {{dynamic list}} === ''Equestria Daily'' === {{Main|Equestria Daily}} [[File:Jayson Thiessen and Sethisto at BroNYCon Sept. 2011 cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Jayson Thiessen (left) and Shaun Scotellaro ("Sethisto") at BroNYCon 2011]] Established in January 2011 by Shaun Scotellaro (known online as "Sethisto"), ''Equestria Daily'' is one of the largest and most influential news sites in the brony community. The site aggregates fan artwork, fiction, videos, and music, while also reporting on official franchise announcements.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.macleans.ca/2011/09/07/ponies-do-sondheim/ | title = Ponies Do Sondheim | last = Weinman | first = Jaime | date = 2011-09-07 | access-date = 2011-09-23 | work = Maclean's}}</ref> By 2014, the site had surpassed 500 million views.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/06/half-billion-celebration-time.html | title=Half a Billion Celebration Time | author=Sethisto | publisher=Equestria Daily | date=2014-06-15 | access-date=2014-06-16}}</ref> In 2017, selected archives of ''Equestria Daily'' were included in the Library of Congress's "Web Cultures Web Archive Collection".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2017/09/the_library_of_congress_web_cultures_web_archive_is_collecting_memes_as.html | title = Memes Are the New Jump-Rope Songs | first = Jacob | last = Brogen | date = September 4, 2017 | access-date = March 18, 2018 | work = Slate }}</ref>

=== /mlp/ === {{Main|/mlp/}} /mlp/ is the ''My Little Pony'' board on 4chan. Created by 4chan's founder Christopher "moot" Poole in February 2012 following the growing popularity of pony-related content on 4chan,<ref name="Schimpf-2015">{{cite journal |last=Schimpf |first=Kaitlyn Elizabeth |title=Straight from the Horse's Mouth: A Case Study on the Adult Male Fans of My Little Pony |journal=MacEwan University Student eJournal |volume=2 |issue=1 |date=October 2015 |doi=10.31542/j.muse.192|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="nyobserver origin">{{cite news | url = https://observer.com/2011/08/pony-up-haters-how-4chan-gave-birth-to-the-bronies/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312090619/http://betabeat.com/2011/08/pony-up-haters-how-4chan-gave-birth-to-the-bronies/| archive-date=March 12, 2014|url-status=live| title = Pony Up Haters: How 4chan Gave Birth to the Bronies | first = Una | last = LaMarche | date =2011-08-03 | access-date = 2011-08-03 | newspaper = The New York Observer }}</ref> /mlp/ is a transgressive community within the brony fandom, with some users (referred to as [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anon#Noun ''anons'']) preferring to adopt self-deprecating terms like ''horsefuckers'' or ''ponyfags''.<ref name="bailey">{{cite journal |last1=Bailey |first1=John |last2=Harvey |first2=Brenna |title='That pony is real sexy': My Little Pony fans, sexual abjection, and the politics of masculinity online |journal=Sexualities |date=2017 |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=325–342 |doi=10.1177/1363460717731932 }}</ref> The board has hosted Q&A sessions with series creator Lauren Faust<ref name="Connelly-2017">{{cite book |last=Connelly |first=S. |title=Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E3VPDgAAQBAJ |year=2017 |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |isbn=9781476662091 |lccn=2016044897 |page=183}}</ref> and screenwriter M.A. Larson,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.equestriadaily.com/2020/10/ma-larson-did-q-on-4chan-revealing.html|title=M.A. Larson Did a Q&A On 4chan, Revealing Cancelled Scripts, Early Show Discussion, and More!|first=Shaun|last=Scotellaro|website=Equestria Daily|date=2020-10-11|access-date=2025-04-27}}</ref> and has been the subject of academic research examining its distinct fan culture.<ref name="bailey"/>

=== Derpibooru === {{Main|Derpibooru}} Founded in 2012, Derpibooru is the largest dedicated imageboard for ''My Little Pony'' fan art.<ref name="Edwards-2019">{{cite book |last1=Edwards |first1=Patrick |last2=Chadborn |first2=Daniel P. |last3=Plante |first3=Courtney N. |last4=Reysen |first4=Stephen |last5=Redden |first5=Marsha Howze |title=Meet the Bronies: The Psychology of the Adult My Little Pony Fandom |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |location=United States |isbn=9781476663715 |date=September 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Alter-2020">{{Cite web|last=Alter|first=Rebecca|date=2020-06-23|title=The Largest My Little Pony Fan Site Bans Your Horse-Crap Racist Fan Art|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/the-largest-my-little-pony-fan-site-bans-racist-fan-art.html|access-date=2021-06-04|website=Vulture|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name="Tiffany-2021">{{Cite web|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|date=2020-06-23|title='My Little Pony' Fans Are Ready to Admit They Have a Nazi Problem|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/06/my-little-pony-nazi-4chan-black-lives-matter/613348/|access-date=2021-06-04|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}</ref> Named after the fan-created character Derpy Hooves and the suffix ''-booru'' (from Japanese, meaning "board"), the site hosts over 3.1 million images as of April 2025.<ref name="Statistics">{{cite web|url=https://derpibooru.org/pages/stats|title=Statistics|website=Derpibooru|access-date=2025-04-16}}</ref> The site employs a user-driven tagging system and content rating categories ranging from "safe" to "explicit."<ref name="Bajor-2015">{{cite thesis |last=Bajor |first=Jan |title=Między bajką a perwersją – pornografia i erotyka fanowska w środowisku internetowym na przykładzie fandomu My Little Pony: Przyjaźń to Magia |trans-title=Between fairy tale and perversion - fan pornography and erotica in the internet environment using the example of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom |type=Master's thesis |publisher=University of Warsaw |location=Warsaw |date=June 2015 |department=Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology |language=pl}}</ref> In June 2020, following controversies during the George Floyd protests, Derpibooru implemented policy changes banning racist content.<ref name="Tiffany-2021"/><ref name="Alter-2020"/>

=== Fimfiction === {{Main|Fimfiction}} Launched in July 2011,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fimfiction.net/faq/questions/172/when-was-fimfictionnet-started|title=When was Fimfiction.net started?|access-date=2025-04-12|date=2011-07-22|website=Fimfiction}}</ref> Fimfiction is the largest repository for ''My Little Pony'' fan fiction.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Domoney-Lyttle |first1=Zanne |last2=Welton |first2=Rebekah |title=Bibles in Popular Cultures |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies |year=2024 |publisher=T&T Clark |isbn=9780567702210 |url=http://digital.casalini.it/9780567702210}}</ref> As of 2025, the site hosts over 155,000 published stories and has more than 624,000 registered users.<ref name="stats">{{cite web|url=https://www.fimfiction.net/statistics|title=Site Statistics|website=Fimfiction|access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref> Unlike many fan fiction communities that trend female in participation, Fimfiction has a predominantly male audience.<ref name="Campbell-2016">{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Julie Ann |last2=Aragon |first2=Cecilia |last3=Davis |first3=Katie |last4=Evans |first4=Sarah |last5=Evans |first5=Abigail |last6=Randall |first6=David P. |title=Proceedings of the 19th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing |chapter=Thousands of Positive Reviews: Distributed Mentoring in Online Fan Communities |year=2016 |pages=691–704|doi=10.1145/2818048.2819934 |arxiv=1510.01425 |isbn=978-1-4503-3592-8 }}</ref> The site features a comprehensive content rating system, specialized user groups for different genres and interests, and a "distributed mentoring" system where writers receive feedback from multiple community members.<ref name="Evans-2017">{{cite book |last1=Evans |first1=Sarah |last2=Davis |first2=Katie |last3=Evans |first3=Abigail |last4=Campbell |first4=Julie Ann |last5=Randall |first5=David P. |last6=Yin |first6=Kodlee |last7=Aragon |first7=Cecilia |title=Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing |chapter=More Than Peer Production: Fanfiction Communities as Sites of Distributed Mentoring |year=2017 |pages=259–272|doi=10.1145/2998181.2998342 |arxiv=1611.01549 |isbn=978-1-4503-4335-0 }}</ref>

=== MLPForums === Launched in February 2011,<ref name="Schimpf-2015"/> MLPForums is a discussion forum for the brony community.<ref name="Bajor-2015"/> MLPForums features a traditional forum structure with registered usernames and profiles. The site includes specialized sections like the "Welcoming Plaza" where new members introduce themselves, art and creative sections, and areas for discussing episodes and characters.<ref name="Schimpf-2015"/>

=== ''Pony Town'' === ''Pony Town'' is a 2016 browser-based virtual world massively multiplayer online role-playing game in which players can customize pony original characters and ponysonas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.igdb.com/games/pony-town|website=IGDB|access-date=2025-05-22|title=Pony Town}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.equestriadaily.com/2016/08/be-pony-in-pony-town.html|title=Be a Pony in PONY TOWN|first=Shaun|last=Scotellaro|website=Equestria Daily|date=2016-08-15|access-date=2025-05-22}}</ref> During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 edition of Vanhoover Pony Expo was conducted virtually using a ''Pony Town'' server that featured digitally recreated Vancouver landmarks.<ref name="Thomson-2022">{{cite web|title=My Little Pony fans to gallop into digitally recreated version of 'Vanhoover' (PHOTOS)|last=Thomson|first=Cameron|date=2022-01-02|website=Burnaby Now|url=https://www.burnabynow.com/highlights/my-little-pony-fans-to-gallop-into-digitally-recreated-version-of-vanhoover-photos-4916344|access-date=2025-07-29|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309043355/https://www.burnabynow.com/highlights/my-little-pony-fans-to-gallop-into-digitally-recreated-version-of-vanhoover-photos-4916344|archive-date=2022-03-09}}</ref>

=== Ponychan === Founded in February 2011 following the temporary ban of pony content on 4chan,<ref name="Schimpf-2015"/> The rapid growth of pony-related content on 4chan, which increased from 200 to 6000 posts per day between October 2010 and February 2011, and the persistent backlash and resentment from non-brony 4chan users, contributed to the need for a dedicated space.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Bethan |title=My Little Pony, tolerance is magic: Gender policing and Brony anti-fandom |journal=Journal of Popular Television |volume=3 |issue=1 |year=2015 |pages=119–125 |doi=10.1386/jptv.3.1.119_1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=Caren |title=Citizen Science: How Ordinary People are Changing the Face of Discovery |publisher=ABRAMS, Incorporated |date=December 20, 2016 |isbn=9781468314144 |page=115}}</ref> Ponychan was created by former 4chan users seeking a space where they could freely discuss ''Friendship Is Magic'' without 4chan's restrictions.<ref name="Schimpf-2015"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Ellis |first=Bill |title=What Bronies See When They Brohoof: Queering Animation on the Dark and Evil Internet |journal=The Journal of American Folklore |volume=128 |issue=509 |year=2015 |pages=298–314 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.128.509.0298}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Morris |first=Jill |title=Gender and Race, Online Communities, and Composition Classrooms |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=Wayne State University |location=Detroit |year=2011 |pages=170–173}}</ref> Ponychan shut down in January 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.equestriadaily.com/2024/01/ponychan-releases-final-statement-as.html|title=Ponychan Releases Final Statement as Doors Close|first=Shaun|last=Scotellaro|website=Equestria Daily|date=2024-01-08|access-date=2025-05-19}}</ref>

== Mainstream platforms == === DeviantArt === {{Main|DeviantArt}} DeviantArt has been a major platform for ''My Little Pony'' fan artists since 2011. By June 2012, the site hosted more than 500,000 pieces of ''Friendship Is Magic'' artwork.<ref name="pittsburg gazette summer12">{{cite news | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2012/06/29/Pittsburgh-guys-profess-love-for-My-Little-Pony/stories/201206290240 | title = Pittsburgh guys profess love for My Little Pony | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | first = Rob | last = Wennemer | date = 2012-06-29 | access-date = 2012-06-29 }}</ref> The brony community on DeviantArt organizes around themed groups, with some containing more than tens of thousands of members.<ref name="Bajor-2015">{{cite thesis |last=Bajor |first=Jan |title=Między bajką a perwersją – pornografia i erotyka fanowska w środowisku internetowym na przykładzie fandomu My Little Pony: Przyjaźń to Magia |trans-title=Between fairy tale and perversion - fan pornography and erotica in the internet environment using the example of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom |type=Master's thesis |publisher=University of Warsaw |location=Warsaw |date=June 2015 |department=Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology |language=pl}}</ref>

=== Reddit === Multiple subreddits are dedicated to ''My Little Pony'', with r/mylittlepony serving as the main community hub.<ref name="Mountford-2015">{{cite thesis |last=Mountford |first=J.B |title=Creating Masculinities Online: Bronies and The Red Pill |type=Master's thesis |year=2015 |degree=Master of Arts in Gender and Media |institution=University of Sussex |department=School of Media, Film and Music }}</ref><ref name="Schimpf-2015"/> Other specialized subreddits include r/MLPLounge for off-topic discussion and r/clopclop for pornography of the characters.<ref name="Mountford-2015"/>

=== YouTube === YouTube hosts numerous ''My Little Pony''-focused channels dedicated to analysis, reviews, animations, and music. The platform has been used for sharing fan-created "pony music videos" (PMVs) and animations.<ref name="robertson">{{cite journal |last1=Robertson |first1=Venetia Laura Delano |title=Of ponies and men: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the Brony fandom |journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies |publisher=SAGE Publishing |date=January 2014 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=21–37 |doi=10.1177/1367877912464368|s2cid=146577717 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis | last = Jung | first = Soo keung | title = Global Audience Participation in the Production and Consumption of Gangnam Style | date = 2014-05-10 | publisher = Georgia State University | department = Department of Communication | url = https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_theses/106 | access-date = 2025-04-10 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Berg |first=Peter |date=April 2013 |title=My Little Pony takes Internet by storm |work=Young D.C. |issue=1 |page=7 |url=https://youngdc.org/ydc_PDFs/pdf/Vol22_Iss4_2013apr.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209145112/http://youngdc.org/ydc_PDFs/pdf/Vol22_Iss4_2013apr.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-09 }} </ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Crome |first=Andrew |date=2019 |title=Cosplay in the pulpit and ponies at prayer: Christian faith and lived religion in wider fan culture |journal=Culture and Religion |volume=20 |issue=2 |page=19 |doi=10.1080/14755610.2019.1624268 |url=https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/623009/3/Faith%20and%20Fandom%20submission%20revision%20deposit.pdf }} </ref>

=== TikTok === ''My Little Pony'' fan works have also gained popularity on TikTok.<ref name="Miller-2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.trillmag.com/entertainment/infection-spreads-across-my-little-pony/|title=Infection Spreads Across My Little Pony|date=2024-04-20|access-date=2025-04-12|website=Trill Mag|first=Riley|last=Miller}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.equestriadaily.com/ Equestria Daily] * [https://derpibooru.org/ Derpibooru] * [https://www.fimfiction.net/ Fimfiction]

Category:Brony fandom Category:Fan fiction Category:Internet forums