WEB EXCLUSIVE

Nazi rhetoric is everywhere in modern America. In white supremacy, in xenophobia, in homophobia, and in so much more. It is seen in the mask protests, with people comparing themselves to Jews during the Holocaust with the way the government is supposedly persecuting them. It is seen in the vaccine protests, with some people dubbing themselves as purebloods for not getting the vaccine; a reference to the Aryan race that Hitler strived to achieve – by killing everyone who didn’t fit the books. 

Most recently in our community, it can be seen in the school board meetings regarding the mask mandate, with parents likening mask mandates to the early treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. This is disrespectful to the people who had to go through the concentration camps, the gas chambers, anybody who’s had to live through the horrors of Nazi Germany. 

To compare yourself – as an American – to somebody who’s been hunted down and killed by their government is just extremely wrong; especially when the people doing the comparing can go outside without dying, can complain about these things in public without being shot down, can just live peacefully without torment.

Neonazis in general have permeated America for over a decade, in somewhere you would never expect. A show supporting friendship and kindness, with the slogan of “Friendship is Magic,” shockingly enough, has many, many Neonazis among the male supporters. 

That’s right. My Little Pony has a huge Nazi following. 

The internet is a spawn zone of many ideas, and it is terrifying where these ideas come up. Most sites strongly regulate content to protect people and make sure there isn’t any formation of radical groups. But sites that were created as fan sites for innocent shows are all but not regulated at all, because there is generally close to no reason as to why they should be. And this allows for the formation and growth of neonazi groups. 

Nazis prey upon people who are insecure of themselves, raising their confidence by telling them about the great country they live in and describing the people who are “lower” than them (aka minorities). And many male supporters of My Little Pony, dubbed bronies, fit this criteria of lacking confidence in themselves making them the perfect target for Nazis. 

When these far right Nazi supporters come in and bring up their confidence, it results in the growth of Neonazi thought among boys and men involved in fandoms, especially in fandoms with the target audience of girls.

And generally, the fandom sites on which Neonazis are best able to thrive, are sites with little regulation. This lack of censorship and moderation is the perfect breeding ground for Nazis. They fester and grow in children’s sites. Bronies have created in these sites a Hitler pony. This pony, who goes by the name of Aryanne, has a cutie mark of a swastika in a heart. Her name is in obvious reference to the concept of the Aryan race. 

Just as white supremacy is prevalent in neonazis, white supremacy is prevalent in bronies. And one might think it’s impossible to depict minorities as ponies, but these Neonazi bronies have found a way. They racially code minorities like African Americans as zebras, Hispanic minorities like donkeys, and so on so forth. And then they will proceed to draw ponies lynching these (incredibly racist) minority representations.  

These Neonazi bronies have even created an entire universe where Aryanne took over Equestria – the setting of My Little Pony – and have written a manifesto of all of the new laws this new fascist imaginary country would have to follow. They call this part of the fandom, My Nationalist Pony.

It is just truly despicable that adults will go take content that is mostly innocent and kind, and twist it to fascism and hate. The fact that Nazi rhetoric continues to exist in society after the death of millions who died due to it, is completely mind-boggling. The fact that it persists in children’s sites, makes it all the worse.

What a terror people can be.