What has been your impression of bronies?

[Skratt]

I've always thought their level of fandom was nearly as creepy as just about every other high profile fan obsession (Twilight anyone?).

Once you cross into either extreme of hate or love (as a fan of something), I find your obsession weird. People that are not 6-8 year old girls who gush about MLP, wear costumes and collect the toys are just as weird as those that find a reason to actively hate MLP or their brony squad.

 

[Dragonbums]

An overall decent fanbase that got absolutely turned to shreds by some really vile assholes that permeated every facet of the fandom despite normal fans attempts to cull it.

 

[happyninja42]

An overall decent fanbase that got absolutely turned to shreds by some really vile assholes that permeated every facet of the fandom despite normal fans attempts to cull it.

So basically like every other fanbase in existence then. xD

 

[Silvershock]

Well, they're people, for one thing.

Which means, some of them are über-creative, some are funny, some are jerks, some are nice, some take themselves waaaaaay too seriously, some have more self-distance and are willing to laugh at themselves.
They're straight, gay and everything in between, they have interests and talents elsewhere, they probably have jobs or go to school and I'd hazard a guess that they probably like Saturday nights.

They're just...people. People who happen to like a show about candy-colored horses. They shouldn't be defined by this alone, not by themselves or by other people.

^This guy, right here.

Hello Escapist, I'm a brony. Le gasp! I'm male, pushing 30, and very much a fan of a cartoon show intended for the marketing of small plastic-coloured ponies. I can go into why, if anyone's interested, but I doubt that's the point of the thread. I'm pretty heavily involved with the fandom, having helped run events and even chairing a convention, but it's far from the only thing in my life. I wouldn't call it an obsession so much as something I love and get nerdy over, same as every other show I love and get nerdy over. ;-)

My experiences with bronies? They are, indeed, people. Some good, some bad, far more of the former than the latter. Yes, before anyone asks, there are a higher number of autistic-spectrum folks within our fan group than in the general populace (though still a minority), but who cares so long as they're decent? I'm happy that we provide them with a space and a group within which they feel accepted and confident.

The people within the fandom I get most brassed off by are the #horseFamous - it's a term for people who want to be famous within the fandom, and develop egos accordingly. There are some clashing egos in there, but again we're talking minorities. For the fights I've gotten into as an organiser trying to protect others, the fandom on the whole has been a net positive experience.

It honestly saddens me that even within this thread fandom members are immediately dismissed as "losers", "creepy", or my personal favourite, "suffering from disorders." I'm pretty certain I can look up any fandom and point to someone creepy in there, but that does not a fandom make. Just this morning I was totally dismissed by someone on another forum because "ew, a brony" - so what? I like a cartoon- hell, I like tons of cartoons! - what does that have to do with the rest of me? It's really rather stupid that the majority of the time online I have to keep my appreciation of a TV show hidden so that I'm not dogpiled on. (Imgur's terrible for that, incidentally.)

Anyway, happy thoughts. If you want to know how bronies go, I'm a brony now and I've been a brony since the end of S1. I'm not afraid to say it, I'm not ashamed of it, it changed my life for the better and I'm happy to chat about it.

Even furries are less creepy than those.

Thanks. <_<

TL;DR - I'm a brony! Ask me anything.

 

[chocolate pickles]

I am one. I know, shocking - we sometimes disguise ourselves as regular people.

 

[happyninja42]

snip

Considering the snark you had in that reply, I thought I'd point out that the question of this thread was what was our impression of bronies, and that is usually based on our actual interaction with them. So if we are answering the very specific question of "so what has been your experience with bronies?" we can only answer based on our actual experience. You can say all day "we're not all insane zealots who worship the hoof!" but if that's the only kind of bronie we've met, that's all we can comment on.

Like me for example, the only official brony I've ever encountered was a complete asshole. I'm perfectly willing to accept that this might be the minority of the group, but I haven't encountered anyone else except him. But like I said in my post, I don't assume that all of them are like that. I assume they are just as diverse as any fanbase, and that the fanatics of the fanbase are the incredibly loud and visible outliers.

As to your "ask me anything", nah, I don't really have any questions for you, as I don't really care that you like a cartoon or not. Of the things to get upset about in this world, wasting my energy to get worked up because someone likes a cartoon about ponies that talk about being nice to each other is hardly worth my time. I've got other things more worthy of my concern than that. Like what you like, you'll get no grief from me.

 

[Silvershock]

snip

Considering the snark you had in that reply,

Unintentional. I'm originally British, it just flows naturally. :-D

I thought I'd point out that the question of this thread was what was our impression of bronies, and that is usually based on our actual interaction with them. So if we are answering the very specific question of "so what has been your experience with bronies?" we can only answer based on our actual experience. You can say all day "we're not all insane zealots who worship the hoof!" but if that's the only kind of bronie we've met, that's all we can comment on.

Fair point, but given that some of the replies in the thread are "they're all fat sweaty creepy manchildren", etc, etc, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer at least some counter.

As to your "ask me anything", nah, I don't really have any questions for you, as I don't really care that you like a cartoon or not. Of the things to get upset about in this world, wasting my energy to get worked up because someone likes a cartoon about ponies that talk about being nice to each other is hardly worth my time. I've got other things more worthy of my concern than that. Like what you like, you'll get no grief from me.

Good! I am in total agreement with your position. ;-) Some people like toons, some like action movies, some people even like that god-awful Dr Who remake, but they're not hurting anyone.

 

[The Lunatic]

Thanks. <_<

I can only assume they haven't seen the depths of the furry fandom!

But, as for a question.

Unless you're just fond of cute images of anthropomorphic mouse(?) people, I'm gathering you're also part of the whole "Furry" thing. So, I have to ask, what drives you to consider yourself part of a fandom to begin with?

You'll accept that there's a difference between "I enjoy this show" and "I engage in the community based around it", and given this difference exists, what do you think causes it? Why do you think certain things attract fandoms more than others?

Myself, as you may have guessed was/is part of the furry fandom thing.

Truthfully, it's not really a title I've ever much adopted myself. I don't really engage in the community aspects of it, frankly, I can't stand most of them. Whilst, I generally prefer not to discuss myself too much, the fondness for it was never spawned from some childhood fondness of anthropomorphic TV shows or anything like that. It just sorta happened in my teens, I suppose.

I put my own interests down to being young and impressionable at the time. So, I'm just curious as to what makes one define themselves as a "Brony" or some such at a later age.

 

[Leg End]

Good, like most other fans of stuff.
Best friend is a Brony. Most of the people I associate with have watched Horse at one point or another and half of them were proper fans, but either moved on or lost interest in some way.

Might help that I'm in the fanbase seen as the "successor" of sorts to Horse and the shitflinging is about as bad, if not significantly worse depending on where you go. Then again, that applies to Horse as well.

[small]Also Applecountrygirl best horse.[/small]

 

[Silvershock]

Unless you're just fond of cute images of anthropomorphic mouse(?) people, I'm gathering you're also part of the whole "Furry" thing. So, I have to ask, what drives you to consider yourself part of a fandom to begin with?

I am indeed a furry type. I don't know that I'd say I was "driven to it", it's just a useful label. While generally speaking I try to define folks by their individuality before any particular label (and I often get irritated when people judge me by what they attribute to a label, rather than to me) I can't deny that labels are useful in certain situations, usually to identify your interests to like-minded people.

TBH, at this point I've helped run several furry cons, I'm working on a number of furry-related personal projects and I tried to buy FurAffinity. I'm kinda beyond the point where I can deny being a part of the community. ;-) I wouldn't want to, either. My roommates and a decent chunk of my friends were found through that community.

You'll accept that there's a difference between "I enjoy this show" and "I engage in the community based around it", and given this difference exists, what do you think causes it? Why do you think certain things attract fandoms more than others?

TBH I think any point of interest in the human experience will gai a "fandom" of sorts, comprised of the people most interested in it. Those most invested will put in the effort to find others. Doesn't matter if it's a TV show, a band, even a political movement. We're tribalistic as a species, and that has good and bad repercussions, the most negative of which is the binary thinking that permeates your average punter's decision making/viewpoints.

Truthfully, it's not really a title I've ever much adopted myself. I don't really engage in the community aspects of it, frankly, I can't stand most of them. Whilst, I generally prefer not to discuss myself too much, the fondness for it was never spawned from some childhood fondness of anthropomorphic TV shows or anything like that. It just sorta happened in my teens, I suppose.

For me, I've always adored anthro, and it was indeed from childhood cartoons and upward from there. I've always loved animation, and shows that are "weirder", fantastical, or show me something I've not seen before. Anthro, for whatever reason, often goes hand-in-hand with those.

I never used to label myself a furry, though I was tangentially involved with the fandom. I enjoyed some of the artwork, started hanging out on the forums of a few anthro webcomics, etc. At some point it became hard to deny that I was getting deeper into the whole thing (right after I bought my first hard-copy furry comics and created Silvershock, I imagine!), and I just decided to roll with it and see where I ended up. I'm glad I did! Furmeets became friendships, then came conventions, then came staffing, and now furry is just a part of everyday life for me. We're ordinary folk doing ordinary things, just with that slightly different perspective.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

It's the same with everything: Doesn't matter what cartoon, movie or milkshake flavour you like: If you're an asshole, you're an asshole.

IRL i only met friendly bronies. I watch the show myself and listen to some EDM people made in the community (Srsly, check ArchieV on youtube, this guy is crazy talented and the music is not linked to the show, just inspired by). Good to know 2-3 people to talk about the show from time to time, because nerdin' out about stuff that happens in new episodes has to be done.

 

[Sassafrass]

Met one in person. Thought "Alright, they're cool."

Met a few online. Thought "Alright, they're cool."

So overall experience, they're alright. They have the nutters, same as any other fandom but my experiences with them have been alright.

 

[KayeFaye]

Well, the only Brony I know is a good friend of mine so... *shrug* My feelings on it are no different than any other majour fandom, which is to say "I don't get obsessing over something THAT much, but hey, you like what you like man. Enjoy it."

 

[Jerast]

If they watch the show and enjoy it I don't really care.

I find it extremely weird that they call themselves bronies though.