What if bronies never existed?

[Ponitten 43]

We all know that the active brony fandom contributed and changed the show quite a bit. It got more mature, more famous, less childish, and we even got an episode specially for fans!

But I was wondering...how would the show be if only the target audience (a.k.a. little girls) watched it? No adult watchers to post fanart, no MLP videos, no OCs, no nothing! Would the episodes still be the same? Would Slice of Life still happen? Tell me what you think!

 

Edited March 30, 2016 by Ponitten

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Slice of life wouldn't have happened but other than that the show would be the same.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Yamet

[Vulcan 3,254]

Slice of life wouldn't have happened but other than that the show would be the same.

My thoughts exactly°

 

Slice of life would no longer exist, the animation quality would also be substantially lower as MLP won't be making as much money. But plot-wise I believe it will be the same.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

the animation quality would also be substantially lower as MLP won't be making as much money. 

I don't think this would be the case, since the majority of bronies watch the show for free online and don't buy the toys.

[Vulcan 3,254]

I don't think this would be the case, since the majority of bronies watch the show for free online and don't buy the toys.

Do you have any data to back up those claims? O_o

 

Apologies for being skeptical but the majority of my friends if not all of them on this site have at least one or two plushies or vinyl figures. Some of them including myself have bought a lot of the comics along with the novels.

[Phanact 333]

For the show, I don't know. Probably less pop culture memes.

 

For my life, it would be vastly different

[Dark Qiviut 22,443]

Very different. The fandom is one of the biggest reasons why FIM has been a major profitable hit; the brand isn't worth $650 million for no reason. If the fandom never existed, it's possible Magical Mystery Cure — or even A Canterlot Wedding — would've been the series finale.

[CaptainDoubloon 856]

I think there wouldn't have been as many seasons as there are now. Also remember in the earlier seasons there used to be almost all female characters running around and now there is more diversity in the scenes. (winter wrap-up had only 2 males in the scene)

Edited March 30, 2016 by Captain Doubloon

[cmarston1 5,959]

If Littlest Pet Shop which is another Hasbro cartoon that doubles as a 22 toy commercial managed to get 4 seasons despite it's toys not selling very well and not having a large fanbase, I am pretty sure FIM would be just fine.

[20% Cooler Than Cake 161]

After Faust left, the show would probably have turned into just another little girls show, with low quality episodes that are meant to be cute and sell toys.  It would probably still be at least four seasons long, but there would be less depth to it.

[Daring_Do 552]

I think there wouldn't have been as many seasons as there are now. Also remember in the earlier seasons there used to be almost all female characters running around and now there is more diversity in the scenes. (winter wrap-up had only 2 males in the scene)

That's what Faust wanted anyway, though, if I remember rightly (a more gender-balanced pony population)

[AtomicStone 724]

I think that the fandom plays a big part in the show becoming a big deal. I don't think we would be up to season 6 if it wasnt for the brony fandom

[ManaMinori 4,145]

No Discord, no Grumpy cat cutie mark pony, no SoL episode, no Starlight and her dark au's, and FiM would have a shlrter shelf life

[Seraph 128]

My friend wouldn't have to hide his face from the internet after his picture has been used as the face of "Bronydom".  He can't use any actual pictures of himself on facebook without getting made fun of.

Also I suppose the show would be similar, there just wouldn't be as much referential humor and certain aspects of the fandom wouldn't exist. 

[Rarity Is Best Pony 634]

I think the show would largely be the same as it already is.

[HorsesandMOARGaloar 300]

I think it would have less references to popular culture, like Phanact said. It would remain a show for girls, and become subject to trends similar to typical toy videos on Youtube and the websites with typical girly games. The toy franchise would still be as rich as it would be with bronies and ponyfans.

 

With the money gained from its sales, the Royal Wedding, the Royal Coronation, and Equestria Girls will still go on, but the battle against Tirek would be less like Dragon Ball, and possibly like G1. It will end up being just another toy franchise, and a very annoying one.

[RavenholmZombie 1,330]

Apart from Slice of Life not happening, I honestly think that the show wouldn't be too different from what it is currently.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Lance Shield

[Sals 56]

The show wouldn't have episode 100 the way it is, we wouldn't have the 4th season finale the way it is. (too violent for little girls) The show wouldn't have as many people buying from Hasbro and hasbro would have probably thrown it out

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

I'm one of those people who feels as though the influence of Bronies has been, at least at times, detrimental to the show.  While I think that things would definitely be different (you can't have the fandom vanish from time without it having some effect), I can't say for certain if this would be a bad thing for FIM itself.  Short of, perhaps, the show not having run as long as it has.

 

It bugs me when people say that MLP:FIM would have degenerated into this or that without Bronies around.  Which damned season did most of you watch first?  I started with season one, because it would have been goofy to jump right into season three for no reason.  Sure, you could opine that the show's improved over time, but I think that what the show already was from the get-go is what managed to attract a lot of Bronies.  It wasn't the sort of show that adult males (or possibly even young males) are typically thought to enjoy.  It was different.

 

But, nowadays, Bronies act as though they're primarily - if not solely - responsible for the recent success of MLP.  You know, a brand that's existed since the eighties.  A brand that the first season of FIM maybe turned you on to.  But whatever.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Ziggy and Angelbaby