Dumbbell: Let’s go be mean and stuff.  
Hoops: (with his tongue out) LAWL I can’t math.  
Score: FOOTBALL

SCORE IS BEST PONE! MAY THE OTHER TWO ARE FAGET BUT SCORE IS BEST BACKGROUND PONE EVER!

Guys, guys, chill. Please. Artist here. This is from forever ago back when I was way harder on the show than now. Still like these guys, but I ain’t complaining anymore. |P

Hey, I remeber this from Ponibooru. So old…

You know what I find weird? None of these 3 are shipped with Rainbow Dash. Twixie works on basically the same principle, and is one of the most popular ships in the fandom.

You know , there would have been a time when I agreed with the artist on this. However, do something for me, will you artist? Name another cartoon where female characters are as deep and characterized as FiM. Okay then, name one where male characters are deeply characterized.
 
I’d wager that you’ll find a lot more shows where male characters are characterized than female ones. FiM is so unique because the vision it was created behind was to give female characters a voice. These background ponies were merely tools to characterize the interactions of the Mane Six further.
 
Oh, and not everyone bases their real-life preconceptions of gender on media. Maybe people should start talking to each other more and not just assume “OMG THEY GAVE MORE TIME TO TEH FEMALEZ THAN TEH MALES? FEMINAZI PROPAGANDA!!!! MISANDRY!!!!!!” about the people who write things designed to be entertaining.

@MisterComPony  
FOOTBALL  
*which bounces off your head  
YEAH!

@Elric of Melnipony
 

Typical in many “magical girl” type of anime. Male “characters” often lack characterization and are often antagonized. in some cases “Male” figures are almost always faceless in anime.

@Background Pony  
Exactly! Nobody complains about not having enough characterization for those ponies, they MAKE STUFF UP! This guy’s complaint is ridiculous.

Well these are MALE characters, only the mares get good characterization. and Spike.

@Elric of Melnipony  
Excuse, misclicked. I meant to say, this is why fanfics and fan-comics are your friends, so to speak. You want an attempt at an explanation for why Pinkie acts the way she does? BOOM! Granny Pie. You want an explanation for why Lyra is so “different”, while also looking at further characterizations of Cheerilee, Colgate, Carrot Top, Derpy, Twinkleshine, Berry Punch, Octavia, Sea Swirl, and Bon Bon? SHA-ZOOBY! You have Heartstrings, the comic.

@Background Pony  
Looks like the stupidly misguided criticism.  
From the link above: “You’re a show renowned for having remarkably high-quality writing and characterization, and then you take one of the most stereotyped and trite representations of athleticism and hit copy+paste to get three of the flattest characters I’ve ever seen. Really now? That doesn’t fly. Especially not with someone who actually PLAYS a sport.”
 
I’m sure next he’ll be talking about how the guys pulling the carriage in “The Best Night Ever” need a fandom of their own, or that the writers really need to revisit some of the ponies selling vegetables in “Putting Your Hoof Down”.

@Takuto_Shindou  
Sounds like another argument over a double standard in the show about giving female characters more characterization and character development than male characters. Of course, one could make a similar argument about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

@Takuto_Shindou  
Either a stupidly misguided attempt to criticize the show, or someone trying to dupe people into an argument for the laughs.

To have characterization, you have to introduce the character properly. With background characters who don’t have their name referenced once in-show, it’s up to combinations of headcanon and fanon to fill this void. Not to mention fanfics that attempt to explain or excuse how one gets from “point A” to “point B”.

What was the point of this?

These guys aren’t characters, they’re scenery. Rude, unpleasant scenery.

>implying anyone cares about these guys.

Since when do background characters ever get strong characterization?