Zenoctilles

After reading how 3/4 of bronies have never been to a meetup on the new census today, I would encourage that everyone here to get involved with their local brony community, if possible. Through bronies, I've met a lot of really awesome people that I am friends with outside of the fan club. I've met alumni from the university that I attend, met people from the profession I want to pursue, etc. Truly, one of the most rewarding things about being a brony was connecting with people through the shared interest in MLP: FiM. Hence, which is why I encourage everyone to be part of some brony IRL community.

There is a Chicago-land meetup group that's organized through Facebook. You might want to look there and see if there is anything for you.

Well, where do you live, dude? If you live near a major city, there's a chance that there might a local brony meetup group you can find on Meetup.com or Facebook. Or just Google your city/state/country name and "bronies" together.

The Anons have looked into the matter. They've interviewed some of the con volunteers, and it's looking more and more like a case of mismanagement rather than outright fraud. Also, some people who live in Vegas have done some diggining, and one of them noticed that a police car was parked outside of where the con organizers live (they are a husband and wife duo).

This episode was one of the most amazing MLP: FiM episodes ever. I'm certain it resonates with anyone who is an athlete or has been through recruit training in the military. And the lesson presented at the end wasn't vague or superficial, it actually has some basis in reality. This season keeps getting better and better.

Being a big Scootaloo fan, this episode was my dream come true, and while I regard as the best S3 episode by far, I still have some reservations, especially in how Scootaloo was treated more as a flat, recurring character (like Mr. and Mrs. Cake) rather than a bona-fide protagonist in her own right. This episode is a start, but I hope that future episodes flesh her out a bit more in terms of background. I mean, what sort of family does she have? Is she an orphan? Is that why she looks up to RD so much - it is because RD is like the big sister she's never had? I hope by the time S4 hits, Scootaloo will be more of her own character, rather than relying on Applebloom and Sweetie Belle for support. This episode was a start in that regard. But, overall, I loved this episode so much. S3 is miles ahead of S2 in my books.

The thing is, you don't really need to consume every last bit of content just feel like a "full" brony. Focus on the show, read a little bit of EQD, be part of online communities like this one, that is really all you need. I only read EQD and post on certain MLP message boards occasionally. I sometimes partake in social events with my local meetup group. I love MLP, but I try not to take it too seriously, lest I became one of those "crazy fans" - something I always seek to avoid. But, find one bit of the fandom that you like and focus on that if you feel as if you need to delve into it a bit more heavily. For some, it's fanfic; for others, it's fanart. Some really like the fan videos.

I don't see Rainbow Dash as an symbol for pro-LGBT activism within the show at all. Yes, you can see it that way, and perhaps some of the show's creators are LGBT, but: 1. Rainbow Dash was a name of an older gen pony. 2. There are zero references to ponies of alternative sexual orientation. Almost all of the interactions (Mr. and Mrs. Cake, etc.) we see are largely heterosexual.

Basically, Chrysallis comes back to terrorize Ponyville.

I would say that Rugrats is perhaps most similar to MLP: FiM. There are multiple protagonists, morals featured in certain episodes, etc.

I bought a copy earlier today. Went with Cover A. I like how tailored to bronies the comic is and how unabashedly open it is about it (particularly in terms of the shoutouts and such).

After seeing how much attention their Kickstarter got through EQD, I decided to give Hey Ocean a listen. While I am impressed by Ms. Ball's singing talent, I had a very lukewarm response to her band's songs. They sound like really generic pop tracks that I've heard from many other bands. Additionally, none of her band's songs are truly catchy enough to compel me to listen to them more than once. Thoughts on Hey Ocean? Maybe you might like it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhssMi2FtA

The local meetup group in Boston will be having a meetup at the Microsoft Store at the Prudential Center at 1:30PM. For more details, please check out this link: http://www.meetup.com/Bronies-Boston/events/78716062/ See you guys there!

Tell them about the show and how awesome the fandom is, but let him come to his own conclusions. It's okay for someone not to like MLP or get "bronies". Don't be that pushy friend. You wouldn't want someone pushing drugs onto you, right?

Amazon is pretty good. I've been a customer for more than four years now, and they have never failed me. Granted, I loathe disks in any form now, so I probably won't be getting this.

Encourage him to watch it and to judge the show on its own merits. But if they don't like it, then don't push the matter any further.

Do people suspect you of being a homosexual? If so, then you liking MLP may simply be another reason for them to bully you, not the primary reason.

Maybe that's the reason why bronies are not well respected. They push out their interests too hard upon others, and get a negative reactive response.

Where do you live? That seems odd. People don't know what a "brony" is. I'm sure if you tell them that you like a good girl's cartoon, they will understand.

Wear a shirt. Seriously, most sane and rational people won't care if you like MLP or not. I told my parents that I was watching MLP. They shrugged and left me alone. I've talked about the show briefly with my co-workers at work. The simply shrugged. There's nothing special about being a fan for a good cartoon. Heck, there were many adult fans of Rugrats, for example (Steven Spielberg included).

Yet you don't hear about "closet Trekkies". This whole "closeted" nonsense with less serious topics began with this fandom, as far as I can tell. For people in other fandoms that I've been a part of, there has never been much talk of needing to share with others that they like x and y, much in the same way that homosexuals feel that they need to share with their family and friends the fact that they are homosexual. Yes, people are nervous that people might make fun of them for liking x or y cartoon/movie, but people here treat MLP with a certain reverence that I don't quite understand.

Talk about being a "closet brony" and other such nonsense are contributing that inflated sense of self-importance that some bronies flaunt when they talk about what it's like to be a fan of "My Little Pony". Personally, I do not like the term "closet brony". Of course, I am sure that many of you are aware of the term "coming out of the closet", in terms of transgenderism and homosexuality. Please. People making fun of you for enjoying a children's cartoon is not equivalent to the real and serious persecution that some homosexual and transgender folks face. It's disrespectful to use such a term when it already carries a heavier gravitas in another similar, yet more serious, context. Plus, with the exception of a few media outlets, the vast majority of newspapers have published either neutral or positive reports on bronies. There is no serious mass-persecution of bronies taking place, especially when we get shoutouts from Steven Cobert and glowing reports from the likes of even conservative newspapers like the Wall Street Journal. Call me out for belly-aching, but I don't care. I am a brony and I am proud of the fact that I like a good cartoon. But, with recent spasms of narcissism in the MLP fandom (like the BronyCon Documentary, among other things), I think it's time to take a step back and reflect on whether we are really all that special or not.

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