Bronies are different than some time ago.

[lunaforevar 14]

So I have recently felt something weird, that Brony herd is becoming more dirty(?). Really the group has no rules, no one specific goal.

First I thought of starting an alternative one. But that's too hard and it needs time. I'm not even a good leader/creator/founder.

Do you also feel like this? That our community is becoming less valuable, less... royal. 10 year old kids are joining just to be "k3wl".

Some time ago there was only 4chan, EQD, Ponychan or some other sites. Now? Thousands of tumblr blogs, millions of wordpress pages, clones of EQD.

What was also brilliant about Brony community that in 90% anypony could understand each other.

But like everything which came out from 4chan was eaten by brainless sites like 9gag and people, who don't even understand what's something about, and they start doing the same things they see. It happened to lolcats, rageguy, awesome face and many other memes. At first MLP was also a meme. There was hope that it would become just an awesome hobby, interest, point, thing. For some time it was. However...

It is dying. Even if the cons and meetups are becoming larger, the community is...

crumbling... falling... breaking up.

Also haters are more hating. And sometimes I understand them. Many fans have left the herd, explaining it with the problem of r34 or trolling. But I think they left it because... Because of this what I described.

There are a lot of similar examples.

When I started watching the show and then by looking on the awesome art made by fans, I started calling myself a brony. And I thought this group would be stable, long living, special. But it became just the fad. Yes, the fad a.k.a. trend. And people started watching it for mainstream.

Do you also feel like this?

P.S. Saying "you have only wrong day" or "look deeper and you will see the awesomeness" won't do anything. I feel so since long time.

P.S 2. Sorry for possible mistakes. It's 11 p.m. and I'm not a native English speaker.

Edited July 17, 2012 by lunaforevar

[Titan Rising 2,156]

This is why labels themselves are stupid and should be abolished

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

I feel the early brony community was much more tight-knit, tolerable, and loving than it is now. I feel as the show gained popularity, the fandom grew and its qualities, standards, and morals began to become diluted, especially when the "lunatic fringe" came aboard. The "lunatic fringe" is almost in every fanbase, especially in sports. (lunatic fringe = tiny minority of fans who are so vocal and flamboyant they stand out above the majority and inaccurately define what the majority is all about).

[Midnightive 458]

The problem with me is, I like the dirty/gory side of the fandom. But that's just me, i watched it because i heard of it from a few people. But i feel the same, you can hate me for it. But i follow the morals the show tells, i just have fascination with that side as well as the pretty art.

Edited July 17, 2012 by Midnightive

[Twiliscael 3,960]

I have been labeled as a newfag and a follower as early as 2011 by "veteran" bronies. I don't care. As for the fandom, I really am not a part of it. I basically stick to these forums and EQD occasionally and that's about it. All I need are bronies to talk to (forums) and possibly some news or info (EQD). I find the problem is the "veteran" bronies complaining like this. Please, take no offense but in te beginning when i was observing bronies over 4chan back in 2010 all you guys wanted to do was grow bigger and bigger and this is the result of your actions. Don't get me wrong though, I do understand and partially agrer with your point.

[NavelColt 22,879]

As things grow, both the good and bad sides of the fanbase do too. But that's not unlike every other fanbase on the internet.

[lunaforevar 14]

[...] when i was observing bronies over 4chan back in 2010 all you guys wanted to do was grow bigger and bigger and this is the result of your actions. Don't get me wrong though, I do understand and partially agrer with your point.

 

I have also seen that problem. And I learned a lesson today. The more popular it becomes, the less valuable it is.

[PegasisterTaco 318]

I do agree with your point there. I have been a fan of MLP since November and I didn't know that the show was a big hit. When I did, I felt that the brony community was a place where everyone was a tight little family. Now as of now, I don't feel that anymore. It's basically the fandom. As the fandom grows, and like Chaotic Discord said, so do the good and bad parts of it. I guess that's just my opinion. :\

Edited July 17, 2012 by PegasisterTaco

[Motion Spark 7,807]

I still don't feel like this fandom it's falling apart, maybe because i'm still a fairly new brony (since June this year). Taking into consideration the fact that i'm new, I felt this blast of friendship that I couldn't resist as soon as I started to be a brony. I 'll give you one small example, I was watching a really long video (like 4 hours) of Bronypalooza at Bronycon, and it was really late like 3am, and I wanted the name of one song that one artist was playing so I commented asking for the name of the song and in 6 minutes or so I got like 2 replies with the name and even the names of the songs that went before and after that song, when in other videos people wouldn't care less about what you're asking. What i'm saying is that the people in this fandom are the nicest, caring and more friendly people that I ever heard of.

I'm not sure what rule 34 is, I know is associated with porn or sex. But you always gonna get porn of everything that has a solid fandom, and that doesn't mean that we are all perverts and that these stuff defines the fandom itself.

And for the haters? Look at the good side, if the haters multiplies from time to time is because they see that we don't care what they have to say and just ignore them and they can't handle it.

There are plenty of places for bronies on the intertet, find yours.

[ProjectRKA 2,848]

and morals began to become diluted.

 

Eeyup. That's what I feel about the "Love and tolerate" thing. When people say this, it feels more like they're using it as a form of protection...

[null1 606]

If you think about it, the series, if it has a long run (I pray it does), is still in it's infancy. It's like a new video game that comes out, everyone is playing it, every adolescent, college student, every single f#$king 12 year old. But then it loses attention when something else comes out or when people get bored of it.

 

In time perhaps, the mainstream spotlight on MLP will start to fade, and the quality of fans will be higher. Just give the posers time to drop the fad.

Edited July 17, 2012 by DeltaTangent

[lunaforevar 14]

I still don't feel like this fandom it's falling apart, maybe because i'm still a fairly new brony (since June this year). [...]

 

You are right, that's too short to feel this.

 

I 'll give you one small example, I was watching a really long video (like 4 hours) of Bronypalooza at Bronycon, and it was really late like 3am, and I wanted the name of one song that one artist was playing so I commented asking for the name of the song and in 6 minutes or so I got like 2 replies with the name and even the names of the songs that went before and after that song

[...]

 

I was doing such things on YouTube before even Lauren thought about drawing first FIM character.

 

But you always gonna get porn of everything that has a solid fandom, and that doesn't mean that we are all perverts and that these stuff defines the fandom itself.

 

34. There is porn of it, no exceptions.

34.2. There are ponies of it, no exceptions.

[...]

35. If no porn is found of it, it will be made.

35.2. If no pony is found of it, it will be made.

 

There are plenty of places for bronies on the intertet, find yours.

 

I said before, there's too much of such sites. These sites are just clones of each other.

 

 

If you think about it, the series, if it has a long run (I pray it does), is still in it's infancy. It's like a new video game that comes out, everyone is playing it, every adolescent, college student, every single f#$king 12 year old. But then it loses attention when something else comes out or when people get bored of it.

In time perhaps, the mainstream spotlight on MLP will start to fade, and the quality of fans will be higher. Just give the posers time to drop the fad.

 

Hope it does. But it still will be left broken. I know it from one game. (Tibia)

 

But dirtier? As in R34? or just completely ignoring the basic rule of bronyism?

 

Not only. But spoilers should be made. As dirty I wanted to say... I just don't know how to explain that. It's like some parts of the fandom are making it worse and can become dangerous for it's "health". Edited July 17, 2012 by lunaforevar

[Teh Boi 113]

Everything changes. You can't possibly expect this internet phenomena not to.

But dirtier? As in R34? or just completely ignoring the basic rule of bronyism?

[Juggler 345]

Really the group has no rules, no one specific goal.

 

I would never want the brony community to have rules. We would seem like a cult then, and that wouldn't improve how non-bronies see us...

[Ol' Sarge 885]

I can understand how you feel. Although I am new to the herd, I can tell you that it was the warmth, excitement and overall happiness displayed by the fans at BronyCon that converted me. However, as a more mature (i.e.old) member, I know what you are talking about: that early feeling of liking something that only a small, tight group of people even know about. At that point, you want more people because there's strength in numbers. But then something happens, more people start liking it at a rate that stops being fun. Next thing you know, you're posting on the internet and complaining about the "Good Old Days".

 

I hope you don't leave, but instead of complaining about the growth of the fanbase, embrace those of us who want what you had in the beginning.

Edited July 17, 2012 by Ol' Sarge

[lunaforevar 14]

I would never want the brony community to have rules. We would seem like a cult then, and that wouldn't improve how non-bronies see us...

 

EVERYTHING should have it's rules. Even physics have rules. Otherwise it's utopia or it's nonsense. First rule of becoming a brony is having something in common with MLP:FIM.

 

I hope you don't leave, but instead of complaining about the growth of the fanbase, embrace those of us who want what you had in the beginning.

 

I can finish some fan work which I started (I have some ) and then, watch the show and fanart not commenting, discussing etc. and make a comeback in some years when the whole thing becomes quieter and only true fans are left. I have done such thing many times and it worked. There were some worse things about the thing of interest BUT people left are mostly those who I want.

Edited July 17, 2012 by lunaforevar

[Juggler 345]

EVERYTHING should have it's rules. Even physics have rules. Otherwise it's utopia or it's nonsense. First rule of becoming a brony is having something in common with MLP:FIM.

 

What rules do you propose that we follow then?

[PegasisterTaco 318]

I can understand how you feel. Although I am new to the herd, I can tell you that it was the warmth, excitement and overall happiness displayed by the fans at BronyCon that converted me. However, as a more mature (i.e.old) member, I know what you are talking about: that early feeling of liking something that only a small, tight group of people even know about. At that point, you want more people because there's strength in numbers. But then something happens, more people start liking it at a rate that stops being fun. Next thing you know, you're posting on the internet and complaining about the "Good Old Days".

 

I hope you don't leave, but instead of complaining about the growth of the fanbase, embrace those of us who want what you had in the beginning.

 

I see your point there. I still feel some warmth in the herd even though it has "changed" a lil'. I will always remain loyal to the show even though someday... Yeah let us not think about that. Let us all enjoy what we have right now. That's all I can say.

[lunaforevar 14]

What rules do you propose that we follow then?

 

That needs a group work and A LOT of time. Maybe the creators of the show (privately; not Hasbro as a company because it wants the herd to grow because of $$$) would find the best solution, because we are interested in their work.

Edited July 17, 2012 by lunaforevar

[~WhiteHawk~ 186]

I know that feel bro. *pat pat* It's the same way I felt when I was in the Doctor Who fandom. I was watching the show for a long time and then everyone got into it. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. They sort of ruined the fandom for me, cause it felt more like a cult then the nice little fandom I loved. But don't get me wrong, I still love Doctor Who. But I just spend less time in the fandom.

 

And I'll be honest here, I became a brony because I saw it floating around and decided to take a look and see if it was really such a great show. But I didn't join the herd because other people did, I joined because I loved the show. I didn't actually join the fandom until a couple months after watching the show.

 

But hey, I will always stay in the brony fandom. Despite some god awful fans in here, there are only few of them. I still think that in way, we are still a nice little family. There may be more of us and some of them not so good, but we're still a family. We are hated by many but that brings us closer in a way. We can understand each other. So yeah, the fandom might fall for a little while, but as DeltaTangent said, it might die down once it stops being 'cool'. Yeah, you're right, it may be broken. But if we can survive the constant attacks on us, then we can survive a little thing like that.

[NewCalamity 3,454]

This thread appears to be related to the My Little Pony franchise and/or the Bronydom in general. Thus, it has been sentenced to Sugarcube Corner.

 

This is an automatically generated message, by the way.

[Princess_Molestia 1,460]

this is the only fandom I have ever been apart of that something huge was expected of me, not just buying ponies, watching a quality show and chatting about it and other stuff with other people at cons, like I assumed I was supposed to do, not parade along spouting love, tolerance and all that stuff. Trying to keep a community together and try to destroy rule 34?!

 

 

I just wanted to brush cute ponies and watch a tv show that wasn't shit, not change people's thinking and turn haters.

is that so wrong?!

[KakeiTheWolf 652]

Rule 34 is NOT a reason to leave a fandom. It just isn't. Every last fandom I have been in has had Rule 34. And some of it is creepy as hell.

 

More to the point though, people joined this fandom primarily because not only is this show one of very few girls cartoons that does not suck, it's actually really good overall. People won't leave something that's good until it stops being good. Hell, I've been in fandoms where people still adhere even though the stuff they center around is either mediocre or a crapload of suck (Mario, Sonic, Spyro, Call of Duty, this list can go on).

 

But MLP is actually done well. Having done animation in small amounts before in Flash, and knowing others who have, it's horrendously difficult. To make 4 minute videos, some online Flash artists can take up to a year. 22 minutes in Flash is an incredibly large amount of effort to put forth, but MLP actually delivers. I haven't been able to call a cartoon (other than MLP:FiM) good in well over 6 years. AND ANIME DOESN'T COUNT.

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I agree. I had this friend once tell me he was a brony and we started talking. Pretty soon he started talking about how he was a clopper. I was so disappointed. I joined the herd because of the show. I wish I would have watched it sooner so I could have been a brony during the beginning of the 2nd season. In my opinion the fandom seems to have changed when season 2 ended. That is when everything started to change. More R34 stuff came out and more people started liking it.

What rules do you propose that we follow then?

 

The rules haven't changed since the fandom started. Love and Tolerate should be the only rules we need.

[Samurshy 708]

You are right, in the fact that the dirty side of the brony community is growing, and of course it will continue to grow. I however have never been a part of the "dirty side" of the fandom. And I probably never will. I watch the show because of the story line, of the friendship and love, and because there is an amazing light side to the community. I too was starting to lose faith in the brony community, I had stumbled upon some 4chan stuff that was rather disturbing, and the brony Facebook pages I liked started posting a lot of NSFW stuff. But then I stumbled upon this site, I discovered people my age who weren't in it for the hot pony action. People who liked it because it is simply a good show. It renewed my faith in the brony community and I love it more now than I did in the past.