A radical social movement needs one charismatic radical who enunciates appealing, impractical ideas, and another figure who can appropriate all of the energy and devotion generated by the first figure's idealism, yet not be held to their impractical ideals. It's a two-step process that is almost necessary, to protect the pretty ideals that generate popular enthusiasm from the grit and grease of institution and government.

Should we add 'followers' to this list? A substantial difference between MLP:FIM and other works of fiction isn't necessarily the lack of an idealist, or the lack of a large company behind that idealist. There are other examples of productions that have both. It's the lack of Bronies. (or using some of the other examples on your list, Christians, Socialists, Nazis, Mormons, Scientologists, Revolutionaries, Objectvists...)