Brony case study
Ewan, Kirkland (2024) Brony case study. Subcultures in the 21st Century. (Submitted)
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This chapter explores connections and distinctions between fandoms and subcultures using the case study of MLP fans known as bronies. This community overlaps both categories, being a community devoted to commercial products of the culture industry, while existing on the outskirts of acceptable consumption practices. Those self-identifying as bronies largely consisted of adolescent and adult men, conspicuously distinct from the series’ traditional audience of young girls, in terms of age, gender and cultural capital. The chapter contains an overview of existing research on this fandom. It notes the criticism this group has received from some commentators, in contrast with the positive response from show creators. The 'subcultural capital' inherent in bronie practices, the gender politics of male appropriation of media aimed at your girls, and the strategies of recuperation many adopt in dismissing the female-orientation of the series are also explored through existing literature. The chapter concludes by suggesting the importance of researching the neglected adult female followers of the franchise and associated fan conventions as rich site of subcultural activity.
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