What's it like being a brony?

[primadonut 5]

Hi, everypony! So I'm currently in a cultural anthropology class at my local community college and I have to do a project on a subculture that I find interesting and would like to know more about. My mind automatically went to the MLP fandom, as I was briefly interested in the show and music/fanart a few years ago. As the title asks, what has been your personal experience as a brony? What do you like about the show and the fandom? How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL? What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony? During my brief time as a brony, I was super into all of the fanmade music on youtube as well as collecting/drawing MLP fanart and OC art. Sadly my interest in it faded overtime, but I've always wanted to dive even deeper into the community!

[Dark Horse 12,962]

Hello there @@primadonut,

 

As your question relates to the Brony fandom, I have moved your thread to the Sugarcube Corner section, and made a slight adjustment to the topic title for simplicity sake.

 

Thanks!

[Durov 84]

lets just put it like this i was tied to a chair for 3 hours and forced to watch MLP and i liked it so thats how i became a brony .

 

now lets see hmmmm some times idiots thing your gay and bla bla bla bla bla i just ignor them hmmmm good show enjoy it (i think the fandom is better tho) and i like pripyat :3

[Choros Isorropai 409]

i have always been an odd one...

all through school i was an outcast, and a loner... never had more than 5 friends till after i hit high school.

i spent my days being a nerd, then in time, i came to find i am... a "furry"... i thought it was "too much" for most, so i kept quiet.

then one day (not too long ago, sadly) i was depressed and looking at random tv shows... i came acrost Discovery Family channel.

it was early in the morrning (at least for me, and i had been up all night) now dont quote me on it, as my memory is fuzzy from that day...

but i think the 3 shows they had on, back to back, was "read it and weep", "filli vanilli" and "show stoppers"...

i was hooked, and after the "hyatus" i came here, as i was lonly, and also figured i was a brony...

(btw i think brony and furry are really close, as both of them tend to be more caring, open minded, and more libiral with what they tollerate, compared to most.)

 

but in a nut shell thats it, if you want to know more... pm me.

[GeekySonic 1,150]

The show, for me, is just something cute and fun to watch every now and then. Most of my interest lies in fanmade content. I particularly enjoy listening to fan music.

 

I'm pretty open about being a Brony. I have a few shirts and a Rainbow Dash snapback that I wear to school. What got me into the fandom was seeing MLP art crossed over with stuff I like (Sonic, Gundam, Halo, etc.). The day I officially considered myself a Brony was the day I finished reading Fallout Equestria.

[Snow 7,210]

at first not much.. its was kind of just.. "watch good show, let nobody know" i didn't think i'd fall anywhere near in love with it as i have ^-^ now.. even tho i'm a straight 17 year old male i am compelled to buy merchandise like t shirts and plushies   (unfortunately i'm too scared to get any :c) and id kill to go to a convention (shame they are all so bloody far away) 
it might also come off as a bit odd but i usually switch between mlp songs, fanmade and from the show and stuff like sabaton and raubtier when i play games like warthunder (i even have MLP user skins for some of my jet fighters ) contradictory? a little.. do i care? nope!

i reckon a big part of this community is the overall acceptingness in it. thoes with some form of daisability, heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals and the other 50billion sexuals i cant list of the top of my head, men and women be them "normal" or transgender. and a variety of ages from all walks of life collectively living in harmony aided by the great moral teachings of a "children's" show

[backpon 320]

I am in the fandom for much the same reasons as anyone else: The wonderful fandom. I really enjoy the fan fiction, animation, art, and music. I think that the MLP fandom has some of the most talented creators and the best range of fan content. No fandom ever struck me the same way. The show is also a major reason why I'm in the fandom. I enjoy the universe and feelings I get from it. Not much more could be said there.

 

I would say that there is a great deal of overlap between bronies and anime fans. I myself am not one, but I know several friends who are both. As for myself? I'd say it's been an entertaining aspect of my life. Online I get to participate in funny discussions with people over memes, at cons I always feel accepted (I've heard that other conventions don't always feel that way), Between me and my classmates it's always been a subject of curiosity. People bring it up and I tell them or crack jokes about it. People tease me, but it's always in good-natured way that often has me joining in. 

 

TL;DR

Brony cuz community creation

Among Bronies: Accepted and fun memes

Among Non-Bronies: Curiosity, light-hearted teasing, and jokes

[Snow 7,210]

I would say that there is a great deal of overlap between bronies and anime fans

 

funny you should say that because i became a bronie just after my anime stage i'd stay up till like 2am watching episode after episode of onepiece than eventually i got bored of it so stopped watching... problem was after staying up so late every night in a row for a few months i physically couldn't sleep XP i wasn't really in the mood to watch more anime and extreme boredom drove me to give MLP a try and with a bit of hesitation i was hooked on episode 1 XD

[FlutterDash99 92]

Hi, everypony! So I'm currently in a cultural anthropology class at my local community college and I have to do a project on a subculture that I find interesting and would like to know more about. My mind automatically went to the MLP fandom, as I was briefly interested in the show and music/fanart a few years ago. As the title asks, what has been your personal experience as a brony? What do you like about the show and the fandom? How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL? What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony? During my brief time as a brony, I was super into all of the fanmade music on youtube as well as collecting/drawing MLP fanart and OC art. Sadly my interest in it faded overtime, but I've always wanted to dive even deeper into the community!

If you do become a brony, and you get hate for it, guess what? It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, you can just be yourself.

It felt great after becoming a brony, its hard to make friend now a days, times are changing, but its now harder and harder to make friends. I'm like fluttershy, the nervous/timid one, and good with little animals. I watched the the series until the latest episode online, but I kept it a secret. 

[weesh 690]

1) what has been your personal experience as a brony? 

2) What do you like about the show and the fandom?

3) How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

4) What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony? 

 

1. Being a brony has given me many opportunities to hang out with like minded people.  It has given me a real social life of interesting like-minded people to hang out with.
2. i find the show interesting because it celebrates platonic friendships, and and has an interesting purposeful story..  I like that the fandom has been in whatever city I've lived in.
3. I'm open to friends, but not to the general public.  
4. The cult interest that I saw across the internet got me interested in checking it out.  but I realized I was a fan when  I watched an episode about sleep overs and thought "I gotta see more!"  I try to get community involved in all of my interest, so becoming an active brony was fated from there. 

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@@primadonut,

 

First of all thank you for the interest in your project. I would be remiss not to offer you a video about the topic that goes into GREAT overall detail. Not that I'm saying it's a copy job but if you're looking for the fandom at a glance, especially how it got started, give it a watch.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybXXSHDRE4

(That opening still brings me back, such nostalgia for a turning chapter in my life.)

 

Also see if you can find Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony.

 

To answer your questions as they apply to myself . . .

 

 

 

As the title asks, what has been your personal experience as a brony?

 

Like anything after a long while it kind of just fades into the background and you stop really appreciating it because it's not new and shiny anymore. Nevertheless, there are times when I consider what a profound and powerful effect that being a brony has had on me. My experience has been life changing and I use no hyperbole. I would not have discovered my true passion and pursued the major that lead to my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing if it wasn't MLP that started me writing fanfiction. I've made friends for life because of it, the characters and show have taught me things that made me a better older brother and person overall.

 

I'm eternally grateful that this happened to me.

 

 

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

 

Well as I said, the show inspired me both morally and creatively. While MLP is not a perfect show and other cartoons may even exceed it in overall quality (Avatar/Korra certainly does it in), I don't think Gravity Falls or Steven Universe have quite the same mental staying power. The Mane Six and related characters have been so firmly planted in my mind that when I see and hear them after a hiatus, it's like seeing old friends.

 

The fandom? As I said, I've made life long friends because of it. While there are subsections and times that test my patience, overall, the community is a generous and positive one, as well as a productive one. Seriously go on EQD sometime, years on and the fandom is still reliably generating songs, art, stories, and more.

 

 

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

 

Blatant. Open brony. Never in the closet. I'm not just grateful, I'm proud. This only really ever caused friction once, ironically though it was with my younger brother who's probably the closest person to me in my life. Drove quite a wedge between us for awhile. It smoothed out eventually though.

 

Either way, I got Celestia as a wallpaper for my phone, I have some brony t-shirts, I'm generally quite open about my fandom towards anything that I like so being a brony is no different for me.

 

 

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

 

Well it's going to sound crazy but I kind of went the opposite route to most early day bronies. That is to say, greeted with skepticism and slowly worn over. For me it was a little different.

 

I was watching an abridged series on youtube and there was a quick joke that used a sample from another video. It was a purple unicorn singing a song. To my surprise, the song wasn't from the show itself it was a dub. Here's the video:

 

 

(Still takes me back. :'D )

 

I watched the video again, and again, and again. Which struck me as odd because I actually didn't like a lot of the songs and artists being used. So what was it? Was it that the visuals were nice enough to rub out the bad elements of the songs? Was it just that it was spliced surprisingly well? For that matter, why would someone put this much talent and energy into this subject matter? So I looked up the show on tv tropes.org, found out it was made by Lauren Faust and that's also when I discovered the brony fanbase.

 

"Huh, well with her as the creator and an existing adult fan base . . . this show must actually be pretty good." So I hopped back to youtube to watch the first episode, then I watched the second to complete the pilot, then I watched the third. I've never looked back. 

[stripper 252]

what has been your personal experience as a brony?

Sometimes there's hate in some places, but it doesn't affect my whole life

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

I like the cheerfulness of the show. The fandom's pretty nice too, but I mainly just watch the show only. And clop sometimes ♥

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

I have 9 brony shirts, pony dolls, and lots of pony art I use for my desktop background an in picture frames

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

An online friend talked me into it and I jokingly consented to torture for 4 episodes. Then I watched the rest of season 1 on my own

[KatonRyu 1,033]

What has been your personal experience as a brony?

 

Mostly that people don't really care one way or another what shows you watch, although my friends like making of it. Other than that, it's no different from being in any other fandom.

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

 

I like the characters, mostly. They're all very different, yet still friends. I also like the songs, most of the time. As for the fandom, I'm mainly drawn to either this forum or fan music. I'm writing a fanfic, but I don't read many.

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

 

I don't keep it a secret and I have several MLP themed shirts. I see no reason to hide my fondness of the show.

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

 

I was browsing TV Tropes in the Crowning Moment Of Awesome section when I came across MLP. I didn't believe that MLP could ever be awesome, so I read the entries, which were only from Season One back then. I figured I'd give it a shot and within a few days I'd watched the entire season. I stuck with it since.

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

I just wanted to find out what the fuss was about and it turned out the show was well animated, funny and very entertaining. I keep my love for the show secret IRL though, can't bring myself to tell anybody for fear of judgement.

[RavenholmZombie 1,330]

What has been your personal experience as a brony?

 

Outside of the Internet, most of my family had an over resounding "meh" reaction to me being in the fandom. My father isn't against it (even though I thought he was at first), and my mom thinks it's cool. The majority of my friends are also Bronies too so they welcomed me in with open arms. Overall, I've had no really bad experiences since being in the fandom. Some of my friends do poke fun at me for it, but it's all in good fun and not meant to be taken seriously.

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

 

I like the show because of the characters. I find the main characters to be the most relatable, they're polar opposites of each other but yet still manage to be friends and get along. I also enjoy the art style. It's bright colors, shading, and overall visual design is very pleasing to me.

 

I like the fandom because it's very open-minded and welcomes change and new ideas, it also has a real sense of community. We could be total strangers but could become friends by talking about ponies and the fandom.

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

 

That depends on who I am talking with. With my family and non-Brony friends, it's sort of on the back burner and I won't discuss it unless they ask me to. As for my Brony friends however, I am not afraid to show my dedication to the fandom and show. Even though I own pony merchandise, I do not own any real Brony clothing, so I don't wear anything Pony in public, I would if i had the chance though.

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

 

What drew me to the show was my Brony friends who kept asking me to watch the show until I eventually did. Inside the show, what attracted me were the stories and the other things I mentioned above.

 

What got me involved as a Brony was the artistic sector of the fandom. I love art and enjoy it.

[Justin_Case001 4,899]

what has been your personal experience as a brony?

Being a brony is something I'm very proud of.  As many in the community will tell you, this fandom is pretty much like any other--no better, no worse.  At the end of the day, there shouldn't be anything noteworthy or special about it as compared to any other fandom.  However, our species simply hasn't reached the point where this is the case.  Shocking and asinine as it it, the reactions to the brony community are often of the same type and magnitude as those of LGBT issues.  Boys have been bullied and tormented, sons have been disowned and estranged from family members, and some have even been driven to suicide.  Bronydom shouldn't be any different than being a fan of Lord of the Rings, and yet it is constantly talked about as being a "coming out of the closet" experience.  Day to day life in the fandom starts to feel so normal that we forget that there's anything unusual or special about it, but there is.  It remains controversial for many, and the community continues to inspire people to have the courage to be their authentic selves.  I feel like I do my own small part to change the world by being a part of this.

 

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

I have always had an affinity for the cute and colorful, but it's nearly impossible to find something of that variety that is also mature, intelligent, and well written.  FIM filled a void in my life because it has the adorable style I crave, while at the same time being a surprisingly well written with incredibly engaging, relatable, dynamic characters.  Not every episode is gold, but it's the characters and their personalities that keep my coming back.  They're funny, their struggles are realistic, and they are far deeper and more multi-faceted than a casual observer may suspect.  One of our most prolific members, ghostfacekiller, once said (paraphrasing), "The room for speculation about these characters is limitless if you take the time to actually get to know them."  That's absolutely true.  I find it so entertaining and interesting to debate about them, form headcanons, and search for deeper meaning.  This show isn't shallow fluff.  It's practically as rich of a world as Westeros or Middle Earth, and can be analyzed just as much.  I also love watching female characters in entertainment, and even today, it's still surprisingly difficult to find good female leads.  I love watching a show with a well-written, dynamic, female dominated cast.  Perhaps what makes it the most meaningful, though, is how well the messages and morals translate to real life.

 

As for the fandom, I am continually inspired by them.  I'm sure I don't need to describe how spectacular the fan art, music, and fiction is.  What I like most about the community is that it's a bit of a haven from the outside world.  It's a microcosm of the world at large, and yes, there are unpleasant people here, too.  However, over the three or so years that I've been here, I've found the rates of intelligence, tolerance, and acceptance to be consistently higher than "out there," in the outside world.  For instance, I will often lose all faith in humanity after reading comments on youtube (something that no one should ever do, I know).  When I come here, to these forums, I am consistently cheered up and pleasantly surprised by what I read, especially in response to heavy topics like LGBT, religion, politics, etc.  It's not perfect, but it's a haven.

 

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

Completely transparent.  I have nothing to hide.  I was lucky to have a completely supportive family and circle of friends.  Many are not so fortunate.  Many have lost friends after "coming out," as ridiculous as that is.  I never had any reason to hide.  Still, it can be intimidating to wear pony merch in public, given what many think of us.  I wear pony shirts proudly.  I love the looks on children's faces when they spot the pony on my shirt.  You can see the quick and subtle shift from interest, to perplexity, to mind-blown.  One of my proudest brony moments was when I was wearing my Fluttershy Yay! shirt, and young girl....maybe, 5, 6 years old...y'know, young enough to not yet have modesty about blurting out her thoughts to strangers....she asks me, in a completely puzzled voice, "Why are you wearing that shirt?"  Her dad, standing right there, began to sort of guide her away, saying something like, "C'mon now, sweetie.  It isn't nice to say things like that.  Leave the nice man alone."  Y'know, usual kind of stuff.  I quickly assured him that I didn't mind, then I told her, "Because I love Fluttershy, I love Friendship is Magic, and I think it's a great show."  The look on the girl's face was one of those things that just makes you feel like it was all worth it.

 

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

I had passed by FIM toy displays in Target many times, and I would always slow down just enough to get a peek without lingering long enough for someone to think I was a creeper.  I would secretly wish I could buy some.  I would regularly see clips of ponies online.  (MLP finds its way into everything, as you probably know.)  I would always think they looked so adorable, yet awesome at the same time--so thoroughly appealing.  I remember being especially enthralled by a clip of Princess Luna , which turned out to be part of the flashback battle scene between Celestia and Nightmare Moon, as witnessed by Twilight through the use of a special potion.  It was like (Game of Thrones spoiler)

 

When Bran would time travel with that weird tree man or whatever, and observe events from the past without being able to interact.

 

Anyway,  I remember saying, "Damn, I wish I could like that.  It's so cool."  I didn't hear myself saying these words.  I wasn't listening.  Shortly after that Luna clip, I stumbled onto Good Mythical Morning for the first time, and one of the first episodes I saw was "Bronies: The Controversy".  After watching that, something finally clicked.  I then heard myself thinking, "I like this."  It took an unexpected catalyst for me to realize that there's no reason for me not to watch this.  I pulled up a couple episodes on demand.  Then I bought seasons 1-3 and binged watched them.  I waited for S4 to conclude, then bought that.  I then began watching S5 and reviewing every episode on the forums on air date.  I've continued with S6.  I make art, most notably my 3-D ponies.  I'm quite proud of Mare of Steel.

 

Truthfully, I'm a quite troubled and depressed person, but I'm very grateful that Pony happened to me.  It's not an end all solution, but it's helped me greatly, and continues to cheer me up and bring much needed sunshine into my life.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch some Super Multi Major MLP on youtube.

[Choros Isorropai 409]

I have read the others, and I see now that I may not have been answering your questions as you had hoped...

(I tend to do story / metaphoric speech over regular...sorry)

 

so here is your questions answered proper.

 

what has been your personal experience as a brony?

 

​I have noticed, to my dismay, that there are some here that are in need of some affection (not saying physical...)

they need some one to listen to them, and accept them for who they are, and not what their expected to be.

I am one of those people, but I am also one of the ones who do listen, and try to help.

but I am just one, so the task at hand is person by person.

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

 

​some may agree, others will not... but the fact remains, I see, and feel, my little pony just as I use to with fraggle rock.

they both speak of peace, love, and harmony. they both use song and metaphor, meter and message.

they have lovely and lively characters, deep with personality. their worlds are unique and wondrous.

the fandom of MLP I know, I don't know if there is one for FR, but I see the life of MLP being continued in the fandom.

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

 

​if I had the money I would give it up for them. I am trying to go to an event, and its planned for may 12-14 of 2017.

I am currently doing my finances to get to the goal of getting to go... a tough challenge, but I WILL go...if I cant, then I will be...well, I cant say here...

but also as I said before about listening and being listened to, that is how I spend most of my time.

seeking the depressed and forlorn, giving them my affection and attention... so they know, somewhere there is a person who cares.

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

 

​originally I had "heard" of my little pony, but I just thought it looked cute. it takes me "quite the push" to get me into something.

I just thought it was aesthetically appealing at first... then as I mentioned in my previous post, I was in a deep depression...

looking for something to help me, I ran across the for mentioned episodes. after that hour and half, I was hooked!

I immediately went out  and got a DVR, recording every episode I could, this what just before the beginning of season 6.

 

 

 

I hope this and my previous post will help you with your studies!

[Stardust Balance 7,739]

Horrible. You wake up every morning, looking in the mirror just hating yourself...

 

Then you remember, "Wait [bEEP] that! I'm a brony, I'm awesome!"

[Choros Isorropai 409]

Horrible. You wake up every morning, looking in the mirror just hating yourself...

 

Then you remember, "Wait [bEEP] that! I'm a brony, I'm awesome!"

 

20 % cooler each time too!!!

there is no escaping the truth!!

you are you, and what you like is what you like!

To HE.... let the world be da.... aw, just ignore the haters!!!

[Guest]

People are nice, the show is really entertaining. Everything just keeps you interested, the fandom and their creativity plus the episodes, fan games, other people's created ponies, thoughts. And also laughing at the haters is entertaining aswell, watching a raging bonobo call you gay for something you enjoy watching and being a part of :v It feels original aswell, and anything different won't be accepted that easily, but that's the point imo.

[FluffyGoat13 375]

Research? Sweet. I come here (along with other sites on the net) to monitor social change, along with the evident entertainment, it's just intriguing to watch as I'm a sociology student myself. Nothing's better than watching theory in action.

 

Now onto your questions:

 

What has been your personal experience as a brony?

My personal experience has been a rather turbulent one. See, originally I was one of the original haters when bronies were first becoming a thing in 2010-2011. I just hurled the generic verbal abuse. Why? I was very aggravated by all my favourite sites being plastered with ponies. Then after the dust from mlp's rather explosive entrance onto the internet had settled down I basically forgot it was even a thing. It wasn't until June 2013 that I was reminded of its existence by finding out 2 of my friends were actually bronies. I didn't really care much. Eventually one convinced me to watch the show. That was the greatest (in all senses of the word; good and bad) mistake I have ever made. I binge watched every episode. Then season 4 was released, so I watched that. It wasn't until several months later that I found this place. I started talking to people, applying my questionable insight, and had a good time. Weirdly, I've rarely experienced anything I consider to actually be an at least half-hearted attempt at insult; I've only experienced the generic "You're gay", "Fag", etc. hate. I've kept watching the show, and there isn't really much more to say other than I've noticed a decline in hatred towards bronies that has correlated with a decrease in fandom output, as well as an increased hatred towards real world issues (radical feminism, radical Islam, the gender debate, a resurgence in racial tension).

 

What do you like about the show and the fandom?

The fandom is great. Unlike many other fandoms it's not highly judgemental and doesn't possess a toxic attitude like some other fandoms. It's essentially a rather large friendly group of weirdos who are okay with being weird. As for the show? I've got no idea why I like the show. There are a lot of things about it that would normally make me hate it, yet I don't. It's really quite strange.

 

How open are you about your dedication to the fandom IRL?

I don't actively let people know that I'm a brony, but I don't deny it if it comes up in conversation, and occasionally I use it as an example when explaining how society functions to my friends. Basically I tell people if it's relevant.

 

What drew you to MLP and got you involved as a brony?

As mentioned above, nothing drew me to the show, there's nothing that would, It just so happened that one of my friends "convinced" me to watch the show. I say convinced, but really it was a clever play on our mutual rivalry. See, this friend and I were very competitive back then because I had never failed a single challenged he had issued me. Knowing this, he challenged me to watch every episode that was released at that point in time (seasons 1 - 3) without becoming a brony. I accepted the challenge. This remains the only challenge that he issued that I've failed. That also marked the ending of our competitiveness.

 

And there you go. Feel free to ask me any more questions as I'm happy to help with research into a subject that interests and involves me.

I have made some amendments to my original response as it contained several errors. Although, in my defence it was 11:23 PM when I posted that.

Edited September 29, 2016 by FluffyGoat13

[Dreambiscuit 9,964]

'What's it like being a Brony' is like asking 'What's it like being human?' MLP is just a facet of life that attracts people who are interested in a quality show the same as any fandom is for anything. The fans were mature and intelligent enough to rise above the absurd idea that you have to fit into a narrow demographic for it to be socially acceptable. 

When I became a fan of the show it was already into season 2 and I had never heard of the show or the Brony fandom before. I just started watching it because it was good. I later learned all about the big following it had and thought it was cool that everyone was embracing it with such abandon. 

There's nothing deep or cause for serious scrutiny here. It's just a cool show. We like it. 'Nuff said. 

[ashi 261]

It's not bad, but the pay sucks. 

[Soul Flare 403]

Back during the very start of the Brony phenomenon, I used to be an avid tf2 player. I recall back those days were introduced items in that game that allowed you to put any pictures you wanted on them. Naturally, lots of people started putting pictures of ponies in them, so I started to investigate.

 

As soon as I saw references to one certain imageboard in my research, I immediately turned into an anti Brony assuming that all these people were just attempting to troll others by spamming ponies everywhere as if it was some sort of meme. When I realized that it was a proper fandom rather than an Internet fad, my opinion on bronies did not change.

 

Untill I came across a YouTube series which showcased the cringiest post from the mlp section of said imageboard, some were funny, but I realized I wouldn't really know who they were talking about and why everyone on there seemed to want to do indecent things to a specific character, so I started watching the show out of sheer curiosity.

 

And that's when I realized that bronies didn't like the show because they were childish or stupid, but because it was actually amazing and I was the idiot all along for having those prejudices and drawing conclusions too hastily.

 

That was the biggest lesson the show taught me, although indirectly, and ever since then I started approaching things with an open mind regardless of what things appear to be. I was also socially awkward back in the day, but I don't recall ever having so much social success (I'm talking about real life relationships, not just Internet ones) as I had ever since I started watching the show. It presented lessons on various social problems someone as my former self might have had starting from the very first episodes, namely the ones in which Twilight underestimated the value of social relationships and how her idea that she didn't need anyone to feel complete was wrong.

 

My experience with the fandom as a whole has been amazing as well. People here seems to be incredible friendly (although sometimes a tad too friendly) and, as you mentioned, the fan content is awesome. I think it's due to the mlp universe being so open that it lets artist do basically whatever they wish while still keeping their craft mlp-themed, which allowed for a huge array of different works, from mature content (by mature I mean serious and violent, not the other kind of mature) to other that might be more in line with the show itself. In fact, said fan content as well as the fanbase itself was really what kept me in the fandom,further strengthening my understanding of the sins of my past.

 

However, I was never too open about my bronyism irl, simply because I know that there are people out there who might come to the same wrong beliefs that I had back then. I usually tell people that I know would not judge me too hastily, and by doing that I managed to get them into the fandom as well, but I will not tell people unless I know I can without running into unnecessary drama and judgment. I don't even own any mlp apparel or merchandise, aside from a small plushie of twilight given to me by a friend as well as a smaller Rainbow dash toy also given to me as a gift.

 

EDIT:Mother of Celestia do I get a little bit wordy at times :v

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Day-to-day, it's the same as any other life except I just have a different taste in TV than most others.

 

Instead of checking Facebook impulsively, I do it with this site. Instead of keeping up with an Instagram feed, I have a DeviantArt. I also met a few good, trustworthy friends here.