Puts a whole new spin on the term ponyboy, doesn't it...

I like to think I'm pretty well versed in the bizarre elements of life.  It takes a lot to surprise me these days.  I've heard about, if not witnessed, most of the strange things out there.

But I have to admit I dropped the ball on the whole Brony thing.

How on earth did I miss this one?  How could there be such an enormous fan base for something so strange and I didn't even notice?  I'm genuinely ashamed of myself.

For those of you who don't know, a Brony is the name given to people (usually guys in their teens or early twenties) who are fans of the cartoon "My Little Pony".

Yep, I'm totally serious.

There are fangroups and websites and clubs dedicated to these pony-loving guys (and doesn't that just sound all kinds of wrong).   We're talking a lot of people here, so many that the internet is just saturated with them.  Seriously, do a google search ... hell, do a google image search if you're brave.  You'll see what I mean.

That must have come as a bit of a shock to the manufacturers.  There they were making toys and a related cartoon about pastel ponies with magical powers, they must have assumed their main demographic would be girls between the ages of 7 and 12.  Instead, they end up with hordes of boys ... men, really ... who all love those damned horses.

Of course, I don't really have any room to talk.  Some of the shows I've been part of the fandom of have been pretty embarrassing.  Sliders, Young Riders, and let's not even talk about the best forgotten Young Americans fiasco of 2000.

Hell, even now I'm a Gleek.  I really can't be casting any stones.

But I think the facet of it that disturbs me the most is the amount of money some people are willing to pay for costumes so they can dress up as their favourite My Little Pony character.  Some friends were telling me that they knew someone who charged up to five grand to make a custom cosume.

Come on, you can't convince me that this is just your run of the mill cosplaying.  No one pays that sort of cash unless it's the seedy, kinky, Jerry Springeresque kind of dressing up!

Pretending to be ponies ... I definitely don't want to know how the dynamics of that one works.

Well, I may not understand the whole Brony thing, but if there's one think in this world I know about it's being a fan.  Speaking as someone who has been part of one fandom or another for the past twenty years, I know very well that you don't choose the fandom life, the fandom life chooses you.

So welcome to the brotherhood, you crazy pastel pony loving dudes!