Do bronies need to take the show more or less seriously?

[SolyWack 482]

I started a thread, some lets see, yesterday was thursday, and that was week from... a long time ago is when I made it. In that topic I asked my fellow community members (hey, thats you) if they liked to analyze the show, or if they treated it as a sunday morning cartoon. More or less how seriously they took Friendship is Magic.

 

I was surprised at the amount of contention between the two sides, and even more staggered by the amount of people who felt they werent extreme enough either way.So here I am, here you are. Do you think people, mainly bronies, need to start taking the show a little more seriously, or do you think that people take it too seriously already and need to tone it down?

 

Unlike my last thread, where I was generally apathetic towards choosing a side, here I have some things to say. I think bronies need to take it more seriously. Now I am NOT saying we need to catch every plot hole (hehe) or treat it like Game of Thrones (or A Song of Ice and Fire if you prefer), but I do think people are too quick to dismiss it as more than a simple cartoon.

 

Because (yes because can be used to start a sentence) it is obviously more than just a cartoon. Gumball, Teen Titans GO, and Spongebob are cartoons. They are shows we watch if we turn on the TV and its there. Bronies actively tune in each and every Saturday morning to watch it, the same way people tune in to watch The Walking Dead, CSI, or the aforementioned Game of Thrones.

 

If we are so quick to throw it to the wind, then who are we to say that people outside the fandom cant? Why are Anti-bronies wrong when they do it, but we are justified because "we watch the show." I dont know about you, but MLP is one of the best shows I have seen in my life. It has such good writing, excellent characters, complex world, interesting lore, genuinely funny comedy, and has created a fandom to rival Star Wars, Star Trek, D&D, and Sonic. Does that not deserve a grain of respect?

 

But enough of my babbling, this is a thread after all. What do YOU think? Is the show taken way to seriously by some bronies, or vice versa?

[SpikusFyre 486]

I'm probably in the camp personally of not taking it too seriously. That is however because I don't tend to take really anything seriously even when I probably should. I will say that this show has probably been one of the better thing to occur to me seeing as I have a lot of social problems due to reason I don't need to go into detail about. In fact I probably should take it more seriously than I do because of this. Just the way I think I guess... And no the reason I don't want to go into detail is because it's anything bad it's just because I don't feel like explaining something that has not really anything to do with the current topic.

[frecklesareblooming 225]

I tend to be on the side of taking it more seriously. Personally, MLP means very much to me, so I see it as a lot more than a Saturday morning cartoon I watch when bored. I sometimes forget the Mane 6 aren't real beings, because their personalities are so complex, just like you or I. I analyze just about everything. Of course, there will always be division, as every one views the show differently.

[碇 シンジン 27,432]

Mlp is happy show, that makes ponies smile =)=) It is the reason why i watch it =)=) though there are different reasons why people watch and it is why dirrerent people take the show more seriously or less seriously =)=)

[LZRD WZRD 1,929]

It should be taken as seriously as people want to. If people want to analyze it or talk about it in detail, then they should (and people who dislike that should stay away). On the other hand, people who take it really seriously shouldn't force their opinions and thoughts on people who are just casually watching it or what have you. See that? Now everypony is happy

[cider float 2,538]

Well it doesn't have the best writing out there and I'm fine with that because I don't take it seriously after all, it's a cartoon made for children, I watch it for it's comedic value and not in the sense that goes into serious politics, religion, the meaning of life and satire of society. It's like video/computer games. There's ones I play for it's serious gameplay value and it's detailed and deep storyline, but then there's the ones that you can just plug in and play no worries and just slam a beer while you're at it. MLP helps relieves stress and shake away the complexity of life. It is rather fun to theorizing things in it but it's more for fun than anything.

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

It's obviously gonna have some plot holes and continuity errors, but if people want to nitpick and analyze a kids cartoon, then fine by them.

[MrMammal 157]

What I love about the show and a majority of the community I have met so far in my years of being a brony is that the level of how serious somepony takes MLP not only varies but is accepted. When I look at other shows, such as Game of Thrones, Walking dead, etc, it seems that if you aren't up to date on every episode and understand the entire plot then others will tend to look down on you as not a true fan. Usually not to any great length but the "true fans" seems to think of themselves a little better.

 

Over here I see people who love MLP and watch and rewatch the episodes, catching new things and analyzing the plots to new levels. There are people who watch them, read fanfic, draw art, understand the more in depth plots, and enjoy the simple side of the show. Then there are the people that just saw it on netflix and decided "Hey maybe I should watch this" and just watch it on their free time. Now those and every mix and matched person in between all seem to be able to have normal conversations and extend hands/hooves in friendship without one feeling superior over the other.

 

I find myself in the middle somewhere, I love the show, reed fanfic, have figures and t-shirts, music and art, etc. I meet people who are way more into it than me. We talk about the show laugh about the good points and walk away feeling good. The same thing happens if I meet somebody who just watches the show when they clean but still enjoy it. Just look at this forum. It's a perfect example of the "more serious" and "less serious" getting along great. That and I figure all fans here have a certain level just by joining a MLP forums ! 

 

Now I personally think a lot can be learned from MLP if people open their mind to even the simple lessons they teach us. I don't think you need to be that serious at all to learn a lot from this amazing show, but some people....

 

Well that's my random thoughts that probably went off track!

 

[Moony the Cat 3,702]

To be honest..i have no idea 

Whenever im interested in watching something, like The Walking Dead or One Piece, im just watching it. I buy dvds, watch it one time and thats it. I dont like to analyze stuff while im watching, because i just want to enjoy an episode, instead of trying to focus on plot holes or animation errors or when the camera is visible in a movie..that just destroys the illusion. 

I often dont even remember every episode after i watched it. 

Doesnt madder what favourite series i have, i just watch it and thats it.

 

Because...isnt that the point?   If i want to know, if something has inconsistent things in it, i watch reactors and reviewers or watch Cinema Sins, because thats just more fun for me, as to look for myself. I mean, sometimes i notice things of course and then think about it, but im not searching for those things when im watching something. Im just watching mlp. The same way i just watch everything else...that i watch.

Edited August 15, 2015 by .hack//RARITY

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,690]

I think a sort of middle ground should be found. Rhyming! I see FiM as more than just some 'kids show'. The writers, animators, voice talent, everyone involved in the show deserves more respect than that I think. By this, I mean that some should appreciate the show more and what it has to offer, and take its moral lessons to heart. Even most adults can be reminded of the great lessons that are present in the show. Then there is the aspect of just how good the show is. Giving credit where credit is due I think it necessary here instead of just passing it off as some generic show for children.

 

Then there is the other side to the coin, some people might take their love for the show to extremes and they might analyze it to death. They look for things that might not be there at all or find something slightly out of place and have anger be the result. Analyzing is totally fine by my books of course,  I just think some might take it to the point of impacting their enjoyment and that is never good. FiM is wonderful and it should be enjoyed to its fullest!  

 

So in general I think the show and those who make it deserve tons of respect and the show should be taken to heart in many ways, but not to the point of impacting one's enjoyment of it.

[Freegator 62]

Do what you think is right. Personally, I don't mind analysis at all. It's no longer the same show it used to be back in season 1-2.

I don't mean it like "the show sucks now, I quit", on the contrary it gets better and better thanks to the feedback analysis has given (for the most part). 

 

Despite my optimism, I have my fair share of fears. Upon watching season 5, it has come to my attention that more and more brony jokes come into the front ground in place of actual well written jokes. No, I'm not referring to Slice of life. I don't have a problem with the particular episode.

 

I'm talking about Slice of life 2.0 a.k.a. Do princesses dream of magic sheep.

 

My reaction was pretty much like this; we already got slice of life, please don't make it into a habit.

Little kids don't know about the brony culture by default. Even as an outsider, I don't have to know about the brony fandom to enjoy the show. It's important to understand that we have a level of responsibility. If we ask for episodes like Slice of life, we get slice of life. If we ask for Amending  fences, we get Amending fences.

 

So, do bronies need to take the show more seriously?

In a sense, yes, you get what you ask for.

No, because it's meant to be a feel-good family show.

[backpon 320]

I prefer a sort-of-serious/sort-of-not approach. I'm not gonna be on the front lines defending it from haters or other attackers, saying stuff like "its the best show" or "if you don't like it you don't have a soul" (I see that some times ). I find it just as bewildering as the outsiders to this fandom. It IS ridiculous if you step back and think about the object of our affection. I WILL however defend the show as a legitimately good show and nothing more. I love the analysis part of the community because you don't need to have a necessarily "good" product to analyse it  Its fun to swim through all the ideas that people propose in fic and in analysis videos. 

[Truffles 2,033]

The writers, animators, voice talent, everyone involved in the show deserves more respect than that I think.

 

I agree - they deserve credit because I'm sure they are trying their best to make the show as good as it can be, for fans of all ages. Certainly now, with it 5 seasons in and millions of adult fans, the belief they are making "just a kids' show" doesn't seem logical.

 

 

Then there is the other side to the coin, some people might take their love for the show to extremes and they might analyze it to death.

 

"Trade Ya" comes to mind as an example of this - a decent enough episode that gets a hated by a few for one particular scene; though it's fair to point out it probably should have been another character selling somepony into slavery than the Element of Loyalty...

[Goat-kun 2,527]

I don’t think we should treat MLP the same way as Walking Dead or GoT because those strive to be shocking and awesome shows for adult audience, whether MLP strives to be a decent family show and a prolific toy line. It’s a little hard to take MLP seriously since it has no stakes, it has no real story, and some of its main characters haven’t gotten decent development since the first season. Do I still like Pony? Hell yes! Can it get people invested like GoT, where you had every internet news outlet spewing out article after article about Jon Snow? Nope. The way I see it, Bronies have been getting more and more invested into their community where different ideas thrive freely and are accepted as extensions of the show. Thus we have a slight conflict between fanon and show that has failed to address our appetite for content and is now actually catching up to the fandom’s own expanded ponyverse. In return, fandom treats the show the same way as its own ideas and creations and so tends to overanalyze it.

 

Haters are inevitable. However, this kid show thing shouldn’t be used by white knights against legit critique either. “It’s a kid show” does not excuse lazy writing or incompetence the same way “It’s a Free to Play MOBA” does not excuse shitty worldbuilding and braindead champion introductions. Suffice to say, there are many other “kid shows” that are silly but have way better char development and plot (Gravity Falls, Wakfu, Steven Universe, Avatar TLA, Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated, etc.).

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@,

 

I think it depends on the person. Some take it beyond absurdity while others fail to see the power it has had on people's lives. (Much more so than GoT which I've given up on but still want to see what happens in Equestria.)

 

You know who I think has the perfect attitude for this? Silverquill. The guy obviously puts a lot of thought and care into the show and expanded universe but he's also very casual and friendly about it.

[Xeltor23 704]

I'm in the camp of not taking it too seriously; don't get me wrong, the show means to me, but it's not the most important thing in my life. I watch it to enjoy it, to have a good laugh, not to give attention at every little detail some people would be surprised for you not seeing it. 

It doesn't really matter to me; I like the show and enjoy it, isn't that the point? The writers, animators, voice actors, all these people deserve respect, but that's the same thing as every other show, no?

And let's be honest: there are better shows out there (yes, there are) and the writing of MLP isn't the best; again, don't get me wrong, I love the show and I will continue to enjoy it as long as it stays good

[yeet 2,027]

Take it seriously as in watching every episode, loving it, disliking a few episodes, sure. But seriously as in analysing it to the point others want to throw daggers at you, and complaining about every small thing, no. 

[Caliboom 219]

Sometimes, they need to take it less seriously.

 

When they saw Twilight with Flash Sentry, everyone just went nuts.

[SolyWack 482]

I think a sort of middle ground should be found. Rhyming! I see FiM as more than just some 'kids show'. The writers, animators, voice talent, everyone involved in the show deserves more respect than that I think. By this, I mean that some should appreciate the show more and what it has to offer, and take its moral lessons to heart. Even most adults can be reminded of the great lessons that are present in the show. Then there is the aspect of just how good the show is. Giving credit where credit is due I think it necessary here instead of just passing it off as some generic show for children.

 

Then there is the other side to the coin, some people might take their love for the show to extremes and they might analyze it to death. They look for things that might not be there at all or find something slightly out of place and have anger be the result. Analyzing is totally fine by my books of course,  I just think some might take it to the point of impacting their enjoyment and that is never good. FiM is wonderful and it should be enjoyed to its fullest!  

 

So in general I think the show and those who make it deserve tons of respect and the show should be taken to heart in many ways, but not to the point of impacting one's enjoyment of it.

You and I my friend have very similar opinions on many topics, and this one is no different. I agree that the show deserves respect for the hard work that goes into it, but also agree that it shouldn't be tossed and burned if there is something out of place or off *cough* derpygate *cough*.

[Gestum 2,493]

People need to take it less seriously. It's just a decent cartoon show. 

[Megas 27,743]

Considering people in the fandom tend to take episodes in absurd ways I'm sure the writers never intended, and get easily ass-blasted over simple cartoon gags and over-the-top situations, some bronies could learn to take the show less seriously.

 

On the other hand, something like an episodes's moral is kind of important, you don't want to be teaching kids the wrong morals 

[[NULL] 906]

I think FiMFlamFilosophy put it best when he said people are over-analyzing the wrong things (i.e. what kind of fabric Rarity uses), and how more fans should be looking at the show more from a technical standpoint, focusing more on what goes on behind the scenes.

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

I used to go way overboard with my fanaticism, but those days are long over. There's still elements from other pony sites who are completely wild eyed hysterical and irrational, but for the most part they've quieted down quite nicely The past season or 2.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

Im gonna say that most bronies need to take the show less seriously in one regard, but more seriously in other. The show is all about friendships, forming bonds, and getting along. Even though 4chan spawned the love and tolerate mantra, a lot of bronies preach it but dont practice it. I've seen many friendships destroyed over silly things. Silly things about the show or fandom. 

I have also seen a lot of bronies(coughcoughbronyanalystscoughcough) take the show so seriously they make it a habit it troll, Ddos(which is highly illegal) and raiding other bronies who do not share the same views as them. They need to calm down and remember that its only a cartoon show, not a job or life....although for Brony Artists it is a job. 

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

I don't think anyone "needs" to do anything. Whilst I'd prefer it if everyone in the world had my opinions and thought like I did, they don't. And at the same time, I'm grateful for that because sometimes I'm dead wrong anyway or I end up learning more things. People will always do what they want, and they will always believe in what they want. Let them, and if it bothers you, then know that there is nothing you can do to change it, and just ignore it as best as you can. Arguing about something like this is pointless.

 

Now for my personal opinion. I don't take MLP all that seriously. Because I have picky standards, and it doesn't come close to living up. It doesn't have the serious more heavy themes I'm used to, and is too episodic and slice-of-life for me to get worked up about. Also, I don't think the characters are really all that deep as everyone says. It's fun for a bit of entertainment for me, and I honestly don't understand why this fandom exists at all. Of course, I'm glad it exists because it's really the only place I can interact with people more comfortably than usual. But I only care about the people, not the show. The show is nothing more than a context to interact with people through. Whilst I think people get too caught up in this show, I think people get too caught up in almost everything anyway. I don't usually get enthuastic about much. And besides that, the few things I DO get caught up in are things that people would think are stupid anyway. So who am I to judge?