During which season did the fandom toxicity drive you away from watching the show any further, if at all?

[PCutter 127]

I was driven away from watching the show during season 6 because all the toxicity literally gave me bad heartburn. I went a long time without watching the show because I felt scared of saying I like the later seasons if I wanted to risk being sent death threats. Am I weak for leaving for a while because I had to look after my health after all the drama from season 6 onwards?

And you?

Edited February 17, 2020 by PCutter

[Megas 27,064]

I stopped halfway into S9 but that was on the show itself not doing anything for me anymore. Otherwise, I'd say closest was S3, as someone who actually enjoyed S3 and the first EQG a lot, but the drama surrounding EQG and Twilicorn made interacting with the fandom utterly miserable

[Pentium100 2,057]

I was never driven away from the show. I can watch the show while ignoring anything that happens around it, actually I only became interested in the fans of the show (joining this site for example) near the end of season 9. Before that I would read about some controversy on EqD, but would just ignore it, because there are idiots everywhere and at least those particular idiots do not affect me.

[Oleks 1,983]

Fandom toxicity is one of the last things that can drive me from a show. It's the quality of the show that matters. So, I was never driven away from watching MLP, becase in my opinion it remained more or less on the same quality lever throughout its run (of course, some season were worse, some were better, but it never stopped being enjoyable). As for the toxic fans, I simply stay away from them and don't take them seriously.

[Emerald Heart 24,588]

I've been driven away from the show a couple times, but mostly because I lost my interest in it.

[SparklingSwirls 21,261]

I was only driven away from the show by my own losing interest in it and becoming more interested in other things instead.

[Jedishy 3,542]

Never. Peoples comments cant ever make me not want to deal with a show. Maybe not want to deal with THOSE people but that is about it. And frankly I am more likely to be tempted to lay into them for their behavior then I am to run away. 

[Here No Longer 5,270]

This fandom is not even remotely that toxic. Plus, it's a TV show, doesn't really require you to remotely engage with the fandom to any degree, unlike an online video game where there's plenty of reason to be dissuaded by toxicity because you have to engage with the community in order to actually play it.

 

I have considered leaving the forum a few times due to the occasionally downright absurd and borderline intolerable surge of toxicity. Other than that, toxicity has had no effect on me in relation to MLP.

[Misty Shadow 7,085]

Very glad I'm far from the only one saying never. What hateful fans are saying, could I give a frick less, no, I couldn't. It's the quality of the show that matters and while everyone has the right to their opinion, I should be focusing on why I enjoy the show, not what other people think. 

[EpicEnergy 22,082]

I wasn't driven away, the fandom was never toxic for me.

[Rainbow Cloud 16,308]

I haven't been driven away from watching the show and have never found the fandom to be toxic myself.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Rainbow Cloud

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,189]

I remember feeling disheartened by how some of the fandom reacted to Twilicorn and the Equestria Girls movie around S3, but overall, I never felt that the fandom was that toxic. 

I stopped watching for a long time around Season 5, but that had nothing to do with the fandom. I just became interested in other things for several years. I still love those things, but I've rediscovered my love for MLP.

And of all the fandoms I've been a part of, this is the only one I've had any actual presence in. I've lurked in all the others. Something about the MLP fandom encourages my creativity, and this site provides an easy way to share my interest in this show with other people. 

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,189]

9 hours ago, PCutter said:

Am I weak for leaving for a while because I had to look after my health after all the drama from season 6 onwards?

And of course you're not!! Don't ever think you're weak from taking a step back from something that's hurting your mental health. In fact, I think it's a very strong thing to recognize that something is causing you harm and make the decision to distance yourself from it.

[Nightfall Gloam 18,237]

As much as I dislike the more... toxic sections of the fandom, it was never really the toxicity that drove me away from it. What drove me away during season 8 was that I felt like the show was dipping in quality during that season, and in late 2017 to early 2019, my life was going through a rough period that is only (superficially?) related to the MLP fandom, and not even the side of the fandom that I'd consider toxic. That said, it turned out to only be temporary and I did return in 2019 following the series finale, and even rekindling with friends in the fandom I missed. Hopefully there's less toxicity in the fandom now that the series is over and the fandom isn't as big as circa 2011-2014.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Nightfall Gloam
Currently didn't make sense in the sentence I mistakenly put it in :P

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

I watch what I like. I NEVER let other's opinions or toxicity make me change how I enjoy something.

[Dabmanz 2,128]

Maybe it is just what part of the community I hang around but I find this community to be one of the least toxic communities.

[Cash In 21,516]

I started watching the show during mid Season 7 and I can't say that I really got turned away from it by the fandom. I did have a bad taste in my mouth due to it at one point, but this was ages before I even started watching the actual show.

[Pentium100 2,057]

The problem is that there are always the people who send death threats and such. They are a tiny minority, but extremely loud. You just have to ignore them.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

The fandom is still toxic af not going to lie. I think that's the reason I don't like some people in the fandom.

[SolarFlare13 15,927]

I gave up watching the show after watching '2, 4, 6, great' and the first 5 mins of 'A Trivial Pursuit'. (Season 9) I had ENOUGH of rainbow dash saying 'awesome' like a freaking idiot, Twilight having mental break-downs and...Trixie in general. I CANT STAND IT when she says 'The Great and Powerful...' NO!!! STFU!!! my sanity was hanging by a thread by that point. If you take a look back in season 7, she said 'awesome' in just about EVERY episode she made an appearance in. I dunno whether this was supposed to be a joke or they were trying to annoy us. Yeah, I still havent seen the rest of Season 9 and I dont intend to. Honestly, I stopped caring after watching Season 7. Look, I love MLP, but there's just some things in the show that I just DONT like.

 

The fandom had nothing to do with this. I just had enough. 

 

There have been a couple of times where I've had to leave the fandom temporarily 'cuz I couldn't deal with the negativity.

If I were to post a comment in the Episode Discussion Thread and if there's something I DIDN'T like about that episode, there's ALWAYS going to be that ONE person who's going to be offended and they're gonna have a MASSIVE whinge about it. (Personally, I would like to tell them to F*CK OFF, but I know that'll get me into a lot of trouble and that's NOT what I want ) Look, I know everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but they should also respect the opinion of others and move on. If the person DOESN'T like the episode, that's just their opinion. They dont need to get salty / defensive about it. So yeah, that's WHY you dont see me post that much in the threads anymore. I post my opinions in my status updates. 

 

The one thing that keeps me coming back is my friends on the MLP Forums. They mean A LOT to me, I care 'bout them and they really help with my depression.  Not only that, if there's something that's bothering me, they're always there to help me out :3

Edited February 18, 2020 by SolarFlare13

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

What other people think means nothing to how I enjoy my ponies. When Twilight first got her wings there was a lot of backlash and toxicity but I thought it was the greatest moment in the show up to that point. When others complained I simply turned a deaf ear to it and went on loving more and more. I'll always love my ponies regardless of anyone or anything else. 

[PCutter 127]

5 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

The problem is that there are always the people who send death threats and such. They are a tiny minority, but extremely loud. You just have to ignore them.

 

11 hours ago, TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos said:

And of course you're not!! Don't ever think you're weak from taking a step back from something that's hurting your mental health. In fact, I think it's a very strong thing to recognize that something is causing you harm and make the decision to distance yourself from it.

 

4 hours ago, SolarFlare13 said:

I gave up watching the show after watching '2, 4, 6, great' and the first 5 mins of 'A Trivial Pursuit'. (Season 9) I had ENOUGH of rainbow dash saying 'awesome' like a freaking idiot, Twilight having mental break-downs and...Trixie in general. I CANT STAND IT when she says 'The Great and Powerful...' NO!!! STFU!!! my sanity was hanging by a thread by that point. If you take a look back in season 7, she said 'awesome' in just about EVERY episode she made an appearance in. I dunno whether this was supposed to be a joke or they were trying to annoy us. Yeah, I still havent seen the rest of Season 9 and I dont intend to. Honestly, I stopped caring after watching Season 7. Look, I love MLP, but there's just some things in the show that I just DONT like.

 

The fandom had nothing to do with this. I just had enough. 

 

There have been a couple of times where I've had to leave the fandom temporarily 'cuz I couldn't deal with the negativity.

If I were to post a comment in the Episode Discussion Thread and if there's something I DIDN'T like about that episode, there's ALWAYS going to be that ONE person who's going to be offended and they're gonna have a MASSIVE whinge about it. (Personally, I would like to tell them to F*CK OFF, but I know that'll get me into a lot of trouble and that's NOT what I want ) Look, I know everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but they should also respect the opinion of others and move on. If the person DOESN'T like the episode, that's just their opinion. They dont need to get salty / defensive about it. So yeah, that's WHY you dont see me post that much in the threads anymore. I post my opinions in my status updates. 

 

The one thing that keeps me coming back is my friends on the MLP Forums. They mean A LOT to me, I care 'bout them and they really help with my depression.  Not only that, if there's something that's bothering me, they're always there to help me out :3

But then in my case, those death threats included my VERY personal info, even though I've taken every precaution to keep myself hidden.

And I completely hate those who say "So you left because people around you were toxic. Grow some balls and take it like a real man." Do not make me go how many times I've been called a "f*cking p*ssy" for speaking up what I think of the matter.

So I'm supposed to be a "good little boy" and shut up and sit down and take everything as is and let them talk sh*t at me? Is that how every person of a 7 billion population should go about everything? I'm not supposed to get angry and go werewolf? I'm still a p*ssy for refusing to be a part of the negativity?

 

@SolarFlare13And I still assume you feel like physically harming Trixie and everyone else involved in creating her existence? Because it's a free world.

Edited February 18, 2020 by PCutter

[Pentium100 2,057]

12 minutes ago, PCutter said:

But then in my case, those death threats included my VERY personal info, even though I've taken every precaution to keep myself hidden.

This is when the police should get involved. Chances are whoever sent the threat is not so well hidden.

However, you can always watch the show but not talk about it on the internet.

If I stopped watching a TV show or playing a game because I did not like some fans of that show or game, I would not be able to play or watch anything, since every single show has at least some fans who are also assholes.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Pentium100

[Mirage 24,137]

I was a late comer to the fandom, so it seems I missed a lot of the drama. However, when I did join the fandom, I should say my expectations were pretty high. I was, and still am, very excited about being part of the fandom. The art, the music, and stories - they were all amazing and heart felt. Then...you interact with the community and you find more of the same...popularity contests, egos, vicious anger, etc etc. So yeah, I have felt driven away by it, but I've also come to understand that people still suffer inside and although what I see online is really harsh and sometimes scary - I don't really know what's going on with them that is causing them to act out like that.

And so, I have been trying to be supportive - both of the fandom at large and of people that are obviously hurting. I really believe the fandom is special, and is, at it's core, a good experience for everyone.

My heart has changed from disdain to respect. You get what you give. Be the change you seek. Stuff like that. I think it matters. 

[Pentium100 2,057]

1 minute ago, Mirage said:

Then...you interact with the community and you find more of the same...popularity contests, egos, vicious anger, etc etc.

Sadly, this is everywhere and you can only ignore it. This is why I try (not always successfully) to not participate in the drama.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Pentium100