Should the fandom who want to change the show be called "Bronies"?

[Envy 6,020]

@@Envy, 

 

1. There is no official dictionary.

2. There are many dictionaries, some which contain the definition for Brony.

3. Brony is therefore just as much a word as askance or friendship.

 

Everything is relative, so only logic can take us from here...

1. I believe that all words have a definiton. If it doesn't have a definition, it's only a sound. Agree on this?

2. The definition of Brony is: Someone who is a fan of MLP. Agree on this?

 

If you agree on 1. that's good, that mean's Brony is a word.

If you disagree on 1. Why? What's your definition of a word?

 

If you agree on 2., then why aren't you a Brony? Somewhere in that definition you don't fit in, are you not a person? Are you not a fan?

If you disagree, then what is your definition of a Brony? And what makes you don't fit into that definition?

 

If your definition of Brony is something like these, then I understand.

- Someone who is a fan of FiM, but not the other generations of MLP.

- Someone who became a fan of MLP after the release of FiM.

- Or other similar definitions. What's yours?

 

Here's the thing: I do not accept that 'Brony' (or any fandom label) necessitates a solid definition. It is a label created intended to be a fandom label by a group of people. I don't think that fandom titles are anything more than just that. They are something that people can apply to themselves when they like whatever the fandom title is about enough. Likewise, no matter what reason, someone who doesn't want to be put under it doesn't have to be.

 

If we take it any other way, we're going beyond the fandom label just being something for fun, and I don't think that's ever been the purpose of fandom labels.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

This is not only a part of the separatist mindset that I called out twice earlier. It's also reinforcing the No True Scottsman fallacy that Envy called out earlier. Fans of the show are bronies. You, me, and everyone else here unless they're not fans of FIM. There's no reason to shove bronies into another category just because you don't like how they view the show. People analyze because they like the show. Good or bad, they dissect areas of the show or episodes that work or don't and explain why. A very good review/analysis can change the outlook of its quality. Claiming how they analyze hints that they don't enjoy the show is absolutely ludicrous.

 

 

This is a major strawman; people like to write dark or grimdark because they like to. It doesn't determine nor affect their enjoyment of the product itself. Bronies will write or draw whatever the hell they want, whether it's kid-appropriate or not. They know that the majority of their content doesn't work in the show.

Here's what I did that I suggest you begin doing: I use words like "I think" or "possibly."  I'm presenting an opinion based on personal analysis and even personal experience that you haven't necessarily had.  Because I'm not you, and your perspective is not mine.  Nothing you said is factual.  Anyone who earnestly presents their opinions as though they were bulletproof is immediately guilty of the most blatant and self-defeating of all fallacies.  Nothing you said is the final word or applicable in every and any instance.  Which means, if so much as a single Brony has ever been guilty of what I described, your ridiculously broad statement collapses at its very foundation.

 

You aren't the authority on what anyone (much less everyone) thinks or feels; to say nothing of how they personally identify.  "Brony" is not a scientific classification.  And, even if it were, it would still be man-made and inherently changeable.  You can't point to it in a textbook or conventional dictionary.  Star Trek fans were "Trekkies" until they were "Trekkers."  And even then, individual fans of Star Trek elected whether or not they'd wear which or either label.    You don't get to label others simply because the label suits you.  If you want to wear a big, fat adhesive strip across your forehead that reads "Brony," be my guest.  Are you even openly "Brony?"  If you're so eager to attach the B-tag to everyone else, you must be the sort that proclaims his interest in the series the proudest and the loudest in every and any social situation.

 

And, again, you completely missed my choice of words; presumably to make your "refuting" of my argument all the easier.  I said "I often question."  I made no claims; I put forth an idea.  I shared a perception that is at odds with your own, unbending, black and white consideration of the subject.  It isn't ludicrous to think that someone who constantly, ceaselessly, tirelessly criticizes and expresses their disappointment about something isn't a fan.  You're quick to say all fans irrefutably equal "Brony."  And yet, the blanket you were so eager to toss potentially covers everyone who watches the show; regardless of how harsh their criticism or how disingenuous their show of interest.  Some reviewers (note how I said "some") simply like to hear themselves talk.  Some reviewers might attach themselves to something that's popular in order to siphon a little of that interest and attention for themselves.  They thrive on that attention; possibly because they aren't capable of doing anything creative of their own and, subsequently, being subjected to the same sort of needlessly harsh and ultimately worthless criticism (that will likely have little or no effect on the creative product whatsoever).

Edited May 13, 2015 by Ziggy and Angelbaby

[Dark Qiviut 22,208]

Yet the term 'Brony' was decided by a group of people that I'm not a part of because they said so, and just because they wanted it that way.

You may not have been on 4Chan when "brony" was christened, but they were as much brony then as you, me, and all of us in this topic are today. You're a part of the same community as the rest of the fandom just like they were when they first started.

 

I am not obligated to go under a label that some random internet nerd boys decided would describe their fandom just because I decided to watch a TV show and liked it.

The counterarguments you posted in this entire thread immediately died the second you posted the veiled insult. We long passed the time where "nerd" was very similar to "geek": an insult. Today, "nerd" and "geek" don't have that much power as insults anymore because they're now embraced more. A very large proud collection of bronies is extremely computer-savvy, from the staff on this forum to the analysts to the majority of this very generation. It's completely disrespectful of the entire fandom, and yourself, to use it as such.

 

But for the sake of the debate, I'll keep going.

 

I repeat to you that 'Brony' is not a Dictionary term - it is not an official title in any way, shape, or form.

You repeated, and I'm posting the very same response. Just because there's no dictionary of "brony" doesn't change the fact what "brony" is: a fan of FIM. Unless they don't like the product, every single person who likes it and is a fan of it is a brony. "Brony" and "FIM fan" are one-hundred-percent synonymous, period. Just because brony separatists say they're not bronies doesn't make it true. Straining the semantics overcomplicates the definition and contributes to the divisions that plague this fandom.

 

BTW, your whole argument that because millennials/majority beginning to accept bro/brother as gender-neutral means that it is, is the very definition of argumentum ad populum.

Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. But one thing I do know is the English language isn't very concrete. Language evolves over time. What makes the English language very great is how it may be one definition today and could change entirely tomorrow. One of the best examples I know is the word "literally." Prior, it meant it actually occurred. Today, that definition still exists. But it's not the only way it's used anymore. We now see people use "literally" as a way to emphasize something of importance, usually to the point of exaggeration, and it's now part of the lexicon. You don't change culture, especially if for the good, if you don't get patches ignoring social constructs.

 

BTW, you were nearly correct in your summary. What I said there is this:

 

You have plenty of boys and girls, particularly the millennials, refer to each other as "bros" as a method of endearment. How much you hear it depends on your anecdotes, whether it's something you hear in your city or see online.

There are places in the West where "bro" isn't used as a gender-neutral bond as much compared to other areas. Where I live, it's used quite a bit among boys and girls. But "bro" isn't used exclusively to reference close male companions exclusively anymore, and that's a great thing. Why? Because the gender politics attached to the word doesn't have the armor strength it used to have. The colloquial use of "bro" is more versatile now than before, which is something society and the feminist community should promote and embrace.

 

Regardless of what the millennials at large may or may not think, bro is a shortened form of brother which is a masculine sibling. Even if some accept it as gender-neutral it's not going to be to a lot of people, because it doesn't make sense that way.

My answer to this is what I wrote in my blog two months ago. Too often, people on and offsite assign "femininity" and "masculinity" to specific categories of personalities, strengths, and flaws. (Even I did this before realizing it, and that's wrong of me.) Any type of trait we know alive today. In our society, we associate "masculinity" with men and "femininity" with women. We use these two nouns to associate with sexist products like MLP's first-party toyline (G3, G3.5, FIM, and EQG), Puppy in My Pocket, and even the growing "girls division" for Lego. Those sexist implications damn our society, and the sexist implications exist such as continuing to assign "bro" with "male" so stubbornly. In other words, "masculinity" and "femininity" are gender-blind and should be gender-blind.

 

We shouldn't be assigning those two terms to specific sexes and roles. This is one great thing Friendship Is Magic has succeeded. It's redefining the two terms simultaneously. What the show does it take what makes something "masculine" or "feminine," throws it away, and refreshes it with new ideas on how to define them. Rather than using the social constructs destructively, masculinity and femininity are much more ambiguous. Is it intentional? Definitely for femininity, but I don't know about masculinity. Either way, it's a great achievement. However, more needs to be done before these gender constructs are completely destroyed. I said this in other threads, and I'll say it here: FIM is factually an all-ages, gender-neutral cartoon. Always has been and always should be. It takes the roots of G1 and revitalizes it. One way it does here is ask the audience what makes something feminine and masculine. You can't answer that question. So far, you're seeing the unconventional wisdom more this decade thanks to the likes of Gravity Falls and Steven Universe, but it takes more than just a few trucks to build the train. You need the engine to pull it and a lot of attention to defy the norms.

 

What does it have to do with "brony"? It does the same exact thing. On the surface, "brony" appears "masculine." But rather than conforming to social norms, it spits on those norms. It defies the definition of masculinity. By defying masculinity, it defies the conventions of femininity, as well. That helps what makes "brony" such a pro-feminist title: its lack of conventionality. Unfortunately, "brony" comes with unneeded consequences; observe how many bronies are locked in the closet, and then look at the garbage logic over why plenty of brony separatists segregate themselves from the title. I'm not, but a lot of people are. Saying "I'm an FIM fan, but not a brony" reinforces two implications:

1. Men and women shouldn't enjoy a pro-feminist product. Considering all the antifeminist crap plaguing the market, that's not a good thing. When the products are marketed to families, it's even worse.
2. It creates and enforces stereotypes similar to how many Trekkies use "Trekker" as a way to say "I'm not one of 'those' fans." In other words, "It's a bad thing to be a brony." This separatist logic existed long before this fandom. It's not okay then; it sure as hell isn't okay now.

@@KatonRyu, I'm not familiar with "Niner," but one fact to note is how Niners are as much Trekkies as Trekkies and Trekkie separatists are. Speaking of separatists.

 

In the case of Trekkie vs Trekker, 'Trekkie' is said to be a demeaning term to serious fans. There are also people who say that being a Trekkie means that you're obsessed, while being a Trekker means you like the show, but nothing more.

This is one example of how to fraction fandoms. Back when "Trekkie" was still more encompassing, the word carried no connotations. Why not? "Trekkie" means no more than a fan of Star Trek, whether it's one generation, multiple, or all of them. In itself, the word should still have no connotations and ought to be celebrated for bringing ST fans of multiple generations together. Now you have Trekkies who use "Trekker" as a way of saying, "We're not those fans." This separatist logic is completely disrespectful to the fandom by creating unnecessary divisions and perpetuating stereotypes. Opinions and reasons like those are factually broken and don't deserve respect whatsoever.

 

Like all fans of FIM are bronies, all "Trekkers" are Trekkies. It's a good, simple, objective definition that encompasses the fandom. Any fan of Star Trek is a Trekkie, whether they like it or not. I call out bronies for using broken, separatist logic. I'd do the same to the Trekkies who try to separate themselves from the title. If they don't like it, it's not me who's perpetuating the problem. They are for relying on stereotypes as a backbone.

 

Star Trek fans were "Trekkies" until they were "Trekkers." And even then, individual fans of Star Trek elected whether or not they'd wear which or either label. You don't get to label others simply because the label suits you.

I hear and see this type of reasoning all the time. It never works. Sure, you're entitled to your choices. But you're not entitled to have your choices and opinions from being questioned. You can't just say, "I do such and such" and leave it at that. You need a great explanation why. If you can't, then your choice for why you "create" or "choose" a new title is objectively wrong. Why? Because the logic carries literally no weight. The reasons for why brony separatists don't adopt "brony" make no sense because they rely on very broken logic to back them up. Plenty of them use stereotypes like "I'm no bro," or "I don't want to be associated with stereotypes" (when ironically they're acting like stereotypes by segregating themselves). That won't fly at all, and anyone who believes otherwise is lying to themselves.

 

I'm presenting an opinion based on personal analysis and even personal experience that you haven't necessarily had.

Just because they're based of personal experiences doesn't entitle you to not your analysis be questioned. "I think" and "possibly" aren't good enough to not being questioned. The overall conclusions you posted earlier make no sense because you're taking what they say and oversimplifying them. Observe how these critically review the show. Just because the critical analyses may be negative doesn't always mean they don't like the show.

 

I said "I often question." I made no claims; I put forth an idea.

Being an idea makes absolutely no difference. Ideas can contain the same fallacies, and that's exactly the problem. You put forth the "idea" that because "some" put forth negative analyses, they don't like the show (anymore). That idea makes no sense. Brony analysts analyze, review, and critique because they like the show. Even Byter and his cynical, foolhardy opinions doesn't refrain him from disliking the show. (At least he deserves more props for standing up to a cyberbully.) Even the analysts who've been the butt of imbecilic jokes like Tommy Oliver and Digibro still like the show.

 

Why would analysts criticize areas of an episode? Because they know this show can do better. The analysis community isn't dominantly optimistic or pessimistic; it's absolutely perverse to see corners of both this forum and overall fandom pervert the community as such. It's extremely diverse and will praise if the staff delivers and criticize if they don't. Altogether, the analysis community has a lot of fun doing it, but it expects the show to deliver. If they deliver like Pinkie Pride or Sleepless in Ponyville, expect showers of praise. If they don't deliver like the atrocious Rainbow Falls, then the staff will receive deservingly harsh criticism.

 

Some reviewers (note how I said "some") simply like to hear themselves talk. Some reviewers might attach themselves to something that's popular in order to siphon a little of that interest and attention for themselves. They thrive on that attention; possibly because they aren't capable of doing anything creative of their own and, subsequently, being subjected to the same sort of needlessly harsh and ultimately worthless criticism

1. It doesn't matter whether it's "some," "a few," "many," or "all." The baseless assumptions you placed on the brony analysis community on any level is what helped get you called out in the first place. Analysis is an important area of the brony community. Why? By exchanging thoughts, judgments, and theories. We analyze and review for many reasons, the most common being a hell of a lot of fun to do it.

    

   The claim that any of them like to hear themselves talk is false. Why do people post comments, fanfictions, fanart, and so on? To help showcase something. To create communication. To believe they have a place somewhere in the core fandom (and any fan can enter). They voice their judgments, theories, etc. online because they want to exchange what they think about episodes into other sections of both the analysis community and the brony fandom itself. This isn't simply most analysts. It's all of them. If they simply wanted to hear a proverbial echo, then they wouldn't post them on sites like DeviantArt, YouTube, here, or other sites in the first place. Every single brony analyst posts to the public for communication, both solicited and unsolicited. If they're looking for one or neither, then they're not doing it right.

2. Attention is something people enjoy. They want to post content partially because, like I said, they believe they have a place in the community. They want to contribute to the community. If they see very popular brony analysts, they feel they could compete for the piece of the pie, and there's a chance they can if they know what they're doing. Who wouldn't want that? Depending on your perspective, the attention can be both a blessing and a curse. But the want to put it out there shows they want to contribute. If even just one person sees it, then they can build their brand from there. They just need to know what they're doing and be prepared for what may come.
3. You're falling for the strawman again. Analysis is as much creative as writing or drawing. The concept of review is as much of an art form as any genre of art any of us can think of. Video/audio analysis requires plenty of steps, one of them the ability to compose the script. Another is editing, which is one of the most difficult and tedious art forms out there, in my opinion. Assuming that any analysts went to this method because they couldn't produce any other type of art (and then perpetuated the "Negative Nancy" stereotype) is as low as a kick to the groin.

Broners

Two major problems:

1. It has a very phallic connotation. Ditch the "R," you got "boner." It's not as bad as "Narutard" ("Naruto" and "retard") or "Petaphile" ("Pet" and "pedophile" for the early sections of the modern Littlest Pet Shop fandom), but the connotations exist, something "Brony" doesn't have. You won't get people to adopt to such a term for general fan of FIM because that won't come out of their head.
2. You're perpetuating the stereotype that "brony" has negative implications, when they factually don't. Like "Trekker," it's inherently divisive.

Here's what I did that I suggest you begin doing: I use words like "I think" or "possibly."

Two words: never happening.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[JonasDarkmane 19,777]

They make those fanfics because they are inspired by the show. They like the show enough to make such fanfics. So yes, they are still bronies and I am still a brony as well, even though I like Fallout: Equestria 

[KatonRyu 1,027]

 

 

Like all fans of FIM are bronies, all "Trekkers" are Trekkies. It's a good, simple, objective definition that encompasses the fandom. Any fan of Star Trek is a Trekkie, whether they like it or not. I call out bronies for using broken, separatist logic. I'd do the same to the Trekkies who try to separate themselves from the title. If they don't like it, it's not me who's perpetuating the problem. They are for relying on stereotypes as a backbone.

 

I understand some of the logic behind what you're saying, but I don't think any group of fans of anything should be 'allowed' to define a term that describes the entire fandom. Say that I and some friends decide to start calling all tennis players 'smashers' or all football players 'kickers' or something equally retarded and it happened to catch on with the general public. Do you think those guys would appreciate their new title? Some might, but a lot would probably think it's an inane phrase made up by idiots and they wouldn't want to be called by that name and with good reason. They're tennis players and football players, not smashers and kickers.

 

This is really no different in my eyes. A group of people comes up with a name and because of that the entire fandom is now stuck with it. I myself have no problems with the word brony, but I can easily see how someone else might. Whether you accept it or not, people aren't all the same and even among a group with shared interests there will be different factions. You keep saying that separatist logic is broken, but I disagree. Why is having a different opinion a bad thing? 'Brony' is a word made up by fans, that cannot be applied involuntarily to one who does not want to bear it. I'd agree with you if you said they're all fans of FiM, because they are for liking the show, but brony is not an objective word and it will never be.

[Shanks 10,811]

Oh wonderful another white knight argument to guilt trip parts of the fandom with a classic no true scotsman fallacy, yes I am sure this thread will not end in a huge flame war over petty bullshit arguments.*sarcasm* In all seriousness who cares about lousy stinking labels? If people want to call themselves "brony" or not and who does or dosen't is of no concern to me whatsoever, my definition is relatively broad and simple, a fan of the show but again I really don't care enough about it to argue about it. To argue that certain groups are or are not worthy of being called "bronies" or even fans at all accomplishes nothing more than starting a bunch of pointless flame wars because some fans for whatever reason want the brony fandom to be some kind of circle jerk.

 

I keep hearing the argument about fans making or enjoying "mature" fanworks wanting to change the show to the point where it is completely recognizable but am yet to see any evidence. Yes there is criticism and disagreement among fans about certain aspects of the show but anybody who makes that argument has let their own prejudices against certain aspects of the fandom cloud their judgment to the point where they can't even tell the difference between "fannon" and "cannon" anymore. You say that MLP is about escaping the "violence hate filled world" we live in yet you have expressed hate against fans you disagree with. Sorry to burst your bubble but you can't have it both ways, you don't have to agree with or even like this stuff but I am tired of a lot of bronies like you claiming that you are better than everyone else because you are not "one of those bronies" as if it should even matter if someone is or isn't.

[GuillermoGage 246]

First I shall answer the title topic.

All definitions of Brony ultimately involve being a fan of MLPFiM.

You can be a fan of something and still want it to change.

 

@@Dark Qiviut

I've noticed your strong emotional attachment to the sociopolitical aspects of this fandom and I remember your dedication to the label of Brony.

 

I bookmarked a few of your MLP-related posts for later use and just went through them tonight, closing out of most of them rather quickly, but stopping to respond to this last one. I've carefully examined your opponents on this thread to figure out what they are saying wrong so I do not make the same mistakes.

 

This actually seems like a worthwhile subject to get to the bottom of, so that is why I am responding.

I figure I might as well speak your language here instead of just saying something short and undetailed such as "Well, because you pointed out just how inherently politically and gender-defying meaningful the very word itself Brony is, then it truly cannot merely mean just a fan of MLPFiM nothing more nothing less".

 

 

 

 

So here goes:

You talk of "complicating the definition" by refusing to identify as something that apparently has very basic and concrete criteria, when actually the label has always been complicated from the outset by having the clearly gendered word "bro" as part of the name.

 

We still live in a world where most people in the English language identify the word "bro" with males. It's not quite like... for example, the noun "mate".

 

Believing that the word "bro" is gender-neutral is a very particular statement that is not a foregone conclusion of being a fan of MLPFiM. This is precisely what the term "Brony" indicates in it's very etymology, as evidenced in your detailed discussion about how (apparently) revolutionary the term "Brony" is. It's precisely what makes it not merely an inconvenient or uncomfortable, but an inaccurate, label to affix to people who don't agree with its message about the word "bro" (or gender in general) and yet are still fans of MLPFiM.

 

It's not always about "but I don't feel like being associated with some of the fandom" or some other logical fallacy distraction, it's also about "the term literally has a message, right there in the obvious etymology of the word, that I don't agree with".

 

Identifying as a MLPFiM fan who is specifically not a Brony isn't always an expression of insecurity of being interested in MLPFiM. At this point, it is also an expression of confidence, not merely that outsiders cannot define them, but the fandom itself cannot define them.

 

 

 

 

 

Considering your own beliefs about what the term Brony entails (again, in it's very definition and root of the word, not the reputation and connotations the term Brony has gotten as a result of the reputation of the MLPFiM fandom), why would you want to insist that it still applies to certain fans who particularly reject the feminist/gendery message of the label?

 

Perhaps it is because your main target of MLPFiM fans who do not identify as Bronies that you hope to encourage into embracing the term are, indeed, people who might agree with your assessment of the term's social/gender-defying significance but have fled the label for those other attempts at reasons?

 

(also I dislike the term Pegasister as well. It is too much of a "me-too" phrase.)

Edited June 14, 2015 by GuillermoGage

[Buck Testa 5,503]

In my opinion, a "Brony" is more than just a male (or female) who is a fan of the MLP:FIM series. What I think defines a Brony is the fact that they like MLP for what it is and what it has to offer- quality animation, relateable characters, character development, non-pandering to certain age groups, wholesome, clean entertainment, and much needed escapism from the going-on's of this depressing, violence/ hatred-filled world we live in. So if that defines a Brony, then should the groups who seek or wish to change the show with more negative aspects that are seen in fanworks like Fallout Equestria, SMILE HD, or Cupcakes worthy of being called "Bronies"?

You should also call them bronies. Lets not get elitist with our terms please, fandoms already get annoying enough as it is without having tiered ranks and titles.

 

Also CUPCAKES is responsible for me even being slightly interested in the show and fandom years ago and is what ultimately got me to watch it later on. This is because I was impressed on how much effort the writer put into bringing out the scary side of pastel colored ponies. Some of my favorite bronies like Obabscribbler and Lost Narrator also show their appreciation for the show with grim dark material. To call them LESS than fans is insulting.

 

If its not your kind of content, don't view it, don't discriminate on the fans who do like it, that would make you no better than an anti-brony.  

Edited June 14, 2015 by Buck Testa

[cider float 2,536]

Injecting fan generated content into the show is not escaping reality it's bringing reality into the show and there's no wait out of it.

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

Wanting to change the show for the better is a good thing.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Grumpy Enchantress

[Gestum 2,493]

Why the hell not? Let people be called what they want.

[Harmonious Discord 8]

The term "brony" as with every label, is entirely subjective. As it's your vision on things, as it's with my vision on things too.

 

If you like it, then great. If you don't, then great too. Just be yourself, and let others be. You will find that we have a lot of things in common. Not only that, you'll also find yourself being a much happier and healthier person.

 

Acceptance, either of your person and aspects you don't like, as with from others, is actually key for Earth.

Indeed.

 

No singular fandom is going to conform to any sort of mold.  We all express ourselves in different ways.  Personally, I prefer to stick to the works that most closely follow the spirit of the show and don't really see the appeal of clop art of glue fics.  But if that sort of thing floats your boat, who am I (or anyone else) to give you grief over it?  

 

Just do your own thing and let everyone else do theirs.

[Revy 184]

Its unbelievable that theres even this much discussion  / debate over a bucking TV show. No one actually cares if your a ''brony'' ;or not and even the term itself is stupid and just people trying to label themselves too justify their watching a kids TV show.

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

So, in your eyes harry Potter fans should also not be called "Potheads," James Bond fans should not be called "Bondians" and Firefly fans shouldn't be called "browncoats?"

 

What is this supposed to be then? A club for elitist, who are the true masterrace, while the dirty peasants have no say in anything whatsoever?

 

 

This is just more childish "true scotsman" bullshit.

 

If you watch the show, you can call yourself a brony. That's it. Discussion over.

[Revy 184]

So, in your eyes harry Potter fans should also not be called "Potheads," James Bond fans should not be called "Bondians" and Firefly fans shouldn't be called "browncoats?"

 

What is this supposed to be then? A club for elitist, who are the true masterrace, while the dirty peasants have no say in anything whatsoever?

 

 

This is just more childish "true scotsman" bullshit.

 

If you watch the show, you can call yourself a brony. That's it. Discussion over.

 

I am totally going to call myself a pothead from now on, and if anyone says I smoke weed I will sue them    Nice post though, you really hit what I was trying too say on the head, I can say this just watching a Slice of life, enjoy the show people, its fantastic, funny, warm hearted, you ruin it with the elitist brony attitude and I ain't aiming that at hypno btw

Edited June 14, 2015 by Tifa Lockheart

[Banul 3,831]

In my mind, the term Brony was always a term that you give to yourself, and not to others. You can't tell people that they arn't a brony because of how they interact with the fandom, and you can't force the label on someone who doesn't want it. I feel like people are placing way too much emphasis on the label when they don't need to.

 

I like Star Trek. I am not a Trekkie. I like MLP. I am a Brony. That is a distinction that I choose to make. It is not the place of other people to tell me how I should identify with things that I like. It should be completely up to the individual weither or not they want to assosiate with a fan label. It's a term of endearment, not a scientific classification.

[cider float 2,536]

I think one could question if the creators of Fallout Equestria, Cupcakes, Smile, and pony.mov are bronies. I could not imagine any of the gore and violent video creators as a brony. I feel more like they are closet bronies or trolls until they say otherwise. So it's important that they tell you.

 

Newgrounds have tons of people like this that parody, slice and hack celebrities, cartoons they hate. Pokemon parodies that show distasteful worķ is usually by haters of it (like Pikachu getting chopped up). But parodies that point out a flaw in the game with enough insight to the game like Pikachu forcing Ash into the Pokeball could say this animator gets the Pokemon fans and most likely a fan of Pokemon.

 

Brony fanwork though is regretabally hard to determine if it's done by a person that genuinely likes the original work or is hates MLP because lots of Bronies that has insight to the show would make Cupcakes (you would have to watch a few episodes to find parts where Pinkie Pie goes nuts and to know she's a baker and other things that only a Brony to the basic degree understands to be able to put wants in Cupcakes)

 

I got to question though why does Bronies try to put Cloppers in another sub category of Bronies but not these violent types?

 

There's also those Bronies that change the canon in their fics so much ignoring the important lore that the result is not MLP but a completely different universe or they ponificate everything to the point you got to wonder why.

[Envy 6,020]

In my mind, the term Brony was always a term that you give to yourself, and not to others. You can't tell people that they arn't a brony because of how they interact with the fandom, and you can't force the label on someone who doesn't want it. I feel like people are placing way too much emphasis on the label when they don't need to.

 

I like Star Trek. I am not a Trekkie. I like MLP. I am a Brony. That is a distinction that I choose to make. It is not the place of other people to tell me how I should identify with things that I like. It should be completely up to the individual weither or not they want to assosiate with a fan label. It's a term of endearment, not a scientific classification.

 

Indeed. I do not know why this is so hard to understand.

 

General response, not at all aimed at the quoted user:

 

The label is taken far too seriously. "Oh you can't separate yourself! It's contributing to factions!" I could not even possibly care less about the existence of factions. I'm not a Pegasister/Brony. (As an aside: I do not mean to be cold, as I kind of do enjoy this forum... But I joined it as "MLP Forums" not "Brony Forums".) The "Brony" fandom's factions are simply not of my concern, much less is the reputation. I just watch a TV show and joined a forum that I happened to stay on.

 

It is beyond absurd to treat a fandom label like a scientific classification. As Banul said, fandom labels are to be applied by whoever chooses. As I've stated many times before, applying a fandom label to yourself does make it look like you're defining yourself by it to other people. This is just the nature of fandom titles. I can't see anything wrong with it, because in reality fandom titles are completely and totally unnecessary. They exist only for fun, for those who feel like it applies to them. But of course, many members of this fandom take it far too seriously.

[Freewave 1,145]

In my opinion, a "Brony" is more than just a male (or female) who is a fan of the MLP:FIM series. What I think defines a Brony is the fact that they like MLP for what it is and what it has to offer- quality animation, relateable characters, character development, non-pandering to certain age groups, wholesome, clean entertainment, and much needed escapism from the going-on's of this depressing, violence/ hatred-filled world we live in. So if that defines a Brony, then should the groups who seek or wish to change the show with more negative aspects that are seen in fanworks like Fallout Equestria, SMILE HD, or Cupcakes worthy of being called "Bronies"?

 

Well yeah people who do clop, grimdark, or even far removed fimfics and instrumental "brony" songs are still bronies. They just take it in a far off direction that's often far removed from the original source material. There are SOME people who take part in pony memes and fics to troll but those are VERY few and far between. While I think that most bronies MAY like the positive spin the show brings that they aren't worse human being for putting a mature human spin on their own creations.