BronyCon After Action Report: Faith of The Heart · 6:06am Aug 7th, 2019
“It's been a long road,
to get from there to here.
it's been a long time,
but my time is finally here.
And I can feel a change in the wind right now.
nothing's in my way.
and they're not gonna hold me down no more.
no they're not gonna hold me down.
'cause i've got faith of the heart.
I’m going where my heart will take me.
I’ve got faith to believe.
I can do anything.
I’ve got strength of the soul.
and no one's going to bend or break me.
I can reach any star.
I’ve got faith,
I’ve got faith,
faith of the heart.”
Yeah I know I know wrong fandom. Plus I’m a black sheep for liking Enterprise, and liking the pop song theme to boot!
But for some reason, even as the Con began, this song was stuck in my head. By Day 2, I knew it was going to be the end of my blog series. So, let’s wrap it all up, shall we?
So, why am I getting all philosophical to finish off my blog series? Well, that’s simple: none of us went into BronyCon 2019 thinking it wasn’t going to be important for the fandom. We knew this was the last time it was being held, that the end of the show itself is neigh, and that we are taking part in important milestones in our lives with the show. So, really, it was always going to be a intense and important experience that we’d have to unpack at some point.
So what were my take always from the convention? Well, firstly I will say that this convention and TrotCon before it have if anything reminded me why I love being a Brony. Nowhere else do I find such accepting, tolerant, and loving people. One might argue that means I’m not looking or trying hard enough in some of my other fan communities, but I really enjoy having a sense of community without really having to work at it.
I think much of what makes this fandom great is that it is diverse. I wholeheartedly agree with Bonnie Zacherly’s assertion that “I don’t like places where it’s all women or all men at the table. I think men and women need to interact.” . We are so accepting of people of all kinds, be it LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, or just plain old weirdos. Partly I think that’s because we accidentally run up against much of the same bigotry as they often do although to a lesser severity and on a absurd level at that. But the empathy we’ve gained from that has helped us I think. The more people of different backgrounds interact, the more new friendships can be forged and conflicts put aside. I think the strong commitment to friendship is part of what makes us great. At these cons I’ve made new friends, and strengthened old friendships.
Secondly, there does seem to be a anxiety tinged with hope for the future of the show and the fandom. That’s only natural and as long as nobody wigs out we’ll all be fine. Maybe it’s because I joined the fandom in 2012 and saw the show “ending” with Season 3 and Equestria Girls. Bit I’ve accepted that the series would end eventually, although its passing is still sad. BronyCon ending too is for some a double whammy. But speaking as someone who was there, I think this get together really said a lot about the community. We came together as best we could to be at BronyCon one last time, and made a new Academy record in doing so. Checking my Facebook (yes I’m old!) it seemed like everyone in the Brony groups I follow made the Con this last time.
Now, there were some interesting trends that were shown in this convention and it will be interesting to see where they lead. We are seeing a trend of integration, or perhaps more accurately discovery by the regular adult MLP and the Brony fandoms. There seems to be a growing interest in previous generations of pony among us, and though the jury is still out on the old animations there does seem to be a robust interest in the old toys by many. But equally, the majority of the MLP fandom as a whole is/are G4 fans now, and I suspect that we will drive much of the fan culture for years to come.
The show staff really emphasized the importance of the sincerity of the shows message and our fandom cum social movement and how it changed them for the better. I was glad to hear that thought being voiced and or lifted my spirits.
Honestly lately I have felt like perhaps the kind of way of life we lived in 2010 has been passing from the world. Lately it has felt as if despair and cynicism have begun to consume what hope we may have felt back then, as our current leaders drag us in chains back into the darkest moments of our past.
But to me, sincerity, morals, and ect aren’t the meta-narrative of the fandom, or this convention. To me, that narrative is one of growth. Our fandom has grown not just in size, but been a facilitator for personal growth for both ourselves and those who produced the show. Some of have overcome great obstacles, or even begun to raise new generations thanks to the show. Now, our ranks will soon be bolstered by the generation that grew up on the show and have hopefully internalized much of its teachings.
So as a growing fandom, not just in numbers but in spirit, we now ask ourselves what it means to be a Brony? Are we just TV show fans? Well, maybe. OGM will complain here about “No True Deadheads”, no doubt. But are we? Being a Brony, I’d argue, has been transgressive. It required a commitment to say that “yes I like a cartoon about pretty pink ponies and I’m an adult... and a dude at that!” (At least for those who are male). That wasn’t and still isn’t an easy thing to admit. And it makes me sad that almost a decade on there are still those who make it not OK to say this publicly. And what sets us apart from say Game of Thrones fans is that we are attracted to the show for what it teaches us about ourselves. Sure, we love magic battles, romance, an dragons as much as the next nerd but we also like sometimes being told to be better people by a yellow Pegasus who is having tea with her bunny. In so many ways, we are absolutely alike the many toy and cartoon fandoms out there and that is a good thing to keep in mind in order to not loose perspective when faced with drama and also to build ties with other communities. But we are also unique, in many ways, and going forward it is important to keep in our hearts and minds exactly what it is to be a Brony, too.
It was strange to be present at a juncture in history, and be both inside and outside the action, at closing ceremonies. There was almost too many emotions to process for everyone there, but yet in spite of it the ones we seemed to express most were friendship and community. And that I thought meant more than anything else that weekend. When faced with adversity, when given a chance to say goodbye, we opted to rally one last time and I was glad, neigh proud to be part of that effort.
Anyhow, philosophical ramblings aside, I really enjoyed this con. Even though this was the end of BronyCon it was if anything another begging for me in the community with my first story getting reviewed, my first time at the Gala, and my first time blogging a really long and big convention. I got to see Lauren & Bonnie for the first time on a panel and ask them questions and a whole host of other wonderful experiences. Although the future of the fandom is uncertain, I also think for me it’s unexpectedly bright. My experiences in the fandom lately have been super positive and honestly make me miss not always being around nothing but Bronys all the time because the experience is just so positive. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did and I hope to see everyone again! In the meantime, let’s remember that friendship is magic!
well said :)
To echo PP, indeed, well said
I do have to say, I haven't felt as despondent as I thought I might with BronyCon closing and our much loved series completing its long and illustrious run. I truly believe it's because this show and the lovely, wonderful people in the fandom which it has inspired will not fade. The lessons we have each learned from the show are, and I feel, always have been in the heart of each of us. Despite all the cynicism and hate in our world today, we continue to hold onto and try to live the core message of the show. We treat each other and everyone we meet and know with dignity, respect and kindness. We are generous and loyal. And to the best of our individual abilities, we spread the idea that friendship can and does make a tremendous difference in the world, both in Equestria and in our own.
Or, this could just be the NyQuil talking...I have con crud and need some sleep!
But in all sincerity, I love this show and even more the fandom and the wonderfully amazing and talented people in it. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being all you are and can be. And thank all of you for allowing me to be a part of you. This will for be my greatest accomplishment and I am proud to be with all of you and call myself a Brony.
5101332
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed my post. Sorry to hear you are under the weather, get well soon!
5101454
Thank you. Just need some rest and I'll be back to form soon. BTW, enjoy your reenactment. I like to see pictures of you don't mind.
I never liked Enterprise that much, but dang if that theme song didn't make me want to become an astronaut every time I heard it.
5101568
Oh, I plan to have a blog post up on it soon.
In the meantime, I'm pictured here with my cannon crew: https://www.ohio.com/news/20190811/north-battles-south-at-hale-farm-amp-village. It's the first picture at the bottom, I'm the fluffy haired one staring intently at the vent hole of the gun.
It was super fun out there... but I'm quite behind on my writing now!
5105498
I saw it! Man, I bet that is a lot of fun but I know it's hot in those uniforms in the sun!
Looks like you all had a great time.
5105566
Link to the blog on Hale! Enjoy!