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The Brony: An insatiable and miserable creature.

Ziggy + Angel + Rain

Entry posted by Ziggy + Angel + Rain

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When I first interacted with the fandom, I at least had a sense that there was some love left for MLP:FIM. A sense that a group of people were coming together to mutually enjoy something that they'd been told they weren't supposed to enjoy. A pervasive attitude of, "I'm going to like what I like"; even if these words were sometimes uttered from inside a closet. I was encouraged, in earnest, to give the series a chance without getting an earful of overthought pros and cons. This led to my enjoyment of the first four seasons of Friendship is Magic; four seasons that the rest of the fandom had probably long since experienced.

 

And, the thing is: It was far easier for me to get something out of those four seasons when everyone else had already moved on. Nothing and no one interfered with my experience. Watching the subsequent seasons alongside the community has been... Well, how much fun would a social gathering be if two thirds of the room is occupied by people who do nothing but complain?

 

"The punch is too sweet."

 

"The punch isn't sweet enough."

 

"The punch isn't as good as it was last time."

 

"I hate the punch."

 

"I question the moral the punch is trying to teach me."

 

Actually, that already sounds more fun than co-watching with the fandom. You newcomers seem to still have that enthusiasm that made the fandom appealing in the first place. You're excited about the show, rather than afraid of it. "Oh, no; what's gonna happen THIS WEEK? Which pony are they gonna ruin THIS TIME?" Let's face it: You've lost interest. You just have. You're moving on to other shows and treating them like the second coming of FIM, but the same cynicism and needlessly critical eye that caused MLP to fall out of your favor will catch up with you.

 

MLP:FIM was never FOR you. But, at some point, a significant number of folks decided, "Maybe it can be." And now, at best, you really don't give a shit. You rode the bandwagon long enough to feel good about yourself; about asserting your appreciation for something the bad, lurking anti-Bronies mocked you for liking. Now I have difficulty discerning between this perceived "enemy" and the people who acted as though they were standing against them.

 

You wanna hate on colorful ponies? Good for you. You wanna have unreasonably high expectations for a children's show? Good for you. But if you're watching the show just to have something to complain about on MLPF... You might as well watch anything. You might as well be a member of the Nintendo fandom, Sonic fandom, or any other fandom under the sun. There's nothing standout about your criticisms and complaints; there's nothing standout about this fandom.

 

Anymore, at least.

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Moony the Cat

Im sorry for my sometimes negative Posts towards the newer Episodes. I actually fall into your Category of People, that found something else and then rate Episodes negative, since they dont compare that much. Im sorry for that.

 

And otherwise...you could just wait, until a Dvd Release comes out and then watch the new Seasons, if you do it like that, everyone has already moved one to another Season and you can watch it pretty much alone. Thats how i did it for the first two Seasons.

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Kyoshi Frost Wolf

So...having criticism for an episode makes us not a fan then? You may call it a 'simple children's show' but I would think that the show by now has moved far beyond such a title.

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Ziggy + Angel + Rain

Im sorry for my sometimes negative Posts towards the newer Episodes. I actually fall into your Category of People, that found something else and then rate Episodes negative, since they dont compare that much. Im sorry for that.

 

And otherwise...you could just wait, until a Dvd Release comes out and then watch the new Seasons, if you do it like that, everyone has already moved one to another Season and you can watch it pretty much alone. Thats how i did it for the first two Seasons.

Ehhh, I wasn't looking for an apology; I'm just sharing how I've come to feel towards the fandom in general.  It's not up to me whether or not someone enjoys or dislikes an episode.  It's more the anticipation of disliking an episode or finding reasons TO dislike it that rubs me the wrong way.  I don't like every single episode, but I try to go in (particularly for Rainbow Dash episodes) hoping that I will.

 

And you've got a point. xD

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That Guy with the CMB

Goodness, I was just talking about this earlier today. It kinda bugs me when I see threads about tiny things from the new episode, asking how it works or questioning pony ethics. To put it simply, it's a cartoon and stuff like whatever the threads are about happens all the time. :/ But yeah, the complaining...

 

 

Not even just about MLP, but all the debate pit topics too...it might just be a few members, to be honest...

 

I hope this won't cause me to get a PM on bad behavior. :/

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Ziggy + Angel + Rain

So...having criticism for an episode makes us not a fan then? You may call it a 'simple children's show' but I would think that the show by now has moved far beyond such a title.

I'm talking about the nitpickers.  The terminally analytical sorts who disassemble and examine an episode as though they were tasting a fine wine (which is ultimately swill) or reviewing an 800 page novel (which is ultimately fodder for a rant at their next book club meeting).  The people who commit to "hating" this or that pony or pan an episode before they've even seen it.  The painfully serious types who humorlessly criticize and / or review a television series about friendship-loving equines that was - and is still - aimed at children.

 

I also never called it a "simple children's show."  But I can't for the life of me figure out just what it is that reviewers and amateur critics THINK it is that they're reviewing.  So few Bronies come together to celebrate what it is that they enjoy about the show.  The tendency nowadays is to come together to commiserate about some "terrible episode" or pony they didn't like.  If that's your cup of tea...  You can drink it alone.

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Aurora Glimmer

Ziggy, I completely understand where you're coming from: I left the Brony fandom shortly before the whole Twilicorn drama happened and came back when Season 5 started. I just can't believe how pessimistic and cynical some people have gotten. We've got a chunk of fans who hate everything that happened after Faust left, yet they still stick around to complain about how much better things were back in 2011. Nobody's holding a gun to your head: if you genuinely don't like what's going on in the newer episodes, don't watch them. You shouldn't let their negativity get in the way of your enjoyment of FiM, though: there are still some of us who enjoy the show and don't spend our time complaining about every little detail and going on and on about how every episode was better when Faust was in charge.

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