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Brony Positivity: A Tumblr Project


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Those of you who are part of the tumblrsphere have no doubt noticed that us bronies don't exactly have a good name over there. A lot of people seem to think that we aren't the loving community we are, and that instead we're very bigoted and mean, and that none of us are nice at all. This isn't fair in the slightest, I love tumblr, and I want it to be a safe space for every group (so long as that group isn't built upon hate of course). 

 

That said, there are already many wonderful blogs that push back against this idea, fixing the community image inside and out, as well as many pony blogs full of wonderful pony goodness. I have wanted my own little pony-filled slice of tumblr for a while now, and I think I've finally decided how I want to make it. I want to make a blog full of brony and pony positivity, one that shows off the good in our fandom, that highlights the kind acts of bronies, and that lifts up and appreciates groups often ignored by the unkind portion of our fandom and those who are unkind to the fandom alike. Something that says "Hey, we're bronies! We're not all misogynistic cishet men! We're not even all cishet men! Hell, we're not even all men!"

 

From you, dear forum of love and tolerance, I would like suggestions. What would you like to see on a pony-brony-positive blog, and what aspects of our fandom do you think need some love? Tell me what you want, and I'll do everything in my power to deliver! 

 

And, if you really love this idea and want to be further involved, you can even apply for adminship. Just shoot me a message and tell me what you want to bring to the blog ;)

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Don't do it you'll die

 

I think the only major wall that needs to be broken down is the tendency for fandoms to view bronies as different from other fandoms for some reason or another. Like the bad things about our fandom are somehow worse than the bad things about the fandoms that dominate Tumblr like Superwhowhateverthefuck and Homestuck. There really is no major difference, problems are problems and even if they manifest in different ways, we shouldn't go out of our way to declare that one messed up aspect of one fandom is somehow inherently better than one messed up aspect of another.

 

What I'd suggest in that case is trying to gather intellectual people who are members of multiple fandoms to address in well thought out Tumblr posts the bad aspects of all fandoms. Sort of like a neutral zone where all fandoms are equally terrible, so we can laugh at the badness of people in general versus polarizing it into a fandom vs. fandom war. It'd be tough. Very tough. But it's a thought.

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Making such a blog could be tricky. I could see it easily just turning into a bronies patting themselves on the back blog, and not actually something that would speak to non-bronies. It would be a fine line, and I'm honestly not sure how you would do it.

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I admire the concept, but I honestly doubt it would really change anything. I don't mean to sound like a downer, but to these people on Tumblr, any white heterosexual guy who's happy about his penis is the spawn of Satan, and since a very large portion of the MLP fandom are white heterosexual guys who are comfortable about having a penis, it's a given that the fandom must be evil. I come across these kinds of posts daily, and there really is no reasoning with them. They generalise an entire group of people whilst speaking out against generalising people, so they're complete hypocrites, and their opinion really doesn't matter to me.

 

There's quite a number of MLP blogs on Tumblr anyway. I kinda feel like the best thing fans can do is just ignore these idiots like they ignored the "bronies r fagz lol" stuff and wait until they get bored. But good luck with your concept. Maybe it will have a positive effect.  :catface:   

 

 

Also this vvv

 

What I'd suggest in that case is trying to gather intellectual people who are members of multiple fandoms to address in well thought out Tumblr posts the bad aspects of all fandoms. Sort of like a neutral zone where all fandoms are equally terrible, so we can laugh at the badness of people in general versus polarizing it into a fandom vs. fandom war. It'd be tough. Very tough. But it's a thought.
Edited by Hansel
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I might be interested in helping you out. I deal with the good social justice blogs a lot and I am versed enough in the fandom drama and misconceptions to discuss them rationally and keep the air clear. I can also talk about some cool fanworks and such.

 

I'm also a Christian so that throws the "whiney anti-theist" stereotype out the window. 

 

Granted, I am a straight white dude but I'm not sexist or any kind of -phobic.

Edited by Shoboni
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Don't do it you'll die

 

I think the only major wall that needs to be broken down is the tendency for fandoms to view bronies as different from other fandoms for some reason or another. Like the bad things about our fandom are somehow worse than the bad things about the fandoms that dominate Tumblr like Superwhowhateverthefuck and Homestuck. There really is no major difference, problems are problems and even if they manifest in different ways, we shouldn't go out of our way to declare that one messed up aspect of one fandom is somehow inherently better than one messed up aspect of another.

 

What I'd suggest in that case is trying to gather intellectual people who are members of multiple fandoms to address in well thought out Tumblr posts the bad aspects of all fandoms. Sort of like a neutral zone where all fandoms are equally terrible, so we can laugh at the badness of people in general versus polarizing it into a fandom vs. fandom war. It'd be tough. Very tough. But it's a thought.

 

Well, my intention was certainly not to say that any one fandom is better than any other. That would be ridiculous! A fandom can't even really be good or bad, since in reality it isn't actually a "community" at all, that just happens to be a convenient term for it. 

 

What I see as the issue, and I could very well be wrong, is that people are so quick to flood tumblr with things that show the negative portion of the fandom, but then there's no representation of the positive side, or at least not enough, and when there is positive representation there's always someone quick to say "Oh well that's just someone who likes the show, that's not a brony, bronies are gross!" So, what I want to do is show that we do in fact do good things too, just like everybody else :3

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I admire the concept, but I honestly doubt it would really change anything. I don't mean to sound like a downer, but to these people on Tumblr, any white heterosexual guy who's happy about his penis is the spawn of Satan, and since a very large portion of the MLP fandom are white heterosexual guys who are comfortable about having a penis, it's a given that the fandom must be evil. I come across these kinds of posts daily, and there really is no reasoning with them. They generalise an entire group of people whilst speaking out against generalising people, so they're complete hypocrites, and their opinion really doesn't matter to me.

 

There's quite a number of MLP blogs on Tumblr anyway. I kinda feel like the best thing fans can do is just ignore these idiots like they ignored the "bronies r fagz lol" stuff and wait until they get bored. But good luck with your concept. Maybe it will have a positive effect.  :catface:   

 

Actually, it may very well be this concept that I want to address more than anything else. The idea that the majority of the fandom is made up of white cishet guys, when in fact it's a perfectly even split. I mean, maybe it doesn't seem that way, but the only reason why it wouldn't be even is that women and minorities are so often told from all sides that they aren't allowed to be bronies.

 

Hell, maybe what I really want is a blog about minority bronies...

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A

 

Hell, maybe what I really want is a blog about minority bronies...

 

That could actually back-fire and feed into Tumblr's "only minorities matter and straight cis white men(and sometimes women if they aren't radfems) are satan" complex. It would be better to just pick random people you think would work the blog well regardless of social group. 

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As I'm reading these comments, I should probably mention that my goal would be to spread love and help people feel better, not to convince ""warriors"" that they're wrong to bully people for liking MLP. I know firsthand that trying to convince such a person that they're wrong is like trying to empty the ocean with a broken spoon :P

 

 

Is my post here fine, do I need to send a PM?

 

I think you should hold tight until I've got a better handle on what exactly I want to do. I'll let you know when I'm ready to take on help ;)

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As I'm reading these comments, I should probably mention that my goal would be to spread love and help people feel better, not to convince ""warriors"" that they're wrong to bully people for liking MLP. I know firsthand that trying to convince such a person that they're wrong is like trying to empty the ocean with a broken spoon :P

 

 

 

I think you should hold tight until I've got a better handle on what exactly I want to do. I'll let you know when I'm ready to take on help ;)

 

I agree with that logic, it's sound.  

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That could actually back-fire and feed into Tumblr's "only minorities matter and straight cis white men(and sometimes women if they aren't radfems) are satan" complex. It would be better to just pick random people you think would work the blog well regardless of social group. 

 

This thought did occur to me, actually. I know that one of the issues with bronies and tumblr is that many people on tumblr think that minority bronies simply do not exist, so shining a spotlight on them would be a priority no matter what I choose to do (if I even choose to enter this snake pit).

 

It's all a lot to consider, and I'm glad I made a post to get some help with all of this considering :)

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As I'm reading these comments, I should probably mention that my goal would be to spread love and help people feel better, not to convince ""warriors"" that they're wrong to bully people for liking MLP. I know firsthand that trying to convince such a person that they're wrong is like trying to empty the ocean with a broken spoon :P

 

Yeah, I think that's a good way to approach it.

 

That said. A lot of the haters on Tumblr I think are more bandwagoning onto it because they don't really think about the negative aspects of the fandoms they're in, since they don't show up as often. They only get a ton of militant hate on the MLP fandom because that's the 'in' thing to do on Tumblr. I still think opening eyes to the equal standing of all fandoms as being terrible and good in equal measure would be a good idea, but since this is your project, you can do as you wish. I'm just not sure positive propaganda will have the best effect on a site like Tumblr.

 

But since I myself have ties and roots in other fandoms I could probably help in some manner, whatever you chose to do.

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Yeah, I think that's a good way to approach it.

 

That said. A lot of the haters on Tumblr I think are more bandwagoning onto it because they don't really think about the negative aspects of the fandoms they're in, since they don't show up as often. They only get a ton of militant hate on the MLP fandom because that's the 'in' thing to do on Tumblr. I still think opening eyes to the equal standing of all fandoms as being terrible and good in equal measure would be a good idea, but since this is your project, you can do as you wish. I'm just not sure positive propaganda will have the best effect on a site like Tumblr.

 

But since I myself have ties and roots in other fandoms I could probably help in some manner, whatever you chose to do.

 

You took the words I was struggling to formulate right out of my mouth! I have most definitely noticed all of the bandwagoning that has turned this issue into something that I actually have to look at despite all of my most valiant efforts to keep it from my dashboard. 

 

I think there would be a delicate balance to strike in displaying examples of good behavior while making it clear that I don't condone bad behavior. Your multifandom concept intrigues me, but I'm not sure how I would manage such a thing without the focus fandom of MLP falling through the cracks. I mean, none of the other fandoms have the same stigma, in fact the rest of them seem more likely to be lauded even when there are clear and obvious issues that ought to be addressed, with "superwhowhateverthefuck", as you called it, being exhibit A (and I assure you that's not a knock at any of those shows, in fact pre-Moffat Doctor Who is easily one of my favorite TV shows).

 

Right now, what I really need is to keep this thread going to get some sort of idea of where I want to go with this, and whether or not anything at all will bring more help than harm...

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You took the words I was struggling to formulate right out of my mouth! I have most definitely noticed all of the bandwagoning that has turned this issue into something that I actually have to look at despite all of my most valiant efforts to keep it from my dashboard. 

 

I think there would be a delicate balance to strike in displaying examples of good behavior while making it clear that I don't condone bad behavior. Your multifandom concept intrigues me, but I'm not sure how I would manage such a thing without the focus fandom of MLP falling through the cracks. I mean, none of the other fandoms have the same stigma, in fact the rest of them seem more likely to be lauded even when there are clear and obvious issues that ought to be addressed, with "superwhowhateverthefuck", as you called it, being exhibit A (and I assure you that's not a knock at any of those shows, in fact pre-Moffat Doctor Who is easily one of my favorite TV shows).

 

Right now, what I really need is to keep this thread going to get some sort of idea of where I want to go with this, and whether or not anything at all will bring more help than harm...

 

I am multifandom by nature, MLP/Homestuck/Madoka forming my trifecta of Tumblr-ish fandoms.

 

One of the points I'm trying to make is that it shouldn't be MLP focused. If you're biased against something, the last thing you want to see is that thing shoved in your face a lot. Instead we examine MLP and it's issues through the lens of other fandoms, which makes it more palatable and allows people who aren't extremist to realize that there aren't as many differences as they thought there were.

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This thought did occur to me, actually. I know that one of the issues with bronies and tumblr is that many people on tumblr think that minority bronies simply do not exist, so shining a spotlight on them would be a priority no matter what I choose to do (if I even choose to enter this snake pit).

 

It's all a lot to consider, and I'm glad I made a post to get some help with all of this considering :)

 

I understand that, but at the same time I just see as giving into them to feeding their prejudices when race, sexuality, gender, sex ect shouldn't even be factors in judging a person. 

Edited by Shoboni
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I am multifandom by nature, MLP/Homestuck/Madoka forming my trifecta of Tumblr-ish fandoms.

 

One of the points I'm trying to make is that it shouldn't be MLP focused. If you're biased against something, the last thing you want to see is that thing shoved in your face a lot. Instead we examine MLP and it's issues through the lens of other fandoms, which makes it more palatable and allows people who aren't extremist to realize that there aren't as many differences as they thought there were.

 

Hmm, yes, I see what you're saying. I don't think I would ever want to seem like I'm forcing any fandom in anyone's face, since that's a very rude and annoying thing to do >_<

 

Also, you have the official best fandom trifecta. It is law, and none shall suggest otherwise. All the brohoofs to you my friend. 

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Make sure your blog takes a neutral stance on issues like clopping and grimdark, people can have whatever opinions they want on this stuff but some similar efforts have have falling into this trap by harping way too much on these things in order to distance themselves from it which ironically does the exact opposite by drawing unnecessary attention to it and driving away many bronies like myself who are into that stuff but have enough respect and restrain to know where to post and not to post that stuff and who might agree with some of the other goals and aims of such a blog.

 

There is this one effort to make sure fewer NSFW material comes up on google safe searches which is one of the reasons why said material is so contentious among bronies and so many and under the false impression that that is the reason bronies are into the show when that is not the case even for more clop and grimdark fans. This as well as directing people who don't want to see that stuff to sites with better mature filters like deviantart, derpibooru and fimfiction should also be encouraged.There was a topic on here about said effort and the majority of people who are and aren't into that stuff supporting it. This could take a lot of the heat off of the back and forth arguments between clop and grimdark fans and fans who are not into that stuff as well as show the general public that we are putting in an effort to make it less likely for children as well as people who simply don't want to see it from seeing it while still respecting the rights of adults that do want to see that stuff.

 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/87467-safe-search-wrap-up/

 

Allowing non bronies to ask questions as long as they are civil and respectful might also be a good idea because there are plenty of non bronies who while they aren't hostile to bronies are a big confused as to why so many teenagers and adult are into the show, especially men. I will admit I was confused when I found out about bronies, especially when my friend told me he was into the show he was the absolute last person I would have ever suspected of being into a show like this. I never judged bronies but starting a civil dialogue though it is not going to make all hate go away might be a good first step in making people realize that aside from liking a show about cartoon ponies bronies are not that different from the general public for the most part.

 

I understand that, but at the same time I just see as giving into them to feeding their prejudices when race, sexuality, gender, sex ect shouldn't even be factors in judging a person. 

Yes putting undue attention on things like that is indeed not a good idea because it could easily come off as a "oh look we are not all white guys, see we have one guy that is black and another one who is a Jew" which is actually extremely disrespectful and condescending so the approach should be a simple "people are people regardless of ethnic group religion ect".

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After much consideration, I have determined the direction I would like this project to take, and that I'm going to go for it. An outline of the blogs "mission", if that's what you want to call it, as well as the thread on which you can apply for adminship, can be found here.

 

Also, thank you @, for your feedback and suggestions, as well as everyone else who has contributed to the discussion, which I'm hoping will continue as this blog begins to take shape :)

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I'm late to the party but I have to say, prepare for anon hate. You know how people say Youtube is covered in festering piles of douches? Tumblr is worse when it comes to that. This is a good idea, but just know that pedophile, autistic, and rape insults will come often

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I'm late to the party but I have to say, prepare for anon hate. You know how people say Youtube is covered in festering piles of douches? Tumblr is worse when it comes to that. This is a good idea, but just know that pedophile, autistic, and rape insults will come often

 

I'm well aware of the fact that I will have to deal with people who are hateful. I'm fairly experienced with tumblr, and I think I'll be ok. If people are heartless enough to make rape jokes about me or use "autistic" as an insult, then their opinions aren't worth the energy it takes to read them anyways.

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