Is it bad to be a bandwagon-jumping brony?

[Grepper 3,192]

While I genuinely enjoyed the show (I still somewhat do) when I joined the fandom in late 2014, I now feel like I mainly joined for the community and subversive culture. I hopped on the bandwagon mainly because others were doing it, not out of pure interest in the show.

 

Do you think it's wrong to join for this reason? I've heard some bronies say that someone who joined for the reason I did isn't a "real" brony. If that's your opinion, I'm not really offended, but I'd like to know why you feel that way.

 

I do genuinely like (some parts of) the fandom, even if I realize that my initial reasons for joining were a bit forced.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Grepper

[scilightversiontwo 13]

Here's my two pennies:

 

It's fine if you join for the bandwagon, but it isn't fine if you stick around for the bandwagon but if you don't enjoy being there.  

Experimentation could be good for some people, but I guess it isn't so good for me.  I'm back on the forums because when I was younger and an underage ban, I used the forums and thought MLP was the shit.  I don't really find it the shit anymore, but I'm still interested in the forums and I have a minor interest in MLP now.  It's not harmful for me or a waste of time for me so I still use it.

[ponylaces 1,869]

It rubs me the wrong way when people join for that reason. It happens in a lot of fandoms, not just this one. Joining the community or jumping the bandwagon when you don't have much of an interest in the actual thing the fandom is centered around. I joined the fandom because I love the show, not the other way around. Hell, I'm not even very involved with the fandom and it's kind of pushing it to say that I'm part of it.

 

I'm aware that some people jump the bandwagon and don't really like the show, but as long as you're enjoying the experience I guess it's alright.

[Ponies4Bronies 394]

I think it does, but it's all perspective really, we all have different reasons for being here. I watched the premiere almost six years ago now while babysitting my little cousin and I didn't even know about bronies until one to two years after that, when my friend showed me a picture of a bunch of pony costumed fans at DragonCon 2011(He showed it to me as a joke but never knew I was actually into that). I never had my own computer until recently so I couldn't take a full part in the action here, but whenever my class went to the computer lab I would sit in the corner and watch FiM and forget about the classwork. I kept it a secret through high school, but I got a little bolder and took some risks. I would draw pony sketches on my schoolwork and attempt at writing fanfics instead of English papers, lucky for me I graduated on time, and nobody found out my secret. I was overjoyed to hear that I could finally talk to people my age about the show seriously. That I could also have an affinity for it without being judged, and mostly that I was not alone in my interest, that until then, was a guilty pleasure. Thats what this fandom means to me and I fully consider myself a brony.

Now for you,

As long as you watch the show and genuinely like it you will find much more to talk about with other people in this community. FiM is our icebreaker, I'm sure its fair to say that is how we initially make friends with one another here. Talk about that first and then find common interests after. As long as you continue to follow the show and like it, I think you will have a better experience in this community, wether you consider yourself a brony or not. However, as long as you are enjoying your ride with us, I'm glad your here.

[GeekySonic 1,150]

I don't think it's a bad thing at all. Before I became a Brony, I was monitoring the things the fandom did for almost 3 years. I joined purely put of my love for the fanwork. Actually, the day I joined the fandom was the day I finished reading Fallout Equestria.

 

I still didn't actually see an episode until months later. So, no. I enjoyed myself by perusing fan content. I don't think it means I hopped on a bandwagon. I thought the community was cool and fun, and I wanted to take part in it.

 

I'm still here more for the fandom than the show.

[ScopeEva 38]

I see little issue with your position. While I do love the show I will freely admit what finally got me to identify with the title brony was the fandom, not the show.  These days it's far more prominent that while I still do enjoy it a great deal what holds my loyalty is the community, not the show (though I would still watch it regardless). 

 

What really matters though is what do you want?  If you don't really enjoy the show and the fandom and are just here to keep in contact with friends or a community then maybe I could think of you as a "bandwagon" brony but I wouldn't say you weren't one because that would start to dip into the No True Scotsman Fallacy.  Your level of dedication is irrelevant, being a brony doesn't have to be some huge highlight of your life, it could just be a footnote and anyone who says otherwise, that you're not a "real" brony because you lack their standard for dedication is just exhibiting elitism and honestly being a bit silly. 

 

So sit back, relax, enjoy the crazy ride this fandom is.  If of course that's your cup of tea. 

[Leave a Whisper 703]

As long as you are enjoying yourself, I don't see what the problem is.

Edited June 28, 2016 by Leave a Whisper

[shy0wl 484]

When MLP first came out, it was viewed as really strange that grown men and women were watching the show.  At the time it seemed like if you were a brony you were going against the grain and you were "different and trendy" etc.  There was a lot of hype and people were either very strongly WITH MLP or AGAINST it.  

 

Now it's been 6 years and the show is still going on, and people have either forgotten about bronies or they have just lost interest in making fun of them, or they just came to accept them.  People have moved on and the feelings aren't as strong as they used to be.  

 

As for being a "bandwagon jumping brony", I think there were many people who jumped on the bandwagon because it was a big controversial and different thing and people wanted to be a part of it.  Those kinds of bronies even helped spread the path more for other people to find out about the show and start watching it.  There aren't as many people starting to watch the show now, or at least they're not very vocal about it.  The fandom today is mostly people who decided to stick around since a couple years ago with some (but not many) new bronies.

 

So all in all, the hype has died down, bronies are a regular part of the Internet now.  Being a bandwagon-jumping brony isn't a bad thing.  If you truly consider yourself to be a brony, whether you watch the show or are just in it for the community, then you are definitely a brony.

[Steel Accord 6,658]

@@Grepper,

 

Well if you feel forced to be here then I say don't even come on anymore. No one should do something online because they feel obligated to do so.

 

No though, it's not bad to have jumped on because of the hype. They even talked about it in the brony documentary. Personally, I hold some level of devotion to the show is a requirement, but how one is introduced to the fandom isn't that big a deal.

[Guest]

Not really. People do what they want, this isn't like a cult or an order. It's a meeting of people who have similar interests, no need to feel guilty that you're not as dedicated as some others.

[Solid 1,326]

Like many other passions, you may join for one specific reason, but you stay for many others.

[EverEverOn 346]

I don't see anything wrong with it. The community is a huge part of any fandom, not just the show. Sometimes I find myself more interested in the brony community than the show itself, although I still genuinely enjoy the show.

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

There's no set reason why anypony should or should not join the fandom if it provides something desirable to that person. Some ponies are purists and others are more casual. 

I absolutely love the show, and yet when I'm here on the forums I tend to spend the majority of the time in the Everfree Forest/General Discussion area, talking about non-pony stuff. I enjoy the show in my own way and it doesn't matter how I demonstrate it. 

Everyone is here for their own reasons. Do what you want because you want it. Otherwise you would be here for the wrong reasons. 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Dreambiscuit

[Steve Piranha 28,783]

I don't see how being a bandwagon brony affects the fandom as long as you did it willingly. You either end liking the show and join for real, or you just didn't get interested and leave. We all joined and knew about ponies by different means and sources, so it doesn't matter 

[Foxy Socks 2,596]

I don't think it's bandwagon if you like it because of the fandom. If you are enjoying the fandom in that way, then there is nothing wrong. I don't see why you need to be upset for that. I am glad we have you here!