Would you still watch the show if there was no fandom?

[Manman20x6 359]

If the show had never become popular, I would have not had a reason to start watching it. It was the many dedicated fans who allowed me to see past the "My Little Pony" name and find that it really is a great show.

 

If the fandom was significantly smaller and less active, but still big enough to be noticed, I would still watch it.

 

But this is a moot point; if the show is good then a fandom will form around it.

[Blackened 512]

I honestly wonder about scenarios like this myself.

 

If it wasn't for the fandom, I don't think I'd know about the show. If I did know about it, I don't think I'd watch it, because it's a My Little Pony show. Although, I became a brony around the time where the fandom was still quite young, so if I did want to watch it, I'd probably think it could get a huge fanbase.

 

In short, maybe.

[~Lola bunny~ 56]

Yep. I watched it before I knew about the fandom. Doesn't make a difference for me...

[DeadAccount 4,603]

Probably not :T The fandom is very very very splashing dear to me <3

[Floofie 799]

Let's be honest here. 70% of you guys wouldn't be interested in the show at all if there wasn't a fandom for it. Because if there wasn't a fandom you probably never would have watched it in the first place. Because you'd think it was ''weird''. But since there is a massive group of people that like it you actually went and watched it.

You're probably right. I wouldn't even acknowledge the show's existence without the fandom. Knowing that there's this massive group people who like the show tells me that it's worth watching.

[Sunset's Shimmer 394]

I don't think so, no. I was only able to "join the heard" because there was one to join.

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

If the fandom just randomly disappeared right now, I would still love it, but if nobody liked the show in the first place, I wouldn't like it because then I would be a lone in liking MLP.

[Pastel 7,627]

I would still watch it, but I would have certainly not found it.

Edited July 30, 2015 by Blobulle

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

The reason I checked the show out was because I heard so much about it, doubt I'd have seen it without the fandom. But the question is if I'd watch the show if the fandom didn't exist, not if I'd find it The answer to that is yes, if I had found the show and was interested in seeing an episode or two, I would've definitely continued watching.

[Cwanky 17,469]

Yes. Although it would have taken me longer to get around to watching FiM, I would likely eventually stumble upon it.

 

People forget that FiM wasn't just meant to be a "little girls' show." From the beginning it was made to be drastically different than the previous generations. Characters like Rainbow and Applejack would not have existed in previous generations, at least not in their current incarnations. Heck serious themes and plots like Tirek's invasion and Starlight Glimmer wouldn't exist. The show is far more mature and developed than it was in the past. It doesn't take a fandom, or bornies to ultimately appreciate that.

 

Besides that I have watched and been a fan of shows that have smaller or lacking fan bases, like Futurama and Amazing World of Gumball. This includes a few shows people thought were ass too, namely for me Bojack Horseman. 

 

So again, short answer: Yes. Albeit eventually.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,394]

Most likely yeah, though I would not have discovered it when I did which is still problematic. I might not have been as open to it at first only because of the past shows with MLP, but eventually I would have discovered it and probably liked it just as much. 

[----------------------- 171]

I would, but it'd probably take longer for me to find out about it. After all, I've known about the new show from a friend of mine who delved himself into the fandom. Yet again, when I'm bored, I wallow in random things that are on the internet and enjoy it, even if there isn't a fanbase.

[Commissar Alexer 763]

Very likely not.

 

I found the show through all those memes and art in forums and boards.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,671]

Well, the lack of fan-produced content would sure put a damper on things. Could you imagine there being little to no fan art of the show? Little if any MLP-inspired music? You might have friends or pen pals to talk about the show with but that would be it. Unless watching TV shows is your thing, it'll be difficult to catch wind of new seasons and in the meantime, there won't be fan content to renew your interest. If watching TV isn't your thing, it's very probable you'll forget all about it and not hear about new seasons unless you stumble onto it by chance. Unless you are intrinsically motivated to keep up, it may be unlikely you'll bother to go through all the episodes you may have missed.

 

Without the fandom, the show is really only that: just a show. Only the most devoted fans who don't need validation and care not for fan content to renew their interest would continue to watch the show. 

[Kierkegaard 8]

Probably not S3 onwards.

 

Alot from the show has been moulded from the fanbase. You could say that the show would be a whole lot different if there were no bronies at all.

[Screw Loose 156]

Probably not, since the fandom is what made me curious about the show in the first place.

And I never see it on TV so I would of never stumbled upon it.

 

 

But If I did happen to see the show somehow, I would enjoy it still yes.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Screw Loose

[They call me Loyalty 1,941]

Just being sincere, I don't care about the fandom.

[baba_booey 4,299]

If I had found and liked it on my own, then yeah I probably would.

 

However, the fandom pretty much introduced me to the show, so I feel I wouldn't have found and watched the show without it.

[Deleted account 23]

Yeah, I'd still watch the show if there was no fandom. But there wouldn't be anyone to talk to about the show.

[frecklesareblooming 225]

I probably wouldn't have even discovered it, and even if I did, I wouldn't care to watch it. When I clicked 'play' on the first episode, I did it because I was curious about what grown adults saw in it.

[Steve Piranha 28,909]

Hypothecally speaking, I would watch the show if there was no fandom, but it wouldn't be so interesting   . Key word is hypotetical, because I woudn't have discovered ponies if not were for a brony friend in the first place 

[RarityFan01 2,444]

I would think so. I was a fan of the first generation (still am.) I wouldn't have started watching it when I did. I probably would have ran out of things to watch and decided to watch Friendship is Magic.

[LeonShi500 155]

Without the fanbase, I would have never found out about this show and the chances of me liking it would be incredibly slim even if I did find out about it. It would just look like a better animated version of the same little girl cartoon from the 80s and I would ignore the show minutes after watching the season 1 pilot. 

That's why I'm glad I found you guys.

[ChikaChan 7,321]

I would probably still found out the show sooner or later anyway so yep 

[Lyra's Pants 154]

I don't think I would've heard about that show if it weren't for the fandom.