Jan. 2014 Rule 34 Update / Passing the Bechdel Test · 5:53am Jan 11th, 2014
[Disclaimer: While this blog post discusses Rule 34 statistics, it doesn't contain excessive coarse language, explicit imagery or embedded links to pornographic material.]
It's the tenth of the month, so you know what that means. That's right! It's time for another in-depth analysis of clop! 
My previous Rule 34 blog posts are available at the following links.
August 2012 / At the rate things are going...
September 2012 / Famous Bronies
October 2012 / Digimon
November 2012 / Equestrian elections
December 2012 / Top 11 Hottest Animated Women
January 2013 / General porn statistics
February 2013 / Touhou review
March 2013 / Season three wrap up
April 2013 / Idolm@ster
May 2013 / OC woes
June 2013 / Ribald Rivalries
July 2013 / A major announcement
August 2013 / Rule 34 Origins
September 2013 / Equestria Girls Review
October 2013 / Three years of MLP:FIM
November 2013 / Season Three Episode Retrospective
December 2013 / Twilight Sparkle's Rival
Without further ado, here's the latest Rule 34 statistics!
As of January 10, 2014, here's the state of Rule 34, according to Rule34.paheal.net:
Pokemon still holds the lead with 70,808 images. 1,589 new explicit images were added during December, giving Pokemon a 2.2% increase in porn from last month.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is now in second place with 44,799 images. 2,555 new explicit images were added during December, giving My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a 6% increase in porn from last month.
Touhou is in third place with 44,324 images. 612 new explicit images were added during December, giving Touhou a 1.4% increase in porn from last month.
DC Comics is in fourth place with 23,295 images. 273 new explicit images were added during December, giving DC Comics a 1.1% increase in porn from last month.
Street Fighter is in fifth place with 17,518 images. 184 new explicit images were added during December, giving Street Fighter a 1% increase in porn from last month.
Naruto is in sixth place with 17,066 images. 166 new explicit images were added during December, giving Naruto a 0.9% increase in porn from last month.
Marvel Comics is in seventh place with 16,699 images. 189 new explicit images were added during December, giving Marvel Comics a 1.1% increase in porn from last month.
Sonic Team is in eighth place with 15,066 images. 283 new explicit images were added during December, giving Sonic Team a 1.9% increase in porn from last month.
Digimon is in ninth place with 11,702 images. 149 new explicit images were added during December, giving Digimon a 1.2% increase in porn from last month.
Idolm@ster is in tenth place with 10,436 images. 19 new explicit images were added during December, giving Idolm@ster a 0.1% increase in porn from last month.
What a way to start off the new year! After a difficult battle, Touhou has been surpassed by My Little Pony, which is now the second largest generator of Rule 34. This lofty goal was achieved less than forty months after the premiere of Friendship is Magic! Excluding Pokemon, My Little Pony generated more explicit imagery in December than all other top ten porn producers combined!
I discussed Touhou in a previous update. It's really not that dissimilar from My Little Pony.
My Little Pony and Touhou: Two honorable series which have contended with one another as pornographic pugilists for more than three years. Both are known for having a rabid and loyal fanbase. Now, after a long, hard struggle, My Little Pony has finally toppled Touhou. In a sense, it is a hollow victory. If manga and other explicit comics were permitted on Rule34.paheal.net, then Touhou's amount of content would still surpass My Little Pony. To be fair, My Little Pony also has its share of limitations. Original characters aren't permitted on rule34.paheal.net, so popular OCs such as Milky Way aren't allowed, even though they have hundreds of explicit images. The ribald rivalry between Touhou and My Little Pony is the stuff of licentious legend. Goodnight, Touhou. You were a worthy adversary.
Now that we've gone over the monthly update for the top ten porn producers, it's time to analyze the latest data regarding Rule 34 images for the mane six.
As of January 10, 2014, here's the state of Rule 34 for the mane six, according to Rule34.paheal.net:
Twilight Sparkle
has 6,744 images. 388 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 6.1% increase from last month.
Rainbow Dash
has 5,764 images. 308 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 5.6% increase from last month.
Fluttershy
has 5,060 images. 347 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 7.3% increase from last month.
Pinkie Pie
has 4,947 images. 261 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 5.5% increase from last month.
Rarity
has 4,271 images. 247 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 6.1% increase from last month.
Applejack
has 4,257 images. 214 explicit images were added during December, giving her a 5.2% increase from last month.
Congratulations to Fluttershy, who reached more than 5,000 images! I think the popularity of Flutterbat helped contribute to her exceptionally high monthly numbers.
Also, Rarity reclaimed her fifth place position from Applejack! She may be prim and proper, but she's no pushover.
It looks like the fight for fifth place will be one of the most contentious positions amongst the mane six. Will Rarity be able to hold on to fifth place, or will the pressure be too much for her to take?
Special thanks to Infinion, who made these amazing graphs of the data I collected. [Updated charts coming soon.]
To start off with, here's the master chart of the top ten Rule 34 producers.
This chart represents more than three years' worth of Rule 34 data. In order to more closely examine the numbers, Infinion has broken the data into more manageable semi-annual charts.
Oct. 2010 - Mar. 2011.
Apr. - Sept. 2011.
Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012.
Apr. - Sept. 2012.
Oct. 2012 - Mar. 2013.
Apr. - Sept. 2013.
Which brings us to Jan. 2014.
To get an idea of how far My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has come since its premiere, here's a chart highlighting the monthly numerical and percentage increase of MLP porn.
For those who desire a more consolidated look at the raw data, here's the numbers for the top ten porn producers, as well as their monthly increase.
Now let's take a look at the Rule 34 stats for the mane six. Here's their master chart.
In order to discover what these numbers mean, we'll need to delve deeper. In order to do that, we'll break down the data into semi-annual chunks.
Oct. 2010 - Mar. 2011.
Apr. - Sept. 2011.
Oct. 2011 - Mar. 2012.
Apr. - Sept. 2012.
Oct. 2012 - Mar. 2013.
Apr. - Sept. 2013.
Which brings us to Jan. 2014.
For those who desire a more consolidated look at the raw data, here's the numbers for the mane six, as well as their monthly increase.
In honor of My Little Pony's recent victory over Touhou, here's a chart which catalogs both of their monthly increases.
My Little Pony is now the second largest generator of explicit imagery on Rule34.paheal.net, with 99.8% of MLP porn being made within the last forty months. Twilight Sparkle is on the cusp of having more porn made of her than any other individual character. Only Chun-Li stands in the way of Twilight Sparkle being crowned the undisputed Princess of Porn. 
I wonder what Lauren Faust and Tara Strong would think of all this?
This raises the question, why so much porn? What is it about My Little Pony that so many people find sexually appealing? 
This simple sketch by Lauren Faust paved the way for thousands of explicit Twilight Sparkle images.
Seriously, why do people draw so much pony porn? They're not even human! 
What compels so many people to draw Twilight Sparkle and her friends in such an explicit manner? The answers may be rooted in evolution.
Regardless of how outwardly civilized modern humans are, there are still primal urges within men and women which have been passed down through countless generations of evolution.
(As a disclaimer, this discussion focuses on why human males are attracted to certain physical attributes of women for the purposes of reproduction. There are many other factors which contribute to a couple falling in love. It should be noted that humans aren't driven solely by evolutionary conditioning. Free will also plays a large role.)
With all that being said, let's discuss the subtext behind beauty. Many of the ideal physical traits in human women are also found within the mares of My Little Pony.
Let's start with the head and work our way down. A woman's hair plays a prominent role in her attractiveness to the opposite sex. The quality and length of hair serves as a marker of genetic strength and overall health. This is clearly evident in My Little Pony, in which long, brushable manes are one of major selling-points for the toys. It's true that some men prefer women with shorter hair, but when discussing these physical attributes of beauty, the focus is on subconscious signals engrained on primal urges as opposed to personal preference.
Eyes are often referred to as "windows to the soul," but primitive man had more pragmatic reasons for staring into the eyes of a potential mate. Before spoken language came to be, one of the only means of communication was through body language and interpreting facial expressions. There's a reason why men are attracted to women with big, open eyes and long, full lashes. Those with beady eyes or dodgy glances are often seen as untrustworthy. For the purposes of reproduction, it's important to believe that a potential mate is honest and reliable. This is another area where My Little Pony shines, since it's known for having characters with eyes which are disproportionally large for their faces.
What about the hips? An article published in the British Journal of Psychology in 2001 found that the smaller width of the waist compared to the larger width of the hips is believed to correspond to the optimal fat distribution for high fertility, which is why primitive man would find this shape highly attractive. In addition, a wide pelvis was considered essential for successfully delivering babies during childbirth. This is another area where My Little Pony taps into the primitive male brain, since their full flanks facilitate fertile fantasies. AKA "I watch it for the plot."
The last one has to do with sexual experience and age. There's an obsession with virgins throughout the world. The concept of virginity plays an important role in all cultures and can be traced back to the dawn of humanity. Men are naturally drawn to monogamous relationships with virgins. A woman's unbroken hymen is seen as a symbol of purity and health. Deflowering a virgin gave primitive man a sense of pride to know that she would be his exclusive mate for life. In addition to "planting his seed in untouched soil," primitive man preferred younger women because they were generally more healthy than older women and able to bear more children in order to better propagate the species. So how do Twilight Sparkle and her friends measure up in terms of youth and virginity? The mane six are all thought to be in their late-teens or early twenties, based on human years. They all have careers and most are living on their own. Aside from a couple of wistful daydreams from Rarity, romance hasn't played a role for any of the mane six. None of them have been in a serious romantic relationship within the canon of the series, so the virginal factor can't be ignored. 
Long, healthy hair? Check.
Large, expressive eyes? Check.
Wide, child-bearing hips? Check.
Young, virginal and fertile? Check.
The only physical ideal missing from My Little Pony are the breasts. Aside from Rainbow Dash's "parasprite bikini," My Little Pony doesn't leave much to the imagination where mammaries are concerned.
From an evolutionary perspective, there were many reasons for primal man to seek out a mate with huge... tracts of land. Large breasts contain a healthy supply of fat storage, which increases the female's chance of survival in times of cold or famine. Now that modern intercourse often occurs "face-to-face," the cleavage fulfills a mating function similar to the rump, which primal man saw before mounting a female from behind in the ancestral way. Whether butt cheeks or boobies, two well-shaped mounds awaken a primal plea to procreate within modern man. Makes you wonder what else in this world has sexual subtext...
In an effort to add the missing mammaries to pony porn, Rule 34 producers began to give ponies enlarged crotchboobs. 
Placing the breasts directly above the crotch allowed the mammaries to more directly mirror a plump rump in a way that human breasts never could. While the size and shape of the crotchboobs more closely resembles the breasts of female humans as opposed to horses, they were at least more anatomically-correct to equine anatomy than the chest cleavage featured in My Little Pony Tales. 
It should also be noted that mares have an advantage over human females in terms of provocative posture. Walking on all fours puts the pony in a perpetual position of bending over. This posture sends subliminal signals to the male brain indicating that this female wants to mate by presenting her rump to the male.
The human male has come a long way in terms of courtship and showing proper esteem for womanhood, but in many respects man is still not far removed from his primal ancestors. Old habits die hard, so don't expect to lose the desire to select a mate based on physical attributes anytime soon. Life is a challenge to keep our urges in check.
Physical appearance is strong, but it's not the dominant factor. Even if ponies showcase nearly every desirable physical attribute for the primitive male, their pleasing appearance pales in comparison to the appeal of their personality. Bronies have grown to love these characters because each of them have their own unique set of talents, goals and personality traits. The stories revolve around their friendship and the challenges they face. 
From a porn perspective, this creates a stronger bond with the characters. Porn of the mane six would be nowhere near as alluring if they were just a bunch of pretty faces in sexually explicit scenarios with no real personalities.
On a related note, actor Matt Damon knows a thing or two about what makes for good action films and good porn. Damon believes cheesy porn films and action movies are predictable and badly written. He's expressed a desire to create an adult movie where the narrative is as important as the graphic sex scenes.
Damon said, "My theory on action movies is that they're like porn movies. A porn movie has got really bad writing, really bad acting and really thinly drawn characters.
"They have a really shitty scene where they talk and say, 'Hey, I'm the milkman' And you know what is going to happen.
"And then you get the action and you don't really feel anything for the action and then you get another really stupid scene with, 'Hey, I'm the milkman'.
"What I want to do is make a character-driven porn movie. It's all going to be about the character and the porn's going to grow out of the characters and serve as character development."
This is what helps to give porn of My Little Pony more depth. The different episodes of Friendship is Magic act as a catalyst for new porn and new clopfics. The well-rounded and complex characters from the show can be inserted into any explicit scenario. Now, not all porn is created equal. Some pony porn is just slapped together and some clopfics are decidedly derivative, but these are the exceptions which confirm the rule. The majority of My Little Pony erotica can rival any other fandom in terms of quantity and quality.
Now that we've discussed the history of physical beauty and character-driven porn, let's look at how the role of female characters in fiction has changed over the years.
In the mid-1980's, Alison Bechdel created a comic strip entitled Dykes to Watch Out For, which ran in gay and lesbian newspapers for more than twenty years and was also eventually published online. In spite of its relative obscurity even today, Dykes to Watch Out For has left an indelible impression on the way we view works of fiction. This is due to the Bechdel Test. Named after the creator of Dykes to Watch Out For, the Bechdel Test is used to measure the gender bias in any given work of fiction. This is achieved by determining whether or not the work in question features two or more named female character who talk to each other about something other than a man.
/bech·del test/ n.
1. It has to have at least two [named] women in it
2. Who talk to each other
3. About something besides a man
Note how the movie posters in the comic are filled with phallic imagery. (A gun and sword.)
Renowned feminist essayist Katha Pollitt would later devise her own theory on gender bias in creative fiction when she presented "The Smurfette Principle."
Pollitt espoused the theory that male characters dominate, with only a token female character to round out the cast. While I appreciate the insight of the Smurfette Principle, we can't forget the Sassette Principle.
The existence of Sassette doesn't repudiate Pollitt's premise. Gender inequality in fiction is as prevalent today as it ever was. Films with a predominately male cast are considered "gender neutral," while movies with a mostly female cast are seen as "chick flicks." The prevailing belief system in Hollywood seems to be that men can only identify with other men. It's not uncommon for a woman in movies to either be treated like a prize for a man, or their sole purpose is the pursuit of a man.
Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings and the Avengers are all huge sausage fests which all fail the Bechdel test pretty hard, yet they are still considered some of the most successful franchises of all time.
The gate of history turns on small hinges and so does pop culture. In many ways, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is at the forefront of this new chapter in societal evolution and passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors.
Those who fear change will be rebuked for disparaging human progress.
The Bechdel Test has been in the news recently. Voctiv.com analyzed the top fifty biggest box office movies of 2013 to determine how many of them passed the Bechdel Test. The grand total domestic box office number for the movies that passed was significantly higher than the domestic box office total for the movies that didn’t.
What this means is that more female characters, even the secondary ones, are shown to have thoughts and feelings that revolve around something other than male characters. This results in more layered and nuanced female characters, which comes as a result of better writing and leads to more financially-successful movies.
Peter Jackson should be owed some measure of credit. The Hobbit movies may have failed the Bechdel test, but at least Jackson went out of his way to add the she-elf Tauriel; an entirely made-up female character who never appeared in the books.
Hopefully Hollywood takes this lesson to heart. Interesting and well-rounded female characters in a movie isn't just good for social or artistic reasons. It also results in a bigger domestic box office. Though much like primal man, old habits are hard to break. We still have a long way to go before well-developed female characters are considered the norm, as opposed to an anomaly. The gate may have small hinges, but at least it seems to be swinging in the right direction.
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2014 is the year of the horse. 
As miniature equine aficionados, this is also our year. Hasbro even released a special promotional Pinkie Pie to tie-in with the Chinese New Year.
Let's resolve to be more open about our love for My Little Pony and its characters. Watch the show openly and discuss it with friends! Read the MLP comics! Show support for the series in whatever way you can! If we work together, we can make 2014 the year of My Little Pony!
Thanks again for reading and please feel free to leave any comments. Look for the next Rule34 update on February 10th.
PS, apparently the FIMfiction Editorial Group is collecting insightful blog posts from throughout the site. I think it would be cool if my Rule 34 blog posts could be featured in one of their editorial issues. If anyone would like to recommend these blog posts, or have any other interesting, insightful, and/or entertaining blogs to recommend, don't hesitate to post them in the blog recommendations thread in the Fimfiction Editorial Group!
Hey, for whatever reason, the pictures aren't loading.
1705032
Which ones? All of them?
1705037 No. I see some of the graphs, but the very first one doesn't pop up, along with many others.
The pics don't work in this section, and a few others.
1705042
Hmmm... curious. I'll get to the bottom of this.
I have got to get myself one of those Pinkie Pies!
Figures she'd know how they party in Neighjing. 
Okay, I really tried reading the whole post. Truely I did. But its just not happening. read about half of it, and while informative, its not anything I haven't seen before. However, it is a well compiled explanation into the human psyche. Speaking of human psyche, I can't get that horrifying Sonic Dance video out of my head. Thanks for that.
I've just realized that my main six pairings are perfectly aligned with the grouping for number of porn images of each of them, and my preference to write for them is directly correlated with that number as well.
RariJack; tied for last. FlutterPie; neck and neck for third and fourth. TwiDash; Twi comes out clearly on top (I always suspected Dash was a sub), but there they are in first and second place.
There's something psychologically significant here, but I can't quite place it.
1705083
Yeah, I got a little long-winded this month. I probably could've just tackled physical beauty and saved the Bechdel Test until next month. The latter was topical, so I opted to include both.
This is the greatest concentration of porn data I have ever seen...
It's beautiful.
I want to say something that sounds informative and smart, but honestly all I can say is that my mind is blown a little.
Also, SEASON 5555555555555555
fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/001/3/4/markiplier_thumbs_up_explosions_intensifies_by_chaoticnote-d70g6fi.gif
1705102
And it wasn't just any month, it was the month MLP became #2. Gotta crack out of the normal update length shell and celebrate with 20% more blog amirite?
Second place at last! Heck yeah!
Come to think of it, I made some predictions in the earlier editions of these blog posts about how long it would take MLP to get to this point. Lemme see how close I was...
*Checks the earlier updates*
Okay, during the November 2012 update, I predicted that MLP would overtakes Touhou in 14 months. And in actuality, it happened in 13 months! That's actually pretty close. Not too shabby!
I also promised to make a prediction on pokemon when the time came, so I'll do that as soon as I average out the numbers from the last couple of months.
1705203
True that. We'd better celebrate our victories while we can.
MLP won't be surpassing Pokemon anytime soon. Even if Pokemon porn production ceased completely, it would still take MLP years to surpass Pokemon's numbers at our current rate of growth.
Also, thanks for all the help!
There we go - recommendation submitted. Best of luck, Bronystories - you certainly deserve some space in there.
1705246
Thanks for the plug!
1705248
My pleasure!
i always love these i cheered so hard when mlp passed Touhou
Alright, so if we average out the monthly increase data from every month of 2013, we get the following numbers:
Pokemon increases at an average rate of 1300 (rounded down) images per month.
MLP increases at an average rate of 1832 (rounded up) images per month.
We can simplify things by saying that MLP closes the gap between it and pokemon by an average of 500 images per month. Pokemon currently has 26484 more total images than MLP does. Let's call it 26500 for simplicity.
Assuming the average monthly increases hold true, MLP will overtake pokemon in... 53 months, or 4 years and 5 months. Yikes. In reality it would probably take a little less time since I rounded the numbers in pokemon's favor, but we're definitely in for the long haul on this one. We can do it, though!
Ahhh, a very interesting one! None of the subjects I expected but honestly, that may be a good thing. The subjects you chose are quite important.
First of all, good to know MLP has taken second place. We'll never make first (Pokemon has simply too many "IC" characters, if you count the individual Pokemon, all the characters from all the series and the games and things like that. As you noted, the sheer number is too large... though I wonder if there's a way to adjust, like we do for inflation or similar, just given how long it has been out.) I also wonder how long we can hold second. It's a plum place but likely to be very, very contentious. there will be a lot of bad blood from the deposed, while the Pokemon folks will just smile and sit pretty.
I was fascinated by your look at WHY we clop to ponies, with a very nice use of evolutionary biology (and I'm so, SO glad you included disclaimers; those who rush headlong like that without noting limitations are just woomeisters spewing pop-psychobably with a thin coating of evo-devo and a cheap toupee.) All your points were well-sourced and well-reasoned, and made perfect sense. I really think you nailed it.
And the Bechdel Test? Came outta nowhere and I loved it. It's good to know someone even knows that (and the Smurfette Principle) and knows how to look for it and properly articlate it. You've proven youself to be a rare breed indeed. I can only imagine what your next one will be. It's sure to be good.
>implying non-existent beings can 'take' that sort of pressure.
The comment by Lauren Faust made my day. Anyone who thinks we shouldn't advance past our ancestors traditions and beliefs to find our own are holding humanity back.
This is quite honestly one of the best blogs I've read from you in awhile, they are all shown to have much effort into them but far as going the extra mile this one rivals your MLP FiM Twilicorn/Equestria Girls Hasbro vs Monster High and Barbie Dream House Mattel blogs you had going.
I loved your Personality vs Psysical points, and yes free will has a lot to play with it but much how we all fell in love with the fanon official works that spawned a slew of unforgettable Touhou fanon and even spawned Cirno her own official game eventually, it's all about the connection. Much how people gloss over OC's or Touhou characters that don't have much fanon or official works done, MLP porn is more enticing to those who know the characters well or well enough.
Why is fantasy so appealing for males? It's primal urges. Fantasy is safe and it harms no one, and you can be anything you want with anyone you please. By that logic, it's no wonder men and women take in self-gratification so much.
Besides, when your urges are in check, and you're not blinded by physical attraction, you're able to make more practical and clear choices in relationships like spotting whose being a gold digger and those that may be less faithful or even "sure, she's hot and a great lay, but she's lazy and doesn't want to do anything."
Gender bias is always going to be around, at least for another 30 years or more long as those in power continue to impede progress as they fear woman going into power and shifting the order of power in say America where the thought of a woman in office led to comments that were both sexist and racist to say the least, but due to the other being male they said they would vote for them before the woman.
Honestly, it'd be nice if we could actually pick our own president. Nominate who we want to run for president and have people with proven track records before we even allow them to run and bar anyone with corporate ties from running. Campaigns be all Americam Idol style and with that whole MTV Real World, only totally not scripted and always on. Get involved with the future of presidential elections! We need to make it more meaningful then "Which of these will not buck me over as hard in the next 4 years..."
Anyways, I'll end it there seeing how offtrack I'm getting. Amazing blog. Much fun.
When did MLP ever have lesbian subtexts?
From what I read of them, Blue is the Warmest Color and Shame (though the narrative of the latter is directly concerning sex) both fit the bill.
This was actually more informative than your usual ones. The entire thing was highly interesting and I'm very glad I decided to follow you.
Your brain must be the most wonderful place...
Every month ya got something super informative and thought provoking...one of the reasons love the stuff ya do, ya put heart in it, thank you for existing! Now I've gotta go over some of our dvd library and see what passes or fails Bechdels.
Thanks for the monthly report.
Always informative.
While I'm not one for porn of my favorite fandoms, I have to give you props on your research! You did a good job on the graphs, and the explaining bits
Dayum! Must be your best blop so far!
I'm sure you will get into the editor's issue. Good luck with it though i doubt you need it with such a well done blog!
1705391
This prediction makes a lot of linear sense, but I hold the hope that MLP porn production will see an acceleration as it has in the past due to a continued increase in the overall popularity of the show. More fans creates a higher fanwork production rate across the board, including rule34 material. In my humble opinion the show keeps getting better, and if it keeps getting better there will be more fans. I doubt it will take a full four years if we consider acceleration.
What really concerns me is the fact that I feel so competitive about this stuff.
Anyway, this was an awesome blog post with interesting comments and I look forward to more.
1709407
Make no mistake, I'm also hoping for an acceleration in production. Like you said, such a thing can only be a sign of the fandom's continued health. I'll have to see if I can make some sort of prediction about the rate of acceleration by carefully analyzing the available data.
...Huh. All of a sudden, my Doctor Woonsano avatar seems much more fitting than usual.
Because SCIENCE!!
This post's been a relatively fun one. Felt a little long by the time Sessette showed up, but it was nice.
Great analysis, virtual glass click for MLP taking second place! I bet it's first by the end of this year.
Great analysis, virtual glass clink for MLP taking second place! I bet it's first by the end of this year.
1708139
Thanks! Although I have to credit Infinion for his help. I compiled the data, but he made the chart.
Ahh, well, I'll go and bug him to tell him he did good then.
Step one of how to say Bronystories is incredibly smart and could lead his own cult. Which kind of suggests *cough120dobcoughsociopathcouldbeanoption* he is secrectly a politician
Yes... but it fails the Reverse Bechdel Test.
1727736
You mean the Ledhceb Test? This could be solved if they had Spike, Big Macintosh, Soarin', Braeburn Mr. Cake and Discord interacting more. This series has plenty of male characters. They just aren't given enough screen time.
Apparently, Bulk Biceps, (erstwhile known as Snowflake), is going to play a prominent role in an upcoming episode.
This was a very interesting read, overall. R34 is a serious business, or at least it can be discussed seriously.
On Bechdel test, it's good to keep in mind that it's not be-all and end-all measure, just a handy and easy-to-remember rule-of-thumb. IIRC, Showgirls passes the test, despite being exploitative trash through and through.
It surprises me there's so much analyzed data of rule 34... but I suppose somebody had to do it.
...That moment when someone you don't know quotes Monty Python
You just earned yourself however much of my time it takes to read one of your stories.
This is a great blog, good work!
1727774 I think that what MLP does is it shows mainly female character interaction to be a good role model for the little girls who are it's primary target audience, in a world where shows of the sort are so uncommon. I wish I had this when I was a kid: a role model that did not live to get married off to a prince. I guess that the people who watch this have enough male-dominated cartoons to watch anyway, and there are plenty of excellent sources for good male role-modelling out there, like, every superhero cartoon ever. While it would be cool to have an episode where the named male cast talk to each other, and it would also be awesome for Black Widow and Catwoman to have conversations with other women, What I look for in my characters in shows and movies is always good character development and I feel no need for those characters to represent either gender. I think that in a perfect world we wouldn't have to care what the proportions of our characters of each gender were because what roles a character plays in society and as role models and people would not be ruled by their gender.
Pretty interesting!
Is it weird that I'm really rooting for My Little Pony porn to take the number 1 position?
So...much....interesting information....it's almost a mind-melt trying to take it all in.
I don't know where you get the images from but they're almost always perfect compliments to what you're saying.
Simply fascinating dear boy. Jolly good show!
1705814 I don't know, and I don't think it's even claimed here. Moreover, it's... almost conspicuous? that in "Hearts and Hooves Day," the CMC don't consider any mares for Cheerilee.
Let me address one of your points. When you mentioned that study referring to hip width and "primitive man," I had to check your disclaimer to see how much credit you were giving to that idea. (Yeah, the one doesn't cover the other.)
This doesn't necessarily hurt your point, but beauty standards (even just Eurocentric standards) have changed many times over the years. I remember specifically this series of Photoshopped classic nudes, starting with William Adolphe Bouguereau's "Birth of Venus." http://www.annautopiagiordano.it/venus-ita.html
Now, *modern* production of pony porn might conceivably be connected to *modern* standards of physical beauty. My point is that claiming today's beauty standards can be traced to cavemen is... not sitting well with me.
1823606 That's only because this is a kids' show and it doesn't have the balls to do a same sex couple, but that doesn't mean there's lesbian subtexts.