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Brony Advice: Your Questions Answered #85, 86, 87!

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#85) Why do bronies have such low self-esteem? On websites like Bronysquare and Ponysquare they're always wallowing in self-pity about how much their lives suck, and they come across as being really pathetic. Many of these people don't even know what suffering is. Even if their lives do suck the internet doesn't need to know about it!

Answer: While I'd like to say that people suffering from life problems should be able to receive help online, I do find myself getting annoyed by most of the excessively 'emo' internet comments I come across. I see bronies claiming that they're going to commit suicide more often than I'd like – I've never seen any of them actually go through with it – and plenty do wallow in self-pity, as you say. Then again, it's not hard to see why. Chances are that bronies aren't the most popular kids at school. Those that gravitate towards fandoms tend to be your typical 'nerd' types, which plenty of bronies are. It's no surprise that some of these people may struggle in various ways both online and offline.

Perhaps the internet is the only place where they can feel as if someone actually cares about them? The people who sit there complaining about how bad their lives are may genuinely be suffering; there are plenty of variables that could lead them to being some sort of victim. Then again, plenty of people are just expressing their teenage angst in an overly emotional way, and it's then that people need to buck up and stop being so pathetic.

On the internet, you can effectively be whatever you want to be. If someone does get bullied outside of the internet, I do wonder why they actively make themselves into bullying targets online as well. If I'd been a bully victim, I imagine I would have used the internet as a form of escapism, rather than a place to act exactly like my real-life counterpart. In a sense, I do advocate acting like a different person online, if the 'real' you is prone to being a bit of a punching bag, mainly for the benefit of the person in question – if their life sucks offline, they should take measures to make sure that they don't become a target online as well.

It's a tough one, because human compassion would argue that you should look out for people who are suffering. Then again, I've known people who whine about how bad their lives are despite living in a supportive environment with a secure family. When you comfort someone once it's reasonable; when your comforting words do absolutely nothing, and the person you're comforting continues to complain day after day, I suggest that you leave these people to it.

Again, take this advice with a pinch of salt, as some people are genuinely in need of a shoulder to cry on. Taking that into consideration, however, I think a lot of the time bouts of 'emo-ness' should be ignored. In one situation I saw a person make a suicide journal on DeviantArt, and they received 0 replies after several hours. I refreshed later and the journal was gone, and the member had returned to whatever they were doing before their outburst, proving that their behaviour was some sort of attention-seeking act that they quickly reversed after nobody commented.

When you give people wallowing in self-pity attention, it can often just make things worse; a lot of the time people make 'emo' status updates on social media sites because they just want to see who actually cares enough to talk to them. However, by appearing needy and clingy, you come across as being weak, which doesn't bode well for you on the internet. You have the power online to mask whatever insecurities you have, which is usually a good idea – the world doesn't need to know that you feel conscious about your weight, or that a girl laughed at you at school. Those people who constantly bawl, "I have no friends!" when lots of people are trying to help them out and talk to them about their problems need to shut the fuck up, as well. Ungrateful attention-seeking is the worst kind.

I'll point out that there's a fine line between people that exaggerate how bad their lives are online and those in need of genuine help. I don't condone ignoring people in genuine need, but if there's a person that you know has a habit of moaning about how shitty their life is, you might want to consider just ignoring it. Don't give these people attention and they'll quickly withdraw from their funk. Do remember, though, the types of people who comprise the brony fandom; that might explain why some of them may have low self-esteem.



#86) I've finally gotten myself a free weekend and I know that "Friendship is Magic" is very popular. I'm wondering if and why I might want to get started with "Friendship is Magic"? I have very geeky and nerdy likes, (Anime, "Doctor Who", D&D, Ect.), But could you give me a few reasons why I might enjoy this series: to Brony or not to Brony?

Answer: To begin with, you're definitely not alone in liking "Doctor Who" and Japanese animation and so on; a lot of bronies do, so you'll be in mutual company there. Being a nerdy type of person already puts you in the position of the sort of person who would probably like "Friendship is Magic". It has the feeling of a cult-show to it: lots of memorable quotes and characters, references to sources external to the show and so on.

It's really viewing for all ages. I can't imagine anyone objectively watching "Friendship is Magic" and saying that it's awful. They may not like it, but you don't have to like something to appreciate what's good about it. "Friendship is Magic" boasts an attractive visual style and solid animation. It has some good music in it (by TV standards) and the episodes are generally well-written. The characters  are cute and likeable, and the overall messages that the show illustrates tend to be positive.

I'm not going to lie and say that the show is the best thing that has ever aired, and there are plenty of shows currently running that are objectively better than it. In addition, the writing isn't flawless, and the 'morals' that the show teaches are hardly unique for cartoons. Imagine typical children's cartoon messages – that friends are important; that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover; that hard work leads to success – and you have the episodes pretty much sussed-out, although granted "Friendship is Magic" does tackle them in a cute and memorable way.

You don't really have to be a 'brony' to watch the show. I watch "Breaking Bad", but I don't consider myself to be part of a fandom based around it. Similarly, you can easily watch "Friendship is Magic" without being part of the 'brony' thing. I'd argue that you're only really a brony if you associate yourself with the fan-base. If that wasn't the case, adults watching the show with their kids, utterly unaware of the fandom, would be considered 'bronies', which seems warped. Being a brony is more than just watching the TV show – it's about engaging with this whacky fandom, which you may or may not wish to do.

If you're into making original characters, writing fan-fiction, drawing fan-art, geeking out at conventions and cosplaying, you might want to consider joining the brony fandom. If those kinds of things don't interest you, you might still want to check the show out anyway. If you view it without any degree of hype around it, it's a decent show, but you'll probably find that there's better stuff out there unless you really get involved with the fandom behind it. It's worth giving the show a shot, but don't worry if you aren't a fan - you're not exactly missing out.



#87) [Answered by my good friend pap64] I really love "Friendship is Magic", but I also have a soft spot for the first generation of My Little Pony due to it being my first exposure to the franchise as a kid. Is it odd that I enjoy both G1 and "Friendship is Magic"?

Answer: The short answer: Of course not! The long answer, though, is this...

Perhaps one of the reasons you may feel weird about enjoying G1 is that extreme bronies have made it a mission to discredit any iteration of My Little Pony that came before "Friendship is Magic" (or may come after it ends), because in their mind, that series fails to capture the brilliance of this current generation. Admittedly, the first series was indeed hokey and filled with a lot of 80s and 90s toy based cartoon cliches (as was the case with other Hasbro-owned shows like G.I. Joe, Transformers and even Jem). Yet, for a lot of people it was the gateway drug that lead them to being pony fans way before "Friendship is Magic" was even a concept on paper.

Let us not forget that My Little Pony already had fans that collected the toys and even did amazing custom ponies (many which can be seen here on DeviantArt). It can be hard to see that considering just how wild the fan-base for "Friendship is Magic" is. So no, it is not weird that you love the classic My Little Pony show alongside the newest series. If you truly have a fondness for the old show and it means a lot to you, then you should continue enjoying it. Some bronies, as loud as they may seem in their opinions, can't dictate what you should and shouldn't like.

Let us not forget that the first generation of My Little Pony WAS the inspiration for Lauren Faust's own take on the franchise. It was her fascination with the first generation that drove her to create a series that elevates it from being a marketing vehicle into something that is a loving tribute to cartoons, animation and fantasy. So yeah, bronies may condemn the first generation, but without it, there would have never been a "Friendship is Magic".
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Brony Advice is both an active collaboration with artists and an advice column, in the simplest of terms: I want you to send me notes if you have any problems, secrets or comments on the pony fandom of any nature. It doesn't matter how embarrassing, offensive or vicious they might be - if you want someone to comment on them in an unbiased way, send them over. Maybe there's something within the fandom that you particularly despise, or perhaps you're feeling sad and need to hear some friendly advice? Whatever the motive, send me a note with your comment or question.

I'll then respond with advice and commentary and post the answers up in future installments. Users will remain anonymous, so you don't need to worry about your feelings and thoughts getting out onto DeviantArt. You may find that some of the things that you've personally been feeling will be addressed.

Feel free to note me if you would like your questions and observations to be answered in an upcoming edition. Every edition will be engaging with three issues. The above three featured today were submitted by anonymous deviants.

In this issue, my friend ~pap64 contributed an answer. As Brony Advice is collaborative, I thought it fair to get some answers from other people connected to the fandom, to give some other interesting perspectives on issues. Many thanks to him for his contribution!

Artwork by the wonderful *fourdollarponys. Go check out her stuff!
© 2012 - 2024 Cuddlepug
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star3catcher's avatar
"when your comforting words do absolutely nothing, and the person you're comforting continues to complain day after day, I suggest that you leave these people to it. "

I learned this one the hard way. I'm still kind of learning it even now, but it's getting better. I used to be afraid of being an asshole, but I've seen first hand how much happier and healthier I am when I know it's okay to eventually just kick some soggy sob-baby off your leg.