The Stages of Bronyhood by Dark Chocolate · 7:59am Jun 12th, 2016
This is a small entry I wrote for how MLP changed my life. It includes the stages of becoming a hardcore fan.
I used to be a very angry, dark person. Ok fine I still am..sort of...it’s complicated. The point was, before watching the show, all I really felt was anger with sprinkles of hope. I didn’t trust people, I saw the world as some horrible sick place that I wanted nothing to do with, and deep down I was just plain miserable. My girlfriend at the time ended up getting me into the show. Before her, I had seen one or two episodes but it didn't really catch on with me. We ended up watching the crap out of it as we babysat my nephew and niece. As we watched, my fandom grew in multiple stages:
Stage 1: Watching the show, and being in denial about the quiet enjoyment you get out of it. I mean, how could you? It's just a kids show. Well no it’s not, it’s far more than that, but it’s not easy to explain how five seasons worth of content comes across.
Stage 2: Acting apathetic about it, but feeling this strange longing for more. This can be accompanied by a flare of excitement/hope when you hear others talk about it, even though you probably downplay your involvement in the show.
Stage 3: actively catching up in the show either by yourself or with another. You still have yet to be open about your participation in MLP.
Stage 4: You have found a favorite character, and know most of the cast and history. You are now open about your fandom even if you don't necessarily go out of your way to express it.
Stage 5: You can’t wait for next season, and may have taken to writing fanfiction.
Stage 6: You would give up everything to live in Equestria.
Stage 7: You begin building a machine to open up a portal to Equestria.
Stage 8: You got the notice from your landlord that you can’t have a crane on your property so you shelve the idea for now.
As I kept watching, I felt something stir in me. The lessons in the show were simple, yet seeing them in front of me with the characters I had come to know, helped them stick. I used to just yell back at people who were jerks to me, but I’ve now come to utilize the new strategy of findng out why they did what they did. Someone laughing at you, could be due to numerous things:
-they don’t know they're being mean/it came across poorly
- they’re insecure and that’s the real focus of their comment
-They lack some basic social skills
-They were raised to act that way and simply don’t know any better
-They’ve never had a friend so this is all they know
-They’ve had a crappy life and are taking it out on you
The list goes on and on and I'm sure you think this list is pretty obvious but let me ask you this: when is the last time you stopped in the moment to wonder why someone did what they did instead of lashing back? After a while I stopped getting so mad, and started understanding that no one is perfect. It was as if I was relearning all the lessons I was taught as a child, because those lessons got buried beneath the harsh cruelty of life and quickly became irrelevant.
Gradually this understanding festered in me, and I slowly became less angry, and opted to be more understanding. I honestly feel better, I see good in people, and I actively try to make the world a better place. To top it off, here are my three reasons to watch the show.
#1 It has been noted that a lot of people who have emotional disorders, have found comfort in the show. I can’t explain it, but watching the main characters solve problems using emotions like mercy and forgiveness, sort of re-enables your faith in humanity. They remind you that in a world turned upside down, you can still find peace, even if it’s just in you. You don’t have to be angry, and not everyone who acts mean is a bad person. Sometimes just finding out why they did what they did, is enough to quiet the part of you that just wants to scream back.
#2 While it may come across as just a kids show, it stands on it’s own two legs. It’s jokes can be enjoyed by any age, since they rely on actual humor, not just sound effects and goofing off. They’re the types of jokes that wouldn’t do them justice to type them out, but trust me, they’re there. Don’t get me wrong, the show has plenty of goofiness, but it’s not the same mindless crap most kids are force fed. It’s the funny kind of random, not the “trip and fall” type.
#3 “That show is so stupid and it’s just a cartoon for little girls!” Right, as opposed to the vast selection of high quality entertainment on t.v.? Let's be real: most shows nowadays suck. The Discovery channel has started scraping the bottom of the barrel, and most sitcoms follow a predictable formula set for gaining the most views. This show has a pretty decent plot, and avoids killing off characters left and right. The show revolves less around revenge, and more about finding out who did what and why. You’d be surprised how interesting it is to find out the backstory of a villain. This is also how the show reinforces forgiveness and understanding, as opposed to yelling back at someone who’s a jerk.
Thank you for reading! Sincerly, Dark Chocolate
It's truly amazing how this fandom has changed people…
i never thought that a little girl's cartoon show could really enjoyable, from soldiers to teenagers, the show's focusing on solving the problem, not by eliminating the person who did it.