<Personal/Professional> Pony is now 4 years old?! (Analysis of "Bronies 2012: We Made It", or the significance of 2012 for Bronies)

So in case you live under a rock, yesterday was the day MLP: FiM (aka the show we all came to obsess over) turned four years old. And with it, at the end of this year, the Brony fandom will turn four years old as well. In celebration, I had chosen to watch both "Bronies" videos by GalaxyArt, and it was then that I realized something.

While each of the two videos celebrated the fandom's past year, each does so in a very different way. I am going to analyze the first one, "Bronies 2012: We Made It".

Okay, so upon watching that, the first thing that hits me is the feels and the pride. It makes one feel so proud of being a part of something that is definitely bigger than ourselves. But I think this video does more than that. It starts out with a really cool Google theme, saying "2012 was a year of ______." What was so significant of that is what filled that blank.

First was charity. For those of us who joined the fandom later (such as myself--post season 2, pre-season 3) charity has always been a part of our experience of being a Brony. However, it wasn't always like that. It was only when the Bronies of that year decided that during the wait, they needed to better the image of the fandom and really spread the messages the show teaches. This is why projects like The Massive Smile Project came to be. This was a track from a charity album called "Seeds of Kindness" that was produced by some of the very best musical talents in the fandom--all for no profit. 100% of their work went to charity, through the Bronies' very own charity organization "Bronies For Good".

What made charity so significant to us was that while other fandom's have done partnerships with charities at cons, such as giving some charities a booth or two to spread news and ask for donations, Bronies actively took part in charity on a level that astounded many. I remember that the second con I went to, Nightmare Nights Dallas, all of the proceeds from the cons ticket sales went to St. Jude's Hospital. The ticket sales resulted in over $9000. Add on the amount of money made during the charity auction and canned food collection, and that amount rose to $13,000. And again, all of this went to St. Jude's.

So yes, charity was a big part of 2012, because that was a defining feature for Bronies during that time.

Next was creativity. Everyone who even takes the slightest interest in the fandom knows that there are some great creative minds among us. But 2012 was the year where the Brony fandom's creativity really surged. That was the year where music made a great leap, with Tombstone's oh-so-popular Discord remix, and WoodenToaster's classic Awoken. Artists began producing amazing pieces of art that wowed even the most harsh critic. Fanfiction also rose that year, which is why this website was created in the first place.

The most amazing thing about it though is that all of this stemmed from six little characters from a kids TV show. No one knew that something so small could inspire so many, and I think that's why it was such a huge part of the Brony fandom in 2012. I also think that's why Lauren Faust went to tears when she came to Brony Con; she never knew something she created could inspire so many.

Next was cons. Conventions are a huge part of any fandom. But for Bronies, they almost mean something else. Back in 2011, the first pony convention, Brony Con, happened. However, at that time, it was just a small con, with little over 100 attendees. Then 2012 hit, and during the summer of that year, the Brony convention scene made the leap from small to huge. The 2012 summer BronyCon had over 4,000 attendees that came to celebrate the show that brought them all together.

It was such a big deal because again, no one knew something this huge could come from something so small and simple. Most other cons come from epic movies and books such as Star Trek, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. But for such a huge con to come from a simple television show like My Little Pony? It still makes many scratch their heads in wonder to this day. I know I am one of those people for sure, though I do so with pride.

Then came renewal. With this bit, it was rather simple. With the epic end that was the Season 2 finale, Bronies began to wonder, "Is this the end? Is the show going to continue?" Their worries were put down to rest when Season 3 was announced, and a fresh breath of life was breathed into the fandom. Not only that, but the fandom grew immensely during this time, most in part due to the massive amount of people going out convincing their friends to watch the show. Thus, as the words from the video suggested, their was renewal from the Brony fandom in more ways than one.

Next came love. I think this was pretty significant, despite its short screen time in the video. You see, during this time, a lot of people were afraid to tell their family or friends about their sudden love for a little girl's TV show in fear of ridicule. Rightly so, too; some were immediately ostracized by those they called friends, while others were punished by their ashamed parents.

But that didn't stop the Bronies. In fact, when some of us told these stories on the web, others came to their aid, offering advice and kind words, and even help. One of my favorite examples, whether it was real or not, was this story.

This young man was ridiculed so badly by his mother for simply liking a kids show. She called him gay, and that he couldn't be her son for liking something so childish. She then threatened to kick him out of the house once his 19th birthday passed. Seemingly desperate to just get this off his chest, he posted his story on Reddit and left it there. What happened next was completely unexpected.

People came to his aid, giving him kind words and offering advice on how to talk to his mother about the situation. One even offered him a place to stay should he ever actually get kicked out. Many came to his aid, and whether things went well for him or not, I don't know. But one thing that this confirmed for sure is that Bronies were not just a fandom. They were a family, one willing to help each other in any situation.

Finally, there was ponies. Obviously, the word "ponies" mean something else to us. But that year, it was the most significant again because something so big came from something so small. The video shows examples of all things pony that happened in 2012, and it was a lot.

But finally, the ending came, with this message: "Bronies 2012 - We Made It". This is when the pride and feels train really hit, because the message was so real: we made it. Many were afraid that something like this would die off soon, like most things that came from the internet. However, the Brony fandom had made it. They survived for a whole year by then, and were so happy that they had. Many came to love the fandom, and didn't want it to end. That fear lives on today, but to a lesser degree; we are now a full-fledged fandom, and just like Trekkies and other fandoms, there appears to be no end in sight.

But at that point, the end was something that many people thought could happen. Again, many wondered how something so big that came from something so small last? But that's why the videos them was We Made It, because we really had made it. We made it past that fear, and made past the supposed end.

And perhaps that's why MLP is so significant to us now; Because this massive group of people, almost like a movement, sprung from the stories of six little ponies simply living their lives.

So, once again...Bronies 2012: We Made It. And boy, I sure am glad we did.