Ways the brony fandom could improve.

[Castoro Chiaro 181]

While I understand where you are coming from and agree that it is just a show and therefore shouldn't be a big deal society unfortunately does not see it that way. Society sees it as a show for little girls and only little girls and therefore anyone watching it who is not a little girl must be either homosexual, an overgrown man child pasty faced loser living in their parents basement or a pedophile all of which we know is completely ridiculous but there are alot of people out there that are really stupid enough to believe that crap and are willing to make bronies lives miserable due to that ignorance. I think that the comparisons to coming out are made not out of any disrespect for what gays are going through as they are hated even more than bronies are as despite the haters most people either don't know about bronies or don't care but as someone who has gone through bullying before I can understand where the "closeted bronies" are coming from. Personally while I don't go out of my way to tell everyone I don't go out of my way to hide it either, I seriously don't care who knows or dosen't know but still.

 

It's still not a Brony's phrase to use, nor should it be. The problems you're talking about do not stem from Bronyism; they stem from homophobia, and patriarchal BS about what men are supposed to be like and that being womanly in any way is an insult. I'm not saying it doesn't suck to have people pick on you because you like ponies, but the consequences of actually being gay or suspected of being gay far outweigh those of people finding out you're a Brony.

 

The biggest thing I can think of is I really wish people would call out bad behavior more rather than resorting to: 1) "well not ALL fans are like that!" or 2) "Just leave them alone, it's not hurting anyone!". I've seen so many people jump to the defense of their fandom and not to the defense of an actual person being slandered or bullied so many times, and it really bothers me. This is a HUGE problem on tumblr and deviantART, and as these are rather large revenues for fandom activities, I really think those behaviors should be kept in check.

 

I'm always quick to point out sexism/racism/homophobia/whatever when I see it. It might not seem like a big deal, but it normalizes a very toxic sort of thought process that justifies rather cruel behaviors that actually DO hurt people.

 

Also stop attacking the writing staff/sending angry letters/angry tweets/angry Facebook posts to Hasbro. I don't care how mad you are about a change in the show; making threats and saying they should follow YOUR vision of the show rather than theirs just makes Brony fandom come across as super entitled.

 

(I mean these things in general, as I've not observed these problems here on the forum)

[poniesforfun 716]

I think that we need a power structure to create full length episodes and movies, it's taking individual animators way too long to make content.I believe that it would be easy to churn out 90 min movies every week with some sort of power structure and cooperation.

 

Eh... I can see collaborative works going on but the best stuff comes from indie artists. Anytime you get a bunch of people together all their ideas will be taken over by the popular ones or the ones promoted by the loudest ones leaving the other ones out in the dust. Some artists might be incredibly talented but be limited by the zeal of others. I can see some many man projects being opened up but don't see them sticking together forever more like rotating with others.

Edited February 27, 2013 by poniesforfun

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

I think the fandom is fine. We're just like any other fandom, just more thoughtful, literate and less extreme in how we express ourselves here.

 

I don't think anybody citing the Alicorn debate appreciates what a real fandom war is. There's a bad reaction, and then there's overreacting to other people's reactions. Joel vs. Mike in MST3K, Kirk vs. Picard in Star Trek, those were real controversies that took on lives of their own. The S3 finale was just a bunch of people expressing different opinions. It doesn't become an issue until you make it one.

Edited February 27, 2013 by TailsIsNotAlone

[Shanks 10,811]

It's still not a Brony's phrase to use, nor should it be. The problems you're talking about do not stem from Bronyism; they stem from homophobia, and patriarchal BS about what men are supposed to be like and that being womanly in any way is an insult. I'm not saying it doesn't suck to have people pick on you because you like ponies, but the consequences of actually being gay or suspected of being gay far outweigh those of people finding out you're a Brony.

I hate it when people claim to own phrases, I mean really? What is with the quibbling over some stupid words? Telling people not to use certain words only tends to piss them off and accomplish nothing but create unnecessary conflict, just giving you a heads up on that. Yes I am with you it stems from homophobia and sexism and I never claimed that the consequences are somehow equal to those of being gay or suspected of being gay all I am saying is that there are stupid people out there that actually will bully people for being bronies.

[Equestrian Warrior 3]

I personally think that in comparison to others we're pretty good as far as fandoms are concerned. If nothing else, we're certainly the most creative fanbase out there (or at least one of the most creative). That said, we collectively need a heavy dose of perspective when it comes to how seriously we take the show.

 

1) Certain bronies need to realize that not everyone can be assimilated into the herd. It's pretty much the rule of popularity: once you get past the initial explosion of interest, popularity growth slows down until pretty much everyone who's going to watch/read/play the thing is already doing / has already done so, and the influx of new fans slow to a trickle. It applies to all interest groups (except religion and politics), there's no changing it, and it makes the rest of us look bad when they try to force MLP down the throats of uninterested non-bronies.

 

2) "It's just a show, I should really just relax." People took the Derpy thing WAY too seriously back in season 2, to the point where Hasbro had to quietly remove her from all the episodes that they hadn't already finished (read: all of season 3). And then people wouldn't shut up about her absence and it got just as annoying. And then we had the whole Alicorn Twilight ragefest with people saying they would leave the fandom. Granted, Derpy came back and Princess Twilight seems to have been accepted now that the episode's actually aired, but the point still stands: Bronies need to stop getting up in arms about changes to the show, especially if they don't actually have all the facts. It makes all of us look bad.

 

3) It's bad enough that anti-bronies focus on the cloppers (who I'd estimate as a maximum of 1% of all bronies) and think we're all that way, but it's worse that we give them so much attention as well, and then wonder why the stereotype persists. Yes, they exist, but the rest of us should just let it be one of those things to be swept under the rug.

 

4) What the hell happened to "love and tolerate"? Going back to my previous three points, we should tolerate cloppers, love or at least tolerate non-bronies according to how well we know them, and love Derpy and Twilight, regardless of what Hasbro does with them. And we should concentrate on living the motto that brought us together in the first place, instead of tearing ourselves apart over petty differences.

[Blue Lightning 275]

I honestly don't see all too many things off with this fandom. Most everyone is nice about all it's aspects and the music is undoubtedly some of the best stuff I've heard in a long time. As far as haters go, they're gonna hate that can't change the fandom in my eyes.

What I feel we should do is try and group some bronies together to create more videos, music, parodies, etc. There's a lot of talent in the fandom and i guess it could use a little encouragement don't deny anypony of opportunities!

 

But! If all else fails...

We need sharks, sharks with laser beams on their heads. If we had that, we would be the ultimate fandom, and possibly the rulers of the galaxy.

I like this Idea too!!! lol

[cuteycindyhoney 13,289]

2) "It's just a show, I should really just relax." .

That sums up what I think personally. I'm glad you said it, and the gladness has been doubled by your use of a  brilliant classic reference! MST3K RULES! Tom Servo is best bot! On a side note, here's a gift for any fellow MSTies out there. I've been a MSTie years longer than I've been a Pegasister!

http://www.club-mst3k.com/

[Gay Bird 420]

I can't speak for everyone but a lot of brownies put too much effort into pulling people into The fantom. I just think if someone is going to join the fandom they would do it on their own time, and they would be less likely if someone were being forceful.

 

As far as fan art and music, there are a lot of very talented people, but most of them don't have the resources to make complete works. If more people worked together, then there would be more and better content coming out all the time.

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

When it comes to fans in general, I would love to see more focus on the positive and less talk about what people dislike.  When I see a video on YouTube, for example, I only comment if I want to tell the person something positive.  If I dislike the video, I simply do not comment at all.  I do not see the point of commenting just to tell someone that you did not enjoy their video.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Shawn Parks

[Castoro Chiaro 181]

I hate it when people claim to own phrases, I mean really? What is with the quibbling over some stupid words? Telling people not to use certain words only tends to piss them off and accomplish nothing but create unnecessary conflict, just giving you a heads up on that. Yes I am with you it stems from homophobia and sexism and I never claimed that the consequences are somehow equal to those of being gay or suspected of being gay all I am saying is that there are stupid people out there that actually will bully people for being bronies.

 

"just giving you a heads up on that" Please don't patronize me if you're going to try and make a point. It's not like I'm not aware that people don't like it, but people get uncomfortable when you call them out on things anyway so the best one can do is try to explain their reasoning and hope the other person will understand. Coming out is a pretty serious deal and admitting to someone you like a show really doesn't compare to that. People pick on others for all sorts of things. It's not like you have to "come out" about liking certain kinds or music or "come out" about liking Glee or something.

 

There's so many other words one could use to describe the experience. I just wish people didn't use such a serious phrase to talk about a hobby, that's all. Not like NOBODY CAN USE IT EVER, I mean, I don't care if people joke about it. It's just when it gets used unironically that it irks me.

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

This fandom in my opinion is usually very calm. But there are a few little things i dislike mainly

 

1.) Excepting others opinions- Just because somebody doesn't share your views doesn't mean you have the right to dislike that person.   Conflicting viewpoints should only lead to debates not Flamewars.

 

2.)Don't force people to watch a show if they show no interest in it- The major reason why Bronies are hated on is the fact that they try to force the show on people who show no interest, if one of your friends seems to show interest recommend an episode or fan-work, but stop there and go no further.

 

3.) Cloppers gonna clop- If there's somebody who's a Clopper there's no need for you to put them down. Everybody has their own preference that can be considered weird, No need for you to make somebody feel worse then they may already feel. If you clop you don't have to tell everybody that's your business and like any sexual business not everybody wants to hear about it. If you don't Clop then don't yell at cloppers just ignore and tolerate it. Believe me that even if there weren't cloppers the media would find other ways to show the Bronies in a negative light.

[Shanks 10,811]

"just giving you a heads up on that" Please don't patronize me if you're going to try and make a point. It's not like I'm not aware that people don't like it, but people get uncomfortable when you call them out on things anyway so the best one can do is try to explain their reasoning and hope the other person will understand.

I don't really consider "it is not their term to use" bullshit to be the same as calling someone out as I think the person actually has to actually be doing something wrong to be "called out" so nice try better luck next time. Sorry, but I don't do political correctness because the rules are always changing and don't make a single ounce of sense and people that don't like that can just deal with it. Since I have no interest in derailing this topic and creating a flame war this will be the last I say on this matter as you are really starting to piss me off and bid you a goodnight.

Edited February 28, 2013 by EarthbendingProdigy

[RockinRarity 1,605]

It's still not a Brony's phrase to use, nor should it be. The problems you're talking about do not stem from Bronyism; they stem from homophobia, and patriarchal BS about what men are supposed to be like and that being womanly in any way is an insult. I'm not saying it doesn't suck to have people pick on you because you like ponies, but the consequences of actually being gay or suspected of being gay far outweigh those of people finding out you're a Brony.

 

The biggest thing I can think of is I really wish people would call out bad behavior more rather than resorting to: 1) "well not ALL fans are like that!" or 2) "Just leave them alone, it's not hurting anyone!". I've seen so many people jump to the defense of their fandom and not to the defense of an actual person being slandered or bullied so many times, and it really bothers me. This is a HUGE problem on tumblr and deviantART, and as these are rather large revenues for fandom activities, I really think those behaviors should be kept in check.

 

I'm always quick to point out sexism/racism/homophobia/whatever when I see it. It might not seem like a big deal, but it normalizes a very toxic sort of thought process that justifies rather cruel behaviors that actually DO hurt people.

 

Also stop attacking the writing staff/sending angry letters/angry tweets/angry Facebook posts to Hasbro. I don't care how mad you are about a change in the show; making threats and saying they should follow YOUR vision of the show rather than theirs just makes Brony fandom come across as super entitled.

 

(I mean these things in general, as I've not observed these problems here on the forum)

ALL OF THIS.

 

To those of you quarreling about the way this person phrased the issue: the point that he is making is that coming out as a homosexual and telling people that you are a brony is NOWHERE near the same thing. As someone said earlier, treating it like the same thing only ENCOURAGES people to keep believing that bronies are gay. We want that to stop, right? Right. So don't use homosexual lifestyle terminology to describe your brony experience. It will put the situation in a clearer perspective.

 

I think that being able to call out bad behavior is something that people on MLP Forums is decently good at. However, we are nowhere near the crux of the Internet, so we are safe from a lot of the bad behaviors that bronies not only partake in, but silently encourage others in.

 

For example: shoving the show down someone else's throat. While I do think that the community as a whole has done less of that nowadays, it is because of the repercussions and consequences from doing it before. It is like we had no idea that it was wrong to do that until the haters started bashing us for it, despite the fact that shoving things down people's throats has always been wrong. If we as a community had been able to tell other bronies to leave non-bronies alone from the get-go, maybe we wouldn't have so many haters. Just a thought.

 

I think that, as a whole, we could all benefit from LISTENING to each other better. We could all do better by being a little more humble. You post your opinion on the Internet and someone tells you that you are wrong? Then take this opportunity to sharpen your debate skills! Don't dismiss their opinions as trash, and don't insult them just because they said something that you didn't like. Learn general Internet etiquette.

 

Erg, the Facebook comments... they get so annoying. I have no idea why I read them sometimes.

 

And whenever something changes in the show? We go crazy! What the hell! Change is a good thing. We don't want our favorite colorful ponies to become Spongebob. New is good.

 

I know that we watch a show targeted for children, but that doesn't mean that we get to act like children. Shows like MLP teach children how to become grownups by teaching valuable lessons about relationships. We should do a better job at taking those lessons to heart.

[Castoro Chiaro 181]

I don't really consider "it is not their term to use" bullshit to be the same as calling someone out as I think the person actually has to actually be doing something wrong to be "called out" so nice try better luck next time. Sorry, but I don't do political correctness because the rules are always changing and don't make a single ounce of sense and people that don't like that can just deal with it. Since I have no interest in derailing this topic and creating a flame war this will be the last I say on this matter as you are really starting to piss me off and bid you a goodnight.

 

This reminds me of another issue I do have, that I wish would be improved. In the interest of keeping on topic and not spiraling off in another direction.

 

Whenever someone of a minority group with a contrary opinion speaks up and has a problem with something they perceive as insulting, they tend to get shot down and accused of just trying to be "politically correct" and therefore encouraging censorship or whatever it is that phrase even means anymore. See: the Derpy drama.

 

I'm not talking about "political correctness". I'm talking about respecting the viewpoints of people, and being more mindful of their feelings and opinions. Homophobia and sexism has become so normalized, I feel like it HAS to be an outright insult for people to really realize what they're doing. I will say, I don't really feel a need to "call people out" for using the expression "coming out" exactly, as much as just point out "yo, that doesn't really apply here" and explaining my reasoning.

 

I dunno. I'm sorry I made you so mad, that wasn't my intent.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Castoro Chiaro

[Beta 42]

This may sound cheesy, but I think the fandom would be better if everyone actually followed the morals of the show a little more. Perhaps actually believing in the elements of harmony? I mean, no person and, therefore, no fandom can be perfect by any means, but since we claim to 'love and tolerate' then why don't we at least strive to always act that way?

 

A lot of people love the show and call themselves a brony, but still act hateful and bicker all the time. I also understand that some people just like the show for it's art or humor. I would call those people fans. I'd like to think that being a brony is being a part of something just a little bit bigger than that.

 

It would also help if almost all bronies weren't so dang awkward! Between the brash fans and the socially-enept bronies, I have actually had a hard time making a lot of friends in the fandom...even when I actively try to meet new people. :/

[Shanks 10,811]

See: the Derpy drama.

The reason why I have been dismissive toward Derpy critics is because most of them are non fans, the habitually offended and as far as I am concerned since those people aren't in the fandom they don't have an opinion because they are judging what they cannot understand. As for the minority that are fans, how about actually coming up with constructive suggestions for alternative ways to portray Derpy instead of simply calling for her head? If they and the non fans who complained did that then I wouldn't have been so dismissive toward them. I as an individual with Autism really identify with Derpy as a character because although she was never confirmed one way or another to be disabled she was seen as different and I understand what that is like. Derpy to me represents a great teaching opportunity to show that even people or ponies in this case that are seen as different deserve the same respect as everypony else.

 

And that is what really pisses me off the most about the Derpy situation is that so many of the critics claim to speak for the disabled but didn't even bother to listen to all the disabled people who identified with Derpy as a character and were sad to see her censored. I am fully capable of speaking for myself and don't need some ignorant blowhard to do it for me thank you very much.

 

But because I care about this community and know that me raging against Derpy critics as much as I may dislike or even despise some of them is not going to give her another speaking roll I have instead opted for building some cohesion and consensus between fans and critics as to how Derpy could in the unlikely even she is granted another speaking roll be portrayed. So I am trying very hard because this is so near and dear to me to be civil toward these people as difficult as it is. It is this desire that prompted me to make a Derpy thread asking everyone opinions on how Derpy should be portrayed and here is the link if anyone else wants to comment

 

http://mlpforums.com/topic/46976-how-should-derpy-be-portrayed/?hl=how%20should%20derpy%20be%20portrayed

[RockinRarity 1,605]

It would also help if almost all bronies weren't so dang awkward! Between the brash fans and the socially-enept bronies, I have actually had a hard time making a lot of friends in the fandom...even when I actively try to meet new people. :/

Actually, I think that they make up a minority. It is a larger minority as well as a louder minority, but from my experience there are plenty of bronies who are, well, normal.

 

Have you ever been to a convention with bronies? I have been to Bronycon, but I also went to Youmacon where I was part of a meet up of about 100 people. I went to an MLP panel and there was one guy who made really inappropriate comments, was super into r34 with ponies, and he was really really awkward. He made me embarrassed for the whole community, because he was what people point to when they want a brony to make fun of.

 

But everyone else I talked to? They were great. If the awkward guy is your typical brony, then you wouldn't even know that they were bronies.

 

I like to think that most bronies are decently normal. Nerdy at worst (if being nerdy is a bad thing). But if one out of three bronies are awkward, that is still a lot...

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

 

The reason why I have been dismissive toward Derpy critics is because most of them are non fans, the habitually offended and as far as I am concerned since those people aren't in the fandom they don't have an opinion because they are judging what they cannot understand. As for the minority that are fans, how about actually coming up with constructive suggestions for alternative ways to portray Derpy instead of simply calling for her head? If they and the non fans who complained did that then I wouldn't have been so dismissive toward them. I as an individual with Autism really identify with Derpy as a character because although she was never confirmed one way or another to be disabled she was seen as different and I understand what that is like. Derpy to me represents a great teaching opportunity to show that even people or ponies in this case that are seen as different deserve the same respect as everypony else.

 

Not to go off topic but i think the main reason why Derpy was no longer given a speaking role is because of The conflict between people who felt  offended by her and those who did not feel she was offensive . Which lead to bad publicity and lead to Hasbro getting rid of her in order to just end the conflict. To be honest both sides are at fault as instead of trying to explain why Derpy was good to have around many Bronies sent death threats and hate-mail to both the neighsayers and hasbro.

 

The best thing people should have done is come to a compromise and have disabled people explain why they loved derpy which may have made it possible for Derpy to return and have a speaking role. The worst thing Bronies who support Derpy can do is be uncivil with people who find her offensive. Maybe i f Hasbro thinks they can have Derpy speak again without their being so much conflict again then they might have her speak again.

[Shanks 10,811]

To be honest both sides are at fault as instead of trying to explain why Derpy was good to have around many Bronies sent death threats and hate-mail to both the neighsayers and hasbro.

Okay and can you explain how I am responsible for the people that sent the death threats seeing as I and over 90% of Derpy supporters aren't stupid enough to do that? As for compromise that is actually what I am trying to do again I may not like the Derpy critics and even detest some of them but what choice do Derpy supporters have? Though I prefer the name Derpy it wouldn't be the end of the world if her name had to be changed so long as she is still the same Derpy and I really like this one fan voice done by a youtube user by the name of balddumborat and think something like that would be perfect for Derpy should she get another speaking role.

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

 

Okay and can you explain how I am responsible for the people that sent the death threats seeing as I and over 90% of Derpy supporters aren't stupid enough to do that? As for compromise that is actually what I am trying to do again I may not like the Derpy critics and even detest some of them but what choice do Derpy supporters have? Though I prefer the name Derpy it wouldn't be the end of the world if her name had to be changed so long as she is still the same Derpy and I really like this one fan voice done by a youtube user by the name of balddumborat and think something like that would be perfect for Derpy should she get another speaking role.

 

It's the same with everything in the fandom. Even though not all of us do the supposed bad things in the fandom people don't separate them and just say all bronies do those acts. No matter if it was only 10% of Derpy supporters that sent death threats apparently it was enough to start a significant conflict which lead to Hasbro just canning Derpy speaking. Hasbro as a company decided to avoid bad publicity and felt the best way to cover their asses about Derpy was she no longer gets to speak. 

[Shanks 10,811]

Hasbro as a company decided to avoid bad publicity and felt the best way to cover their asses about Derpy was she no longer gets to speak. 

I know that, Hasbro did what any other company did in that situation and I don't really blame them for that complainers on the other hand well I already made clear how I feel about them and of course I don't condone what a small minority of Derpy fans did anyone who sends death threats for any reason has gone too far and to those that are ignorant enough to think we are all responsible for that fuck them.

[Fluffy Pinkie 417]

 

I know that, Hasbro did what any other company did in that situation and I don't really blame them for that complainers on the other hand well I already made clear how I feel about them and of course I don't condone what a small minority of Derpy fans did anyone who sends death threats for any reason has gone too far and to those that are ignorant enough to think we are all responsible for that fuck them.

 

It's sadly just the way things are. with any supposedly  controversial thing. EX.) Video games- while most people think video games don't cause people to become murders, you usually only hear from the media proof that video games leads to violence. The best thing anybody can do is just try to show why you consider your point right. As much as you may want to have the same attitude as the ranters doing so only makes people who disagree with you fuel to add to the fire. Just remain calm and collected like you have about Derpy and let other people know to try and do the same. Maybe if we can show Hasbro how much some bronies care about Derpy in a postive way she can get another speaking role.

[Freewave 1,145]

As useful as EQD is being one-stop shop for the community it really does a disservice for every other smaller blog trying to do a better job of it or do it a different way and it definitely influences how the creations in this community are made. Most of the people who tried to do blogs gave up and didn't stand a chance after a few months. Dusk has already made a huge post on the same subject on his blog and i agree with a lot of it. With having this much power (very much like Walmart does tbf) it means that people create with them directly in mind, sometimes pandering and taking the easy road, many times feeling ignored or underappreciated, and with a huge hierarchy between the have's and have nots.  While EQD has gotten better with their music of the day posts (still a huge help rather than w/o) they still have flaws in their system (no reject letters for music for example) and random highlights for music which often follow the herd rather than look for indviduality. All i can tell you is being a creator in this fandom is certainly not a rosey or satisfying as it could and should be and many, many musicians feel constant frustration at the process without feeling they have many alternatives especially if they started late in the fandom....

[Powderpuff 390]

I wish that bronies would be more mindful and respectful that they are guests in the My Little Pony fanbase, and that they would keep in mind that ultimately the show is not made for them. The entitlement I see some bronies owning is astounding. As much as we like the show, it will never be *our* show. Don't try to make demands based on what the bronies want, with the target audience only being an afterthought (only brought up if what they would want aligns with what the bronies want).

 

Also, more of a personal, minor complaint. But it does annoy me how many bronies go on about the toys not being "show accurate". Fun fact, but did you know Hasbro's a toy company? The toys come first to them, so I guess technically the show isn't "toy accurate" :'D

[Freewave 1,145]

I wish that bronies would be more mindful and respectful that they are guests in the My Little Pony fanbase, and that they would keep in mind that ultimately the show is not made for them. The entitlement I see some bronies owning is astounding. As much as we like the show, it will never be *our* show. Don't try to make demands based on what the bronies want, with the target audience only being an afterthought (only brought up if what they would want aligns with what the bronies want).

 

Also, more of a personal, minor complaint. But it does annoy me how many bronies go on about the toys not being "show accurate". Fun fact, but did you know Hasbro's a toy company? The toys come first to them, so I guess technically the show isn't "toy accurate" :'D

 

While I agree we need to be less whiney about small matters (derpy, twicorns, fighting is magic) we are the ones watching the show and buying a LOT of their products. We are also the ones who created this great fanbase around their show (music, fanfiction, art)  not 4 year old girls. So I don't buy the "this show isn't yours, keep your head down" approach anymore than i do the drama over piddly things. MLP is a success because of bronies, not despite us. If the show starts not being as good people likely will let them know buy walking away to something else. People do have a right to be vocal about the show (hence the forum we are on).

 

Also much of the merchandise (toys) DOES come after the fact, so the show does come first in that case. Really if Hasbro wanted to make more money they could make toys that were catered to us rather than rely on Hot Topic and other liscencing to do it for them. They are really dragging their feet in many ways on recognizing us with merchandise that we'd gobble up. Not that we're complaining that much about it.