The term "Brony" and why I dislike it it.

[GEROMY 41]

Also, many lulz were had reading this. I'm surprised more people didn't point out how humorously this was written. Although, it might just be my sense of humor.

[Danny Hollow 57]

Well I don't really get the problem with the word "bro" because I don't really know how much of a social connotation it is because where I live there are many ways to call your friends or just people for example "hermano" is literally brother, here there isn't any contractions but is still a way to call your closest friends, there's also "parce" (at least in my country) that is used for pretty much everyone you know, and I don't if I'm getting the right idea but I think that's how the "bro" word works, it may have been used before Jersey Shore, the thing is that they overused it, so now there are a lot of people that relate the term to that show.

 

Now about the shirts, well I think it's fine to wear a shirt that says "brony" but just that. You don't have to have a giant screen on your face saying "I'm a brony" or something like that, for example Otakus, they wear shirts with the name of the animes they like, I wish a had a shirt that had a big image of Hollow Ichigo from Bleach, but that's almost impossible, so I guess it's fine as long as you don't "shout" at people that you like MLP by wearing, let's say, a jacket, a shirt, a hat, a bracelet, or something like that. Personally I would like to buy a shirt that has Rairty saying "Oh...It..is...ON" because I like that phrase and also because Rarity is my favourite pony, but personally I don't have any problem with people wearing those shirts, I guess that's because here (In my country) all the MLP fandom is not that well-known. (I wish I had a "Love and Tolerate shirt :T)

 

When people use a brony tag in games or something, for example I use one for TF2 for one reason, find some other people that like MLP FiM, I know that there are specific servers but is just that I like to find new people. I think it is pointless to say that you're a brony in a MLP Forum, because you know, it is an MLP forum, it's redundant. But now that I think about it, just a spray of Rarity might be better than a tag on your nickname.

 

Ok that's pretty much what I have to say about this, as always I aplogize if I had bad English

[sirseansy 87]

Meh. I don't really care. I call myself by any fandom title I belong to. Whovian, avatard, star-wars-nerd, etc.

[morethanicecream 116]

I am perfectly normal with being a brony. I am ok with people talking to me about being a brony, as long as it is positive and they are nice about it. I do hate if people just call me a brony (they don't even say my name). At times, my sister says something annoying like "Your such a brony". It indicates for her that bronies are weird and can't be accepted. It is like throwing an insult at me.

[TheEngineer 188]

While I certainly would agree with some of the criticisms that could apply to the term brony, I think much of this criticism has been misplaced. Yes, being a fan of My Little Pony isn't even close to defining any of us. Yet, would we deny we are fans of the series and is that series not something that we can come together over and mutually enjoy?

 

Labels can definitely be useful so long as they are cautiously defined. I am, for example, an American because I was born in America. This, however, doesn't make me a nationalist; I am not a nationalist and never will be. Nationalism, therefore, isn't part of being an American. The same is true with bronies, being a pegasister or a brony merely means that one enjoys the show; it means nothing more than that. It doesn't imply participation in a wider fan-base or the activities of that fan-base, it is a term which describes a positive interest in the series.

 

For the same reason that term American does not imply nationalism and that gay, bisexual, or straight do not imply any particular sexual behavior, so being a brony or a pegasister doesn't imply anything aside from a positive interest in MLP.

Edited August 26, 2012 by TheEngineer

[Starswirl the Trixie 975]

Solidarity is the child of adversity and common suffering. Mario fans aren't united like Bronies are because there really aren't Mario haters out there. Not to mention the fact that the Brony community has gradually come to be a living symbol of something much greater than a television show.

[eggnut 7]

I just don't know what went wrong. In Family Guy, a random dude insult Peter Griffin for being a big fat brony.

[MrFox 44]

Well bro is a lot better than brah. Imagine if the fandom was called brahnies.

 

I also only bring it up if other people make a fuss over it. I'll buy some stuff if I see at the store but I'm not going to rub it in your face. I might get excited over it but that's just the way I am. Oddly enough, the people I know who talk about ponies the most are the ones who hate it.

[PurpleRaven 4]

Yeah i really hate that one shirt to, the grey one that says BRONY on top.

 

I prefer ponyfan, basic but least i don't feel weird with brony XD

[Seiji Matsuri 19]

Excuse me while I cough, sneeze and get my general illness over this shiny board! Much for the same reasons Chainsaw shared, I dislike the term "brony", the affiliation that goes with it and how having some asinine inclusive term affected the fandom negatively.

 

It has been brought up that the term itself is a device used to actively announce to the world that you are indeed a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This wouldn't be bad if the fandom as a whole didn't cash in on this fact and spent it like currency at every corner we could. For the longest time, i couldn't figure out why detractors of the series and its fans always whined about things like:

 

"YOU DON'T SEE OTHER FANDOMS YELLIN G OUT BRONIE POWER"

 

I really didn't see much of it, to be honest. At least not enough that would warrant the enormous backlash. But after a while it kind of clicked. Bronies have this habit of wearing MLP on their sleeve.

 

And their shirt. And their heads.

 

...Shoelaces.

 

For a physical comparison, I see a fan of Adventure Time with a messenger bag with a Finn and Jake button on it. More often than not, we see Bronies decked head to toe in rainbows spouting off who is best pony. It's almost a passive aura, and the above mentioned detractors pick up on it and really have just as little idea on how to explain it as we do taking it down a notch. Which reminds me.

 

Guys. Take it down a notch.

 

My real beef of the term "Brony" actually stems from how it has been raised as the term for the primary demographic of the show. Both internally and externally. A Brony, to me, has become a term to mean "someone who stole an awesome television show from a little girl". We are not the primary demographic. We never have been and we never will be.

 

No matter how much you want to wish so.

 

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a young girl's series, based on an existing young girl's series based on toys for young girls. We're acting like a bunch of adults who kicked the children out of the play room just because we could and most often whining that the toys aren't good enough.

 

Do not take this away from them.

 

We are fans first and foremost. We love this show for what it is and what it continues to be. If you want to be a Brony, as well as a fan?

 

Act like you've got some God damn class.

[Coconut Breeze 14]

I will never refer to myself as a Brony. For one thing it sounds horrible, and for another, that is a MALE label. Female fans are Pegasisters. However, the Furry fandom comes first for me. (Pony fans are basicly furries)

[MontagnaMagica 307]

It's not the term that's bad; it's the way it gets used. When it's used like a religion, essentially, that gets taken the wrong way. I do like it though, because it's easy to say, clever, and rolls off the tongue. Just use it sparingly; don't shove it in people's faces.

 

One thing that irks me, even as a guy, is the way term implies that you're male (bro = brother = male). I know that the term is used for every fan, male and female, but it takes more explaining, because everyone just assumes that it's a nerd guys on the internet. No, it's got men and women; just like any other fandom.

[DarligPegasi 315]

I just don't like the term brony because outsiders refer to people who love MLP as bronies. They all think that MLP lovers are called bronies and they are all males but that is not true. I like to call myself a pegasister but people rarely use that term. :<

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

I'm sorry, you said the term bro implies "sexism, idiocy, materialism, selfishness."? To me that makes no sense at all, it seems that your confusing the word itself with MTV personalities who happen to use it.

[SpikeyWikey07 58]

I just don't like the term brony because outsiders refer to people who love MLP as bronies. They all think that MLP lovers are called bronies and they are all males but that is not true. I like to call myself a pegasister but people rarely use that term. :<

 

I can understand that completely. Ever since I started watching the show, I've been labelled as a brony. It was rather 'insulting' at first, but nowadays it ain't much because many outsiders never realize why I like the show. It's due to the fact that Lauren Faust is one of my favourite artists in Hollywood. Also, when I first watched it I wasn't really into the ponies in general, they bored me. I only liked Spike the baby dragon, due to how interesting he is. I still do like Spike over all the ponies.

 

Anyways, don't worry about what outsiders tend to say about the bronies. It's not much of a matter to be concerned about.

[Dysphoria 13]

Although I agree with the bit you said about people being obnoxious with the label and wearing clothing solely to announce their fans. I think your aversion to the term "Brony" is rather silly. I have never associated the term Bro with Jersey Shore or any sort of Douchebag culture. You are reading into it way too much.

[Berri 1]

I don't personally consider the term Brony to be bad, but like most others in this topic, it's when people use it to define themselves is it bad.

 

Since I'm female I tend to use Pegasister, but I do have a wrist bracelet from Hot Topic that says Brony. I have no shame in wearing it out.

[Smokin'HotRarity 182]

“Brony” is a term we all know, and if you’re reading this, I have no need to explain it.

 

I hate this term. Now, don’t jump to conclusions and assume I hate this fandom. Allow me to elaborate further.

 

You see, the term “Bro” has negative connotations. When many of us hear “Bro”, we think of sexism, idiocy, materialism, selfishness. We think of crap like “Jersey Shore”. Bros. You know who I’m talking about. I know a lot of the hate our fandom receives is from what many of the fans call themselves. Hell, it’s a big reason why I myself disliked the fandom for so long. Most of the reason I hate the term is simply what it brings to mind, but there are also other reasons I hate it.

 

By having a term such as “Brony” many people use it as a label. “Oh, let’s see, I like video games, I’m straight, I’m a brony...” I see that sort of thing all the time. Now, while nothing seems wrong at first, in reality, it’s probably the second worst aspect of our fandom: People thinking that enjoyment of a series equals who they are as a person. All the things we enjoy and do should be a part of who we are as people, not 80% of who we are. Many people take the fandom too far, and make it who they are.

 

A huge example of this is some of the shirts I see, and if you read the comic that I post here, you may notice I have parodied it: Shirts that exist only to announce you are a fan of My Little Pony. Now, shirts that say, have a picture of a pony on them are fine. It’s fine to wear clothing that show your interests. But I have seen shirts that have no characters, nothing related to ponies, other than just, bluntly, the word “Brony”. Do you see metal fans wear shirts that just say “Metalhead”? No. You see them wearing band shirts, with artwork, etc. When people are simply walking around with hats/shirts that just say “Brony” they are a part of the fandom for the wrong reasons.

 

When it comes to the point where people simply declare themselves “Bronies” at that point, they’re pretty much hipsters under a different name, not displaying the characters or artwork they enjoy, but simply declaring their involvement in the fandom as a means to make themselves look different. “Hey, look at me! I watch My Little Pony! I’m such a card!” This is one of the things that really makes our fandom look bad: Fans who shove their enjoyment of the show on others as a means to gain attention.

 

I am not saying fans are bad. I know this fandom has achieved amazing things. Improved some peoples’ quality of life. Saved lives, even. Earned money for causes. I acknowledge all the goodness of the fandom, but I cannot ignore the bad.

 

We should just enjoy what we enjoy about the show and its fandom, but not have it become who we are. Do people who enjoy the Mario series call themselves “Maribros”? No. Do fans of the Toxic Avenger series call themselves “Broxies”? No. Do fans of comics call themselves “Bromics”? Nope. Why can’t we just be fans of ponies? Or at least create a better name that doesn’t bring immature, spray-tanned jocks to mind? "Pony-speak" (Everypony, anypony, etc. etc.) is fine, unless it’s used in inappropriate places and/or forced on those who don’t want to hear it. I guess another thing I’m trying to say in this thread is: There’s a time and a place for everything.

 

So, what is everypony’s opinion on this? Do you agree with my points, or disagree? If you disagree with the term “Brony” as I do, what would you call members of the fandom, if you had the choice to pick the new term? What I’m trying to say is, discuss the topic this thread presents.

 

Lighten up dude. It's a shirt. They can wear whatever they want. It isn't even profane. What happened to being tolerant? If stuff like this bothers this you're probably super serious. You'll probably end up with your own talk show like Ghost Radio and complain all day.

 

I think your adding a bunch of implied meanings that noone really thinks about. Like the word "bro" being associated with Jersey Shore. It's a word. It's kind of like what they did with the Nazi symbol. It used to be a sign of peace and now look at it. I think you are way over analyzing the word "bro". It's just a saying dude.

 

Why does a shirt have to have ponies on it? Is it illegal to be a metalhead and wear a shirt saying "MetalHead"? And above all, why on earth does this bother you? Is there a rule in our constitution saying so? If not, I suggest you chill down, take a nice sip of ice cold lemonade and enjoy the view.

 

I find this funny how fans are telling fans how to be and that they have no class because they show their appreciation in different ways than they do.

 

whysoseriouswhysoseriouswhysoserious

 

omgoshohmygoshohmygosh i maed a joekr pony ohnoes aionfiweahngeanogahuhueohtauhanoga

 

i am abusing my bronydom owait i forgot noone can be called bronies xDxD

Edited September 23, 2012 by glitterlicious

[Zygen 6,066]

I agree the term is a bit weird. I honestly don't like it much but I've accidently used it before. Honestly when I first heard it I had no idea what it even meant or anything. I didn't really pronouce it right either.

We're fans of MLP yeah but thats all. I don't care for the term Brony tho.

I don't really hate it but I don't care for it. It feels more insulting sounding kinda.

[Crystal Sparkle 344]

I honestly thought the name was cute when I first heard it...now I think it's a little bit overused...

 

Oh hell, what am I talking about? It's a lot overused!!!

 

Anyway I just hate that they giving a bad rep to that name, now when people hear "Bronies" instead of us being known as just another fan base, we're known as possible one of the worst.

[DeiStar 248]

I honestly thought the name was cute when I first heard it...now I think it's a little bit overused...

 

Oh hell, what am I talking about? It's a lot overused!!!

 

Anyway I just hate that they giving a bad rep to that name, now when people hear "Bronies" instead of us being known as just another fan base, we're known as possible one of the worst.

 

That is funny. At first, I was okay with being called a brony, but then, I discovered the "real" side of this fandom and how most of the bronies are.

 

So no, I'm so not a brony, and I don't like to be called as one.

[Dtox 128]

I don't openly say "I'm a brony" unless someone asks me "are you a brony?"

 

Not everyone knows what a brony is, and it's hard enough explaining the reasoning behind being a fan of "my little pony." if the fans are ever brought up in a convo, THEN I will use the term/explain it, relevance is key here.

 

Anyways, the term exists, and so I use it, mostly because I enjoy the fandom and support it, as it's called the "brony" community. whatever negative connotations there are when it comes to a word are based on one's own point of view, and whether or not they let their bias or ignorance determine what they think and say based on it.

 

I will never refer to myself as a Brony. For one thing it sounds horrible, and for another, that is a MALE label. Female fans are Pegasisters. However, the Furry fandom comes first for me. (Pony fans are basicly furries)

 

I agree that we bronies and the furries are in the same boat, considering the nature of our fandoms, but we should not be confused as being the same, despite sharing many similarities.

 

And "brony" is unisex, the "bro" part meaning "companion" more than anything.

 

I personally feel that people can choose however they want to refer to themselves as, either brony, pegasister, or simply "fan of my little pony."

[coconutbunny 121]

Well where I'm from the term "Bro" is used quite frequently and not in a bad way either (Kinda like Hawaiians and how they treat the word) Brony is the best type of term in my personal opinion because imo Bros >Friends. When you reach the Bro level then you're of legend (This only applies to males ofcouse).

[Wolfy 20]

Took me a long time to really kinda shrug off the word actually. Like you, kinda a large reason why I pushed against the show so hard was because I hated that term, and like most stereotyping, when I thought of the word, I just thought of the generalized (and often worst) side of the fandom. Then watched the show and blah-blah, I'm suddenly on MLP forums with a half-assed pony OC.

 

Point aside, I'm in the same boat to a degree. If the world could change over night, I'd love for the word to be dropped forever and we just say "well I like MLP:FiM" or something, but that won't happen lawl. After it's been a few months of being into the show though, I've come to not really mind the word, and hell, even refer to myself as one from time to time just as a quick explaination to someone of things I enjoy. I don't see it as much as you say "Maribros" and whatnot, but like how people would parade "I'm a Zelda fan." If it weren't for the pony-speak, I bet we'd still say "MLP fan" or something haha.

[One 498]

I disagree with what comes to mind when someone says "brony"' only because when I first heard the term I was like "what the heck is a brony?" and had no clue. But some people may think what you said...

 

Everything else I agree with, but if you hate it then don't do it yourself, you can't just tell someone to stop doing something just because you don't like it. They have the right to make them and the Fandom look stupid. Not much you can do about it since its not like they are going to stop.

 

 

Edit: grammar

Edited October 9, 2012 by One