For the past couple of days/weeks iv'e been too focused into School and gaming to pay too much attention to what was actually going on... After coming back on here about 2 weeks ago I decided that I should catch up on my brony business and news... But what I have always feared has now come true... and now I must post this, if for anything else then just too get this off my chest. The community is finally dying, more people are leaving then joining. Haters have already shut down Acoustic and EuroBrony youtube channel TWICE in this month. This very website is proof of it as well. The site is being split and less and less people are on here. More people are leaving. Equestria Daily is also proof. I'm starting too see that the website is gathering more and more crummy stuff and it seems that the website has been taken over by nothing but romances and a bunch of boring, uninteresting stories and games. To go even further into the matter, Lauren Faust has completely turned her back on us and well rarely if at all mention us as one of her accomplishment. Tara Strong as well seems to be starting to turn her back on us as well. And quite frankly I can't blame them. This fandom in general is annoying and most bronies ARE IN FACT BAD! I'm sorry, but this true. Just go on any of the youtube vids for the original episodes and look at the comments. Go on ponychan, Canterlot.com, HELL you could just stay here and just scroll through the general discussion posts and see how awkward, annoying, and naive we can be. As iv'e said before, I hate to be the one who says "I told you all so!", but I did... A few months ago I said we need to start watching what we do and say before it comes back to bite us on the plot. And now here we are, on the verge of being torn apart and soon to deminish. Of course there are good and sane bronies out there (one being Echoax and debatably Saberspark) but the majority of this community is quite frankly awkward and annoying... I'm not trying too insult anyone with this, like I said I just wanted to post this so I can get this off my chest... Though I am fully aware that I will probably cause a cascade of rage and hate messages now because of this... (which would prove my points further.) All in all, at this point I'm just gonna stop caring about this fandom... I think I can honestly say it's given me more grief then joy, despite the fact that I did make some pretty good friends... Kickbass out
Actually if i'm anything, I'm too nice... Given why I said this fandom has given me more grief than joy... I didn't wanna see this fandom fall apart. Though yes I will admit, that I can be paranoid at times. But i'm pretty sure i'm not being paranoid about this, seriously just go on EqD or just read the posts on this site... You'll eventually see what I mean... hopefully.
>Has seen said posts Ummm I think it's just tempers flaring every now and again, it does happen everywhere you know?
I honestly don't see what you see. I think you have misinterpreted growing pains as failure, inconviemces for death-bringing apocalypse. I think that the fandom will chug along, even if it does shrink. And I will be chugging along with those left.
There's a fine line between being stubborn/hopeful/positive and being in denial... Please do not cross it... This fandom is obviously diminishing slowly but surely... Everypony said that the fanbase would kick back up again at the start of season 3 but the only thing iv'e been seeing is whats been happening for the past few months now, more people are leaving than people who are joining. The comments on youtube have been growing more grotesque by the day it seems, and iv'e been noticing that the bronies who are sticking around now don't seem to know when you simply asking too much of people. This fandom has grown restless and at this point it seems like no amount of interviews, parodies, music, art or any of these things are going to please it. If you don't see what I see then maybe I am just being paranoid, but seeing as most of my predictions about this fandom have already come true i'm not so lenient on saying that i'm wrong... Though I perfectly understand that I could be.
The show itself is infinitely more valuable to me than the fandom. No matter how crummy things can get sometimes with the brony community, I still like watching ponies just as much as always.
I would like to quote a little something, "One will see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear." I think your just looking too much at the negative and not enough at the positive, and that's a very easy thing to do. Trust me, the fandom as a whole is growing, and on the attacks, a cornered rat fights uglier than a rat with room. Hell, ealier today on Reddit, I saw a meme that said 'Why the ____ do grown men like My little Pony?" Inside in the comments, everyone defended us, non-Bronies and Bronies alike. The age of hate on Bronies has passed, and those that still do are those still to stubborn to accept reality.
I honestly don't think the fandom is dying. And as for Lauren Faust leaving, she want to pursue her original dream "Galaxy Girls" Tara Strong? I don't see where you get that, and I don't think it's a big deal. they are all busy and can't dedicate all their time to us. As for youtube I don't go on, but if anything those 'comments' that you speak about, are probably just trolls or people who don't want to control temper. As for this site, I think it's doing fine, Negativity will get you nowhere, Honestly, I know many sane and awesome people here, that will not leave the fandom or this site, besides,what brings us all together? It is MLP is it not? Is that not the main purpose? Also, tempers flaring up IS normal, we are only human you know? Even if the fandom does get smaller I agree fully with SunBurn, who will be left? The really positive, thick skinned Bronies who will most likely become a tight group of friends.
This. Summed up most of what I was gonna say. However, I will say a few more things nonetheless, OP. If you really think that this community is going downhill, take a look at other fanbases, especially the Sonic fanbase {I spent FIVE years in that fanbase. I know a terrible fanbase when I see one, and it ain't bronys}. I have yet to see anything as bad as those two fanbases come to this fandom. Every fanbase has it's fair share of crazys, and while this one has crazy's as well, there arn't anywhere near as many as what most fanbases tend to have. Those websites that proove that "The majority of bronys are BAD" {Youtube, Ponychan, etc}? Those are full of crazy people in general, not just bronys. So I think it's really unfair just to give up on the fanbase and say that the majority is crazy just because you went to several sites that arn't exactly known for being intellegant in the first place. And I have yet to see Tara Strong or Lauren Faust turn away from Bronys. The upcoming Bronycon docuementry should proove that much at least. I can't help but think that you need to calm down just a little bit, OP.
Simon and Sunburn pretty much said everything. Only other thing I have to say is that you mention people have said things will improve when Season 3 has begun. It's only been 5 days since that time. Don't expect things to be fixed instantly, something like this takes a bunch of time, not just a few days. I'd be more worried if there was no difference by the time episode 6 airs.
I enjoy MLP and is now a brony, I don't care if people think it is weird or stupid for a 23 year old guy to like MLP. I know there are some bronies that do take their 'admiration' for MLP too far (I haven't seen it here, but on 4chan), but most bronies are normal people that just enjoy a very enjoyable series which non-fans associates as "a little girl's show". Basically everypony I met on everypony seems like good people and I like it here and plan to stay, despite I might take short hiatuses cause of work and other things. I really like this place and hope it grows and I get to meet more people. If people leave, that can hurt depending on who it is, but some doors close for others can open, and I always end up meeting new friends.
This may sound mean or cold hearted but I couldn't care less what's happening with the fandom. At the end of the day all I'm worried about is watching ponies, chatting on a forum and looking at pictures. I don't see what youtube comments, Lauren Faust, Tara strong, fights between anonymous people, etc etc etc has to do with me being a brony. I am a brony for one reason only, I watch MLP:FIM, that's all there is to it. Whether the fandom grows, shrinks, becomes obnoxious or not in no way has any connection with me and I can assure you I will just continue doing what I've always done. If others care to join me then great! We can watch ponies, chat on a forum and look at pictures together
I have a couple things to say. Dig this: the very idea of a "fandom" is somewhat ludicrous. There are groups of people who have one or more interests in common who may or may not get along with each other, and people judge them like they're a family or something. I don't believe in the idea of a fandom. If you get along with people who you have things in common with, then those people are your friends. By no means do I get along with everybody who I have things in common with, and I refuse to be judged as if I was a part of their group. Also: there are jerks in every group. Are you going to let that dictate whether or not you like something? Really? Then either like it or don't, but don't act as if other people are making you leave or stay, because that's 100% your decision. In summation: I think you're being melodramatic, but hey, this is the internet.
Good lord, Tara Strong has been and continues to be more supportive of Brony culture than I ever would have thought possible. As for Lauren Faust, she has other creative things she wants to pursue. She left the show in good hands, though. I don't know why anyone would be worried about the show after Season Two turned out to be excellent. And if the Season Three premiere is any indication, the show is going places. As for the fandom... I could care less overall. As long as the show is on, there will be people who want to share their love of ponies with others. I'll be one of them. That's all that matters.
He's right, Tara Strong still makes brony related tweets like every other day, and it was only a couple weeks ago she cosplayed as Twilight Sparkle at a conference thing. And News Flash, but Lauren Faust left MLP after S1. She was kept on as a consultant but with all the other stuff she was doing at the time, like galaxy girls and the superhero thing, that she probably didn't actually have a huge impact on S2's development. When people start to get disinterested in a fandom or community, after the initial novelty wears off, they start to think that it's dying, it isn't fun anymore, everything sucks about it, and that everyone is leaving it and soon it will be dead. And all that other stuff you said. But maybe it's just you thinking everyone else doesn't like it either to make yourself feel better about the fact that you're giving up on something you liked so much before. I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, same thing happens to me whenever I leave a forum or community. But you are right that for most, the initial novelty of the show and the community has faded for a lot of people at this point, so people lose interest and pursue something else that gives them that novel feeling. The people who still enjoy this will stick around, the people who lose interest won't. Just how it is, but that doesn't really mean the whole fandom is "dying." I bet there will still be thousands of people who show up to Bronycon this year. I'll even bet you ten bucks on it. Although imo, S1 is the best season and the 3rd season premiere did not really meet my expectations, nor did most of S2. But I typically like first gens of stuff the best anyway. I'm still going to watch it though. Oh yeah, first post back btw.
