Are Fandoms getting too Fanatical?

[Cwanky 17,444]

Let me preface this by saying this, I myself like most here enjoy and follow and enjoy MLP:FiM. I however, do but consider myself as a "brony" in the way the term's been come to be understood.

At times however I can relate to why some folks have grown to despise the fandom. I don't agree nor care for the mindless homophobic and misogynistic hatred that many seem to project. But I do agree at times the fandom becomes too aggressive in trying to assert itself outside our community and become too defensive and dismissive towards our critics.

It's not unique unique to bronies either, nor limited to this behavior. On YouTube particularly, fandom have grown at times especially hostile and aggressive with tribalism, as if shows and characters are treated like partisan politics or rival sports teams.

Rick and Morty fans are really aggressive at times, claiming their show's the best on Adult Swim. Then there's the generational stupid rivalry of Family Guy vs Simpsons which while amusing at times gets nasty and ugly often. 

What I've noticed a lot in these aggressive fans is a blind loyalty to certain characters and shows and rejecting others. They also whine, and often demand like spoiled 10 year olds that new episodes and updates come out 24/7. They treat the show like its something to jerk off to or a drug fix to satisfy themselves.

Maybe it's fine for some fans, but I'd rather just simply be a fan that can enjoy and appreciate shows and not turn them into a cult following.

How do others feel about this behavior among bronies and elsewhere in other fandoms?

Edited June 20, 2017 by Cwanky

[Prospekt 10,984]

All the behavior described above is part of what made me hesitant to really dive deep into the brony fandom in the first place. There are so many nasty conflicts over trivial things... it all gives me the sense that passionate fans tend to take what they enjoy far too seriously. You've got plenty of fandoms that tend to get real nasty if you offer criticism of whatever it is they follow.

Then you've got the fandoms that try to define what a "real" fan must be like. The best example of that among my fandoms is probably the purist-dominated Star Wars fandom that seems to delight in alienating fans of certain movies, namely episodes I, II, and VII.

My point is that I don't like when a fandom turns into a religion in the eyes of its fans. That's when dogmas (like the "real fan" criteria) take over and start to inspire bigotry.

[cmarston1 5,951]

Yes.  Ever since season 3 the fandom has been pretty guilty of this kind of behavior especially.

[SaburoDaimando 1,196]

I've seen this happen before.  With the Sonic franchise, with FInal Fantasy, with Console and PC fanboys, with World of Warcraft fanboys, and with Sports Nuts.

Sometimes, people are just too obsessed with their favorite shows, their favorite work, that in some cases, they don't see reason no matter otherwise.  Some go as far as to accumulate the Negative to the point of no return(Not bringing up any names in case they come here to blast me).  I'm seeing it with the My Little Pony franchise, some people were blasted Jay Fosgitt's work, to the point where other artists decided to defend him(Tony Fleecs and Andy Price).  In my mind, it's not okay to attack a person for work you don't like, and if you don't like it, don't look at it.(And personally, I do like Jay's work to some degree.  If I see him at Comic-Con this year, I'll pay him a little extra to do a drawing for me)

 

[BastementSparkle 20,310]

This always seems to happen in fandom's at some point, as far as I've seen. They pick up more and more fans, and some people just start to go a bit crazy. They become super defensive of the show/game/whatever they love and can't accept any criticism of it, getting angry at anyone who dares say something negative...or otherwise they become over the top negative, hating on nearly everything about it in the harshest manner, and bashing any who disagree with them, to the point where you might wonder if they even like the thing they're supposedly a fan of in the first place.

I'm a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, Doctor Who, Undertale...and I've seen every one of those fandom's do some stuff like this at some point. It seems almost inevitable when you pick up a large following. The thing is, there's always still reasonable people too. People who love something genuinely, without getting obsessed or insanely harsh to everything, people aren't really a hivemind, you're always going to end up with a few "Crazy" people when a fandom get's big enough. The internet just makes this stuff really obvious.

[Hierok 11,829]

Well, I think everybody needs to have his own opinion. I think it is fine to love the things you do, but some people take it indeed to serious. I have even seen a conversationele, actually more like aan confrontation, where they would say they kill each other, because one of them was a Arceus fan and the other Mewtwo fan. 

My advice is to deny those people, while I have troubles with that too. I think I sometimes forget the consequents of my actions and say things without thinking. 

Edited June 22, 2017 by Hierok

[heavens-champion 1,893]

Considering a few Bronies actually deify Lauren Faust for creating the show (as well as deify Celestia, Luna, and Cadance), I think the Brony fandom might be getting a little too fanatical in some places. It reminds of that cult in Russia formed around Gadget Hackwrench from Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers.

[Lenny 249]

Furries will attack us if we don't defend ourselves

I have proof

[Steiner 15]

I think being extremely fanatical to the point of defending the fandom like it's a god is absolutely overboard.

I think that @Cwanky has a point. There are those out there who over do it. A fandom is a fandom. Not politics. 

[AlbaTross 1,581]

On 2017-06-18 at 2:00 AM, Cwanky said:

Let me preface this by saying this, I myself like most here enjoy and follow and enjoy MLP:FiM. I however, do but consider myself as a "brony" in the way the term's been come to be understood.

At times however I can relate to why some folks have grown to despise the fandom. I don't agree nor care for the mindless homophobic and misogynistic hatred that many seem to project. But I do agree at times the fandom becomes too aggressive in trying to assert itself outside our community and become too defensive and dismissive towards our critics.

It's not unique unique to bronies either, nor limited to this behavior. On YouTube particularly, fandom have grown at times especially hostile and aggressive with tribalism, as if shows and characters are treated like partisan politics or rival sports teams.

Rick and Morty fans are really aggressive at times, claiming their show's the best on Adult Swim. Then there's the generational stupid rivalry of Family Guy vs Simpsons which while amusing at times gets nasty and ugly often. 

What I've noticed a lot in these aggressive fans is a blind loyalty to certain characters and shows and rejecting others. They also whine, and often demand like spoiled 10 year olds that new episodes and updates come out 24/7. They treat the show like its something to jerk off to or a drug fix to satisfy themselves.

Maybe it's fine for some fans, but I'd rather just simply be a fan that can enjoy and appreciate shows and not turn them into a cult following.

How do others feel about this behavior among bronies and elsewhere in other fandoms?

Hi, as this topic is beyond the scope of just the Brony fandom, it has been moved to the Everfree Forest.  Edit: or not as apparently I don't have the ability to move this thread there...which is strange since I can move it to other boards outside of my jurisdiction.  I'll bring it to the attention of the admins so it should be moved eventually.

[SerenitySeeker 13]

Can't agree more with you. Many fans are getting way too far with their behavior. But I can understand them -- after all, it's something they hold dear and idealize. Of course they'd act like this.

[Salty Sweetness 203]

 

At the onset of most fandoms there seems to be a deep desire to share. It is a common thing. It takes less effort to ignore fanaticism than it does to type up a complaint about it. 

On 6/22/2017 at 10:34 AM, RareBase said:

The thing is, there's always still reasonable people too.

I agree. In fact I would say that the number of reasonable people far outweigh anyone that takes their love of a fandom to an unhealthy extreme. I don't care what fandom you are in, your crazies are not special. You should see half my family during football season. You should see Hamilton and Heathers fans. 

On 6/18/2017 at 5:00 AM, Cwanky said:

Maybe it's fine for some fans, but I'd rather just simply be a fan that can enjoy and appreciate shows and not turn them into a cult following.

If the fanaticism is hurting your experience, you could do what I do and just watch a show/film and limit your interaction with fans. My father always tells me of this long forgotten mystical time before the internet. It was a time when our elders had to do just that. 

Edited June 24, 2017 by Salty Sweetness

[GoldenGumdrop 164]

All fandoms are going to have their more extreme fans claiming that certain characters are the best, this season is the best, or the show was ruined when they did this, etc. I am part of the Lion King fandom and there is a divide between hate/love/indifference to The Lion Guard. Even worse would be Kopa from The Lion King Six New Adventures. There are so many threads whether he's cannon or not. Anime can get pretty fanatical as well even though I am an otaku. I think it's fairly rude to say "Oh, you only watch that show, you're not a true fan!" In anime there's the sub vs. dub debate. Subs have gotten better since the days of DBZ and Sailor Moon, but I still prefer subtitles because I feel it is more accurate and I get more of an authentic feel. However, some people are dub fans, and I'm okay with that (I'd recommend staying away from some like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptors mainly because of how horribly they're done).

Even pet ownership has its radicals. If you don't feed your pet a certain food or follow a certain type of diet you are setting your pet up for health failure, are an irresponsible owner, etc.

[Guest]

Some of them, sure. But it's just what happens. Humans tend to go overboard with anything really.

[PlzDelete 2,455]

I agree that fandoms (at least certain ones) are getting a bit too radical. It kinda disturbs me how far some people will go to please the fandom they are in or how far they dive themselves in. I almost became a one of those creepy Creepypasta fans but then realized how unhealthy it was. I was lucky.  

[Rapira85 53]

In all honesty I ignore that part of the fandom. There is one thing of taking something dear I can respect. If the characters mean much to you and don't want to see them hurt and stuff like that. Sure. I can roll with that.

But the constant drama making and rivalries are pretty much dumb. A fandom is just you like something, not something to get angry over all the time.

 

[GoldenGumdrop 164]

I forgot I'm a Harry Potter fan and there were some fanatical fans out there especially during the shipping wars. I am a shipper but it's not worth getting into a flame war over your ship. Some of the fan theories also got nutty to.

[TBD 17,228]

"I'll stick what I like and you'll stick with yours" is kinda my motto any time I come by some crazy fanboy/girl.

[Zyrael 1,471]

On 6/18/2017 at 2:00 AM, Cwanky said:

Rick and Morty fans are really aggressive at times, claiming their show's the best on Adult Swim.

That's nonsense. Everyone knows the best show on adult swim is superjail.

 

fans ruin everything 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,233]

I am one of those people that just doesn't care. If people want to be a bit fanatical, I'll let them do that. Doesn't affect me in the slightest.

[SONICchaos 824]

On 6/28/2017 at 7:44 AM, Kyoshi said:

I am one of those people that just doesn't care. If people want to be a bit fanatical, I'll let them do that. Doesn't affect me in the slightest.

Until they start throwing metal buckets at you and call it "being in character"

 

Spoiler

 

 

[ChikaChan 7,320]

More fanatical the better! OwO Cause I tired of seeing boring ol everyday activities anyway! @w@ I wanna see some crazy stuff happening! Dx

[lua 105]

Believe me I've had a lot of experience with Fanbases, to name a few atop of my head: Sonic, undertale, FNAF, MLP (still in 2)

But i think fanbases should be fanatical, to a point. A point that isn't outright refusing to give anything else a chance or harming anyone in anyway.

I've seen a lot of Sonic fans who outright hate Nintendo and Mario.

Also people who just act like they are that character every single day is just not right, to me if i like something and I'm in a fanbase, i would only go as far as owning merch honestly, or being apart of some of the fan sites, like this one

Edited August 9, 2017 by Gameground

[Yakamaru 3,071]

Fanaticism in any way, shape or form is never ok. If you suffer from fanaticism, go seek professional help.

Some people treat a fandom like it's some sort of religion. Whacky, I know. I'm a Furry too, and that shit's slowly getting infested with reality-denying lunatics.

People are morons. Some can't seperate fiction(sometimes just delusions) from reality and end up mixing them. In an unhealthy and dangerous way, too.

[SunshineFlow 43]

No! You only live once. You should do the best ouf of it with people you like to mingle with!