Slipstitch

What key episodes should I watch? I think the one most people can relate to, bronies and non-bronies alike, is "Lesson Zero". If you are watching in order though, then I'd recommend that you watch more than just the first few episodes of the show before judging it. The first few episodes of any show tend to be a little rough. What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture? Definitely the brony culture. I mean, a show about talking ponies titled "Friendship is Magic" sounds incredibly cheesy. I would not have thought that it had any significant value until I realized the quality of work the fandom was putting out there and saw the amount of genuine passion they had for the show. How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad) I don't participate a huge amount on forums or with the creation of fan works so I'm not sure if the culture has had a significant impact on me other than introducing me to the show. The show on the other hand has helped me through some pretty rough times this year. As corny as the friendship messages can often be, there's something to be said about a show that is so happy. When I'm feeling depressed, I would far rather watch a lighthearted and hopeful kids' show than some sort of gritty drama intended for adults. If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be? This was the reason why I decided to post in the first place. One big misconception is that we are all male. We are not! I'm sick and tired of people assuming that because I enjoy MLP:FiM, I'm either male or super girly. I am neither of these things. While guys do make up the majority of the fandom and the "bro-" prefix would suggest male connotations, it is still a gender-neutral term. This is why the term "pegasister" is also sometimes used by older female fans. It should be noted that a big part of why I enjoy MLP:FiM is because of the feminist ideals it promotes (that there is no "right" way to be female, female characters can successfully fill every role that male characters can, and that femininity is not synonymous with weakness), not the fact that it involves cute, colourful ponies. I'd like to add that I'm glad that you're actually taking the time to talk to us and see what it's all about instead of blindly believing all the misinformation out there about the fandom. We're not abnormal in any way. We're just normal people who enjoy a show that wasn't originally intended for our demographic

While there were some good songs, I dislike this episode since I find the idea of "becoming" a princess (and by association, an alicorn) pretty off-putting. That being said, I still have faith in the show and the writers to change my mind and fix all of this so that season 4 can induce as little cringing as possible. I'm hoping that the rushed pace of the episode is implying that the alicorn transformation story arc is still incomplete and will be continued in season 4.

Like with any rumour, we have no way of knowing whether or not this is true without official confirmation so I think it's wise not to stress about it until then. It is interesting to see what people's opinions are on this topic though.

I don't like the thought of alicorn Twilight simply because it would elevate her above her friends. I feel like this could throw off the group dynamic a bit, which is the integral part of the show. I also generally dislike the idea that a female can magically become a princess (assuming that all alicorns are princesses) since I know that that's what a lot of little girls aspire to be when they grow up. The thing that I really appreciate about MLP is that it shows girls that there are a lot of options out there for women beyond being a mother, princess, or other traditional female roles. I'm sure there's a way for it to be pulled off with excellent writing, but the idea of it is rather off-putting.

There's a lot of conflicting information here so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens before jumping to conclusions and freaking out over anything. As much as I dislike the idea of alicorn Twilight (Princess Twilight? ughhh), I have faith that the writers are talented enough overcome whatever hoops Hasbro throws at them. As for Derpy, she was always more of an awesome added bonus for me instead of being the sole reason why I enjoy the show. Whatever happens to her, she will always live on and be celebrated in fan created material.