A ponysona (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of ''pony'' and ''

persona A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...

'') is a personalized

pony A pony is a type of small horse, usually measured under a specified height at maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier , thicker necks and s ...

character created by fans of the animated television series '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' as an

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...

of its creator. Similar to

fursona A fursona is a personally claimed persona resembling an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal adopted by a member of the furry fandom. Fursonas can provide numerous roles for the creator. According to ''The New Science of Narcissism'', 95% of ...

s in the

furry fandom The furry fandom is a subculture interested in Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and weari ...

, ponysonas typically incorporate elements of the creator's personality, physical characteristics, or interests translated into pony form. The practice became popular following the show's premiere in 2010 and the subsequent growth of the

brony fandom ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is an animated children's television series produced by Hasbro that ran from 2010 to 2019 as part of the ''My Little Pony'' toy franchise. The series tied in with My Little Pony (2010 toyline), the 2 ...

. Ponysonas are commonly used as profile pictures, in

fan art Fan art or fanart is artwork created by Fan (person), fans of a work of fiction or celebrity depicting events, Character (arts), character, or other aspect of the work. As fan labor, fan art refers to artworks that are not created, commissione ...

fanfiction Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...

, and

role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing ...

communities across various social media platforms and forums dedicated to the franchise.

Creation and characteristics

Ponysonas are typically designed following the visual style of the show, often incorporating distinctive coat colors, mane styles, cutie marks, and occasionally wings or horns to represent

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unico ...

pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...

types. These personalized pony characters frequently reflect aspects of their creator's personality, appearance, or interests, with cutie marks specifically designed to symbolize the creator's talents, passions, or defining traits.

Analysis

According to researchers studying the

in 2016, 39% of

bronies '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is an animated children's television series produced by Hasbro that ran from 2010 to 2019 as part of the ''My Little Pony'' toy franchise. The series tied in with the 2010 relaunch of dolls, play ...

have a ponysona. Forty-six percent of bronies reported having an

original character An original character (OC) typically refers to a type fictional character created by someone that is not affiliated with a company, or by a member of a fandom. They are a non-canonical character created by the author of fan fiction, a fan artist ...

, and their ponysona was among the first original characters they created. Within the community, original character designs that simply recolor existing characters from the show are often criticized for lacking creativity, despite their prevalence. Unlike fursonas, which often involve elaborate

fursuit Fursuits are custom-made anthropomorphic animal costumes owned and worn by cosplayers and members of the furry fandom, commonly known as "furries"; a furry who wears a fursuit is called a fursuiter. The term is believed to have been coined in ...

s for physical embodiment at

furry conventions A furry convention (also furry con or fur con) is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a p ...

, ponysonas tend to be expressed primarily through

digital art Digital art, or the digital arts, is artistic work that uses Digital electronics, digital technology as part of the creative or presentational process. It can also refer to computational art that uses and engages with digital media. Since the 1960 ...

, roleplay, and online interaction, with

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

being a less common but still present form of expression. Some bronies describe their ponysonas as idealized versions of themselves, serving as personal avatars within the community that represent how they wish to be perceived. According to a 2018 study on the brony fandom, 49.3% of respondents reported that they either have, or would like to have, a drawing of themselves as a ''

My Little Pony ''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature ...

'' pony character.

Notes

References

Alter egos My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom {{Fandom

Creation and characteristics

Analysis

See also

Notes

References