On fandoms dying. · 1:11am Jul 29th, 2019
I sometimes think, every time I see a blog post saying that "the fandom will end", it's basically a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Much like Equestria Daily's "fanfiction-off" button, it seems like a basic validation of those that just have that negative outlook on things and expect shit to end because of the show. It's not, "the fandom will continue!" or "The fandom will change with the times!" it's like, the end of a series spells the end of the fans in one fell swoop.
Well. I don't buy into that shit. I'm sorry. It's BS. Those people? They don't deserve to call themselves fans of anything they treat with such contempt. The fandom is not made for an individual, it's made by individuals. If the only thing keeping you there is the cartoon, then don't pretend to be part of a community.
If you are a fan of something just because it's popular, then you're not a fan. You jumped into the bandwagon for cheap thrills and because you think that way you'll become some sort of internet "influencer" of some sort. Which is BS too because you could do 17 different things for a fandom and not get recognized once, while someone that does the one thing without any risks or personal investment suddenly becomes horse-famous. In other words, if that's what it means to you... it's cheap, it's fake, and it's not actual love of a thing.
Maybe it's because I've been around the web before some people here were even born. But I know a real fandom doesn't just die because a show is over. Real fans are passionate and dedicated. Even if their lives take them in other directions, their love and appreciation of their show/book/movie/singer remains.
The Beatles didn't have social media. They didn't have the goddamned internet. They broke up ages ago, and only two are alive. And yet, there's Beatles' fans all over the place. Much more recent, and more related to our situation: Ranma 1/2 finished years ago. The manga and the anime. There's no reboot to stoke the flames of n00bs. And yet, fanfics still are written. Art is still created. Fans still look for statues, or books, or CDs.
I don't know what to tell you all about this "Doom and Gloom" that comes with the anticipation of a series ending. It's not the end of your friendships. It's not the end of your stories. It's not the end of thousands of words to come. It's not the end of your groups or gatherings. It's the end of a show, which will change forms and start anew, which it has done half a dozen times already.
Sure, there's people that will jump out of the boat the moment it finishes, because "there's nothing new" coming out. Really? What do you think this place is? An archive of retellings of the TV show? Or a place where we have explored and continue exploring "what-ifs"? We've built a place that produces generally speaking some of the best fan-fiction online. And it's not just because it's "mlp!", but because we've had feedback, we've dealt with morons that can't grasp story-structure, or think that everything should be "10000% as innocent as the show!", or simply follow you to downvote everything you do, just as we've dealt with honest critics who offer real feedback, people that dislike your story not because they're petty little jackasses but for a legitimate reason, and the ones that are there to support us writers with kind words an enthusiasm.
Fandoms don't die if the people that built them are still passionate. Fandoms never stop as long as one artist can draw, one musician can compose, one writer can write and people out there see/hear/read what they do.
Tell me, does the show ending mean that Fallout: Equestria was never written? Does the show ending mean that Ranger isn't a story I wanted to tell?
Of course not.
So stop the doom and gloom blogs about how "it will end! Bwaaaah!" and learn to mature a fandom past its beginnings.
Amen.
Ah've been on this fandom since season 2, and a'm not gonna giv'up on this one ever! (I say with the biggest southern accent I can do)
To quote bulk biceps. "YEAH!"
I have had this very conversation with many pony fans. I have pointed out Star Trek, Firefly, and even shows like Battlestar Galactica as examples.
Fandoms don't die,..will it change yes, will it morph a bit yes. Will we likely end up folded into the furry/sci-fy fandoms, yep. However no, it won't die out.
Very well said. I, for one, am not going anywhere.
(At this point, I'm not sure if I could.)
*Applause* Well said!
Star Wars fans persisted decades between films. Lego fans didn't have a movie for more than half of a century. There are still people who make stories about shows like Dexter's Lab, The Last Airbender, Samurai Jack and other shows that ended years ago.
Why would the appreciation for the show end because there's not going to be anymore episodes?
Yeeaaaaah...
I'll have a soft spot for ponies for the rest of my life because of this show and this place.
Can't change that by ending a show. Nnnope. It don't work that way.
I think the biggest thing for some people (myself included) is that there won't be any more official material for inspiration. Yeah, we can work off each other, but it's also nice to have something concrete we can all be inspired by and build from.
Now, who knows what G5 will bring. If it's any good and continues in the tradition of FIM, then I think some of us will have some fun trying to reconcile the two series.
But, yeah, from what I've noticed of fandoms, they may get smaller, but they don't really go away.
Star trek has been around for years. It never died.
This is definitely where I'm at. I'm here for the long run.
I have to say I was doing good until about a day ago when Twitter suddenly filled up with "it's the last BronyCon" tweets and I also --for reasons I have no idea why I did this-- looked at the FimFic site stats and saw the declining new accounts and story submissions over the last few years.
Now, I have a sad. I kinda let my guard down for that moment and, it hurt.
No, we're not going all spontaneously go away, but I do know that what was is coming to an end and what will be is just beginning. It's scary. I'm not gonna lie, the last few years have been great for me - after a few decades of being bored with fandoms in general, I found one that made me happy to be part of the "herd" again. I'm really gonna miss the flood of new stories after each new episode aired, but we're not going anywhere, we'll still be right here.
And I know that the stories will keep on coming.
(Besides, the fandom's not allowed to die until after D finishes Sweetie Bell Chronicles.)
You are exactly right!
You've just said what I have been thinking and what I mentioned, quietly, at Everfree. The members of this fandom that love the message of the show, the art and fan fiction stories and music that it inspired are here for more reasons than just the show itself. It is the individuals that we've come to admire and many times become friends with. It has motivated and inspired so many to explore and sometimes reinvigorate others to create again.
But to me, as Pasicote said in his recent post, it is the friendships, the people who mean the most to each of us.
The show brought us together. The Magic of Friendship has and will keep us together.
One of my plans for bronycon is to record as many bronies as I can laughing at the question and then complie it into a video titled "Is the Fandom Dying????"
Because the concept that this fandom can die with so many active supporters of it is ridiculous at best. And you're right, if you're asking yourself that question you havent even been paying attention to the fandom, much less participating.
Damn right!
Fandom history supports this. As far back as 2011, people were saying the fandom wouldn't survive the hiatus between the first and second seasons. Then the appearance of Cadence was clearly a shark-jump. Then it wouldn't survive the inevitable (!) cancellation after its 65th episode. Then Alicorn Twilight was the shark-jump. And on and on.
When the show's over, we'll fill the void with our own creativity. The ride isn't ending; it's just switching locomotives.
I’m with you on this Wanderer, this fandom isn’t going to die, we’re gonna be just fine.
I'll definitely stick to this site, the music and the friends I made from the fandom.
Even my gaming group started out as a series of Pony Tales campaigns. It's where my avatar is from.
At certain points I've even kept reading here when I was more than a year behind on the show. Definitely not going to change even if there's no new episodes.
I am here for the long run to I never came here because of the show anyway.
5095827
...as much as CBS tries, but that's neither here nor there.
5095829 The question I have to ask is "Why is it the last BronyCon?" Was it a thing Hasbro owned completely and lives/dies at the behest of their marketing department, or was it fans of an amazing, adorable, unabashedly fantastic show giving other fans a place to be fans? </my2cents>
Equestria Girls is officially finished. This has been announced. Does that mean we're not allowed to love the red-headed stepchild Hasbro managed to make me love?
I gave up on watching the show after Season 5. I'm still here because the fanfics are still fun, the fan art is awesome, the fan made music is amazing, and everyone keeps taking the good aspects of the recent seasons and doing stuff I like with it. All the show ending will mean for me is that I don't have to look up "who the heck is this new pony?" every week or two.
1. Why can't I give likes to blogs?
2. I may be terrible when it comes to staying consistent with my writing and updates, but I intend to stay here until either this site dies or I do.
5095826
That doesn't scare me any. Back in S1-2, we made entire worlds around background characters (some of which seeped into the actual show). IMO, the "fan-favorite character of the week" has (if anything) been bad for creativity, as people keep jumping on the bandwagon instead of exploring the edges of the world together.
I said I'll die with the herd and I mean it. Besides, Dragon Ball Z's been over for years now, and its fandom is still thriving (GT and Super don't exist. Shhhh)
It's as if they thought workers died the day they retired. Tut, tut.
People always get mad when I say stuff like this. :B
I ain't quitting it... not now motherbuckers!
MLP is literally my religion. Think about it. Never before in all of history has man written so many words about Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, or Friendship. Every fic on this site has something to say. Even the really terrible ones can show what it is not.
5095867
5095858
Bronycon is ending because it was dying, regardless of the show. Attendance was down by 50% from 2015. That makes it hard to afford something like the Baltimore Convention Center. Rather than try to keep it alive somewhere else, those in charge decided to end on a high note; one final blast. And, I applaud them. This will be glorious. At the same time, it's sad.
BUT! in the wake of BC's demise, there are other cons that will take the spotlight. There's a new one in Ocean City, MD that is starting up NEXT YEAR called Seaquestria Fest. And other, smaller, established cons will shine brighter with nothing to overshadow them. I'm looking forward to that as well.
As for EQG, it's not 100% set in stone, at least not per the updates from those in charge of the show on Twitter today. But, it's safe to assume it is until proven otherwise. But then, that's where we come in - to help keep that stuff alive.
5095867
No. We just get mad when you spout nonsense like, "don't fluff the batpony."
Otherwise, nobody listens do you.
5095875 Ah! Good to hear others are continuing. I'm not in the US, and not able to travel, but I hadn't heard they were having actual trouble keeping it going.
5095877
There are many other conventions around the world and I have not heard of any others closing yet. I'm sure they will, or they will change to be inclusive of other fandoms, but ponies will always have a place somewhere.
Especially here.
(Or in my closet. No, don't open that. Seriously. Don't.)
I see the show end mean now the fans can finally see where can are all the holes they can use their imagination to fill them. No more contradicted future reveals that caused some authors to edit their stories later on. The foundation has already been solidly laid so there is no reason not to continue going up. As long as people's imagination doesn't stop, I believe any fandoms will not end.
And as long as this fandom continue to chun out good stories, I don't see the reason why I should stop visiting.
Dammit!
...I was gonna write this blog.
Is this aimed at someone in particular? I feel like this is aimed at someone in particular.
5095837
Hey man, I'll put in my two cents, sounds like a hoot!
5095875
I honestly wouldn't be too broken up about doing this somewhere other than Baltimore. Getting my travel arrangements made hasn't been the cheapest thing I've ever paid for, and various travel advisories haven't exactly painted a glowing picture of the place.
I'd quite prefer to be taking a vacation that doesn't come with a non-zero chance of a complimentary mugging.
5095899 Nope, just seen a lot of this in chats, etc.
5095901
Ah, you're not part of the Writer's Group then? We had a guy in the forum petty regularly before he got thrown out.
I'll still be a fan even after the show ends.
Honestly the "doom and gloom" people have been fouling the air since around season 3. I've been tired of them for a long time.
5095910 This is true, yet here they are, coming out of the woodwork.
I absolutely agree with you, fandoms will never die as long as the fans are still here.
I've been a part of this fandom for nearly 9 years now and i can wholeheartedly say that i agree. Sure there will always be that bit of pain when it ends but we endure and move on. Be it stories, art, music, or whatever, the hear and soul of what made this fandom thrive wont fizzle out anytime soon. Not with the minds and hearts of those who remember it
I discovered Ranma ½ roughly a decade after it ended, and I loved it no less.
The only "decline" i see here is that the most active production of fics seems to have shifted away from the types of fics I like to read, and that's just a matter of taste and not something I have any authority to complain about.
Fandoms change. (That said, I do wish I could find more fanworks with that "late 80s/early 90s college/university geek culture" feel that I got tastes of in various Usenet-archived fan- and original stories.)
These aren't something made for a dying fandom.
i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/512/990/851
I'm of mixed opinions on the show itself ending, but ultimately it matters precisely jack and shit to whether i'll stick around.
I spent nearly a year just reading stories on this site before i actually started watching the show itself; to me knowing what happens in the show is merely useful context for better understanding the finer details of these stories, who the characters are in their canon form and personality, and how the various fan interpretations of them on this site diverge in strange and often interesting ways from that starting point. Doubly so when the fanfiction writers on this site often seem to put far greater care and consistency into these characters and events, than the show writers themselves seem to do at this point.
I’ve been involved in online Transformers communities since 1996. Ain’t never gone anywhere.
Agreed 100%. People need to take initiative and create interest in the things they love, instead of waiting around for the next trend.
I know I'm not going anywhere. I've still got too many things to write.
If Galacon yesterday was any indication, then we'll have a very lively community right up to the release of G5.