Cloud Strife

Just because it sounds like a guy, behaves like a guy, looks like a guy, and doesn't like feminine things - doesn't mean it is a guy. (Though, Rainbow Dash likes some feminine things, anyway...)

See, this is what I think is holding you back and making you feel so embarrassed. You're choosing to see what you want to see, rather than what's actually in front of you. There are many bronies who are on the autism spectrum, yes, but note the spectrum part of it. Social impediments can vary, and different people have different degrees of them and even then, how much it affects them is still an individual case. There's also plenty of bronies here who don't have autism. Either way, though, a social impediment is not something that is shameful. It's just a diagnosis, just like influenza is, or depression. The diagnosis is there to help find adequate treatments for it and for an individual to better understand their strengths and weaknesses. You fall under the stigma, and that's what's making you feel so ashamed. You see being socially inept as something that's shameful. While I would not argue that being socially inept is a good thing (it's not), it's no more shameful than any other flaw, like being stubborn/prideful, or being not-as-smart as some others within your class. It presents a unique set of challenges for you, but that's all it does. It doesn't automatically disqualify you as a bad person or make you shameful as a whole. It's just a part of you that you need to work on. Think of it this way: all these bronies that you're calling socially inept could also be amazing artists, or wonderful musicians, or they could be donors for charities that help people get back on their feet or support cancer research. These should not be discredited just because they have a social impediment. It's all in the way you choose to look at the situation. Even then, bronies are just as varied as participants in any other fandom, and they have different walks of life and to judge them all because a certain sample of them is like this is a very hasty and misinformed judgment. But this is exactly why we should stand up and challenge these ideas, because all they're doing is harming people. They're harming you. They're making you feel upset and guilty for something you shouldn't, morally, be upset and guilty over. This is why we do this, because we recognize that this cultural stigma surrounding what you should and shouldn't like is a load of horse shit and something that shouldn't stand.

I've noticed that the tag for this is "Applejack", and it makes me raise an eyebrow. I didn't see anyone accusing Applejack of being a Mary Sue; usually I see that argument directed at Twilight. If someone's making statements about Applejack in that manner, though, it's probably because she's the most well off of the Mane Six. She's where she needs to be already, and she has her life together - but this doesn't in any way make her a Mary Sue. She's not the most powerful of the Mane Six, so that's automatically checked off (because unicorns and pegasi are OP). She doesn't have a terribly tragic back story aside from losing her parents, but she still has a lot of her family left so it doesn't really count. The thing that makes her sink into the background and not be as interesting to some people is simply because of the fact that since she's already where she wants to be, her personal conflict would be minute compared to the others. The only kind of conflicts that would be high conflict for her would be a) to lose her friends, or b ) to lose the farm. Both have been explored within the show, and even in those incidences she usually reacted rather calmly (with the very stark exception of "Bats!", which has probably the best conflict for Applejack as of late). As for Twilight, many people say sparkle pony is Mary Sue because she gets granted special rights and has a higher level of ascension than the others of the main cast. Here's the thing: she's the main main character, as in the series relies on her. Sure, the others of the Mane Six are important, but when it comes down to it, if you swapped them out with other characters you'd still have a story. Twilight? Not so much; she was the catalyst for it beginning. The thing is, it's very common for the protagonist to have these special privileges because ultimately, the story resolves around them - and while the other characters are in it, this show is ultimately about Twilight learning the nuances of friendship. That doesn't mean her friends don't learn too (hence them all being able to write lessons, etc) but they wouldn't even be trying to if it weren't for Twilight in the first place. Another thing that Twilight-Mary-Sue detractors seem to forget is that Twilight earned her right to get all of these special advantages. She studied for years (off screen, admittedly) to study magic, and it's her special talent at that, and she spent three whole seasons learning about friendship, which was the disciple for which she was chosen. Yes, she might've been the Chosen One, but she could've easily defected from it and not earned her role. In fact... That's exactly what Sunset Shimmer did. Ho, boy. Now that I think about it, what would have happened to Sunset Shimmer if she'd not been so consumed with power, letting ambition take her over to the point that she didn't have consideration for other ponies? Would she be a princess instead? I'm sure fanfic writers have gotten on that but please get on it more because it's such an interesting idea.

This is a big one for me. Even the ones who don't say outright hateful things about cloppers will say something like "well, not all bronies are like them" to distance themselves from cloppers, as if clopping is not something normal to do. Perhaps it's a little odd that it's being directed at ponies, but who cares, right? People have different interests and I'm kind of getting sick of the shaming that people do revolving it. Those two correlate an awful lot, don't they? I find the interpretation of Pinkie Pie being psychotic interesting - or at least, it was at first. People just do it for the sake of being dark instead of exploring how her character could genuinely become that way... Makes it wasted potential in my opinion. To be honest, My Little Dashie was very much fanservice to the extreme and I'm just not into that sort of thing, so I'm in the same position as you.

I know a lot of people who aren't fond of bronies. Hell, I used to be one of them. I just tend not to talk about the show or the fandom with them because there are people who have legitimate reasons to not like this fandom, and I'm not going to be one to impose my point of view on them. Plus, I've tried to prove people wrong about a group of people before...only for those people to go and prove me wrong instead. It's just ultimately not worth it in the end.

You're thinking Snowdrop. Snowflake is Bulk Bicep's fan name.

1.) I would define a "brony/pegasister" as someone who places this fandom as part of their central identity. I don't go by it because this fandom is among other fandoms that I'm in and I prefer not to use a title for it. 2.) No. 3.) Depends on if they want to go by that title. You are not a brony if you don't want to be. It's a title you take on as an identity and it's something that you can personally decide whether or not you are one. 4.) There was no event that ever made me distance myself from the title. I have never used the title even when I was first getting into the fandom. That being said, there was a period of time in which I didn't like those who went by the title before I realized being initially judgmental like that wasn't ethical. 5.) Yes. 6.) Derpy is definitely an example, but there are also episodes that are quite clearly catered toward them (e.g. "Read it and Weep"). There are tons of little nods to the fandom through call-outs of their Elements (something that initially the writers didn't focus on) and the whole existence of EqG. 7.) If you mean my interest in My Little Pony, pretty much every friend of mine knows about that. If you mean me being a brony, none, since I'm not a brony. 8.) In lieu of the seventh question, I'm assuming my interest in My Little Pony. In which case, I have never kept it hidden. 9.) I'm not a brony. Everyone who has found out I have an interest has hardly bat an eye at it, possibly because I'm a cis female. 10.) I'm not an open contributor to the fandom - yet. I have drawn a few fanworks before, and I have made RP accounts on Tumblr, but that's about it. 11.) Yes. 12.) Sometimes. 13.) I like fan-created media in all fandoms that I participate in, and this is not an exception. I would be lying if I said it didn't affect my interest in the show, just as much as fanworks have also influenced my opinion in other things, such as the Sonic games. 14.) Yes. 15.) No. Many of the episodes presented I've already learned when growing up. 16.) The Mysterious Mare Do Well's moral is not presented very well and in general, I feel like it's a moral that's worth questioning. I also don't like One Bad Apple's moral, nor Feeling Pinkie Keen's. 17.) As evidenced by the Debate Pit: Sometimes. 18.) I don't get what this question is asking but I'm putting Sometimes in anyway. 19.) Forums, Tumblr, RP, and through deviantART is how I communicate with bronies. 20.) I don't buy merchandise. (I don't have the money.) 21.) I keep up with events not necessarily within the fandom, but with the show itself. I'll go on a Google search to see when episodes will air and find them on YouTube. I don't really pay much attention to the fandom, or at least not as much as I do some other fandoms I'm in. 22.) Not yet, so No. 23.) N/A 24.) I have made a few friends within the fandom, but I haven't been all that active in it for very long, so not yet. 25.) I believe it attracted an audience for the exact same reason other good cartoons are, because they're good cartoons, like Courage the Cowardly Dog, Arthur, or other shows like that. While I do believe that it's more likely to attract an Autistic audience because of the fact that it's a cartoon, I think this show can also appeal well to the neurotypical for the same reason. 26.) Kind of. I think it's something you can't say for sure, because people get attracted to different things for different reasons. 27.) Same as above. 28.) Not really. 29.) Probably. I would say it's a distinct possibility for a lot of bronies here, especially the ones who say they've lost interest in the show but keep coming back for the community. Also, I would definitely say that people identify as "brony" because of the community because that's where the term has come from.

It wouldn't be so terrible if the characters weren't flanderized (or in the case of the PPG, completely perverted in their character). The animation looks a little stilted, but it's actually not that bad, and while the multiple meme references could get annoying, I'd be willing to forgive it if the characters were written well. Alas, Twilight is just "blah blah blah science", and Rainbow seems to have completely lost her common sense (because people believe her "Leeroy Jenkins" attitude = a lack of that and that's not true - having a thirst for danger and being somewhat reckless is not the same as doing something that you know is not conceivably a good idea just for the sake of it). I could forgive even that if it weren't for the PPG being portrayed as violent and callous, not to mention stupid. It's not the fact it's a crossover that's the problem, it's the fact that the script is lazy at best and offensive at worst.