If I barely watch the show, does that still make me a brony?

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

I'm a brony

You are not a brony

Yet we are the same? Fans of the show.

 

You seem to think of the label Brony as a negative one. Or actually you seem to think of any label as negative. Is it so?  

 

Assuming you say you do not like labeling:

It is unfortunately inevitable. What do you answer on questions of your sexuality? a label. (hetero, homo, bi...)

What about your religious believe? a label. (christian, muslim, atheist....)

 

I guess what you are getting at is that you don't like negative labels.

 

If that is correct, then I ask you: What do you find negative about the Brony label? =)

 

This is not a my way or the highway thing ya know. You are automatically jumping to the assumption that not wanting to be called a brony means the person views being called a brony as negative. You are making the issue black and white/ good/bad which makes me believe you are fairly young compared to me.

 

I'm telling you that I don't need to be called a brony and you need to respect that. I'm not viewing it negatively I'm viewing it as, it is what it is, this is how I feel, deal with it. You can choose to decide everyone is 'brony', that's on you. But you can also decide to accept that some people are going to choose not to be called brony.

 

You can get fired up all you want, but that you are passionate about your opinion doesn't change how I feel about who I am or how I see myself.

Edited February 5, 2014 by KarentheUnicorn

[Guest]

@, @,

I guess she might see it as a negative label since she will be "lumped" together with them as you say. If that is the case, I do fully understand.

That's what I was curious about. The big WHY?

 

Then what about you? You find anything negative about the term?

Not necessarily negative, but people sometimes don't even need a reason for not wanting a label beyond not wanting a label. I don't want a label simply because I don't feel I need it. I feel labels are defining things, and I don't feel that enjoying this show defines me in any way. I don't feel it's significant enough to me to say that I need to identify with the label.

[Guest90210 3,568]

Not necessarily negative, but people sometimes don't even need a reason for not wanting a label beyond not wanting a label. I don't want a label simply because I don't feel I need it. I feel labels are defining things, and I don't feel that enjoying this show defines me in any way. I don't feel it's significant enough to me to say that I need to identify with the label.

 

 

"I'm not a homosexual, I am just attracted to the same sex"

 

"I'm not a Christian, I just believe in Jesus Christ as the savior of the world"

 

"I'm not American, I was just born and live in America"

 

And so on...

 

 

Just because you "don't like" the label doesn't mean you aren't what the label describes.

[Guest]

"I'm not a homosexual, I am just attracted to the same sex"

 

"I'm not a Christian, I just believe in Jesus Christ as the savior of the world"

 

"I'm not American, I was just born and live in America"

 

And so on...

 

 

Just because you "don't like" the label doesn't mean you aren't what the label describes.

Being American, Christian and homosexual though are far more describing qualities don't you think? They aren't really labels so much as states of being. Christianity is where you follow something and it defines your life. Religion is a big part of your life and it is the basis for many things. Being American is as well, as is being homosexual. I don't really base much if anything on my life based upon what TV shows I watch.

 

Likening those "labels" to the label "brony" isn't a very fair argument, because it's more or less taking very big defining features and making them as insignificant as liking a TV show.

 

Also, you can believe in Jesus Christ as your savior without being Christian. That's not a good argument. XP

Edited February 5, 2014 by Guest

[Blaze Bronson 343]

@, 

Well, I see your motivation now =) 

Brony being a definition of whether or not the show impacts your life. Good answer, i'm actually satisfied. My thirst is clenched, haha ^^

By that definition, i'm actually still a brony. This show has changed me =)

 

@@KarentheUnicorn, 

Yeah, i'm not trying to change you. Believe me, if everyone were the same we wouldn't have this discussion ^^

I just want to know the motivation, just like Mist were able to describe quite well.

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

What is the difference between a brony, and a fan of MLP?

 

Forgive the wall of text, but I can't back out of a good debate that is actually staying civil for once... 

 

Well, IMO, nothing except the label. It's nothing more then trying to replace the phrase "MLP fan, fan of MLP, etc" with the word "Brony". It means the same thing.

 

I'm not avoiding it because it's "negative" like you mentioned (more on that later), I'm avoiding it because I see no need for it. For me it is just easier to say "I'm a fan of MLP" rather than say "I'm a Brony. Oh, what's a Brony you ask? It's a fan of MLP." that's nothing but going around in circles if talking to the uninformed (or receive rude comments by the misinformed, again more later). Brony also sounds very weird to me, but mostly just not needed. It's completely optional.

 

Comparing the Brony label to how you describe your sexuality, religion, race, or whatever isn't even close to the same. Those are not labels so much as they are defining characteristics of that person. A cartoon you enjoy or a fandom you are in is not something that should define someone, it's just something they enjoy.

 

Saying "I'm hetero because I only like women" is different from saying "I'm a brony because I am a fan of MLP". To more accurately make those statements similar, it would look like "I'm a brony, a fan of MLP, because I enjoy watching MLP". When someone asks my sexuality, I can respond by telling them I only like women or that I'm heterosexual (the definition and the word being defined). Someone asks me if I like any cartoons, I could say "yes, I enjoy watching MLP", "yes, I'm a fan of MLP" or "yes, I'm a brony" (one and the same the last two are).

 

Hetero = someone who likes the opposite gender.

Brony = fan of MLP = someone who enjoys things relating to MLP.

 

Brony is also mainly used for fans of FIM, so those who have enjoyed MLP as a whole for much longer might not like being clumped into the Brony thing.

 

Taking it a step further, though I've not seen this for quite some time, Pegasister was originally meant for the older female fans of FIM and Brony was for the male fans. Again, complicated and unnecessary IMO.

 

I just don't like unnecessary labels that mean the same as the word or phrase they are trying to replace. Can't really do that with the other examples that have been given since those are very strong defining characteristics that have a set definition and are not labels trying to replace the words the definitions go with since the definitions go with those words first and foremost.

 

And now I change school of thought a bit since I'll just go in circles at this point if I keep going... 

 

 

As for your negative comment, yes, just like Trekkie, Furry, and several other fandom labels, to those who base their judgment on what they wrongly (unknowingly) learn from media, there is bad stigma associated with Brony. So I'm sure there are those out there who avoid it because of that.

Edited February 5, 2014 by The Mane-iac

[Oblivion 20,267]

Some people like the term bronies and others hate it, it really all boils down to personal preferences, If you like pony art, and you like parts of the fandom, then I would definitely call ya a brony..  

[Blaze Bronson 343]

@@The Mane-iac, 

It seems you agree with me on the topic in general, which is that if you watch the show you are a brony.

However you find the term brony to be pointless, and more work than it eases. I can get that, and I do actually agree. But I do like the term ^^

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

If you like it, wrote fan fics, and generally enjoy it for the most part, what do you think pal? 

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

@@The Mane-iac, 

It seems you agree with me on the topic in general, which is that if you watch the show you are a brony.

However you find the term brony to be pointless, and more work than it eases. I can get that, and I do actually agree. But I do like the term ^^

 

For the most part I can agree, if you enjoy FIM then you are basically a brony.

Whether the individual considers themselves one or not, should be up to them, not a requirement to being within the fandom/enjoying ponies.

 

I do personally find it pointless, so I won't ever refer to myself (or others for that matter) as one. Others are free to call me one if they want, doesn't hurt my feelings or anything, it's just a word I don't have room for in my vocabulary.  :comeatus:

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

Taking it a step further, though I've not seen this for quite some time, Pegasister was originally meant for the older female fans of FIM and Brony was for the male fans. Again, complicated and unnecessary IMO.

 

 

I do know that nobody before FIM ever called them self a Pegasister or Brony.

 

As far as calling myself a brony or pegasister: Why am I going to define myself by the last 3 to 4 years of a toy brand/cartoon, when previously, for the last 26 years I didn't need it? There obviously wasn't a point to it before FIM because we all in the already existing online pony community just liked MLP...didn't need a title. Frankly, for me, there doesn't seem to be a point to it now. I don't have an issue with any of you calling yourself a Brony but to imply that everyone is...Excuse me for thinking that sounds extremely pretentious.

[Guest]

I do know that nobody before FIM ever called them self a Pegasister or Brony.

 

As far as calling myself a brony or pegasister: Why am I going to define myself by the last 3 to 4 years of a toy brand/cartoon, when previously, for the last 26 years I didn't need it? There obviously wasn't a point to it before FIM because we all in the already existing online pony community just liked MLP...didn't need a title. Frankly, for me, there doesn't seem to be a point to it now. I don't have an issue with any of you calling yourself a Brony but to imply that everyone is...Excuse me for thinking that sounds extremely pretentious.

Exaaaactly.

 

That is my issue with this "forced label" that a lot of bronies keep pushing. It pressures people into their ways when they may just be very casual fans. Just like by seeing 10 episodes of Star Trek and having a casual liking I am not a "trekkie" (and many trekkies will argue the same) I am not a brony by liking the show. Forcing the title onto people will hold not positive benefits and will only succeed in pissing people off.

 

The word itself "brony" has no official definition, so there is no set criteria for it. Any criteria you give someone else will give different criteria, and there will be no way to prove your criteria is more "right" than someone else's.

 

Also, Karen is from the great before times.

[The Peculiar Derp 193]

If you like MLP in some way and consider yourself one, your a brony in my book ! 

[ZukoIsBestPony 561]

Nah, You just like hanging out with the herd.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

"Brony" is just a moniker that someone made up on the internet.

You don't have to feel obligated to putting it on as a garment of sorts.

[Katana 298]

For one thing, I always thought the term "brony" was a bit stupid. You can be a fan of something without submitting to some sort of social status. And a lot of us consider the idea of having their own fictional anthropomorphic self-persona a bit odd.

 

Plus, I've lost quite a bit of interest in the show itself. The themes and characters stick around in my head, I like the community, and I'm still working on Source Filmmaker movies involving them - but I basically stopped right around the really, really bad 'Discord returns' episode just as Gravity Falls was getting good.

[Sky Cutter 294]

Here is how I break down being a brony

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Holy cow, we've got graphs about this now?

 

You guys work quick.