Being a long-term brony, do you miss the fandom in the early days?

[RainbowPastel 185]

By early days, I'm talking about S1 -S3. Year 2010-early 2013.

I just want to know what you think and if you have felt the same thing as I have.

 

 

I'm very strong and passionate about my obsessions. Like I get really serious about a series or hobby and my obsessions are long term. I've been a proud brony for 3 and a half years and I've been a huge fan of Pirates of the Caribbean ever since the first movie. I'm starting to feel effects of being involved in fandoms for a long time. It seems that these fandoms just kind of die and I feel like the only person who is still standing strong. A lot of people I knew in these fandoms when I first joined moved on to another obsession or fandom. The fandoms I'm in are getting old and I've been watching them be replaced by new ones. I've easily felt it every time I walk into a Hot Topic. Each time I walk in there are less and less pony merchandise and the wall where the MLP section was has been replaced by The Avengers and Doctor Who. Don't get me wrong, MLP is still popular and the brony fandom is getting bigger everyday. Idk. I became a brony during season 2 when the fandom was at it's peak. I guess I just miss the fandom the way it used to be when I first joined.

 

How do you feel? Do you miss that peak? When everyone shit themselves over Derpy, AliTwi, and EQG?

Edited October 11, 2015 by RainbowPastel

[Nuke87654 1,849]

I don't miss the 2013 as that year was just loads of controversial shitstorms. As for that peak, a couple of things that I missed was how polarizing FIM was as people would talk about it like it's the cream of the crop of discussions in geekdom that are now meeting stiff competition from loads of newer cartoons like Gravity Falls etc. The thing I'll miss the most is the HUB network as I thought it ran things better and was much more caring and interactive to the fandom, something you don't see Discovery doing.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Nuke87654

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,298]

That was a magical time, but overall, I mostly miss the feeling that I had when I first started watching the show.  I Still have this feeling, but that rush of excitement and wonder is definitely gone, to some extent. I think the fandom is still the same, the extreme hype is not there though. Do I miss that? Honestly, no. Too much drama.  I would rather the fandom be popular but peaceful. To me, 2013 was the worst year for the fandom by far and it has gotten a lot better since then. So I don't miss 2013 much at all.

[MLS_Brony 177]

Eh it's something I've thought about for a while myself. I got into the show back in the summer of 2011 and kinda got to watch it grow from then. I still really dig it and love everything the fandom has done but it's definitely changed since "back in the day" as it were. Some of the big names in say pony music or vids have cut back and moved on but I see it as kind of a benefit as it opens the door for newer people to move on up.

 

Who knows, it could be a good thing this late into the fandom as many of the folks hanging around are the ones who still really love MLP. The fanfics are still coming out and there's not too much of a shortage on art so there's a good bit of interested people out there, just kinda have to hunt for it.

That was a magical time, but overall, I mostly miss the feeling that I had when I first started watching the show.  I Still have this feeling, but that rush of excitement and wonder is definitely gone, to some extent. I think the fandom is still the same, the extreme hype is not there though. Do I miss that? Honestly, no. Too much drama.  I would rather the fandom be popular but peaceful. To me, 2013 was the worst year for the fandom by far and it has gotten a lot better since then. So I don't miss 1013 much at all.

 

Yes I totally agree, I really got a serious damper put on my love for the show with all the extra hype and drama in 2013. It's become a good bit more chill which I think makes the fandom as a whole a bit easier to deal with. That and at least in my dealings there doesn't seem to be as much animosity about being a brony that there once was.  

[RainbowPastel 185]

I don't miss the 2013 as that year was just loads of controversial shitstorms

2013 was the worst year for the fandom by far

Ya I only miss early 2013, when S3 was ending. I liked the shitstorms because I didn't put myself in them. It was amusing watching people bitch and whine.

S3 is really short. I almost didn't include it until I remembered sitting back behind the computer screen with a bowl of popcorn as I watched people complain or get hyped up.

 

There still is A LOT of hype today, like in today's episode. People just keep their mouth shut instead of complaining.

Edited October 11, 2015 by RainbowPastel

[arftbmrf 40]

I do miss time, after E01-E02 of the third season where everything was still fine. Fandom, the show, and so on.

But, to be more honest, the time I miss the most is when I wasn't a brony.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

Ya I only miss early 2013, when S3 was ending. I liked the shitstorms because I didn't put myself in them. It was amusing watching people bitch and whine.

S3 is really short. I almost didn't include it until I remembered sitting back behind the computer screen with a bowl of popcorn as I watched people complain or get hyped up.

 

There still is A LOT of hype today, like in today's episode. People just keep their mouth shut instead of complaining.

Not like last weeks episode, though it was under far better control mainly for how many countered their arguments such as I did and generally thought they were looking for drama for the sake of it.

[One-Punch Man 316]

Nah...The Brony Fandom to me is only getting better, instead of becoming a fandom of hostility. I love the fandom how it is now; I was just getting into the show during the end of 2013, but I remember when I first entered it,it was a lot weirder and harder to discuss the show with others. Now, I feel like the show has settled...becoming an awesome mesh in geek culture, along side other great shows. 

Bronies aren't really that controversial anymore, they are now more like a geek subculture thing..And I like it that way.

[RainbowPastel 185]

Not like last weeks episode, though it was under far better control mainly for how many countered their arguments such as I did and generally thought they were looking for drama for the sake of it.

YES

At least they weren't forced to censor it if they could in any way, but I bet that episode will be banned in at least one country.

I thought it was funny tho. I had more of Mrs Doubtfire in mind than transgender. Knowing the internet, ESPECIALLY TUMBLR, I had that little voice in my head saying someone will complain. But yes, still far more under control than it was two years ago.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

I miss those days like I miss my childhood. Both were full of wonder and awe. It was like I was in a whole new world. Even after a year it was still so bucking awesome. Then 2013 happened and opened the flood gates for all these brownies. Not saying all you new bronies are bad, its just that the bad bronies are more obvious now more than ever. 

When I go on forums-not this one, users here are chill- if you say one thing wrong you are treated like a criminal. "I like all ponies." 'How can you like all ponies? Its either one or gtfo'

Or my favourite, "Changelings master race and if you disagree then you are stupid as buck"

Theres also no more love and tolerate in the fandom. 

[LeonShi500 155]

2012 was a golden year for the show and the Brony fandom. I sometimes miss that year, 2011 as well. Things started to go downhill for my liking of the show in 2013.

I still like it, but the magic part is pretty much gone and I often turn back towards the more nostalgic aspects of the franchise to get happiness from it. It's still a good quality show but that's all the show is too me these days. Seeing the CMC get their cutie marks made me all to aware of the fact that this show is going to end eventually and that all of the years I spent during the first episode to the last are gone. In the end, I have only one question.

 

Why the hell am I a fan of My Little Pony? I thought this show was intended for little girls, and yet here I am, a guy like me who's watched well over half of all of the episodes. 5 seasons in and 5 years later, I'm still confused. Why is this show popular? How did it get popular?

 

Edited October 11, 2015 by LeonShi500

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

I miss 2011. Everything was so magical then, there were so many bronies, and there was so much discussion. So much Excitement about ponies.
Endless possibilities it was, everyone had such high hopes for the show, for EVERYTHING. Now? Things are concrete, set in stone. Whats going to happen isn't hard to see coming, and there's less room to think or talk about stuff, and less enthusiasm for it due to that.

All there seems to be is alot of bitterness about things, and less fans.

 

the brony fandom is getting bigger everyday.

 

Sadly, I think this is very much wishful thinking.

[Dark Qiviut 22,378]

I've been a member of this fandom since mid-2011. 2013 was the worst year of the fandom, and I don't simply mean the controversies themselves. Often, there was a bunch of flame-throwing, especially in places like EQD. It wasn't cute or hilarious. It was tiring. I swear, you couldn't venture into an EQD comments section without both ends yelling at each other every other week. Use trigger words like "hivemind," "hugbox," "season-wunner," "autistic," "Faust-worshipper/Faustian/Faustimentalist," or  "Hasdrone," and a massive flamewar starts.

 

Since then, though, the fandom collectively has wisened up. You still see drama, but it's nowhere near as bad as before.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[alpinefroggy 451]

I do miss time, after E01-E02 of the third season where everything was still fine. Fandom, the show, and so on.

But, to be more honest, the time I miss the most is when I wasn't a brony.

Miss the times you weren't a brony? What does this mean may I ask.

[RainbowPastel 185]

 

 

Sadly, I think this is very much wishful thinking

Ya I wish. It seems to get bigger, the amount of people who leave are the same amount who join at a single time

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Ya I wish. It seems to get bigger, the amount of people who leave are the same amount who join at a single time

Well, if you think so, more power to you, but the brony fandom seems to have shrunk heavily following S3, and just seems to get slower with time.

There used to be tons upon tons of speculation and talk about everything in the show when news hit, now its barely a trickle most days.

 

Either way, hopefully the fandom chugs along decently until at least 2017, as I want that movie to succeed.

[[NULL] 906]

You have no idea. The fandom didn't take itself as seriously back then. Now it's filled with overly defensive people who always try to justify liking the show to the so-called haters. If I remember correctly, fans brought up the abundance of fan art and charities out of genuine surprise. Now they use it as another way to prove how oh-so-great the fanbase is.

 

I probably should've seen it coming. I guess an increasingly large group of people can only retain their humility for so long in an environment where they see only good things about themselves.

Edited October 11, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[RainbowPastel 185]

 

 

I swear, you couldn't venture into an EQD comments section without both ends yelling at each other every other week. Use trigger words like "hivemind," "hugbox," "season-wunner," "autistic," "Faust-worshipper/Faustian/Faustimentalist," or "Hasdrone," and a massive flamewar starts.

I was fortunate enough to not witness it to the point where I can actually remember it, but yeah, that was not funny one bit.

The fandom has come a long way and have matured since then, even though there still is that side.

[Dark Qiviut 22,378]

 

 

I was fortunate enough to not witness it to the point where I can actually remember it, but yeah, that was not funny one bit.

Be fortunate you don't. Simple arguments risked devolving into flame wars the second someone used a horrendous insult or stereotype about the fandom. And for anyone else reading, no, these insults often didn't come from trolls. 'Twas a dark time then, and I certainly don't miss it.

 

You still see other bronies (i.e., Tommy Oliver, AnimatedJames) stereotype the fandom, but now others aren't afraid to call them out for their shit.

[Flamestreak1990 1,172]

Honestly I Don't. Don't get me wrong the old fandom was great and also the major popularity was nice, but bronies were immature(he said at only 14 years of age) trolls, whiners , complainers (there is a difference), or band-wagoners. The fandom still has those things but to a lesser extent most bronies now are true bronies to the core and are less annoying then they were back then. You see I'm what you might call a "OG brony" as in brony who first started watching the show in 2010, My first episode was the very first episode of the series and although I didn't watch the show regularly until the episode "Best night ever" (or was proactive involved in the fandom 'till mid-to-late 2013)I still remember seeing MUCH more negative stuff on forums and chats in 2011 and 2012 the so-called glory years. Oh heaven forbid I even MENTION 2013 its the reason didn't go on this site till just last year. I think the first few years of the fandom are bit overrated if do say so myself. I'm not saying I don't miss anything do I ESPECIALLY the music.

 

Anypony remember Ultimate sweetie belle?

 

How about Everypony's banging?

 

What about She's a pony?

 

Love me Cheerilee?

 

Nightmare night?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kle9DkkwlM8

 

Rainbow factory?

 

and who could forget discord!

Edited October 11, 2015 by KingF1@m31990

[Hero 63]

I suppose that in a way, I do miss it and I don't miss it. Everything that's happened since I joined the fandom has been so fun to go through with everyone else in the community. Just like the stuff mentioned; Derpy, Twilicorn, and even when everyone thought Equestria Girls was just a fanfic that grabbed some attention. It's been fun living those days with other Bronies, but it's also nice to move on because there's still many more adventures to go through together!

 

 

Now we can say that we were Bronies before the CMCs got their cutie marks too!

 

[arftbmrf 40]

Miss the times you weren't a brony? What does this mean may I ask.

MLP ruined my life, to put it simple.

If I wasn't a brony, I'd have avoided this.

[FlootahBabby 265]

I've ALSO been a brony for 3 and a half years. April 2nd 2012 was my first experience

I miss a lot of things back then. I think it was mostly talent that came out of the fandom. And there still is talent it's just... there's now only a handful of unique talents out there. I remember when JHaller's top 10 lists weren't full of SFMs and PMVs and JUST animations. And for animations, all I really see now is randomness and ponification. Things with no cool plot or made you feel something you haven't felt before. Back then it was like, you were actually thinking about the animation while you were watching it and after you were watching it. 

 

I just want less of this 

 

And more of this

 

 

I don't have a bad opinion for new bronies, in fact, I became friends with a fairly new one! His name is Tridashie!

Edited October 11, 2015 by FlootahBaby

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

I've ALSO been a brony for 3 and a half years. April 2nd 2012 was my first experience

I miss a lot of things back then. I think it was mostly talent that came out of the fandom. And there still is talent it's just... There's now only a handful of unique talents out there. I remember when JHaller's top 10 lists weren't full of SFMs and PMVs and JUST animations. And for animations, all I really see now is randomness and ponification. Things with no cool plot or made you feel something you haven't felt before. Back then it was like, you were actually thinking about the animation while you were watching it and after you were watching it. 

 

I just want less of this 

I actually like pony of wisdom.....

 

though, I really gotta respect once upon a time in canterlot

[cider float 2,537]

I don't know about G1-G3 days, I think those didn't get much mileage because they were around when there was no internet but there are other cartoons back then that people seem to remember. 

 

For me G4 beginning days were the highlight of MLP.