The My Little Pony franchise has been around for a long time and has spawned many animated series. In this episode we discuss the Friendship is Magic installment, which lasted from 2010 to 2019. As arguably the most successful incarnation of My Little Pony we examine why that might be. We discuss the characters and why they create interesting hooks for the audience. We talk about the mythology of the series how that interweaves with themes of conflict resolution, mental health, and social situations. We also get into the brony phenomenon, masculine expectations, and why this incarnation of a traditionally girl-focused series may also appeal to boys. Along the way we get into Star Trek crossovers, ponies-as-humans, and “hot” cartoons.

This week’s five-minute controversy asks if it was a good idea to release Wonder Woman 1984 straight to stre ...