So for those of you who know what Rule 34 is or R34 please skip this one! If not, here goes....

 Rule 34 of the internet is .. if it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions.

MLP:FiM is not immune to this. SO I stress to parents, you must supervise young children on the internet no matter what they are searching for. This is good parenting.

Now, you might say, why would someone do this. I have no answer for this. I honestly don't know myself. I can tell you that this is not a new rule. It has been around for years. Years before Bronies, years before MLP came back into the mix. I can also tell you it is not going away. There are, however, steps you can take to help this epidemic. It is called reporting. There is always a way to report an unsavory image that has somehow gotten mixed into safe searches. Now, does it remove the image, no. It makes the image not appear in safe search mode though.

Now, as a mother, I have to say, I find it completely absurd to think of parents using a computer as a babysitter. If you want to do that, I suggest you buy a product that you load the content on so that your child only has access to what you put on the device. This comes back to good parenting. Would you leave a loaded gun down for a child to play with? NO. Would you let them walk around Time Square alone? NO. Would you hand them the cash in you bank account to place in the their pocket for safe keeping? NO. So why would you place a child in front of a computer or hand them an unlocked smartphone and let them go? There is a lot of bad people out there, trust me when I say they will find a way to your child, if you don't protect them. That is your job, not an internet browser's safe mode.

So why am I addressing this common internet problem on a Brony site? Well, I have received many "fan mails" on this tumblr accusing the Bronies of being the perpetrators of MLP "pornographic" images. While, I am sure there are some fans of the show that do create this, not every fan should be accused. That is kind of like saying you are responsible for the sins of your neighbor. Placing blanketed blame is a sign of irresponsibility and ignorance. I am no more responsible for your actions as you are for mine.

So please, police your computer and make sure your children are safe. Know that there are just as many Bronies out there that are disgusted by their beloved characters being sexualized as you are. Don't blame the fandom for a few people's actions. Take control of your child's time. This is your responsibility, as a parent. ANYTHING your child searches, is vulnerable to this horrible truth, anything and everything.

I was recently sent the following, so rather than just post a name, since he was seeking advice, I thought I would cut and paste. That way he deals with this is his time, and not someone else's.

submitted:

Hi there! I Just found your blog, and I was hoping you and/or your son could help me? I’ve really been wanting to go to Bronycon(I live right in Maryland, so it’s fairly affordable too), but I have done my utmost to keep enjoying a show a secret since getting into it in season 1, reason being my parents are incredibly judgmental. I love them to death, and they mean well, but they were positive I was gay for weeks after I bought a bunch of Queen CDs, I can’t imagine the assumptions they’d make if I told them I like My Little Pony and want to go to a pony convention. Especially since my mom’s the kind who likes to do research on google about any topic I show interest in, so I have no doubt will find the bad stuff and misinformation, and my dad’s mildly homophobic and quick to judge, so you can imagine how that might go.

Needless to say that borrowing the car to drive downtown on the weekend would kind of merit explaining, so the cat’s likely coming out of the bag soon. I appreciate the post from your son, and I was hoping one or both of you would be willing to go a little more in-depth on the subject so I can keep what should be a minor thing from blowing up into a family scandal? Are there any specific questions you had in your mind - both voiced and in your head - when your son told you, and how would you two suggest responding to them?

Thank you both for any help you can offer!

RESPONSE

Hello, thanks for asking!

BronyMom says:

First and foremost, do not leave your mom to search the internet alone. This was the single biggest mistake my Brony made. I cannot stress it enough. Also, while I am sure the Brony dvd/blu-ray is great for Bronies, it is not a great way to introduce your family to the fandom. Please save that for a later day!

I think the biggest question I had was WHY. So, before you have the conversation with mom or dad or both, do some soul searching and have a good answer. If you don't, it becomes simply about cartoon ponies that are geared towards little girls. Make sure they know about the morals and values that this fandom stands for. Talk to them about the charitable side of Bronies. How they stand united for good causes all over the world. Have a list of pro's. Trust me they will have the list of con's.  Because I had never heard of a Brony before my son (not so gently told me) I honestly immediately thought there was a serious issue with him. He knows I honestly thought he was gay. I have never hidden that. I hurt him because I verbalized it and I have apologized several times (but as a mom you just cannot take that back). I had one young man simply print out my very first blog "Congratulations It's a Brony" and give it to his mom. It seemed to work well for him.

http://www.bronymom.com/post/75542705289/congratulations-its-a-brony

Your mom can also contact me, I will be more than happy to talk with her. I messed up my relationship with my son, I hope to help other mothers not follow that needless path.

Offer to take her to BronyCon if she shows interest. I learned so much about all the wonderful things the fandom had to offer if given a chance, right at BronyCon!

I hope that helped. My biggest question was WHY. My biggest fear became that my son would be ostracized due to the fan base.

  BronySon says: 

First of all, don't get defensive about what they have to say. Don't cut them off let them have their say. Then explain any adversity they may have away in a calm manner. Do not get mad and walk away! Doing so, reinforces that there is something wrong with your being a Brony. Stay calm no matter what they have to say. If at first, you cannot get your point across to suit you, leave it where it stands and revisit it in a few days. Remember, this could be a shock to them if they have never heard of the Brony fandom.

Search out positive sites on the internet before your initial talk, that way you will have good places to send them for information.

Be positive, they may not understand you at first, but no matter what they will love you and ultimately, I hope come to support your decision.

No matter how they react, remain the same person you were before you told them. Help them to see that you are still the exact same person you were before. Tell the how long you have already been a Brony (so they don't start blaming everything in your life on the fandom).