Educate me on the Brony culture

[Boneyman 5]

Hey guys,

 

I’m not a Brony but lately I’ve decided to have an open mind and look into what the fandom is actually all about. I’m currently making a YouTube video series to document my journey. 

 

I apologize ahead of time if my videos sound condescending, it’s how I'm presenting myself on screen. The idea is to bridge the knowledge gap between the mainstream and the Brony fandom so I may sound offensive to you guys. It’s a way of connecting to a mainstream audience.

 

Here are some questions that would really help me on my journey.

 

Questions:

What key episodes should I watch? 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

Thanks,

Boneyman

 

[Moonlight 7,279]

Alright, remember these are my personal opinions.

 

Key Episodes Wise- You should start at the very beginning, but "Party of One" and "Lesson Zero" are some of my personal favorites. "Return of Harmony" and "A Canterlot Wedding" were also good. But reading descriptions of an episode and deciding what sounds to most interesting to you would work. 

 

The show drew me into the fandom at first, but then the culture amazed me. So, I'm here for both the show and fandom.

 

The culture allowed me to meet several different people and become friendlier at times. A bad thing though is that I usually watch the show even if the person beside me hates it. If they politely ask to turn it off; I'll happily oblige. Some people I know seem to despise the show with a passion but as long as they keep their mouth shut, I don't really mind.

 

One misconception is that bronies are all people with no lives. That isn't true. Just because we like a cartoon and celebrate it with other fans doesn't mean we have no lives; that's just silly.

 

But, it's great you decided to come to this with an open mind; even if you don't like the show; it's nice that you're willing to give it a try.

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

1. I prefer you watch the episodes in order. But, I would recomend watching Episode 26 of the first season directly after the third episode of that season, because it's only relevant to that episode, but otherwise, I suggest in release order.

2. The culture, obviously. I played on a TF2 server FULL of bronies, as well as having an online BFF that was a brony as well.

3. It has made it happier. I used to have suicidal thoughts, but I don't anymore.

4. THEY AREN'T ALL GAY. And why the fuck does that matter?

Edited June 26, 2013 by Rainbow P.F. Sparkle

[Super Derpy 535]

Well as for episodes you should watch the first two episodes so you get the plot and also the third. Then some other episodes to watch let me see. Boast Busters, Dragonshy, The Best Night Ever, The Return of Harmony, Luna Eclipsed, A Canterlot Wedding, and finally The Magical Mystery Cure. You don't have to watch all of those episodes just watch the first three and 2 or 3 of the other ones I listed.

 

Well I got drawn into the fandom through the show. First I watched the show and thought it was really good and then I discovered Brony Culture and what drew me in were all the nice people I met.

 

Edit: Actually I think this culture has changed me for the good. Before I discovered Brony Culture and MLP I felt like I was in a rut but I really don't feel like that anymore. Yeah I do a lot more pony related things now but that's about it.I think the show itself has affected my life in many ways because of the good morals it teaches.

 

One misconception is that Bronies have no lives as Wheatley already said. That's not true, just because we like a certain TV show does not mean we have no lives that is like saying everyone who likes The Walking Dead has no life.

 

Hope this helped.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Super Derpy

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

 

Hey guys,

 

I’m not a Brony but lately I’ve decided to have an open mind and look into what the fandom is actually all about. I’m currently making a YouTube video series to document my journey. 

 

I apologize ahead of time if my videos sound condescending, it’s how I'm presenting myself on screen. The idea is to bridge the knowledge gap between the mainstream and the Brony fandom so I may sound offensive to you guys. It’s a way of connecting to a mainstream audience.

 

Here are some questions that would really help me on my journey.

 

Questions:

What key episodes should I watch? 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

Thanks,

Boneyman

 

 

1. We started on 4chan.

 

2.   Not all Bronies are gay (I'm not atlease)

 

3.  Episodes: Watch all the episodes in order.

 

4.  Fun Fact: Best character is Fluttershy

 

5.  What drew me into the fandom: We bronies make great music and videos.

 

6. Ponies make bronies happy.

 

7. The good the fandom has brought into my life is ponies, happiness, and all the great friends I've made, and I cannot really think of any bad.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Sir.Flutter Hooves

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

What key episodes should I watch? 

Personally you should watch the season 2 premiere "Return Of Harmony" It has an awesome plot with a devious villain. The mental manipulation is kind of dark yet intriguing to watch.

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

While the show by itself was entertaining enough it's the fandom itself that drew me in. Going to Equestria Daily and seeing all the stuff the fandom made made me a brony.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

It made me a little more productive. I've been doing things I've never done before like analyzing,  writing fan fiction stories and even drawing ponies a bit. As for the bad I'd rather not say.....

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

Maybe the fact that bronies are gay. As everyone said before me, it really doesn't make sense unless the general public still defines gay as "to be happy". I don't understand how watching ponies makes you attracted to the same sex....especially if some people are sexually attracted to them.

[Alex Kennedy 1,228]

 

 

What key episodes should I watch? 

 

The two part premiere of the series, if only to get a firm background to understand the series and the characters. Besides those, "Return to Harmony", the two part premiere of season two, is a big one. Discord, the main villain from the premiere of season two, is by far the most popular villain, and one of the most popular characters overall, not to mention that a lot of people originally became interested in MLP because they heard John de Lancie was in it (as Discord). In that regard, "Keep Calm and Flutter On" might also be a good choice, since it's the only other episode Discord appears in. Personally, I think the episode where I first started to realize how much I liked the show was "Applebuck Season", but that's just me.

 

 

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

 

Until I joined the fandom, I actually wasn't even aware of how big it was. As far as I knew, MLP was just some random show my friend was making me watch because he's weird like that. So it was definitely the show and not the culture. My impression is that I'm rather a strange case, though.

 

 

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

 

Frankly, very little. I suppose I'm happier, given that I enjoy it, and perhaps it's made me somewhat more openminded, but for the most part, I don't think it's really changed me all that much. Some people claim it made them a completely different person, and if that's true, good for them, but I can't say the same for myself. I've been harassed for being a brony all of one time, and it was extremely mild, so I can't say there's really been a negative except perhaps that it gives me yet another thing to waste my time on.

 

 

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

 

I think some people fail to understand that for a lot of us, being a brony is only a very small part of our life. It just means we happen to be a fan of a certain show, and perhaps we like to talk about it sometimes. So I guess basically my point is that we're really pretty ordinary, and you can find us in pretty much any age, gender, or social demographic.

[Gigapony 650]

To the OP: While I commend you and respect you heavily for coming into this with an open mind and a genuine intent to understand before judging, I personally am not of the opinion that we're something people need to be educated on or understood.

 

What I mean is, we're really not so different from any other fandom out there. The only reason people seem to make such a big deal out of us is because the show we like is a bit unexpected for our demographic (and that bothers some people), but that's it.

 

I'm sure you have a favourite TV programme or movie, most people do. That's basically all there is to us. We're just a group of people who like the same show. The only difference between us and, say, the Walking Dead fandom or the Breaking Bad fandom, is that we like a show that wasn't originally meant for us. We've got the same quirks as those fandoms do, and the same good and bad things, we just like a "different" sort of show than our peers do.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Gigapony

[SparkBrony 379]

 

Hey guys,

 

I’m not a Brony but lately I’ve decided to have an open mind and look into what the fandom is actually all about. I’m currently making a YouTube video series to document my journey. 

 

I apologize ahead of time if my videos sound condescending, it’s how I'm presenting myself on screen. The idea is to bridge the knowledge gap between the mainstream and the Brony fandom so I may sound offensive to you guys. It’s a way of connecting to a mainstream audience.

 

Here are some questions that would really help me on my journey.

 

Questions:

What key episodes should I watch? 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

Thanks,

Boneyman

 

 

 

First off, thanks for having an open mind! It's always good to.

 

What key episodes should I watch? 

 

Too Many Pinkie Pies, Crystal Empire Parts 1/2, Canterlot Wedding Parts 1/2, Lesson Zero, Feeling Pinkie Keen, It's About Time were some of my favorites. Oh, and Dragonshy!

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

 

Probably more the culture, actually. There are so many extremely talented bronies out there.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

 

I am perfecting my drawing, writing, and animation (PMV making) skills, as well as socializing with many other people who share the same interests I do. I am also constantly keeping up to date with the many amazing works of art that bronies create every day.

 

Bad? What bad?

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

 

Not all bronies are gay. For some reason, people often use that as an offense against us. A study shows that only about 5% of bronies are gay, while 58% are heterosexual. And there's nothing wrong with being gay, either.

[Party Cannon 874]

In order to learn about the culture comprehensively, watch the show, look up the many pony memes, ask as you are now questions, maybe go to a con, and have fun along the way.

 

Questions:

What key episodes should I watch? ALL OF THEM.

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture? Surprisingly, the Derpy exclusive from SDCC 2012 (which I never got but watevs). It was so silly that I became curious about what it came from and after watching a few episodes of the show became a brony.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad) Not a whole lot of change. In a weird way it made me a bit of a better Christian (Catholic to be precise), striving more to follow closer the golden rule of being good to everyone. Also, it has kind of become my primary fandom, so most of my t shirts have ponies on them.

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be? You can be sincerely masculine and love MLP with a passion. I love the cliche manly stuff (guns, drinks, women, etc.) just as much as the next guy. Also, only a small group of bronies are into rule 34 stuff, so we aren't pervs. 

[IceBeerG 55]

Ah these talks about getting in a fandom... they never become "too old".

 

1 It is really hard suggest you some of episodes directly, cuz personaly there exist some kind of.... well.... plot that touching each episode altogether. I thiiink.... Yeah i guess i can recomend you to watch first two episodes of both seasons and personal favorites - Luna Eclipsed, Lesson Zero and Party of One.

 

2 I loves animation. I've watched all of Pixars, lot of Disney thingy (Do enjoy re-watch classic sometimes ) and regard japan type of animation just brilliant. Firstly i've heard about My Little Pony on one of conventions which was about fantasy. Well at least i believe it was about it... cuz you know there was a lot of different spots with fantasy books/writers who give a signs, sells arts from animation, a lot of ...mmm... cosplay?. Some talks with actors of different anime and more more.... and there was special cinema, where they showed some animation and fantasy pmv.

 

Among others, there were two first episodes of My Little Pony, which i originally wasnt curious about - this is about colored ponies after all . But there was a lot of folks and whole... graphic of this show was quite okay for me, so i decide to give it a shoot.

When i came back i've looked at first episode. Then second. Then third. I've keep watching until realised that it was already morning.

What hooked me? Well... I found it's kinda funny sometimes, sometimes is pure and cute, animation is brilliant, as well as voice acting, the plot is decent most of the times, and it was also funny to see some references on other shows/movies 

 

I heard about a fandom, and made a lot of researches on a web and found out that not alone who actually hooked by show. Lot of artist with thousends of draws,music, fanfictions and even parodies (Watch FIW for example ) made my interest more solid.

 

So to answer your second question... I think firstly i was intend to join a fandom by show, and only after that i start to discover more about a culture itself

 

3 I was shy. I am shy actually. It's hard to me to talk, even in internet, and a year ago i never were on any kind of forums..Bronies helped me to become more open minded, helped to realise, that there is some people who actually have same interests, even that we can have some disagreements, and there is nothing wrong to think differently or make mistakes - its just opinion, it can be right or can be wrong, and this okay with that. Actually i feel myself easier to speak with others now =)

At the second it simply psychological question - In a place where i live i have to listen TV almost speaking about bullshit, terror, crime, murders, political intrigue, or stupid reality show where bunch of jerks living together and swearing 24/7 - how the world of colorful ponies who looking for friendship shall affect "my world"? =)

 

4 I can't remember where i heard that, but i want to quote someone truely clever person - All talking about MLP being show for a little kids, but this show is just good and "Good" has no demographic.

[SoarinBlue 202]

 

 

I personally am not of the opinion that we're something people need to be educated on or understood

Oh my god, this.  It's a TV show.  Sure we all like it and sometimes trade inside jokes and that sort of thing, but this isn't a culture.  It's something we do for fun 

[Swick (ded) 436]

I don't particularly have any suggestions for you really, I just want to compliment you on doing this video series. You're the first of your kind.

[Fender 1,283]

 @@Boneyman,

 

I want to address one thing specifically: Hipster Bronies.

 

Yeah, they do exist, but they make up quite the minority of bronies. Some bronies are ironic, yes, but definitely not all of us. I for one genuinely enjoy watching this show, as I do enjoy watching Band of Brothers, Doctor Who, Mythbusters...any show. Anyway, yeah, I do think it's a good show, and just downright enjoyable.

 

Now, I would also like to add in that through being a brony and being involved in the brony community, I really have learned the "Love and Tolerance" policy to a very large extent. The show, the fandom, and even the people who are completely hateful and against the fandom have helped guide me to become a lot more tolerant, caring for others, and all in all, has made me personally, a lot happier than I was before.

 

Key episodes? Honestly, I'd say start from the beginning and at least go to the 5th one.

What drew me in? Curiosity. Eventually I stopped blindly hating it, and decided I'd give it a watch, and I started with episodes 1-5, and was hooked on 4.

[Slipstitch 9]

What key episodes should I watch? 

I think the one most people can relate to, bronies and non-bronies alike, is "Lesson Zero". If you are watching in order though, then I'd recommend that you watch more than just the first few episodes of the show before judging it. The first few episodes of any show tend to be a little rough.

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

Definitely the brony culture. I mean, a show about talking ponies titled "Friendship is Magic" sounds incredibly cheesy. I would not have thought that it had any significant value until I realized the quality of work the fandom was putting out there and saw the amount of genuine passion they had for the show.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

I don't participate a huge amount on forums or with the creation of fan works so I'm not sure if the culture has had a significant impact on me other than introducing me to the show. The show on the other hand has helped me through some pretty rough times this year. As corny as the friendship messages can often be, there's something to be said about a show that is so happy. When I'm feeling depressed, I would far rather watch a lighthearted and hopeful kids' show than some sort of gritty drama intended for adults.

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

This was the reason why I decided to post in the first place. One big misconception is that we are all male. We are not! I'm sick and tired of people assuming that because I enjoy MLP:FiM, I'm either male or super girly. I am neither of these things. While guys do make up the majority of the fandom and the "bro-" prefix would suggest male connotations, it is still a gender-neutral term. This is why the term "pegasister" is also sometimes used by older female fans. It should be noted that a big part of why I enjoy MLP:FiM is because of the feminist ideals it promotes (that there is no "right" way to be female, female characters can successfully fill every role that male characters can, and that femininity is not synonymous with weakness), not the fact that it involves cute, colourful ponies.

 

I'd like to add that I'm glad that you're actually taking the time to talk to us and see what it's all about instead of blindly believing all the misinformation out there about the fandom. We're not abnormal in any way. We're just normal people who enjoy a show that wasn't originally intended for our demographic

[Midnight Blade 80]

What key episodes should I watch?

Like most people I'd say watch them in order, episode specific I love Luna eclipsed or sleepless in ponyville. Sleepless in ponyville really shows the character development in the show, something I never see anymore.

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

I got random pony videos in my recommended box in youtube which I eventually watched and after one song I started watching the episodes, I didn't even know about the fandom.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

Except for making school projects not much has changed for me.

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

A lot of people seem to think all bronies are autistic, most aren't and even if they are it isn't like they chose to be. Also the part of being uneducated or homosexual is very wrong.

[akita-ken 581]

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.

[Feather Gem 965]

I'll try my very best to make this short and sweet.  So it won't be a pain to read, and also because I'm a bit lazy at the moment.

 

What key episodes should I watch? 

The Cutie Mark Chronicles.  Its a very important episode and can show you a whole lot about the mane six and who they are.  Its a wonderful episode.  Definitely one my favorites and I'm sure many would agree.

Friendship is Magic 1 & 2.  Because it is important to watch the first two episodes to truly get the show.

The Return of Harmony 1 & 2.  This is a must in my book.  Because come on...Discord...

Magical Mystery Cure.  I would actually watch the episodes in order if I were you, but if you just can't, then skip to the latest episode.  Many people do not like what happens but in a way, it shows how characters change in this show.  If you truly think about it, this is a very, very beautiful episode.

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

The show.  I knew about the bronies but never thought too much of it.  I just liked MLP when I was a bit younger so I decided, why not?

The culture though, may be why I'm truly in love with the show.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

The good is...well everything.  It made me a better person since I found better people to talk to.  Most of us are very mature and polite. 

It helped me get better at drawing.  Definitely.  Even humans.  I have MLP to thank.

It helped me write better.  Fanfictions, inspirations, a lot.

It gave me something that could be mine.  My sister, my mom, my dad.  They had something.  I wanted something as well.  And then I found this.

It found me a friend.  A very good friend.  She isn't even a brony.  But she is a Belieber.  But we hit it off so well because we understand what its like to have so many haters hating on something we love.

And I definitely learned some lessons.  Don't judge a book by its cover, don't judge people because they love something, and most importantly that the world is beautiful.  It is.

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

Sweet Celestia, most of the guys are not gay.  What is wrong with the world today, I mean honestly why is everybody suddenly gay all the time.

...okay.

 

This didn't turn out short and sweet...

[Scootalove 10,684]

What key episodes should I watch?

Basically all of the episodes in Season 1 and 2

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or culture?

The show drew me into the fandom, since the show created the fandom.

 

How has the culture affected your life? ( The good and bad)

The good : Talking to nice people, writing fan fictions, and being able to play video games with bronies or communicate on Skype.

 

If you could educate the word on one misconception about fandom, what would that be?

Don't judge people just on what shows they watch since, most of the shows in our childhood we watched shows for girls and nobody judged us at all.

[Nightmare Night 151]

What key episodes should I watch?

IMO, Luna Eclipsed and Party of One are good episodes or any episode with Discord in it (srry cant remember there episode names)

 

What drew you into the fandom? The show or the culture?

Mostly the animations/characters and there world in general, the fan art/music is also very nice.

 

How has the culture affected your life? (The good and the bad)

The good would be that i am now more confident and happy in general with myself due to being open about being a brony, it makes me feel like i can do anything.The bad would be the hate i recieve from strangers from time to time and some of the teasing from friends but i can deal with it so no big deal.

 

If you could educate the world on one misconception about the fandom, what would that be?

It would be the fact that any non brony seems to instantly think that ur gay for watching the show and that they think of all of us as nothing but cloppers/pedophiles or sexual deviant manchilds.these comments come from close minded people who wont even watch a single episode to give the show a chance. Many bronys have familys and jobs just like everyone else, heck many bronys became bronys simply by watching the show with there kids and who just so happened to notice that its a amazing show that dwarfs most of the crap they show on TV nowadays.

Edited June 27, 2013 by CosmicBrony

[Freewave 1,145]

I can point you to some links about the brony music scene as that's what initially attracted me to this fandom. Most of its based on  the initial wave so little is in there about 2012 onwards. It gies into some brony 101. There's literally hundreds of musicians out there now and well over 1,000 who've made pony music at some point.

 

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/TheScientist/rym_ultimate_box_set__brony_music

 

I will say the greatest thing about this fandom is the creativity this show has unclocked for many people. Whether its music, art, fanfiction, roleplaying, or just chatting about it....there's just no shortage of creativity about it or things to check out. Once you get over the "this is kind of strange" you'll likely see how bronies embrace the youthful vitality and enthusiasm of its subject matter, the kindness and progressive gender views inherent in the community, and it's frankly a fun and entertaining show on its own as well.   

[Chain Combo 135]

1. I think you should watch it in order or atleast watch the first 3 and decide what you like more plot episodes or the fun episodes. 

2.The fandom which makes A lot of fan work like music spin off episodes that have amazing animation quality art and sometimes good fanfics

3.The culture has inspired me to learn how to draw 

 4.A misconception I think is Bronies are all losers that are crazy about a little girls show. I think people come and join the fandom for a multitude of reasons such as because they really do enjoy the fan creations of the show, and the lessons the show what you to learn that most people in real life need to actually learn