Do you NOT consider yourself a brony? Why?

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

1 minute ago, BornAgainBrony said:

I don't even feel like I picked becoming a Brony. It almost feels like it picked me with how weirdly it all happened.

P.S. I saw your username a few times before and I just need to point out: "I see what you did there."

Well, I think identifying yourself by a certain term is a social thing, and a mutual agreement for using a term on you is necessary. (because it's not a scientific definition, more like a a self-honorary title.) It's funny to say it this way, but it is political. And also personally, I don't like categorizing and labeling myself.

Liking the show and being a fan happened to me without even noticing it, I still can recall when I saw the first frame of the first episode, but it is a very personal thing. I don't hate the term, but if someone calls me a brony, I think it is just incorrect. Maybe I'm slowly becoming one. Excuse me if I'm being too serious.

ps. I also thought about a name 'Bon-Bonded By Blood'. That might be my next album.

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

32 minutes ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Well, I think identifying yourself by a certain term is a social thing, and a mutual agreement for using a term on you is necessary. (because it's not a scientific definition, more like a a self-honorary title.) It's funny to say it this way, but it is political. And also personally, I don't like categorizing and labeling myself.

Liking the show and being a fan happened to me without even noticing it, I still can recall when I saw the first frame of the first episode, but it is a very personal thing. I don't hate the term, but if someone calls me a brony, I think it is just incorrect. Maybe I'm slowly becoming one. Excuse me if I'm being too serious.

ps. I also thought about a name 'Bon-Bonded By Blood'. That might be my next album.

No no, not at all. Heh, how's this for being serious? I've actually spent a great deal of time analyzing it all. Somehow, this is all the most intense thing that's ever happened to me and this isn't coming from being sheltered. I've been through a really wild roller-coaster of life and seen a TON of weird shizzle. While I don't have a cool timeship, the only character I've ever met who I really relate to on that level is the Doctor (Who), and a lot of the philosophy from that show deeply connects to how I've approached my life all the way back from childhood. And there's a quote that has rung through my head many times since I crossed paths with the Ponies. "My name, my real name, that is not the point, the name I chose, is The Doctor, the name you choose for yourself, it's like a promise that you make." And if you've seen the show, I also have my "War Doctor," the one who broke the promise. And it was only very recently that I remembered that promise and came back to it.

Thinking back on my childhood and everything that happened since then... In spirit, I was a Brony before that was even a word. Before G4 was even a thing. I couldn't believe the form it took (My Little Pony? Seriously?!), but the idea behind it was something I'd always been chasing after. My heart had no place to belong, it just felt like an orphaned alien creature on this planet, constantly looking for home. And that search became so dire, that I lost the chance at finding this so much sooner because I tried to use romantic love to supplement what I was missing. A bit more than a year ago, that all dissolved, and gave me the freedom to search again, even though at that point, the search felt in vein, and I was ready to welcome death if it came for me. Then I met them. And it felt like finding friends I'd lost so long ago that I could scarcely remember them anymore, but the feeling and the warmth, so familiar, like returning home after decades. "Oh, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you."

When I say the word "Brony" picked me, I'm not exaggerating. It's who I've always been. There was just nothing to define it before. Back then, it'd be like being someone who was gay, while not even knowing gay was a word, or ever knowing there were any other gay people on the entire Earth. Then on a whim, you visit San Fransisco one day and you're like HOOOOOLLLLYYYYYY SHHHHHHHHHH......COW!!!!

Edited October 16, 2018 by BornAgainBrony

[Khoufu 43]

When you say you're a fan, aren't you already labeling yourself anyway?

[Melanie Mousse 2,198]

23 hours ago, Khoufu said:

After seeing a discussion on a MLP collector forum, I am curious. Do you like MLP but not consider yourself a brony? Why not?

 

Personally, I consider myself a casual brony because I watch the show and some youtube videos, and have some G4 merch. But, first and foremost I'm a vintage toy collector with a preference for vintage MLP toys. Many in the (vintage) collector community don't consider themselves a brony at all.

I really enjoy watching MLP FiM and have been watching since Feb 2012, but I don't really like to be considered as a brony because to me, that term doesn't seem to look right or fit me well (if you know what I mean). I don't really care if people look at me as a brony, but being considered a loyal fan seems to be more rewarding, less awkward, and more mature to me.

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

The term Brony can mean whatever you personally want it to mean. Some may use it to refer only to the most hardcore of fans, and others use it for anypony who just likes the show. I consider myself a Brony (Pegasister variety) even though I'm nowhere near as dedicated as the majority calling themselves Brony. I love the show, I watch every episode, and I even buy a few toys from time to time. I don't break into a sweat and get passionate like some do, but I have had my share of deeply emotional moments from the show and I care for it on a personal level. I'm probably considered a middle-of-the-road Pegasister. I appreciate MLP in my own understated way, but I'm still a Brony/Pegasister.

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:57 AM, Khoufu said:

When you say you're a fan, aren't you already labeling yourself anyway?

Well, I think Brony is a more specific term than a MLP fan. I'm calling myself a MLP fan because it is true. MLP fan means someone who is a fan of MLP.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Khoufu 43]

23 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Well, I think Brony is a more specific term than a MLP fan. I'm calling myself a MLP fan because it is true. MLP fan means someone who is a fan of MLP.

Brony also means someone who is a fan of MLP:FiM, unless you have a slightly different definition. 

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

On 10/18/2018 at 12:23 PM, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Well, I think Brony is a more specific term than a MLP fan. I'm calling myself a MLP fan because it is true. MLP fan means someone who is a fan of MLP.

Some female fans use "Pegasister" while others thing it's wrong to need to differentiate gender even though the word "Brony" was clearly originally coined to describe a male fan, but then that also makes sense because it was the male fans that were the initial unexpected phenomenon.

I doubt we're going to ever see a solution to this kind of thing. Fans of Star Trek have yet to agree on whether "Trekker" or "Trekkie" is the appropriate term.

[Khoufu 43]

On 10/19/2018 at 10:00 AM, BornAgainBrony said:

Some female fans use "Pegasister" while others thing it's wrong to need to differentiate gender even though the word "Brony" was clearly originally coined to describe a male fan, but then that also makes sense because it was the male fans that were the initial unexpected phenomenon.

I doubt we're going to ever see a solution to this kind of thing. Fans of Star Trek have yet to agree on whether "Trekker" or "Trekkie" is the appropriate term.

As a trekkie, I've seen plenty of debate about the terms. From what I've seen, 'originally' a trekkie was someone who kinda just watchedand went along with it, and a trekker was a hardcore fan. Either way, I've never run into the term 'trekker' outside of Star Trek circles that referred to Star Trek fans. Trekker, like Pegasister, is less known as a fandom term outside their respective fandom.

[PCutter 127]

I for one am tired of all the debates about whether a label does or doesn't equate to someone liking something. That line becomes so blurry it's already meaningless.

[Prospekt 10,984]

I consider myself a brony. No question. But there was a time when I would've never really brought it up to anyone, because I didn't want to be automatically associated with stuff like clop and the behavior that the mainstream populace considers "cringy." But I've grown more comfortable with embracing it since right around when I created my account here and started college. I've explicitly called myself a brony many times now.

[Cirrus. 1,088]

I would say I fall into the definition of brony, but I haven't taken the backing off the sticker and slapped it on my forehead.

I don't think there's anything wrong with liking mlp or anything like that. I only mention anything about it to people I know won't "have problems" with the concept- and even so only if there's a relevant reason to bring it up. I don't want to invite stupidity/annoyance.

Edited October 27, 2018 by Cirrus.

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

I think because I somehow found myself alone in the end after all  even though I thought I was part of something. Still I denied It myself and what happened was that the foundations I had laid out started crumbling 

[Midnight Solace 5,129]

What? I am a brony and proud to be one. 

[Megas 27,063]

No because besides the fact that it sounds really stupid, the fanbase can be seriously frustrating that I often try to distance myself from associating with it. And honestly screw anyone who tries to tell you otherwise, forcing the whole "if your a fan you're a brony!" mentality on you, you yourself should be the only be the only person who gets to decide whether you want to call yourself that

[BoopMan 2,403]

i am a pretty casual fan nowadays. can’t stand the crazies.

[Hardway Bet 96]

I was into cartoons for twenty years before Bronies became a thing. "Bronydom" has always sounded to me more like a lifestyle choice than anything - lord, if I had to get a new title every time I found a show I liked, I'd have lost track ages ago.

That said, I've watched the show since the first season, I've enjoyed a lot of fan content and I do make fan art, , so I can't protest too much.

 

[Mirage 24,134]

John DeLancie studied this extensively, among others. Even at the start of the fandom, nobody really understood what a brony was, other than 'adult fans of the show'. There has always been a spectrum of interest, but, if you're a fan of the show, then you're basically a 'brony'. However, that was a term used way back when the fad first started, especially on 4chan (where some argue 'brony' came from the /b/ board pony spamming - /b/-pony = brony). Now, I think the overall shock is over, and there's no real surprise or shock in some adult male who watches MLP FiM - in general. Sure, some may still find it weird, but in general, the shock and awe is nothing like it used to be. Moreover, there is a wide spectrum of fanaticism about MLP, and I don't think it was ever the intent of the term 'brony' to categorize the varied interests, but simply to point out the incredible new audience the show attracted.

I'm a brony because I'm a fan of the show. It doesn't bother me. My family and friends jab me about it, but they don't think it's my 'identity'. It's just a fun sort of thing.

 

Then of course, there's one of the greatest brony vids of all time:

That vid is from 2011!!!! Bronies used to be very proud of the show. I didn't become a fan until about 2017, so I missed all the excitement from those days. I've become more and more interested in Brony history, and perhaps I'm one of the very few who feels optimistic about the future of the fandom. The sad thing is, many of the long-time fans here seem very gloomy and disinterested...and I'm sure it has something to do with losing contact with so many friends. I'm really sorry...that must be really hard. 

Don't discount us new fans though - we are excited too - but we need the old fans back!

[Hardway Bet 96]

4 hours ago, Mirage said:

John DeLancie studied this extensively,

Alright, hold on, let's get real. DeLance doesn't study anything, he just reads what's on the script.

 

4 hours ago, Mirage said:

some argue 'brony' came from the /b/ board pony spamming

Spoiler

I believe it came from here.

The Swagberg video really is one of the greatest, though. The beginning of the fandom really was a different time.

[Thunderchild 875]

No-my situation is different from many here. I'm 48 years old for openers, got involved here after following the meme across in 2011. I watched the show for a bit and enjoyed it, but mainly just hung out here. I saw a lot of parallels between my time growing up and things the people here were going through-and which led them to the fandom. I tried to provide advice where possible, and where my work and family life allowed. So, no-I'm not a Brony in the truest sense of the word-however I do understand why people are and do appreciate the sense of community it gives folks.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Yes and no. I have never liked the term "Brony" since it just doesn't sound right at all to me. I don't know what I could call myself. Just a fan of the show?

[EpicEnergy 22,074]

Why would I not consider myself a brony? I'm a brony to the core!