Your thoughts on online interaction please Bronies? :)

[karl-barx 0]

Hi I am an English and Media student at university and am writing a research report on online fandoms and participatory culture with a focus on Bronies. What I would like to know is; what role does social media and other online platforms take in your fandom? And also, are there negative associations with being a Brony, specifically through online mediums? It would be a massive help if you could answer please and thank you

[Ribbonfree 2,383]

Second question first. There are negative associations involved, because the diverse nature of our fandom has led to a fair amount of overlap with somwhat unsavory elements of the internet, like the sort of stereotype that produces basement dwellers and wizards and the like. Bronies also tend to be defensive and easy to provoke, leading to all sorts of internet drama sagas that further make us look like idiots as a whole because, as we all know, people like to stereotype based on vocal and noticeable minorities.

 

FIRST QUESTION. We wouldn't exist without social media, essentially. The internet's anonymous nature, I feel, provided a breeding ground for men to determine that 'yes, we like shows for little girls' in a relatively 'safe' environment until critical mass was reached and enough people were doing it to where people decided to start celebrating the show IRL. Internet in general is just a huge part of communication today, and bronies are no different.

[Scootalove 10,689]

• 1. Social media and the internet in general allowed for all of us to expand the community, where you see a lot of members of the fandom on all forms of social media.

• 2. Yes, there are negative associations with being a brony. A minority of the community makes most of us look like idiots, give us a bad name, and people who cause so much drama for no apparent reason.

[Icedog68 71]

Hm... Question 1: I think it gives us a place to easily watch episodes of the show, and discuss it, upload fan artwork, and things like that. Additionally, a lot of bronies are secretive about being bronies (they're called closet bronies) so they would have a hard time, well, being a brony, without the internet

 

Question 2: People like to associate bronies with homosexuals/bisexual people (which is RIDICULOUSLY INACCURATE, as there aren't really more homosexual/bisexual people in the brony fandom than there are anywhere else) and cloppers (i'm not going to explain what a clopper is, just look it up) cause people to dislike the fandom and so bronies are constantly judged. Another misconception is that bronies are just trolls, and don't actually like the show.

 

Bronies enjoy the show as it has good animation, funny characters, and a good plot-line. The creator of the show decided to make a show that a little girl watching TV would enjoy, and her dad/older brother would enjoy too. I think the creator did an excellent job. There are approximately 7-12.4 million bronies IN THE US ALONE. It is very possible that there are even more than that, as the calculation that determine that number are based off of a survey with only people who said 4 or 5 stars on a scale of how closely you identify your self with the brony fandom with 1 being not at all and 5 being very closely. If you consider anyone who watches the show a brony, then there is a much larger number of bronies. Most likely many millions more.

*NOTE id recommend changing the title, as it leads people to belive you are trying to organize some kind of online meet-up, leaving it most ignored (this is already kind of an online meet up place

[Dainbow Rash 80]

Hi! I think it's cool that you are writing a report on about bronies

Anyway,

1. Without social media/ the Internet, the brony fandom would not exist. There would still be fans of the show but there would be a much smaller number since most people have found out about it via the Internet. The fandom started on the forum website 4chan where people started talking about it and that is what made other people start looking at it.

2. There are negative associations with being a brony. There is pretty much a bottomless pit of stereotypes.

-gay

-pedophile

-jobless in parents basement

-man child

The Internet doesn't really add anything to the stereotypes other than provide a place people can "troll" us anonymously.

Best of luck with your report!

[SveciaDash 364]

Manly all the way, 7 days a week

[OptimisticNeighsayer 478]

 

 

Hi I am an English and Media student at university and am writing a research report on online fandoms and participatory culture with a focus on Bronies.

 

Always willing to help out in research.

 

 

what role does social media and other online platforms take in your fandom?

Forums like these gives fans of the show a place to discuss it, share artwork about it, and roleplay situations inspired by it.  And as another one here said, the spread of the show via word-of-mouth on the Internet is the reason why we exist in the first place. 

 

 

And also, are there negative associations with being a Brony, specifically through online mediums?

Yes, we're often seen as either 1) not "manly" enough, 2) emotionally immature, 3) unintelligent, or 4) have poor taste in television.  And yes, the "living with parents in basement with no job" stereotype applies as well, although it's not specific to our fandom.

[Adorkable 2,737]

Hi I am an English and Media student at university and am writing a research report on online fandoms and participatory culture with a focus on Bronies. What I would like to know is; what role does social media and other online platforms take in your fandom? And also, are there negative associations with being a Brony, specifically through online mediums? It would be a massive help if you could answer please and thank you

 

Hello! ^^

 

Social Media and other online things such as YouTube channels and fan websites are a huge part of the fandom.

 

As in, that's how most Bronies are "recruited" into the herd.

 

I've heard that most Bronies that become Bronies first find something pony-related on the web, then decide to give the show a try.

 

BOOM! You're hooked.

 

And really, a lot of fan stuff on the web is what keep some Bronies "in-touch" with their Brony side while waiting for new episodes and in between seasons.

 

 

There are plenty of negative associations with being a Brony on the internet.

 

There's a lot of mean people who will come and troll or bash you for no real reason besides being a Brony on the internet..

 

As is every fandom, the meanest people come out on the internet to give us a hard time.

 

But hey, that's where "Love and Tolerate" comes into play. ^^

 

I hope that answers your question! ^^