I have a firm scientific theory as to why
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic holds such appeal for a wide variety of grown men.
My theory goes like this:
1. The wide range of character types means there's something everyone can empathize with. Asians, nerds and people who do a lot of work and never get thanked for it can empathize with Twilight. Postmen, babies, and people who form unrequited crushes on members of completely different species can empathize with Spike. Anyone who has ever gotten told by a girl can empathize with that dragon in episode seven. There is a pony or dragon (sometimes two) for everyone in this show.
2. Our culture has repeatedly spread us the image that men can only be gun-toting hunks whose only goals in life are to kill and bang things. Since real men have actual personalities this means we're often more in touch with our feminine side, and thus care more about women than men. This show has pretty much an all-female cast.
3. Do you remember
Where's Waldo? Do you remember how much fun you had searching every page, looking for that elusive man in the pinstripe shirt? Well then, consider: Derpy Hooves is the new Waldo. Closely joining her are Doctor Whooves and a pink unicorn who I swear is Firefly who keeps popping up in every effing episode.
4. Getting back to the issue of "Manliness, " in all honesty these ponies out-manly every man on the planet. Take the episode "A Dog and Pony Show" where at one point they're all tackled and muzzled by these dog-things that are easily three times their size (and, presumably, many times their weight)... and the ponies just buck them off. Even Fluttershy just bucked one off like it was a sack of flour (this is the girl who claimed she's not used to heavy loads in the second episode). Can
you buck a diamond dog? CAN YOU?
And finally....
5. Twilight Sparkle. I don't need to say anything else.
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