My first experience with MLP and MLP fandom · 1:07am Dec 14th, 2019
Hi everypony! I'm Quill Scroll, posting my first blog. I've written dozens of novels, but the one posted online here is the first to become closest to being published. The one here is appropriate enough, since is is MLP related, but also Doctor Who. I'm a fan of both shows, and I have Ponies with Pockets site to thank for that. In case you are interested in the multi-chapter full length notvel I posted on this site, click here: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/341565/Scroll/stories
On this blog, I wanted to explain how I got into the fandom, and what it means to me. The next paragraphs were posted to another on https://www.fimfiction.net/story/454789/remember#comment/9987367 first, but it occurred to me I should share it with everypony here who cares. This comment was in response to Flutterjackdash's confusion on what blind reactions were.
Basically, blind reactions are recorded reactions of others, almost elusively Bronies in this case of the MLP show, who recorded their reactions to watching each episode for the first time. If it includes a face cam, as most do, you get to see their facial and emotional reaction to the show when they saw it for the first time, and they often make comments on top of that about what they thought of the episode and each individual scene. I've watched many by now and their reactions are almost universally positive except for perhaps a few episodes of the show. In addition, a smaller copy of the episode itself is almost always located on their screen somewhere so that you can see and hear the episode along with them.
Reactions exist for many other content on the internet as well. From what I can tell, most of it is on youtube.
For me, watching them watch the show helps me to connect with the fandom on an emotional and intellectual level. For so many years I didn't understand what the Bronie fandom saw into the show until I realized I watched enough episodes myself and spontaneously decided that I might as well count myself as a fan after watching so many of the episodes, regardless of what other Bronies see in the show. Mind you, during this time, I read no twitch or twitter or youtube comments at all that would have given feedback about why they enjoyed the show. This is also why I didn't notice prominent background ponies either, something that got the fandom hyped but I never hung around them to notice it. I judged the show entirely on it's own merits, and I was still confused until midway through season 7 when I finally deiced, "You know what? Whatever. After seeing this many, I might as well count myself a fan too." At that point I no longer care what other Bronies saw in the show. Now I only care about what I see in the show, and . . . it's good. Keeps me coming back.
Ironically, shortly after I said that, I discovered Blind Reactions (also known as blind commentary) which finally answered the question I always sought. After finally deciding I was a fan for myself, my question was finally answered when I watched others watch it for the first time and tracked them from the beginning to . . . wherever they left off on. Watching their emotional reactions made me more emotional, and it was at that point the show became something really special to me. Watching others joy magnifies my own, and kind of makes me feel like I'm watching it for the first time as well. It brings back that nostalgia while also adding something new each time. Some of them are pretty funny too, but that depends on your sense of humor as well.
By this point I've watched so many that I have noticed common patterns, like pretty much all Bronies still cringe at the show's opening theme song, especially when the watch season 1, episode 1 for the first time. You don't know how many times many of them said at that point in various different ways, "Oh God! What am I watching? Why am I doing this to myself?" But the story always ends the same. They get hooked despite the cringe factor, and the rest is history.
So, now that you know, you can write to Princess Celesta about the lesson you learned today, perhaps to be followed up by a dozen of other related letters. From what I can tell, she doesn't mind being spammed in this regard.
From this point on, the next paragraphs are beyond the post on Flutterjackdash's site.
If you read my story, which really is a love letter to the fandom for all that I've gained from it over the years, I'd love to know what you think. Beyond that, if you respond to this blog, let me know how you got into the fandom, what it means to you, and your most special moments. I'd love to discuss it, if you're interested.
Well then, I'll just repeat my own replies from that comment thread:
I may look into that, certainly. I don't think I'd be comfortable sharing that of myself though. I've... cringed at the intro, but never questioned what I was watching. The evolution of my fanship is interesting, because it began with Keanu Reeves...
It was a meme, that depressed Keanu Reeves one, on the bench? And in this meme, there's Lyra sitting next to him, Bon-Bon laying beside the bench, and another pony (I honest'y don't remember which) next to her, and it is divided into frames, with each frame showing one elss pony, until the punchline indicates that Keanu eats his feelings, implying he ate those ponies.
And I fell in love with the art style of those ponies, and I thought that whoever did that concept of them must have been a genius. Didn't know it wasn't fanart at that time.
So, fast forward a week or so, and I'm flipping through television when I stumble upon the HUB Network, and there's Rarity being taken by Diamond Dogs... My first episode, partial at least, was that. The next one was Fall Weather Friends, and it was my first full episode.
After that? I started looking around, and I found a fantastic story on DeviantArt called "Of Heroics and Ladylike Behavior" that was brilliantly written, a RariDash ship that made sense in the context of the episode "Sonic Rianboom". So I looked up more, and I found another story called "A Summer Twilight" which had my cry my very first (but far from last) tears, then I found Thanqol's "Yours Truly", and later on found Cloudy Skies' works, and I positively loved them. Then Donnys Boy, Warren Hutch, fellstorm, and so many more just popped out. I had a thing for sad fics, tended to favor those most of all.
But there's more, I found Aviators, MandoPony, and others on YouTube (and to this day I have that stuff on an old MP3 player, including the music videos).
I just kept getting deeper and deeper in.
Naturally, I downloaded the first season, and started following as new episodes came out with the second season (for when I had joined the fandom, the second season had not yet premiered, though it was only a short time later that it did.) I kept downloading each new episode, and collected all of the first 2 seasons.
Fond memories.
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Thank you for sharing . . . again. :)