mega thread The state of the Brony fandom (Numbers, Popularly, Future)

[Will Guide 21,331]

8 minutes ago, Newman1651 said:

might end up becoming like that

either gonna be completely gone or . . . only creepy pedophiles on 4chan remain

though i wonder what will happen to this forum when g5 comes around and what about the other pony related sites

Seriously, where is your proof of creepy pedophiles on 4chan? The Brony fanbase is nothing like that. More like 0.0000000001%

[Emerald Heart 24,630]

You do realize that there are people out there that have just discovered the show? Even if it's this late into it, like Smurfvlogs on YouTube. Just because the show ends doesn't mean it'll never get any new viewers or rewatches.

Your attitude and repetitive language irritates me. Claiming that the "possibility" of the last few bronies being pedophiles is ridiculous. I'm a 19 year old girl who loves this show. 

Are you sure that you're actually a brony? Because to insult your own friends in the fandom is ridiculous. 

A true brony would accept the end but never leave the fandom. A true brony would keep their friends that they've made on here and continue loving this show.

I, for one, will be keeping up on all of my friends on MLPForums because I care for them. Just because a show is over doesn't mean it has to leave.

[Newman1651 35]

Just now, Emerald<3 said:

You do realize that there are people out there that have just discovered the show? Even if it's this late into it, like Smurfvlogs on YouTube. Just because the show ends doesn't mean it'll never get any new viewers or rewatches.

Your attitude and repetitive language irritates me. Claiming that the "possibility" of the last few bronies being pedophiles is ridiculous. I'm a 19 year old girl who loves this show. 

Are you sure that you're actually a brony? Because to insult your own friends in the fandom is ridiculous. 

A true brony would accept the end but never leave the fandom. A true brony would keep their friends that they've made on here and continue loving this show.

I, for one, will be keeping up on all of my friends on MLPForums because I care for them. Just because a show is over doesn't mean it has to leave.

then why would so many leave then?

[Emerald Heart 24,630]

Just now, Newman1651 said:

then why would so many leave then?

Why do you care if they do?

 

[Newman1651 35]

39 minutes ago, Emerald<3 said:

Why do you care if they do?

 

by your logic, they arent true bronies

[Solar Power 244]

Further to what I said earlier...I'm going to make sure that I post in this thread five years from today (8th of July 2024) just to prove to you all that I was serious about not leaving the fandom. I'll quote this very post on that day, so you can all put that date in your diaries because I'll be here! Well, so long as the thread still exists and hasn't been locked.

[Jeric 46,836]

Mega Thread rule now applies. From now on any topics regarding fandom decline and health will either be merged into this topic or locked and the author pointed here. This has historically been one of the most created topics so having a single point of discussion is the better solution

 

[Plonkett 341]

I've been in the fandom since 2014 and since then ponies have been my escape. Lately I've seen many different creators who were part of it move on from it. I honestly can't fathom just leaving the fandom because I don't know what else will top it. To me this fandom is the epitome of creative expression on the internet. Do you think we're all just in a phase and will eventually quit the fandom at some point in the future?

[FullmoonDagger 200]

Well I did try to leave the fandom for a while but I eventually came back to it :') Once you get in you can't get out

[EpicEnergy 22,451]

I think some will leave the fandom, but there will always be those who stay. I don't have a crystal ball, but I doubt the amount of MLP fans and content will reach significantly low numbers in this generation, or at least in the next few years, because of the impact MLP has had on some people and because of the enormous amount of activity in the fandom and in the show that still continues to bring in new people.

[Quinch 1,119]

I imagine for some people it is - in any culture, movement or fandom, there is a portion that is a part of it mainly due to popularity {or anti-popularity, in a hipsterish way}. But overall, I'm pretty sure we'll be kicking around for quite a while longer. 

[Stickman, The Legend 303]

I dunno about you, but I'm staying in the fandom. I love this family! It's so open and welcoming.

[Savygriffs 5,029]

I agree with the above post, I love this fandom and it's like a family to me. I'll be staying for a while. :3

[ErisPegasus 56]

I mean yes, in the sense that it's ephemera, it was most popular in the first 2-3 years of its existence before dropping off massively, and it'll die eventually.

'Fad' doesn't need to be a bad thing however. The opposite of 'fad' - sticking around forever - is worse IMO. Just look at Harry Potter, Disney, the Simpsons, etc. They just won't die, and it's eating up creative talent as well as airspace that could create something new.

(That being said, I wish M.A. Larson &co had stuck around for Horse instead of leaving Haber to his devices after season 5. If Horse had gone on longer than 10 seasons, I would have supported Larson &co leaving for their personal projects)

Edited July 20, 2019 by ErisPegasus

[Partialgeek514 4,924]

I'm sure the fandom is just a phase for many people, but for some of us, we might stick around a bit longer. I would say that my obsession with watching and rewatching mlp episodes every day a few years ago was a phase, but my love of the show isn't.

[Newman1651 35]

I've change4d my stance on the future of the fandom and the show's eventual end.

 

Why do you have to make such a big fuss as if the show ending is going to be like the death of something cherished? the "end of ponies" category on derpibooru is flooded with emotional pics/memes. It's depressing ad draining to see so many longtime fans bawling over it emotionally and talking like it and memories of it and it's community will be forgotten in an instant or within two years.

Jesus Christ, I'm not even trolling when I'm saying this. You don't have to pull down others and yourself. Even though The Show ends but you don't have to see it as necessarily the end. Life doesn't end with "The End". it goes on. You can continue to admire G4 whenever you wish now. you can move on but you can also always revisit it from time-to-time.

learn how to be content with what you have and even when all these shows of the 2000's and 2010's have ended. you can always come back You can always download them onto portable hard drives to watch them again

You don't even have to necessarily move on to other fandoms either as.In my opinion, doing so only shows how you consume the content and then just throw it away like everything else we take for granted and move on just because it's over. When the fandom declines, it's going to be one of those many examples of that consumerist mindset i absolutely hate given i am a person who admires past things or the past in general and fights to preserve it. I will still admire G4 ever after it has ended not only because it was just that good (and because of the lore and world it had created. all that level of detait hat Hasbro may never attempt again in G5 if it ever comes). i dont really want to say anything about the people who do leave but i feel it was just for the community and they leave only on the virtue that it has ended and nothing else.

I say this because I do not trust the quality of Cartoons and other media that will be made in the 2020's. Especially with all that Political correctness junk, poor writing and forced diversity "woke" nonsense that's destroying many IPs, Games, and Shows as we speak. G5, if it ever comes, will meet the same fate.

Even if this fandom completely dies or disbands, you don't have to follow a collective. There's nothing wrong in going solo as a fan of something that had ended. There are still fans of shows that have ended long ago (and  moreso to video-game franchises that already ended). There are still fans of old pixar movies and dead nintendo IPs (looking at you StarFox) for crying out loud. even ones that are completely standalone. many of them probably no longer join communities because they want to be on their own and doing their own thing. If there's think you're weird or nostalgic, dont listen to them or cave into peer pressure to forget about it and move on. Express your individuality and just do whatever the flip you want.

Why videogame fandoms last longer? It's because they know they can always come back and replay it. should be the same thing for shows, including MLP. Even though it's over, you can always come back and replay it. and even replay previous iterations too.

this meme just hits me right at home because i too am a latecomer:

If joining a fandom that's nearing death or is already nearly inactive is like this, then don't join the fandom and be an independent fan away from the flock. Be your own thing and dont follow the flock when it jumps off a cliff and dies..Be an individual, be a standalone. Show your individuality by showing that you can stand up on your own as an independent fan with the knowledge that even if you lose interest, you can always come back and revisit it.

Bottom line, As a fan, Even when a show ends and no more content is being produced, you don't need to follow the majority and discard of it after it has concluded. You don't have to see it as the end. It will always be there and some curious souls will stumble upon it even after it has ended. This is merely a product in the Eye's of a Company like Hasbro. But it was a damn good one and shouldn't be taken for granted and thrown away in the refuse. i mean, sure it's healthy for one to shift interests after a certain amount of time, but keep it in mind that you can always revisit it. it's not going to be erased from existence just because that Generation has ended or the toyline discontinued (I'm not interested in the damn toys at all).

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Newman1651

[Cwanky 17,474]

                 

                 

[Newman1651 35]

8 minutes ago, Cwanky said:

                 

                 

and smile because you know that you can always come back and revisit/replay it. There's a reason why video game Fandoms seem to be longer lasting. because they can always come back and replay it.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Newman1651

[Newman1651 35]

When the finale does come (wether it be october or august. fuck you china), let me remind you again, you dont have to end your interest, just because the show has ended. Many probably will because of that consumer mentality they have.

[Quinch 1,119]

In a way, I can see both sides. Something will end, permanently, after the final season is over, even if I'm not sure what to call it. The feelings and sensations of what it was like before the story ended {or at least the canon one, as much or as little that's worth}, the sense of expectation and wishful thinking of loose ends and lingering questions being answered by storytellers we accept as our own, the sights and sounds of these moments shaped by what is here, now, will never exist again except in our flawed and slowly failing memories and it is that, I think, we are mourning more than anything else - not the show, but ourselves in this moment. 

But Friendship is Magic will not end. It cannot end, not moreso than any other stor anyone can name. It is not an event - it never has been. If I walked into a crowded room to hear someone on a stage say the words "...and they lived happily ever after. The End.", then close the book, the story will remain there for me, to read and enjoy and imagine to my content.  It is a record, of imagined events, certainly, but a record no less for it, and it will remain for a long time, for myself, for those I choose to share it with and for anyone else who comes across it for years upon years to come. 

[Newman1651 35]

Just now, Quinch said:

In a way, I can see both sides. Something will end, permanently, after the final season is over, even if I'm not sure what to call it. The feelings and sensations of what it was like before the story ended {or at least the canon one, as much or as little that's worth}, the sense of expectation and wishful thinking of loose ends and lingering questions being answered by storytellers we accept as our own, the sights and sounds of these moments shaped by what is here, now, will never exist again except in our flawed and slowly failing memories and it is that, I think, we are mourning more than anything else - not the show, but ourselves in this moment. 

But Friendship is Magic will not end. It cannot end, not moreso than any other stor anyone can name. It is not an event - it never has been. If I walked into a crowded room to hear someone on a stage say the words "...and they lived happily ever after. The End.", then close the book, the story will remain there for me, to read and enjoy and imagine to my content.  It is a record, of imagined events, certainly, but a record no less for it, and it will remain for a long time, for myself, for those I choose to share it with and for anyone else who comes across it for years upon years to come. 

for the first part, stop mourning for yourselves. I'm just a casual and you don't have to drag me into this emotional storm. I'm even suffering from a very long artist's block because of me pondering the first part. don't mourn for yourself. It's not good and it's not healthy. I wasn't in for the emotions and shit, I was in it or the worldbuilding and lore (I like IPs with big worlds and a lot of lore) simply accepted the characters for who they were: Characters, not in a cartoon but in a story and i just roll with it with no emotional attachment.. it just doesn't seem very healthy from what i just read for the first part. I've went through that before and it's not healthy. i nearly lost my sanity when i was an SU fan and experienced the same thing.

You need your rational mind and a lot of you should have keep the rational side of your brain intact when you first watched it. i didnt feel that when i watched ac ouple of early episodes in the past.

As a casual, i prefer just letting my imagination run wild in alternate universes and timelines given dont give a crap about "canon", tohugh i too fear what you say. That' why i prefer being standalone.

[Fasu 550]

FIM was surely going to end, inevitably, at some point. Possible upcoming seasons would've surely only drag the show's quality down, I believe. It seems only rational decision from Hasbro to end FIM at point it still is quality-content (at least I assume season 9 has been fine). 

[Will Guide 21,331]

@Newman1651

You went into so much detail. So much more than I would.

I agree that even when a show ends, life goes on. Plus, treating the world of Equestria like it's real, just because the show is ending, doesn't mean everything and everyone in the show cease to exist. It's not like the South Park episode, Cancelled, where Earth turns out to be one big reality show that is threatened to be destroyed by aliens just because of threat of cancellation.

The characters can have lives and events happening to them after the final episode. Heck there are hundreds if not thousands of fanfics that show the Mane 6's potential children or even Spike and the fillies and colts all grown up and leading interesting adult lives. 

Also, as a Once Upon a Time fan, I didn't cry tears of devastation when it finally ended, I applauded at the end for given me a long amazing story with its ups and downs. Same thing applies to Friendship is Magic: whether it ends with bang of a spectacular final episode or a fizzle of a disappointing final episode, I'll still applaud it for giving me years of fun characters, stories, lessons, and world lore.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Will Guide
More detail

[Newman1651 35]

51 minutes ago, Will Guide said:

@Newman1651

You went into so much detail. So much more than I would.

I agree that even when a show ends, life goes on. Plus, treating the world of Equestria like it's real, just because the show is ending, doesn't mean everything and everyone in the show cease to exist. It's not like the South Park episode, Cancelled, where Earth turns out to be one big reality show that is threatened to be destroyed by aliens just because of threat of cancellation.

The characters can have lives and events happening to them after the final episode. Heck there are hundreds if not thousands of fanfics that show the Mane 6's potential children or even Spike and the fillies and colts all grown up and leading interesting adult lives. 

Also, as a Once Upon a Time fan, I didn't cry tears of devastation when it finally ended, I applauded at the end for given me a long amazing story with its ups and downs. Same thing applies to Friendship is Magic: whether it ends with bang of a spectacular final episode or a fizzle of a disappointing final episode, I'll still applaud it for giving me years of fun characters, stories, lessons, and world lore.

 

And in-universe, FiM is just telling the story of just another chapter in Equestria's own History. As the Student six will take the place of the mane 6.

And even after it ends, one's enthusiasm and admiration to it shouldn't end with it.

for EqG's case, since discontinuation is it's most likely fate and an abrupt end to the spinoff is likely. dont let that deter you and the same things i mentioned in the original post still applies for it. And besides it's technically part of FiM's lore and universe.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Newman1651

[Newman1651 35]

1 hour ago, Fasu said:

FIM was surely going to end, inevitably, at some point. Possible upcoming seasons would've surely only drag the show's quality down, I believe. It seems only rational decision from Hasbro to end FIM at point it still is quality-content (at least I assume season 9 has been fine). 

but the way fans are reacting though, hat's what is so depressing. they're too emotionally attached to it to the point whee they cry over a cartoon ending and make it like it's the only thing keeping them from committing suicide.

many of them are mourning over themselves since they know they will not experience those same feels and sensory experiences they had when they first watched it. i just see it as utterly unhealthy because their pushing themselves too hard when they think like that. 

Just ease up and be glad that at least you'll have the complete series to always go back to and revisit.