An Important Sociolinguistic Question

[BalanceBrony 259]

 

I have a question for everypony. I am currently doing an ethnographical study on the fandom, with a focus on linguistic features. And as I was typing, the brony/pegasister issue came up. Why is it that some people prefer to distinguish between bronies and pegasisters, but others prefer that we all be classified under one title? Please leave me your thoughts, as this assignment is a major portion of my semester grade.

 

[Heatwave 177]

as far as I understand it, Brony came from Bro and Pony. It developed into a general term early on. However, some girl fans of the show didn't want to be identified as Bros, so they came up with pegasister.

I personally use Brony as a general term.

[Aisling Ink 195]

Honestly I don't like all that much either the word brony nor pegasister.

 

Both terms are too...specific as in Bros+Pony (and I don't like all that much to be referred as a bro) and pegasus+sister (why pegasus anyway?!).

 

I guess people like to have a word to describe what subcultures they are into, such as in Goth, Punk, Steampunk, etc...

Probably the words Brony and Pegasister were created for the same reason.

 

I think it is a way to detatch the subculture from the mainstream cultures and massification. To say with one word where you stand no matter what others like and find people who belong to such subculture.

[Nulln 754]

I like brony over pegasister.  It's what the majority of people would be able to even define, and it just sounds better.

[TeaWithPinkie 15]

I'm not sure why some prefer one or the other, but as for me, I prefer the term brony over using both brony and pegasister, because brony was coined first and is used more frequently than anything else. Also, I don't see the point or think it's necessary to divide the fanbase based on gender. 

[Scootalove 10,684]

I think being classified under one term, wouldn't be acceptable because a lot of people prefer one over the other.

[Rough Pathway 157]

I think some people feel more exclusive if they're classified under one group instead of two if that makes any sense at all. I'm a girl, but I don't like the term, pegasister. Its kind of girly I guess, and I like for everyone to be connected as one group instead of two. Most people consider everyone bronies, but as for the other ones, I guess they just like being seperated into two groups. It does help in a way, considering most bronies are guys, and even if you're a girl, most people will think you're a guy if you don't tell them. That way you can know who is who. Maybe thats why some people call themselves a pegasister instead of a brony.