What was the fandom like back then?

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

As a fan that only joined in 2020, I couldn't help but to feel like I missed out on a lot on what the fandom had to offer back then. For those that have joined earlier, what was the fandom like back then and how has it changed? Was it really as nostalgic as fans made it seem, or was it overrated? (Also, I have a bit of an obsession with google trends graphs. Can someone help explain what caused all the raises and dips in this graph?)

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Skylight Scintillate

[Tom Gallagher 33,581]

I’ve always wished that I was around for the show’s peak. I saw its peak as an outsider and it was very much all over the place everywhere I looked. 

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I joined in 2014, while Season 4 was still airing.  I can't speak on how it was before that point, but it was pretty great then.  It was as if I got wrapped up in a phenomenon that transcended just being a show.  There was a thriving community that generated a ton of creative content, everyone was welcoming, and I even went to my first Brony convention later that year.  All in all, I felt a connection with the fandom in no time at all, so much so that I became quite involved in this forum, eventually even becoming a moderator. 

As time went on though, my focus shifted elsewhere, and I spent less and less time here.  It wasn't that I started to dislike the show or anything, far from it, but perhaps I was at a different stage of my life then than I was prior.  I still kind of feel that way, and that may be part of why G5 isn't hitting home for me in nearly the same way, though I suppose I can at least credit it for bringing me back into discussions.  

[Rosy Moonlight 369]

59 minutes ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

As a fan that only joined in 2020, I couldn't help but to feel like I missed out on a lot on what the fandom had to offer back then.

Yeah. I only joined in 2018 so I also missed a lot. It makes me wish I could time travel with Dr. Whooves.

MLP 2018 was about racism and slowly wrapping up the show. It is also the year that really had me questioning who I really am as a fangirl.

I still don't really know who I am as a fan but we can be confused fans together.

[Misty Shadow 7,842]

It was a lot more active back then with more content being produced, but other than that, it's pretty much always been the same to me. Especially given the fact that we are still seeing some pretty good fan content. 

[Splashee 28,563]

That graph though

 

I would probably make the graph a little bit more shifted where the peak was in 2012-13, and not in 2014.

 

Most casual internet fans went on to:

Steven Universe (May 21, 2013)
FNAF (August 8, 2014)
Undertale (September 15, 2015)

 

I would say that the culture around Undertale has reached so many different subcategories that it far beats the interests of FIM. FNAF was extremely huge when it came out, and a lot of Brony artists went on to produce content for FNAF.
FIM couldn't keep fans investigated when the staff didn't take the Bronies seriously until it was too late (Slice of Life came out in June 13, 2015)

[AppleButt 8,675]

Been a fan since summer 2011.  Was extremely active back then and you couldn’t go anywhere on the internet without seeing a reference.   It’s slowed down now and the ones left are folks who are really dedicated.  Nothing much else has really changed about it. 

[sourheartz 38]

1 hour ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

As a fan that only joined in 2020, I couldn't help but to feel like I missed out on a lot on what the fandom had to offer back then.

thats how i feel too :0 ive been watching mlp for a very very long time but i never really got into the fandom until a few years ago and sometimes i do wish i couldve been there when the fandom was its peak!!

[NavelColt 22,879]

Art and fanfiction are still noticably active even now, but fan music used to be plentiful and varied. There used to be dozens upon dozens of mainstream artists doing all sorts of work. Now it's more like four to six big names and a lot of lesser known musicians. 

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

4 hours ago, Splashee said:

That graph though

I would probably make the graph a little bit more shifted where the peak was in 2012-13, and not in 2014.

 

I pulled this data directly from Google Trends. Why do you think it was more shifted towards 2012 and 2013 instead of 2014? Because you say that slice of life came out too late, but according to the data that I got, the Slice of Life episode would still be around the peak. 

[dead account 2,710]

18 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

 

 

 

 

The graph goes up to 100, but what exactly does it even mean?
I became a brony at the end of 2019 and I don't feel like I missed out on anything. All the content I like and discover nowadays, everything from back then is still there. And even now, there are many people diligently making new stuff every day.
But if you want to be part on live events, such as convetions, or partake the (I assume) heated discussions after a new episode or movie came out...then yeah, you missed out on that.

I also think that MLP was very huge at that time. I basically lived under a rock and even I heard about bronies. I never saw the original show or...aynthing! I just knew that they were fans of "ponies". And these ponies appeared in mods for PC games too, quiet often actually. That even a person like me notices them says a lot, haha. But without the bronies, I doubt I would have ever heard about MLP.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

16 hours ago, NavelColt said:

Art and fanfiction are still noticably active even now, but fan music used to be plentiful and varied. There used to be dozens upon dozens of mainstream artists doing all sorts of work. Now it's more like four to six big names and a lot of lesser known musicians. 

Pretty much this; plus fan animations seemed to be at least somewhat more common back then.

Not to mention fan forums outside of MLPF and EqD were much more common to find; especially RP-types. Enthusiasm was also stronger at that point as well, but MLP was still fairly 'hip' at that point, haha.

[North Star 5,218]

hey newpony  

I joined in early 2012 and it genuinley did rock my world. I had never drawn, rp'd or played a card game before joining. I owe you bronies so much! *misty eyes*

[bubbleteapony 584]

For me (being a young teen in high school), it was a lot of scouring hot topic for MLP merch, buying poorly designed t shirts and trading cards and those wallets where part of them stick out of your pocket (I had one where Dashie's tail would stick out from my pocket) Also, with the cross-section of random humor and early seasons, Derpy was absolutely everywhere. I met many people just by wearing MLP merch! Plus, it wasn't hard to actually find MLP related stuff, so it wasn't some big find like it is now. You could just go out and get stuff.

I wouldn't go back to that time of my life, but I do find myself sometimes missing how popular it was then and how easy it was to find people to talk about it with IRL. It was such a fun sensation, despite all the backlash fans got from people who just didn't understand, which is not something I miss.

Wild times I guess

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

I joined a little after the peak time and while I'm not sure of all the events that happened, I will say that fresh pony content was out all the time and places like Equestria Daily, for example, were a lot more active and vibrant. G5 has upped the activity since the end of the show but it'll never be the same as when G4 was still airing.

[Ganondorf8 11,281]

Back then, things were more simpler and the fandom had reached what is considered to be its peak. Once the first controversy kicked in, that's when things began to heat up amongst the fandom and it's been like that with every additional controversy that's come up. Fortunately, the fandom has been able to persevere during each crisis and has grown stronger from them.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

11 hours ago, Sven Seelenherz said:

The graph goes up to 100, but what exactly does it even mean?

Oh apparently, the graph is showing interest in My Little Pony over time, and each point is the percentage of interest relative to it's peak. (Does that make sense? I'm not really sure how to word it.)

11 hours ago, Sven Seelenherz said:

But if you want to be part on live events, such as convetions, or partake the (I assume) heated discussions after a new episode or movie came out...then yeah, you missed out on that.

Yeah that's what I meant. Hopefully, there will be intriguing discussions of Make your Mark when that comes out though.

11 hours ago, Sven Seelenherz said:

I also think that MLP was very huge at that time. I basically lived under a rock and even I heard about bronies. I never saw the original show or...aynthing! I just knew that they were fans of "ponies".

Yeah I remember seeing ponies on the internet around 2014-2016 and I was like "What is this? This isn't even related to what I'm searching!" However, I just didn't get it at that time.

[NavelColt 22,879]

12 hours ago, Pathfinder of Ash said:

Pretty much this; plus fan animations seemed to be at least somewhat more common back then.

Not to mention fan forums outside of MLPF and EqD were much more common to find; especially RP-types. Enthusiasm was also stronger at that point as well, but MLP was still fairly 'hip' at that point, haha.

It's happened. We're finally there. We're finally at a point where I can use this meme unironically.

@Jeric get in here and suffer this with us

[Ring Team 123]

I joined the party right at November 2011 and it was amazing. Everyday we would talk about our favourite episodes, our favourite characters, our favourite songs, what our takes on some episodes were, etc. I think it was for the most part incredibly welcoming, in ways you couldn't even imagine it. I'm talking about Luca innocent happy vibes level.

I say "was", because there was a point where, if you had a complaint about G4, people who are called fans would either answer you in a condescending way or gaslight you in a way that everyone, including yourself, thinks you are the crazy person. That was my experience back in 2016, and after leaving he fandom in 2017 and then coming back right in 2020 just to finish the show, it's still my experience. Nothing has changed. The "fans" don't want interesting discussions or debates. They just want statements and yes-men.

When I had some concerns back in 2015 and how I don't want this show to stop being about Twilight, her friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders after watching Cutie remark, people told me change is good because people will enjoy the show I enjoy.

When I had some complaints about Starlight back in 2016, people told me either I was a hater or someone who doesn't like changes or that "it will be a one-time thing, don't worry about it".

When I complained about the redesign of the changelings in the season 6 finale, people told I should stop complaining.

Many years later, I went back in 2020, I watched some episodes and I asked why Starlight keeps manipulating things even after Every Little thing she does. People told me "redemption takes time" (as if the "it's a one-time thing" excuse stopped working for them, they needed another one).

With the announcement of G5, A New Generation and Make your Mark, the people who were telling me for years excuses to stop complaining are now the people who don't stop complaining, even if G5 is a new thing. Instead of seeing it as the adventures of Sunny, they keep asking "where's the G4 stuff?". And I was like, really dude?

That's pretty much my experience with the MLP fandom from 2011 to 2022, filled with enjoyment and frustration equally filled. However, as much as these fanboys love having a sense of entitlement in a way that you don't have a voice, I still enjoy the show. I just don't think:

a) MLP:FiM was perfect (it crearly isn't)
b) All the fandom is great. I think the only good stuff about the fandom is some people here, the artists, the musicians and very little else. Everything that's discussion related are either very biased, alineated or exhausting, especially after dealing with some Starlight fans.

I do wonder how the show would be if it only had 4 or 5 seasons instead of 9. I was gonna say 3 seasons, but then I remember Crusaders of the Lost Mark existed in season 5 and I don't want it out of the question. No matter how much I like it, I always see a troubled show that didn’t live up to what Hasbro and the writers wanted out of it. For every really good episode this show has, there are two episodes that were ridiculous, unnecessary, close-minded, confusing or weird that kinda splitted the fans, especially the major creative decisions.

While I love their best episodes such as A Canterlot Wedding, Crusaders of the Lost Mark, Over a Barrel, Party of One and many other episodes, I think out of the 222 episodes this show has, there’s only 80 episodes that are well worth watching today, and only 30 of these 80 have aged well.

But the best episodes are REALLY GOOD episodes. The season 9 may have its flaws, but it has a great conclusion. And season 6 might be my least favourite season, but On your marks was the episode that made me say “I’m really glad to watch an episode from season 6”. And the MLP film kinda got what I wanted in the show right. When I watched it back in 2017 my first thought was “this is amazing, why can’t the show be like that?”. And, after rewatching the film several times, I understood that not everything is perfect. And it doesn’t have to be like that. If the lack of continuity annoys me, then I watch the episodes as their own thing. Another approach and another light can help you to appreciate other episodes.

This show is not perfect… but I love it. And, at the end of the day, that’s what really matters. The good stuff, the memories, the friends we made and make, the songs… Because that’s what Friendship is Magic is. Memories that will last forever.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Ring Team

[baba_booey 4,302]

Been in the fandom since September 2011. I wasn't really paying attention outside of the ROBLOX forums and Youtube but I definitely remember it being everywhere for a while and most active between around that time through 2012, with there being a ton of fan content (fanfics, animations, MVs, etc) for it. 2013 I remember there being a lot of drama and infighting (due to stuff like Twilicorn and Equestria Girls, on top of episodes being taken down from Youtube and stuff), and I do sort of feel like around 2014 to 2015 the negativity from outsiders sort of hit it's peak (I just remember seeing people bitch about Bronies constantly in areas where it wasn't even brought up), and at this point most of that has just leveled out - most of the fandom now is probably the more dedicated fans, though I feel like I have seen a slight resurgence of it with G5 coming out.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

On 2022-05-16 at 7:38 PM, NavelColt said:

Art and fanfiction are still noticably active even now, but fan music used to be plentiful and varied. There used to be dozens upon dozens of mainstream artists doing all sorts of work. Now it's more like four to six big names and a lot of lesser known musicians. 

Yeah I remember in the early 2010s it seemed like every fandom was making parodies of pop songs. I didn't really notice any of the original songs until I joined the fandom though. At least some of the songs are still there, but listening to them several years after they have been made makes me feel nostalgic for something I didn't even experience. Weird...

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

Just wondering, what would people say caused it's popularity to dip in 2016?

[Rosy Moonlight 369]

9 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

Just wondering, what would people say caused it's popularity to dip in 2016?

If I had to pick a reason, it would be questionable storylines. 

For the start, Flurry Heart being born as an alicorn even though that's against the pre-established rules, and how no in-universe explanation was given.

For the end, the reformed appearances of the changelings, and how the characters just let Chrysalis escape.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Rosy Moonlight

[Skylight Scintillate 2,004]

On 2022-05-17 at 12:41 PM, Pathfinder of Ash said:

Not to mention fan forums outside of MLPF and EqD were much more common to find; especially RP-types. Enthusiasm was also stronger at that point as well, but MLP was still fairly 'hip' at that point, haha.

Yeah I remember when I went searching around for sites to talk about mlp, I was like "Do these sites still have active users?" It seems like a lot of the other sites aren't what they used to be.

On 2022-05-17 at 1:10 PM, bubbleteapony said:

Plus, it wasn't hard to actually find MLP related stuff, so it wasn't some big find like it is now. You could just go out and get stuff.

Yeah I swear back then, mlp stuff popped up even when I wasn't looking for it. Now, I'm looking for it and it's nowhere to be found!

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

You missed out on a lot of good stuff, let's be honest. I joined the fandom around the end of 2014, a few seasons were out by then. The cringe was there but most people were good-natured and you could actually make some friends.

I dunno what happened tbh, I took a break from the show 'round Season 7ish and by the time I got back it'd turned into a toxic fume pit.