Reflections · 12:28am Oct 21st, 2019
Reflections
In which son_of_heaven176 reveals something he likes most about the brony fandom.
Yes, the fact that this blog post is up means that there is no BronyCon Highlight for today.
However, I do have something other than “here’s what came up this week” (nephew playing with the church band, switching my wardrobe from warm-weather to cold-weather clothes). Because in the midst of things that I have read today, I came upon an epiphany about something I like about this fandom.
If you’ve known me online for any significant length of time, you’d know that Turnabout Storm is what eventually led me to becoming a brony around Season 3. And the brony fandom itself, being the welcoming fandom that it is, was a perfect venue for someone like me, an introvert with no really close friends, to interact with others and perhaps make some friends.
But let’s fast-forward to today. This night, I ran across the recently-published fanfiction Two Words. And the comments section was a hotbed of interaction as we discussed the implications of the characters’ actions.
Later on, I ran across this blog post by the fan writer Firesight about his views on MLP: FiM now that the show has ended. And partway through the blog post (which I mainly agree with), it came to me.
This fandom, a venue for personal interaction, was thereby a catalyst for personal growth.
Let me explain.
1) It is one thing to see a piece of media and say “I like it.” It is another to be able to verbalize why you like it. This is why I like people like joshscorcher, DRWolf001, or MisAnthroPony on YouTube, and even posts like that one from Firesight here on FiMFiction. They are able to explain why a piece of media is good or bad, what makes it stand out or be forgettable. And in watching them, I have learned somewhat about how to analyze media, or at the very least go beyond nodding my head and saying “I like it” to taking the time to think “Why do I like it? What is so good about it?”
In other words, I see this fandom as one that prods us to think critically—a skill which is clearly lost on the average denizen of the Internet. (If you don’t believe me, just look at the comments thread of any political news story. No discussion of the caliber of that in Two Words.) Which dovetails nicely into this next point:
2) It is one thing to be taught a certain way of belief. It is another thing, however, for your worldview to meet up with others’.
Nowadays, we don’t know how to interact with others.
A Republican meets a Democrat? Expect a shouting match. You might even hear accusations of being un-American.
A social conservative meets a homosexual? Expect the conservative to be called a bigot.
But hereabouts? We are encouraged to love and tolerate; we are all bronies, and not here to cause drama. And where there is disagreement, at least we know that there is another human being on the other end, not just someone behind a screen whom we can just call a “bigot” and walk away from. And sure, there are some closed-minded types among us, but this is no place where mere shouting matches are tolerated. The show teaches us those simple lessons on how to teach people like people. And the fandom reinforces that, though sometimes imperfectly. And when we allow ourselves to think critically and to engage other people as people, then we can go beyond “You’re a communist! You’re a Nazi!” to “You know, I actually agree with you on X, Y, Z” or at the very least “I don’t agree with you, here’s why.”
And, of course, this being a place full of quirky people, this is a fandom where I can find someone of similar mindset and similar interests—and where I have learned of different interests. It was this fandom that first introduced me to Magic: The Gathering, after all. It is thanks to this fandom that I made an actual close friend who has been around for over a year now. And even though the show is over, I hope that this fandom can help me find more. Not just gaming partners. Not just people who I get to talk to every now and again. But real, close, I-can-share-my-burdens-with-you friends.
So a big thank you to the MLP staff for creating the world that we all have loved to watch. Thank you to the intelligent, insightful authors and video creators that give different perspectives on this world. Thank you to the commenters that encourage us to not just go along like sheep, but who are willing to poke and prod at plot holes and contradictions. And thank you to everyone who took the time to read this, whether we end up becoming friends or not.
As always,
Love the truth, tolerate no darkness.
--son_of_heaven176
Hey. Appreciate the shout-out! And I agree with what you’ve written here, too. The show gave rise to the fandom, and both have done so much for so many, including both of us. We may approach the show and enjoy different aspects of it, but I’ve always appreciated your willingness to accept the things I enjoy writing and even offer some advice along the way. I’ve learned a lot about ye olde English thanks to you.
Your point is well-taken about not knowing how to interact with others or accept opposing viewpoints. There’s way too much about that nowadays, and sometimes it rears its ugly head even within the fandom, where certain people won’t accept any criticism of the show or any violation of their own private headcanon. Give and take truly seems to be a lost art at times, but I like to think I at least make an honest effort to practice it. I feel safe in saying that you definitely do.
So thanks for following, thanks for commenting, and above all else, thanks for reading along with my not-always-safe-for-work imagination. Your comments and efforts to help improve my stuff are greatly appreciated.
5143390
I hadn't noticed until today that you had commented. Perhaps something slipped through the cracks?
First off, thank you for commenting. Given that I don't have as big a following as other users on this site (then again, I'm no ponyfic author, but an editor and intermittent blogger here), every comment is appreciated.
Second:
Agreed. I recall that there was a quite ugly example of "no tolerance for headcanon violations" in an XCOM crossover fic on this site. But I'm pretty sure that that comment got its deserved downvotes, and once again, the fact that such a comment is a minority instead of commonplace is a testament to the caliber of writer and reader that can be found hereabouts.
As a wise person once said, "You can't shake hands with a closed fist."
No problem. You have your variety of stories, and I have every right to keep to your more safe-for-work offerings. Speaking of which, I know that I've been a bit behind on Firefly. I should get back to that sooner or later.
As long as there are stories to be told and people willing to read them, this fandom is nowhere close to dying. As you put it, Keep Calm and Brony On.