Detectable Brony Traits When Going Brony Hunting

[GXPBlast 597]

What traits do you associate with bronies besides wearing merchandise or bringing MLP up in a conversation?

For me even though I am very much a closet brony, I do get a strong feeling sometimes to go looking to find bronies at my school as I really like talking to them as most of bronies are great people and many have similar interests as me.

I dont reveal myself of being a brony and have only done so with very people who are outside of my school. As I get to know some of these people through general conversation, I might bring up MLP as if they are all over the internet and such just to spark conversation and either I will find out they are bronies from them admitting to me or I ask them directly when I get a very strong sense that they are a brony.  Out of the people I have assumed were bronies nearly 90% of the time, I was right. Although I dont admit I am a brony myself I say that I have brony friends and the bronies in general are a great group of people.

I really enjoy meeting bronies and the majority I have met dont wear MLP merchandise and in fact none wore MLP mechandise.

What really gave me off a strong vibe of their bronyness was their personality. Some were very energetic, quirky, had similar interests like technology, anime, manga, metal music, jpop, dubstep, and a select few wore fedoras

Others seemed like they were very shy with some dressing kind of geeky. I eventually got to know them and they got comfortable enough with me to be very open about their interests and such eventually revealing their like for MLP. Also the shy ones tend to have similar interests in geeky stuff like anime, video games, manga, and the such.

 

I have noticed at least with the bronies I encountered non of them had MLP based attire or stuff on them or brought up MLP until gradually brought into the conversation.

So when you guys get the urge to go on a brony hunt, what traits do you usually look for outside of wearing merchandise and talking about MLP?

Edited April 5, 2014 by GXPBlast

[Harmony Cube 80]

Humming popular tunes from the show, mainly winter wrap up. I also notice that they might doodle or quote the show secretly, like saying "Hootanhanny!" In a Granny Smith like voice.

[GXPBlast 597]

Humming popular tunes from the show, mainly winter wrap up. I also notice that they might doodle or quote the show secretly, like saying "Hootanhanny!" In a Granny Smith like voice.

 

That would be cool to witness, however, I doubt I will encounter a brony that way at least based on the ones I have met, although it would be an interesting conversation starter lol.

Edited April 5, 2014 by GXPBlast

[Shenron00 366]

Seven words dude: "I just don't know what went wrong!"

You find someone saying that after they messed up, then they're a brony. Alright *shotgun cocks*, let's go hunt some bronies.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Shenron00

[deadprofile 1,123]

I don't hunt bronies....that would be immoral. I thought the purpose was to increase the fandom, not literally kill it   Okay...enough kidding out of the way....

 

I honestly have no idea, never stayed on the lookout for other bronies, but I think that's because I'm the only brony around in a tiny rural town. I do hunt for children bronies/fans (I'm not a pedo lol), because they are quite plentiful, and it's always fun to get their perspective on this show.  Children are easier to come by than young adults (my husband and I are the youngest couple in town,and there are no teenagers)

[StarSwirlTheBearded 356]

Methods I've used to find bronies in the past (when I was an anti-brony):

• Brony merchandise – 2 bronies found
• Listening or looking for pony names (excluding RD) – 1 anonymous brony found
• Listening specifically for "Rainbow Dash" – 3 bronies found
• Secondary sources (non-bronies say someone is a brony) – 1 brony found
• Listening for well-known references – no bronies found

Methods I use to find bronies today:

• All of the above
• Looking at peoples' drawing styles
• Listening keenly for references
• Closely monitoring theater geeks, LGBTs, introverts, anime fans, hipsters, and lazy people

Methods I plan on using:

• Using MLP references
• Talking to bronies

 

As a closet brony, I want to make sure no non-bronies find out that I'm a brony.  At this point, I'm afraid to tell anyone, even the bronies.  Most bronies I've found I'd rather keep my distance from, anyways.  However, when my brony confidence grows (and it will), I will actively seek out bronies.  Over the past month, I've been carefully working out the best ways to find bronies without non-bronies finding out about me.

 

On top of the seven I've found, many of you know I suspect my friend is a brony.  He knows basic MLP terms and has a personality that mirrors that of a stereotype brony (introvert, lazy).  His drawing style isn't too similar to MLP, but I have noticed a few possible parallels.  We both think the other is an anti-brony, the rest of our friends are certainly anti-bronies, and he can keep secrets easily, so it'll be nearly impossible to break the ice.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,336]

Be vewy Vewy quiet. I'm hunting Bronies!"

[Scion of Arcadia 69]

Soooo... fedoras are a viable search criteria? I'll admit, I've met a brony with a fedora but he was easy to tell because he had a Rainbow Dash button pinned on it. But this does bring up an interesting question. What is the appeal of MLP that draws us? What is it between anime, manga, and video games that pulls us to the show?

 

Doesn't make my job easier. My major is in Game Art and Simulation, finding a person without those traits is nearly impossible among my classmates. Naturally, some of them are obvious bronies. I don't know, maybe it was the Rainbow Dash & Derpy Hooves bag that gave me the hint.

[Keen Blade 64]

Be vewy vewy qwiet- I'm hunting bwonies!

 

Duhuhuhuhuh!

[Harmony Cube 80]

That would be cool to witness, however, I doubt I will encounter a brony that way at least based on the ones I have met, although it would be an interesting conversation starter lol.

I agree, it would be a really interesting conversation starter. I think one of the things that gave me away was the page of my horribly drawn ponies in my binder. Other than that, the only other thing that gives me away is my singing of stanzas of Winter Wrap Up.

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

After carefully examining the brony fandom and analyzing behaviors to determine common traits that can be used in identification, I have come up with the following extensive list of characteristics which accurately defines all bronies and can be used when searching;

 

1. Bronies are people who enjoy MLP.

 

I hope this list helps.

 

In all seriousness, you can't be certain unless the person is wearing or doing something pony related. If you want to catch closet bronies, say or do something subtle yet pony and watch carefully how they react compared to known non-bronies.

[Harmonic Revelations 8,837]

When hunting bronies, I find that heat-vision goggles and cheeto dust sensors are sufficient to locate most of them. 

[GXPBlast 597]

Seven words dude: "I just don't know what went wrong!"

You find someone saying that after they messed up, then they're a brony. Alright *shotgun cocks*, let's go hunt some bronies.

 

 

Epic Derpy Line  Detected, Brony Inbound lol

[Revertz 159]

 

 

and a select few wore fedoras Others seemed like they were very shy with some dressing kind of geeky

Why isn't wearing fedoras classified as geeky??? 

[GXPBlast 597]

Why isn't wearing fedoras classified as geeky??? 

 

Geeks tend to wear fedoras as well with all of the bronies I have met who wore feodras had geeky interests like I mentioned above. Its not a bad thing at all.

Edited April 11, 2014 by GXPBlast

[StarSwirlTheBearded 356]

I brushed over this in my earlier post, but 3 out of 7 of my brony suspects were detected since they said, "Rainbow Dash is best pony".  If they're that straightforward though, they may be just be trolling.  However, the first one wore a PP Girls shirt, the second one is close friends with the one who wore the PPG shirt, and the third one is close friends with a very open brony.

 

I also mentioned several groups of people that I suspect would be more likely to be bronies, including the following:

• Theater geeks: This group has produced 5 out of 7 suspects.  There is certainly a correlation, which I will go into later.
• Gay people: I have not found any gay bronies yet, but it seems like something that gay people would enjoy (stereotypes!).
• Introverts: They're less likely to be influenced by others.
• Anime fans: I can't really explain this one; it's just one of those things that makes sense in an indescribable way.
• Hipsters: More on that later...
• Lazy people: They have more spare time, thus there's a higher chance of discovering MLP.

All of these groups are typically full of people that intentionally do things different from others to look cool ("hipsters"), especially the first one.  Assuming most people have heard of bronies, most of the hipsters noticed that it was a counter-culture activity.  Thus, they jumped on the bandwagon and became bronies solely to stand out.  Some of them may like the show or fandom, but most of them probably wouldn't have become bronies if they didn't have those "hipster motives" of liking uncool trends to gain recognition.  In my opinion, they're only half-bronies.  I hate hipsters.

 

I apologize for the long and detailed posts, it's just that when I get writing, a lot of ideas come to mind that I have the urge to write down

[GXPBlast 597]

I apologize for the long and detailed posts, it's just that when I get writing, a lot of ideas come to mind that I have the urge to write down

 

No worries dude, I actually enjoy your detailed posts. Plus I think we can relate alot being closet bronies.

[Ryzu 984]

When you say hunt bronies I can only thing of duck hunt with pegasi.

 

And when you listed those traits It made me realize something.

The girl I have a crush on is most likely a brony, having every one of those traits.

[mars 4,863]

I often try and quote things from the show when around strangers. Nothing too obvious, but I now say "Okie Dokie Lokie" instead of "Okay" and such.

[GXPBlast 597]

I often try and quote things from the show when around strangers. Nothing too obvious, but I now say "Okie Dokie Lokie" instead of "Okay" and such.

 

 

The 20% cooler I think is the best subtle one to use

Edited April 25, 2014 by GXPBlast

[Shenron00 366]

*shotgun fires* Kardfragit! Damn bronies keep gettin' away! Maybe this will do the trick! *Takes pin out and tosses grenade into cave* Yeehaw! Prime, get that robot that transforms into a grill! We're gonna have a BBBQ!

[Amber Rays 42]

I don't go "brony hunting", but there's a few things that I've noticed from my own actions (even subconcious ones) that could be defined as subtle brony traits which could possibly help you out.

 

As another had pointed out with the humming of tunes or how they say certain lines, this is something I can say comes up now and then in my daily life. Does someone say "forever" as Pinkie has said it a few times before. Do they sometimes sing the word opportunity instead of saying it normally? They could probably be a brony/pegasister.

 

Yes that last one did happen to me once. Had to think back on it real quick then laughed it off.

 

Another thing that I remember was also a shyness around MLP related material. However this has since become more of hightened sense towards MLP related material as I've gotten more used to it in my life.

 

However the shyness also comes back out whenever one of those loud bronies decides to try and say something brony to me when I least expect it. Now I have a Pinkamena button, a small one on my bag. This must've caught the attention of someone in the coffee shop once which caused them to look at me and say "Pinkie Pie is best pony!"

 

I proceeded to stare at her for a few awkward seconds then silently go back to fixing my americano. In short I think that is something that could easily swing either way depending on the personalities of both parties involved. It's usually a good bet not to jump people immediately with pony related talk since you just never know their reaction to such.

[Shenron00 366]

Yeeeeeeehaaaaawwww! *shotgun fires 10 times, hitting 10 bronies* I knew that stuffed-wall-eyed-pony-thingie would serve as good bait! *More gunshots*

[Scootalove 10,692]

Someone wearing a pony t-shirt could be a noticeable trait.

[GXPBlast 597]

Someone wearing a pony t-shirt could be a noticeable trait.

 

Thats an obvious one lol. There are tons of bronies in the wild that will only out themselves with subtle hints due to the negative stigma they would attract from society if they were that open