Zoomers Have Apparently Discovered The Brony Fandom

Readers, I regret to inform you that it seems TikTok-ing teens may have fallen a little too far down the rabbit hole of aughts/early 20-teens nostalgia. First, they adopted the universally unflattering trend of low-rise jeans – unless, of course, you're Paris Hilton. Then, they developed an inexplicable “I was born in the wrong era” nostalgia for the American Apparel, Arctic Monkeys-fueled 2014 Tumblr culture. And now, in an event singlehandedly proving time is truly just a flat circle, the zoomers have discovered the cursed, middle-aged-man-filled fandom surrounding My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic -- more specifically the 2012 Brony banger, “Discord (feat. EuroBeat Brony)" by Living Tombstone.

For those of you, who much like me, haven't thought about the show or its absurd levels of hype for almost a decade, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic was an integral part of the early 20-teens cultural zeitgeist. A reboot of the classic children's show based on the iconic ‘80s toy franchise, the series was launched in 2010 and quickly captured the hearts of not only its target audience -- young girls brushing through the manes of their plastic horses -- but also a motley crew of young adults, and middle-aged men infamously known throughout the internet as “Bronies." Reveling in each new episode, many of these bronies expressed their love for the new My Little Pony series through creating music, art, and parodies inspired by the show – their often impressive quality a testament to just how widespread and often talented the fandom was -- before being infamously co-opted by 40-something dudes with a very uncomfortable body pillow obsession. 

One of the most popular songs – and arguably My Little Pony-inspired fan creations overall -- was the aforementioned “Discord." Notably unrelated to the chat server app, “Discord” was – and evidently still is -- an Brony bop that had absolutely no business going as hard as it did. Based on the show's dragon-hybrid villain of the same name, the poppy, upbeat electro track tells a story itself. Written from the perspective of a citizen of Equestria – the ponys' hometown – the song centers on a local horse who is angry about the chaos Discord has enacted on their daily life, leading them to inexplicably howl at the moon, and sleep "in the middle of a summer afternoon.” 

Now, reader, I'll level with you. I was never a brony, but several of my high school friends were and spent all of summer of 2012 blasting this song on full volume through the tinny speakers of our school-issued Ubuntu-running laptops. While much to their chagrin, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic was never really my jam, “Discord," on the other hand, absolutely was, a testament to its infectious beat and dance-ability, characteristics that have helped it skyrocket to popularity among another generation of teens – TikTok-ing zoomers. Over the past month, “Discord” has seen an explosion of popularity, with more than 300,000 TikToke-ers using the sound as a musical backdrop from their videos. 

From cracking jokes about the chat app …

.. to impressive neon lip-sync performances … 

… to ice art … 

… and several …

… several …

… several …

… several iterations of the very zoomer-y dance, with the song's creators even getting in on the fun …

… "Discord" has broken the Brony barrier into TikTok stardom. Although it seems only a handful of the videos poke fun at the song's My Little Pony origin …

… the app still boasts quite a bit of Brony content, primarily consisting of absolutely nightmare-inducing fan edits … 

… and cosplay content.

That said, it seems one influencer, user @ecchimane has built a significant following primarily posting Brony videos, sharing several clips filled with fandom jokes and jabs at the show's fandom, to the evident amusement of their almost 15,000 followers. 

So, folks, it may have been almost a decade, but it seems the My Little Pony fandom is here to stay, all thanks to TikTok-ing teens. It's been a long ten years, folks. 

 For more internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ on TikTok as @HuntressThompson_, and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.