Bronies: fandom or family?

[ggg-2 3,555]

Which would you say we are?

Edited August 15, 2014 by ggg-2

[Jeric 46,884]

In general ... fandom. That said, there sure are more than a handful of people in the fandom who have become close friends or more. I would vote for 'a little of both' if that were an option.

 

Sigh ... another patented Jeric 'non answer' answer. I'm like an expert at hedging my bets.

[Discordian 6,021]

Fandom without a doubt. The whole fandom isn't close enough to be family. You can get your little groups here and there who've become really close, as Jeric said, but outside of that not a lot of bronies actually get along. Interacting with each other can range from total indifference to World War 3.

[ggg-2 3,555]

just added that option jeric!

[BastementSparkle 20,335]

Fandom. We're a group of people who enjoy a television show. That's pretty much the only thing that we are guaranteed to have in common.

 

 That said there are some people I've met in the fandom that I would say have become close enough to me to be called close friends, maybe even family. And I'm sure many have had that same experience. So it's a mixture of both to me.

Edited August 15, 2014 by BasementPrincess

[Heliodor 156]

I would say fandom for me. I also don't have any fellow MLP fans who are close friends except for people who are already family, like my fiancée and my sibs.

[CriticalStylus 65]

I think it would be dangerous to consider a fandom a "family". It would just close your mind to other people and opportunities. That's why I don't think I'll ever understand lifestylers of any sort, unless they're making money to pay the bills.

[Magnolia 83]

It would be fandom for me.

[The Euphonium Brony 134]

I would say both because I'm a nice guy like that xD

[ggg-2 3,555]

*sighs* mods lock this thread please?

[Jeric 46,884]

*sighs* mods lock this thread please?

 

I actually like this topic. Why lock it? Is this a confirmation bias thing?

[chaos rains 190]

Im not so sure yet with only being a brony for near 2 months I kind of am trying to learn the fandom but they seem distant. And whats worse theres nobody around me thats a brony or seems to know much but they are accepting. My friends and family are atlesst welcoming of that fact.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,165]

We're a mix of both, and the same can be said of a lot of fandoms. Honestly, it was in part to being in the Spyro the Dragon fandom that I had met my previous girlfriend (2003-2007, a good length of time, and the only girlfriend I've had), so it's proof that people within a fandom can grow close to one another.

[Discordian 6,021]

Im not so sure yet with only being a brony for near 2 months I kind of am trying to learn the fandom but they seem distant. And whats worse theres nobody around me thats a brony or seems to know much but they are accepting. My friends and family are atlesst welcoming of that fact.

You're right when a lot of bronies are rather distant and hold everything and everyone at arm's length. Some people are wary of online interaction, some are more active in other fandoms and are just here because they happen to like the show (I dwell in this area myself. Gamer first. MLP just happens to be a show I like more than most and this forum is one of my main social areas by pure chance), some just don't care at all about anyone but themselves.

[Simon 4,557]

Agreeing on mix of both here as well.  I mean for me, this forum is like my family.  We don't all always get along and we argue, but at the end of the day I care for everybody in this forum and I consider this place my home.  I don't have any qualms about calling this forum my family.

 

However, the fandom in general I'd consider mainly just a fandom.  It's a great fandom I love, but I think it's too big to ever give me that sort of a feeling.

[Jeric 46,884]

Im not so sure yet with only being a brony for near 2 months I kind of am trying to learn the fandom but they seem distant. And whats worse theres nobody around me thats a brony or seems to know much but they are accepting. My friends and family are atlesst welcoming of that fact.

 

Well it's awesome that you can at least be open about your enjoyment of MLP. Many others don't even have that. There are some distant folks, but there are ones that seem to have no problem befriending total strangers in the internet. I'm only a few months out of finally saying, 'Yep ... you got me.' and in that time I have met some surprizing people that I would look foward to meeting at a Pony related event.

 

I'm a Star Wars nut. I have met more people than I can count in that fandom that I would consider friends. I've been to two of their weddings. Do I consider the Star Wars fandom a family? No ... it feels different than MLP though. Again, I'm almost dangerously optimistic and will remain so ... but this fandom seems to be caught in the middle between 'just like the show' and something more.

 

I voted for mixed personally, because I get the general sense that should the opportunity present itself ... many of us would be great friends. Does that equal family? That is another question. It can in my opinion ... but that needs time to develop.

[Solid 1,327]

Fandom, Friends, Families.

[chaos rains 190]

Well it's awesome that you can at least be open about your enjoyment of MLP. Many others don't even have that. There are some distant folks, but there are ones that seem to have no problem befriending total strangers in the internet. I'm only a few months out of finally saying, 'Yep ... you got me.' and in that time I have met some surprizing people that I would look foward to meeting at a Pony related event.

 

I'm a Star Wars nut. I have met more people than I can count in that fandom that I would consider friends. I've been to two of their weddings. Do I consider the Star Wars fandom a family? No ... it feels different than MLP though. Again, I'm almost dangerously optimistic and will remain so ... but this fandom seems to be caught in the middle between 'just like the show' and something more.

 

I voted for mixed personally, because I get the general sense that should the opportunity present itself ... many of us would be great friends. Does that equal family? That is another question. It can in my opinion ... but that needs time to develop.

I agree it could become such a close thing but I live in scotland and being a brony here apart from my family and friends knowing I wouldnt know where elsekto look since nobody opens up to things like that here. I love the show and believe in it as a way of changing things within a stereotypical society but I cant seem to understand the fandom on a level that doesnt involve the net. Theres no conventions here no big meetings of any kind and season 1 is just being released on dvd here in november

[Visual Spectrum 1,932]

Fandom. There is a group of bronies I'm in, and we consider ourselves family. However, there are a lot of bronies I can't stand. There have been multiple times where I wanted to leave the fandom because of the way other bronies acted towards me. Sure, Friendship is Magic, but I have seen a lot of hate among bronies. 

[chaos rains 190]

You're right when a lot of bronies are rather distant and hold everything and everyone at arm's length. Some people are wary of online interaction, some are more active in other fandoms and are just here because they happen to like the show (I dwell in this area myself. Gamer first. MLP just happens to be a show I like more than most and this forum is one of my main social areas by pure chance), some just don't care at all about anyone but themselves.

I expected it would be a closer fandom as we all go through the same ridicule and all have a hard time about being open its like being gay but we only like a cartoon. And how people think being gay is bad is beyond me I mean love is love. Just like homosexuality nobody is being abused and its all in good spirit. We may not be family or even friends but we do share an amazing thing here as we get to challange social norm and enjoy something jn the process. I would have thought that was enough.

Edited August 15, 2014 by chaos rains

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

personally I see us as a fandom but also see you all as my fellow Bronykin so both I guess

[Stuffy Hooves 143]

I think we're a fandom.. but with so much support from bronies and other bronies or non-bronies with astounding understanding, it's pretty close to a family

[Discordian 6,021]

I expected it would be a closer fandom as we all go through the same ridicule and all have a hard time about being open its like being gay but we only like a cartoon. And how people think being gay is bad is beyond me I mean love is love. Just like hkmosexuality nobody is being abused and its all in good spirit. We may not be family or even friends but we do share an amazing thing here as we get to challange social norm and enjoy something jn the process. I would have thought that was enough.

I've been open about being a brony from day one and aside from a few people I've had almost no issues with ridicule. I don't let it bother me. Others get really up in arms over the stuff and even try to create some sort of crusade over it if it's big enough.

 

As cold as it may sound common ground isn't enough for people to get along. A lot of people don't realize that bronies share a lot of common ground with a lot of people both non-brony and even anti-brony yet we never get along. It works the same in the brony fandom. A lot of us share a lot of the same interests but if you've ever read any of the non-MLP topics people barely even talk to each other. It's more like talking to themselves and whatever clique they belong to.

[chaos rains 190]

I've been open about being a brony from day one and aside from a few people I've had almost no issues with ridicule. I don't let it bother me. Others get really up in arms over the stuff and even try to create some sort of crusade over it if it's big enough.As cold as it may sound common ground isn't enough for people to get along. A lot of people realize that bronies share a lot of common ground with a lot of people both non-brony and even anti-brony yet we never get along. It works the same in the brony fandom. A lot of us share a lot of the same interests but if you've ever read any of the non-MLP topics people barely even talk to each other. It's more like talking to themselves and whatever clique they belong to.

 

that to me isnt how I hoped to see things but I have seen what you mean. But I dont get why we cant include everybody in the fandom and try to get by our differences. Love and tolerate. This is mybfirst forum after spending ages being called countless insults on yt and with guys like simon and scs it seems safe. Annoying when ya post a topic and get a message saying it or a similar one exists and it gets locked but yeah I like that but the fans are way too distant. I understand but this is the only place where I get to chat to bronies like me. If I can even call myself an actual brony.

[NightOwl 912]

I like to think we're a mix of both, we do lot's of cool fandom stuff like animations and remixes but there are places like this forum where we can be a bit of a family  .