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Mandopony is also a ped0. He was always around Michelle Creiber too (applebloom's v/a) and it creeps me out more knowing he was around a minor at conventions.
Pinkie Pie is a way richer character than what you put her as. Her family is very much an analogy for an Amish family household and her entire character arc revolves around her finding her own identity asides from her past. Out of the mane six, Pinkie is one of the few who's given such a solid straightforward character base, her entire development showing how she learned to love herself and embracing what makes her happy (which is bringing happiness to others)
so true. because of her silliness, it's easy to write off pinkie as the goofy one and that's it. but watching the show reveals she's more than that or (from what i've heard people say) an example of toxic positivity. finding her laughter and discovering her passion for bringing joy to others got her where she is and she's happy, and for kids, the target audience, that's a pretty great lesson
I remember watching RUclips back then when it was good and I saw the Pinkie Pie Simile Smile Smile song remix and little me though, "Oh this is nice." Before witnessing Pinkie killing off her friends. My reaction was like the little girl at the end of Wreck-It Ralph 2
My friend took me to her computer and was like “Hey look at this hilarious mlp video I found!” I thought it was cute until Pinkie offed her first friend. I remember just slowly walking away lol
@@sporkles7427 I miss the old RUclips, no matter how much MLP stuff scared us with Cupcakes, The smile smile smile remix, and Rainbow factory. It was still classic stuff
@@Shadowilum True. I remember the Rainbow Factory video scaring me, but even at a young age I still thought it was a pretty cool concept. Like, these seemingly innocent ponies have a dark secret where they take the colors from ponies and turn them into rainbows. Not the most creative thing in the world but still pretty interesting
Pinkie was always portrayed as a psycho serial killer in those kinds of videos lol. Funny thing is that they aren’t too far off with how outlandish she is- a cryptid in every sense but name.
MLP G4 literally shook the entire world within the first season and no one could escape it. Once the second and third seasons came out, it was just pure chaos. Some good, some bad. Some amazing, some deprived. It was just an extremely crazy decade for a show that Faust just wanted to be for everyone, instead of just for little girls 😂
I still have flashbacks so badly when hearing the word pony when its connected to the show i still wont forgive these other people for what they have done to pinkie
Dude, even though I didn't like this content before but it's just normal adult content like pinkamena they didn't make a major mistake because they portrayed characters differently from the show...
Honestly some of the older fanfics could be possible if it wasn't meant for kids because each of the main six had their mental breakdowns like pinkie in a party for one or however the title was written
The internet did to MLP what the internet does to everything Make it edgy or gruesome I remember being in late middle school and early highschool so that content was ripe for my edgy teenage phase lol Plus the internet still being the wildwest era ment that the content was more creator driven than monetary driven so people were allowed to express themselves for better or worse. You can tell the people who made these scary or gory MLP animations intended them for an adult only audience (Honestly this content isn't as bad as the stuff you see on RUclips kids which are explicitly targeted towards kids when they shouldn't be)
You and I had similar entrances through the fandom. I was in Highschool when I started liking MLP and would read some of the biggest horror stories that were made. That completely screwed my perception of the show and it still messes with me nearly a decade later. My biggest regret to this day about joining the fandom is entering it through the dark and gritty stuff instead of watching the show and liking it like everyone else. Lost a lot of friends and people close to me cause of it.
@@speedy7892 I did enjoy the grim dark stories but I mostly enjoyed the show and all the cute stuff that came from it too I was more ashamed in showing my sensitive side if anything cause it wasn't "masculine"
I remember when a lot of the gore videos had no warning and the parents got blamed for children seeing the gore even though it was made to look EXACTLY like the show Edit: i am aware that parents could have done more to monitor what their children see on the internet. I’m just talking about some of the videos that didn’t have warnings at all (and were made to look like the show.) (I believe in the video “derpy gets pranked” there is no warning, but correct me if I am wrong.)
Why was a kid who couldn't handle that online by themselves. I grew up with the Internet unsupervised and it's 100 percent my parents fault. Because newsflash the Internet isn't safe for kids. It not the artist fault your parents ignored literally every show from the late 90's to now telling people the Internet isn't safe for your kids. But hey blaming artists is easier than calling out your stupid or lazy parents for a mistake they made.
@@Nickelbag610 I’m talking about the stuff made to look exactly like the show that had no warnings Not the stuff that openly admit to being horror or gore. I don’t think a parent will click on a my little pony video that has a normal looking thumbnail and looks normal for the first minute and think that it’s not safe for their kids However there are times where kids have watched videos with warnings and thumbnails that show horror and get scared but that’s not the artists fault in that case Edit: I’m not saying that it’s not the parents fault, some parents should have looked more. I’m not blaming every artist for making my little pony creepypasta stuff (I like a lot of the mlp creepypasta stories and art) I’m talking about the ones with bad intentions.
@@Why-ck4gf Then that's their fault too still. Just like it's the parents fault for letting their kids watch Chucky because it's about a doll. Or People going after Family Guy and South park because it was a cartoon that was volger ignoring the warning anyways. So no this is a pattern of parents just not paying attention. It's how stuff like Elsagate happened because even if the first video you click is fine because of how the website works it can take you down some weird rabbit holes. RUclips isn't like TV. It's not curetted and sectioned off like TV. And your parents thinking that is stupid. So again why were they not with you the whole time you were on RUclips. And if you were old enough to be on here without them like 13 and up(the site requires you to be 13 and up to begin with. hmmm little weird the site says not to make an account till your 13 so the whole site has its own warning your parents just didn't read it) why were you scared of Pinkie Pie killing Rainbow Dash or not clicked off once graphic parts stared if you were a teenager. Either way you slice it the site had its own warning but like most people your parents ( or possibly you) ignored that because ummm they were lazy and wanted to shut you up so they could do something more important than you.
As a Texan, I'm giving that yeehaw a 10/10 It's really refreshing seeing a video that covers both the good and the bad of the brony fandom without falling into the belief that the entire fandom is an irredeemable cesspool. There's a lot of genuinely wholesome, creative, chill people and content around. The creeps just tend to get the most attention.
I had no idea how much I need to hear this today. This fandom put me through so many ups and downs when I was a young. I got into it by chance, and then it just became a part of me. I know it wasn’t perfect, but it was special. Just made me tear up.
@@Doc2Gypsea that’s awesome, I got to the party beyond late. I sadly admit I used to judge the show though I never bullied anyone over it but I always scoffed when anything related to it appeared. Then one day I was watching animatics on RUclips and one used the song “Open Up Your Eyes” and I was shocked at how good the song was so I looked it up and I was like “IT’S FROM MLP?!?!” And so my brother who saw the theatrical movie thanks to his friends made me sit down and watched it after telling me it has Emily Blunt in it (I’m a huge fan of hers) and the movie was so enjoyable I watched the show and have been a fan ever since. Also if anyone is wondering what my favorite episodes are I love “Hearth’s Warming Carol” and any episode that features Discord.
This. Genuinely, thank you. Every time I see a video essay about bronies, I usually feel violently ill. That's not an exaggeration. I was shaped into a better person by this fandom; pulled from 4chan and a vitriolic community into one of tolerance and acceptance. I was a damn teenager when MLP hit 4chan, and when the Herd formed, I was one of the ones who went along with the ride, leaving 4chan in the mass exodus to find a place where kindness could have a voice. Yeah, our fandom isn't perfect. In fact, I think it's way more flawed than most. But considering the when and how of MLP, it's hard to not realize that it's a cultural zeitgeist ; a spirit of it's time of creation. MLP is the Wild West of the internet, in the days when censorship was non-existent and people just let themselves run wild. To this day, that seems to be the mentality of a lot of bronies.
Even in todays age kids are getting Smile HD recommended? I saw my 3 year old sister watching it! I was able to take the phone away before it got grotesque but it's so sad how the old years still haunt this childrens cartoon...
Discord started out as an asshole who treated Flattershy like she did, and then became the one who would kick Ranbow Dash's ass from the first season for teasing Flattershy
@@glasperle77The three most evil characters (including a literal child) got turned to stone for eternity (and it’s already been established that they hold consciousness all along that time) 😬
It was from Drawn Together by the character Princess Clara which is an adult show with Clara being a racist (Clara and Twilight share the same voice actor in Tara Strong)
Pinkie Pie had an episode in season 1 where she convinced herself that all her friends avoided and lied to her, leading to a scene where she went a bit crazy, seeming a tad scary, leading to stories like "Cupcakes". Hope that answers the question of why Pinkie Pie was the villain in lots of fanworks.
I think now that is one of my favorite episodes now. idk why but i find it funny when the character is just acting crazy (like the one with Twilight trying to find a friendship problem, but just decides to make one instead). Also a nice touch that her hair just deflates like a balloon when she gets depressed
i made mlp x stardew valley crossover fanart and posted it on reddit and got actual death threats multiple times over it T-T like people are crazy about hating this show it's nuts
As a brony in his late 20s, I still apologize to those scarred from the crazy satire media that buzzed around the internet in the past. The gen 4 show *is* actually good though in showcasing life lessons and just great entertainment quality!
I'm currently in the midst of untraumatizing my friend who never watched MLP because of Smile HD. I saw it around when it came out and it scared the hell out of me but as I got older, I kept the original song in my heart cause Pinkie is one of my kins lol. So it makes me sad when we watch MLP stuff and if I mention Smile, his mind immediately hits Smile HD. I've got a lot of work ahead of me.
I still have to make my pony sona for my younger self. But I feel like mlp just from the sheer volume of characters undertale is big, but mlp is infinitely bigger
@@shads4dadsgaming580 It's not productive to try and rank the level of autistic someone is, it's why labels like "high functioning" and "low functioning" are so heavily criticized now that there is a better understanding of ASD and many autistic people have shared their dislike of the terminology It's much more accurate to break it down by determinating support needs (basically, if one autistic person needs more support and accommodations than another). Since we have no real content that shows each pony's level of support needs, it's hard to determine. Though, I'm sure if you went on a deep dive analysis you may be able to form an opinion
Nothing got ruined. The show is completely fine to watch from start to finish. Internet spawns fucked up shit for basically any fandom or show. There is no escaping r34, fanfiction or edgy fan content. Those are the rules of the internet.
Finally someone gets it! What is this dumb trend i see on youtube on how various fandoms TRAUMATIZED entitre generations?! Who came up with this crap?!
And at least with fanfiction there are times where ACTUAL stories can be made that aren't either poorly written or just smut, even if they are rare on most sites, but the other two are best avoided whenever possible
you neglected to mention that Lauren Faust is the reason Thems Fightin Herds got revived, because she came and offered to make original designs for all the characters :] really neat and cool of her I think
even if i'm not in the fandom i'm glad i wasn't exposed to the gore stuff and the only mlp fanmade content i remeberd watching whercrossovers, like i remember watching a mlp and batman crossover, shit was crazy
My friend and I were around eleven when the show came out, and for some reason, she found the super violent videos hilarious and would try to get me to watch them. They terrified me and gave me nightmares, but I didn’t want to offend her so I wouldn’t say anything. Those really messed with me at that age.
12 yr old me being obsessed with mlp and creepypasta was the precursor to me loving this new infection au trend (that said the fact that a lot of the old creepypastas especially are so easily accessible by children is awful 💀) also on the other side of that coin i was scarred by mlp porn being so high in the results when i searched for fanart 😭
Honestly I’m so glad that the new infection aus have warnings and age restrictions so that gen alpha doesnt grow up watching their fave ponies get murdered, because 7 year old me should not have been watching sweet apple massacre while searching for mlp episodes
I use to watch this show, out of boredom doesnt make me a brony but I'll give the show some credit its entertaining. I also watched totally spies and powerpuff girls as well.
and remember it wasn't one jar but two due to him leaving it on the heater and having that jar stink up the room Yes I remember the story way too well and its something I wish I could forget
As a little girl, I really loved the older my little pony films. The 80s specials, My little pony tales, and I was also really fond of the G3 films that came out when I was the PERFECT age for it. I also had mlp toys and made up my own stories with them, making up personalities for all ponies. And then I came online and saw all of these grown men calling these previous generations, ESPECIALLY G3, "utter garbage", "how can anyone like this", "it's braindead". And I kinda felt like I was being judged for... being the aimed demographic for my little pony and enjoying the versions that weren't FiM (and FiM was great, too, but it was like "this is the ONLY mlp allowed, all the other ones suck"). Like, sure, G3 hadn't as high stakes, but it was happy, cozy, had great music, had MINTY and it entertained little me. Pardon for being a little girl who liked movies aimed at little girls. I'm sorry that it wasn't relatable to grown adult men who never was the main demographic to begin with. Bronies had made a bunch of cool stuff too, but then there is the gory stuff ofc and, what bothered me at least when I was younger really much, hearing everywhere I went online by these grown men that the previous generations, that I had so much nostalgia to, were trash and stupid.
No but fr what's with adult, especially grown men, thrashing kids show that weren't made for them in the first place. It's like me going to a McDonald's and ordering an Happy Meal, then complain because the burger is too small and that I only get a Capri-Sun and can't have a RedBull with it.
Generation 3.5 is the one everyone calls "trash" and "garbage" (because it is). It's objectively awful. The other generations aren't bad at all and even liked overall the fandom. You even admitted in your comment that you are blind to nostalgia. As the famous quote goes, "A children's story that cannot be enjoyed by adults is not a good story".
God all the animations u we’re showing gave me so much nostalgia it’s crazy how when the show came out I was only 7 and now I’m a artist because of the show. It gave me such motivation that I would draw ponies everyday and do to this day I still do even at the age of 20
This video is actually... really good. Ngl, I was worried this video wasn't gonna be super well researched as most who make videos like this watched only the first 3 to seasons of the show and only look in fandom's surface level. But this actually well researched. I'm an Mlp RUclipsr and have been for almost 6 years now, and I've been a fan of the show since I was 3 around the time the first 2 episodes were out. And I've been in the fandom as soon as I learned it had one. Mlp has been my primary special interest as an autistic person with ADHD and it means the world to me. Like you said in the video, Twilight is the literal definition of a neurodivergent person, and I completely agree. She's actually my favorite fictional character cause of how much I relate to her to a concerning amount lol. Hell, I made a whole essay in my English class about autism, gifted child burnout, the connection between the two, and why I think Twilight's autistic. Which I'm making into a video. I've seen all the good, bad, shit, and such from the fandom since a young age. I will not deny that this fandom has messed up some kids, quite the contrary, I honestly think it did and am glad people are talking about it. And even I've seen people deal with bigotry and creepy stuff in the fandom, and I've even dealt with stuff like this myself. But I also think this fandom has so much beauty in it if you could find it. I've made so many friends, coworkers, work, and such from all 13 or so years in the fandom, and I love it. I'm so happy to be in this fandom and that I could possibly make my art, voice work, covers, essay videos, and other work my full time job as some of my work has started to be noticed. And even a few friends of mine who also do Mlp content have started to gain recognition. I honestly am glad you talked in good depth on the show, the Mane 6 themselves, and the fandom. It's well put together and seeing this makes me hope you make more videos like this. Though you got one thing wrong... TANK IS A TORTOISE, NOT A TURTLE😡 /j (lol).
As someone who is also autistic and has ADHD, AND also loves and relates to Twilight, this is so nice to see! I hope you are successful in your work, you have more confidence than I do to put yourself out there with your passion, much as I'd like to do MLP related videos and try starting up an actual channel I don't think I'd ever be fully confident in taking the step, so good on you!
@@zavexcapricious2519Thank you, and you should try. You should try to do Mlp content. It's scary at first, but believe me, you start to get into it and feel the confidence more once you get used to it.
Hey man i wanted to say i love your videos alot, i found you a little over a month ago and i have been re watching all of your videos. They always make me laugh. I cant wait for more videos. I have even shown you to my friends and they love your videos also!
pinkie was was my fave as a kid and still is but when I saw cupcakes me and my friend were TRUAMATIZED and had took a while seeing pinkie the same. also side note I love g3
"Tank is a turtle" he is actually a tortoise because he lives on land at all times. Turtles can swim and need to be in water most of the time to not die. Not to mention Turtles has fins instead of legs so can not they walk. Tortoises don't have fins so they can't swim.
You are wrong. No turtle has fins, they have flippers or legs, or paddles. And all tortoises (Family: Testudinidae) are turtles (Order: Testudines), but not all turtles are tortoises. I use to think the same way as you just because I watched some RUclips video claiming those things, and I liked “correcting” everyone to sound like a smart-ass, but now I know I would ridicule myself if I kept saying the lies.
The videos that are purely for shock value and have no content warnings on them? Yeah, fuck that, but t fanfics and art with content warnings that are clearly written for the other adults in the fandom to explore dark themes? Yeah, no, those aren't actually a problem. (Lily Orchard's Stockholm is an exception, fuck that garbage.) Every fandom has grimdark tales, it's simply a matter of adding warnings to them so that those who aren't supposed to see them (kids) will hopefully be swayed away and not let curiousity drag them into something that'll scare or scar them. This fandom, like any other, can create amazing things, some of those things simply need to have a wall up between them and the audience before they can be viewed by anyone. Also, while the makers of those videos should be held accountable, the fact that RUclips didn't do shit about them simply because the videos included colourful characters is so insanely fucking dumb! Why have they not learned from all this shit yet?!
Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything: from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage. In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation. But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes. In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed... and never reopened. It was here you were born. It is here you will die.
I have not watched MLP in years (I mostly exist in the thomas the tankengine fandom) and I can say that lauran's approach was on fucking point about making a show for kids that everyone could enjoy. I am not saying one led to another, but I will say that my impression of MLP has increased after hearing more about it. One thing I lament in modern kids entertainment is the fact that it makes no attempt to be anything other than fluff for anyone above a certain age. A kids show that will last is one that understands that it needs to layer itself, so each age group can get something out of it while still being aimed at kids.
IMO we need more people who think and plan like Faust does, has that knack for finding talent to work with, in the franchise since it's clear the approach she had (and experience with the franchise growing up), as well as creativity, helped make it work. That, and continuing to appeal to a wide audience, making the show "for everyone."
Watched the show when I was a kid, it introduced me to the cartoon reviewer community and I decided I wanted to become a cartoonist when I grew up, got super depressed though and gave up on that dream until a few years ago. Don't have any interest in the show anymore but it is kind of crazy that I'm 18 now and my main goal in life is directly attributable to this show for 4 year olds
I remember I used to watch MLP and then watched ppl review the show, eventually it just became me watching the episodes with them for the first time with the ppl reviewing the show. Then I saw Smile HD and Cupcake idr how I came across it but I remember being so lost and confused after I watched it and saw ppl's reactions to it and they were equally confused af. I remember being a big fan of the show but like only collected art for like my iPad and phone and stuff, eventually I got over that phase and I unsubbed from all the RUclipsrs that I used to watch. I wasn't in the community anymore and technically I barely was since I only watched it and reviews. Then I remembered it existed since one of my ex friends basically liked MLP still and like then I kinda heard about all the insanity or at least most of it that.
I was a Brony. Luckily I was in my twenties and didn't have to worry about being bullied at school over it. I had some friends who found out and got me pony merch expecting me to react negatively, only for me to like what they got me. They kinda just accepted it, as long as I promised not to be 'weird' about it. I really enjoyed fan-made content like the Button Smash stuff and the Living Tombstone remixes. Some stuff, like Smile Smile Smile or Cupcakes, made me visibly cringe. I even had a MLP rp blog for awhile on tumblr, with my oc being a writer named Quillheart. Never got to go to any conventions for MLP, though. My convention money was mostly used so I can go to cons and volunteer to DM games of D&D Adventurers' League for WotC.
the 'basic fun' in product names is likely in reference to the brand, Basic Fun!, which remade older generations of MLP and new designs on old molds. They still sell MLP stuff, I think.
im 15 and ive started rewatching my little pony recently. im also autistic and i saw a video saying that all of the mane 6 are autistic or otherwise neurodivergent. thats another reason why i still like the show because i can see a lot of myself and my own neurodivergent traits in the mane 6. i dont know if that was intentional by the writers, but i do hope it was because my little pony was one of my favorite shows when i was younger.
simple.. Look at the pony character's designs. Seriously. I once simped rainbow dash when i was 10 because of how cool and cute she looks. (And also the rainbow hair lol) And that's how i understand why she was "ruined" by the "artists" as i get older and knew about "it"
Basically, if you give an anthropomorphic animal/object an appealing design and an equally charming personality, people WILL fall in love 😭 The FIM ponies are objectively adorable, Faust gave them designs that were somehow simple yet unique at the same time, and personalities that are just as loveable
but also, i sure enjoyed the horse hype while it lasted 😂 i remember when the brony and pegasisters thing started spreading like wildfire at my highschool, we all started collecting the plushies and the toys were everywhere. The conventions were insane. Aside from the fandom and gorey youtube content, the music and everything else that came out of it with all of the love and solidarity that it did was a wholesome and unique experience.
I remember seeing 'MLP sad' pics on google images when I was 11. I think it was rainbow dash sitting over pinkie's grave or something? Kinda traumatized me a little bit ngl but in 2020 I sat arond and binged the show cause I had nothing better to do lol.
Yk I've been a fan of you for a year now and my god I'd never would believe you'd make a video on a fandom that my brain refuses to let me leave(it's a huge comfort thing to draw lil ponies of my own for personal reasons) I joined around around the second season of the show basically still in diapers LMAO. I've seen some stuff in this community that I really SHOULDN'T have seen 😂. Like the .mov series and the infamous Cupcakes grimark(basically the communities word for "creepypasta"). I actually thank this community for getting me into horror content because, while this community is admittedly cringe I can never say they aren't creative when it comes to the grimarks story's Lovely video
I’m exactly with you. I was 6 in 2010 but joined the fandom late 2012 so I was probably 8 and I had limited access to the Internet. The fandom made me find a category of art of cute bloody vibrant multi color characters. I’m a digital artist and frankly I love grimwork. This show is my comfort show and one of my favorites. I don’t see the problem with the Internet’s gore or dark topics as long as they now give a content warning.
Thank you so much for making an unbiased video about bronies and the mlp fandom all together, I was one of those who was afraid to show my love for mlp for long because fear of rejection and hatred by people and my family judgement from others is an awful feeling, being hated for loving a show that’s an amazing show that has a giant fandom and brings people together is a wonderful thing, yes there was and is bad deplorable people in the fandom but there’s also lots of good people and the show has helped so many people including me find friends and community of people where people a brony and massive fan wasn’t a bad thing, like mlp or hate it the fandom changed the internet for good, even if some of it was bad there was so much creativity and passion from this fandom and still producing to this day, the fandom and mlp gen4 still lives on strong even with all the hate and stereotypes around us just goes to show how powerful and impact this show has been on the world. All fandoms how have some awful people in them that do awful things unfortunately but not all fandoms change the internet and society as a whole showing that it’s okay for a guy or an any adult to like an animated kids show that has lots of colors and is seen as a show for little girls.
Ngl, I thought you were gonna talk about the ongoing revitalized fandom that's happening right now on TikTok and Instagram lmao. The infection au that's been popping off recently absolutely reignited my fandom heart and honestly, they're too good at it. Fanart, lore, series, fanaccounts, and everyone pitching in to create their own side of the infection. It's all so amazing!
I came across MLP in the funniest way. Markiplier played a mod for SCP Containment Breach, which changed the SCPs into various MLP characters. He stated he was not a brony and had no issue with bronies. I got curious, and decided to try watching it, and I adored it. It's now my comfort show, and I have episodes I've hand picked to watch when I'm dealing with certain issues. Family or pet death? I go to the episode of Rainbow Dash coming to terms with Tank going into hibernation. There's many more as well.
Ya know I was a brony when I was younger not a rabid fan but loved the the show. the degenerates made me not like it anymore (if ya know ya know) people ruin things for others. I just remembered there was a mlp fallout fandom that wasent bad or just gross that was really cool
@@daiandregladney258I'm addicted to MLP Grimdark Audio Reads. I can't believe I can just sit there smiling and grinning when the most fucked up shit is happening in the story.
I've loved MLP G3 and G4 as a kid and still do as an adult (I'm 21). I remember seeing the gore shit at a sleepover and got traumatized and felt so sick I had to leave and never saw them again 😭
I actually got into mlp gen 4 because me and older sister watched mlp gen 3 when I was a toddler so I started watching gen 4 when it came out and so I been a fan since gen 3
I was on this topic the other day over Digital Circus and Stven Universe. There are certain fandoms, MLP, Monty Python, Steven Universe, The Owl House, Where the fandom gets HUGE on the internet. All fandoms have porn and creepy pastas , and shipping fics etc But MLP is one of a few that would not have grown its fan base if the fan art wasn't so popular. and also that when the fan art was out there it gave a bad 1st impression. And also, one of even fewer shows that fans actually put forth the effort to MAKE art of in the 1st place. Yes the dark and sexual stuff exists , and it gives a bad 1st impression to the series, but in a weird sort of way, it is the reason the series does well in the 1st place. It didn't ruin MLP, it saved it. Many people saw the show because the fan art got them curious. We live now in an era where fan art is made less frequently. Maybe the fans don't have the passion? Or maybe RUclips cracks down on this type of content and makes it not worth the effort? But we just don't see it any more.
Haven't gotten a chance to check out this video up until now, I'm honestly so glad that someone was willing to look deeper than the show appealing to just girls. I remember watching the show as a kid and unfortunately I was bullied excessively because of it and even taking a liking towards the toy collection of LPS which also had its own animated show like MLP. Considering I was bullied excessively that basically pushed me into throwing away my entire childhood. Looking back at the childhood and even realizing the show goes over so so many hard subjects while still appealing to children is out right jaw dropping. I don't know if I was jus not catching onto a lot of these themes or if I just forgot those even existed
My first (unfortunately there were more) traumatizing ex loved all the horrible parts of the MLP fandom. My other most traumatizing ex was also super into MLP. My two most datable friends also are but I whole ass can't full send it cause idk if I wanna pretend to care about the horses again
I was 14 when the show came out. I only decided to watch cause I saw a trailer and said "Awe I remember My little pony, I wonder what kind of show it will be" I had remembered having G3 toy and a few of the random specials. I meant to just watch the premiere like for nostalgia. But then I was surprised I liked it, and wanted to see the next episode. I had to wait for a year till I found people who liked the show outside the internet, as even then a 14 year old still watching cartoons would still get me crap from others. The show allowed me to make some new friends and my ability to come out of my shell a bit.
People will view things through the lens of their choosing and see what they want to see. I enjoyed the show and most of the fandom and fan creations. For me, it's easy to forget about the tiny minority that gave the fandom a bad name.
I was 8 when I started watching the show (around 2012). I didn't have Internet access for a solid few years but caught up with the fandom stuff eventually, too. The first few notes of the Smile HD still turn on my fight or flight response which tells me I was traumatised by it at some point. But overall, being in the brony community is the best part of my life, and I still cherish a lot of friendships that I've made in the fandom. Also I'm still drawing ponies lol. It's sad to see the fandom decay over time but the popularity of ponies seems to have kind of a resurgence now, because of nostalgia, I guess
Honestly when I saw the title, my brain resurfaced all those infection AUs I saw on Tiktok a while back. And you couldn't avoid them since the infection AU started (ironically) spreading to most other cartoon fandoms lol
I remember on another video i heard that one kid at a con thing that was an area specifically for kids and celestias voice actor was there. One of the kids said a meme outloud that included celestia (the meme contained language that of which a child shouldn't see) and celestias va was so upset that she told the parents to monitor what their kids are watching
Not a long-time watcher yet, but I've seen your videos here and there. I was apprehensive about clicking this one, but I was... kinda surprised. I was a closeted brony for most of my youth; I was a terminally online teen, with a bad case of "Down-With-The-System" Syndrome, and had gotten in with Anon in a bad way. At the time, I didn't realize how quickly I was careening towards a life of emotional instability and vitriol. And then the MLP /b/ craze began. I remember watching the show, laughing at it, but over time starting to actually sit down and watch it. I learned formative lessons from it, enjoyed the animation, the characters, and the stories. I started to realize that maybe I was wrong. And it was meeting a kinder, more accepting community that solidified those thoughts into reality. Pretty soon, I was hooked. But 4chan isn't a very welcoming place, especially to someone who has undergone such a drastic shift in their worldviews. I was harassed by my own "friends" cast out of just about every social circle within 4chan, and willingly left Anon when I realized I was a part of the problem. But it didn't end there. I commend those who had the emotional fortitude to be honest about their love for the show, to use those conventions as a way to grow and become better. It was only in 2016 that I finally stepped up and used a penname to write a few action or romance fics, all the while trembling that I would be hated and judged all over again. I never really publicly came out as a brony until a year or so ago, long after the craze had died down. I'm *still* scared to tell people, because of this atrocious stigma most video essays create about Bronies. They claim we're all filthy degenerates, who live to corrupt and destroy innocence. That we're just vile, deranged freaks, yadda yadda yadda... Honestly, I thought this video was just another one of those going in. I was glad to be proven wrong. People tend to forget, a *lot* of MLP creators moved on to do great things. BlackGryp0n, the voice of Alastor was a brony; one of the frontliners, in fact. He wrote and sang "Proud of be a Brony" back in the fandom's hayday, and it was that song that got me out of my shell. Living Tombstone, as you mentioned, also got their start there, but did you know that Silva Hound - the guy who made Addict for Hazbin, and several other songs - was also a brony and got his start among the fandom's music? And now there are massive projects that are a clear testament to the quality and skill of brony creators; look up Elements of Justice sometime. It's a gorgeous MLP x Ace Attorney crossover with a massive team behind it, good story and writing, quality art, VA work, and... well, everything is just great about it. I don't claim our fandom is perfect, but point me to one that is. I understand that bronies tend to be more polarizing as most, but if you really stop and consider it, MLP was the first massive online fandom to spawn in the age of the internet; we were shaped by it, but we also had way, way more eyes on us than normal. This also meant our fans came from a much larger walk of life. Rather than needing to gather at conventions to meet like-minded people, Bronies could just go to a message board. This led to a boom of creativity, both good and bad. I don't care what you say, the pony Music scene was and *still is* amazing. Go listen to some PrinceWhateverer if metal is more your thing, or JycRow is classical is the road you walk. Both are still active, high-quality musicians. Thanks for not just being vitriolic and hateful, Orange. For a lot of us, MLP helped shape us into better people. I feel like, if I hadn't had the show come into my life, I would've just continued down the path I was on, and likely been a far less well-rounded individual than I am today. It's nice to see someone take the time to recognize the good MLP has done, rather than just bury it under all the bad in an effort to put us all down.
How did i go from horror movie reviews to a video essay about internet horror to this video in the same amount of time it took me to beat Terraria from start to Mechanical Bosses
I remember I was deep in Creepypasta fandom( yes child me was obsessed over Creepypasta and I still am) And I came across the ….cupcake and rainbow factory stories.
i was v into mlp in middle school/early highschool. had tons of ocs i would make in the pony oc maker (iykyk), edit in microsoft paint, and post on deviantart lmao. i like to redesign my ponysona every few years, even now in my mid twenties. just to check in. you know, psychologically
26:12 yea it sucks but that’s why twilight didn’t see a point in socializing or having friends. My dad is mentally disabled (I’m not going to try to spell the new word) he’s been bullied his whole life for it by literally anyone close to him or otherwise. My point? If you get backlash for doing or being something that others don’t like it’s textbook definition of fear of the unknown…. Knowing this doesn’t solve anything nor does it help with the trauma I’ve willingly gone through with him while the world treats him as an afterthought but if socializing was a good thing everyone would get along and nothing bad would ever happen
Honestly even if not so active to the MLP series(but had seen a fair amount of the show and the fan stuff), anyone remember when Derpy Hooves was at one point a talk of the town for a bit? So much she has her own fan animation too (and also the part when her voice was changed and even changed her eyes from her cross-eyed style. Well, mostly applied to her eyes since that one's at least the most defining part of her lol)
God, this video brings back a lot of memories of being an MLP fan during the 2010s. The section about the TF2 Analysis Community especially, as reacting and talking about that series and the creators involved in it is how I got my start as a content creator myself on this platform (back when I was still calling myself Waterwitch). I haven't created content about the fandom in years and have long since moved onto working on projects that i'm much more passionate about, but i'll always look back on that time in my life as a time where i finally began to find friends to connect with and a sense of community i had never felt before; all because of the pastel magic horse cartoon. Like you pointed out in your video, the fandom was far from perfect. There was fan content being made for the show that was inappropriate for children that those underage were being easily exposed to. There were creators and well known names in the fandom being exposed for those heinous acts you mentioned (I remember when everything about ToonKritic came into light...), and being a brony wasn't exactly something many could openly talk about IRL without being associated with those kinds of stories and anecdotes. But it was also a really welcoming and kind community that gave me and many others a sense of belonging and acceptance that honestly was really needed at the time, and I will always have a soft spot for the show and its fandom for that reason. All my personal anecdotes aside, it was really nice to see a lookback on the show and fandom in our year of 2024 that acknowledged the bad and the ugly, but didn't ignore the good that came from and still comes from such a passionate community.
The reason why people think bronies are so weird and somewhat disturbing, is because they go far beyond just liking the show. If you just like the show you arent a brony. A brony is basically a superfan. And it is fairly weird to see adults going to conventions for a kids show. Theres nothing wrong with liking a kids show, hell, many people still watch their fav cartoons or whatever. They dont typically become super fixated on them to the point of obsession. I watch many things I like without being an outright fan of it. If anything, I was a fan of Scooby Doo way back when and that was pretty much it.
You did an excellent job evenly portraying both the good and the bad in the fandom, and the history of said fandom. Bravo as usual! Random info dump of my own exprerience: I was a teenager when the show came out but I was very exposed to it and got hooked after I watched it. I didn't really participate in the brony fandom but self identified as one for a time because well, yknow, thats just what some people do, lol. Well actually i did participate as an observer more than anything. But I had my own little friend circles to talk about the show to. I very vividly remember the early stages of the fandom and when it was still kinda taboo to not be a small child and enjoying the show. I think it was 2016 when I started hearing about a lot of grooming allegations of big brony creators but by then I was a pretty casual fan, since I naturally move onto other interests over time. So I didn't see all of the horrors of the fandom. I was 1000% into the horror side of the fandom lol, which makes sense since I was about 16 or 17. But anyways yeah. I didn't actually realize just how disgusting and predatory a lot of big corners of the fanbase were until the past year or two. I do remember being very confused actually during the late 2010s because hating bronies became popular again. It was very weird for me because again, I wasn't exposed to a lot of the things that changed the public opinion of the show back to being negative. What a wild ride 43:28 I 1000% think it was on purpose. Hasbro was pretty aware of what was happening I imagine and they probably didn't want it to happen again. 😂 I can't even say I blame them. And that's fine. MLP g4 will always have a big place in the hearts of many. Myself included! I'm happy that they at least kept up the way the characters are designed in G5. Theres so much G4 inspiration in there and I think G4 will always have a footprint in the show to some extent.
When I was little (around 7-8 yrs old, now I'm 17) I saw most of the gore/horror animations just because MLP was (and kinda still is) a show I really loved. I guess they don't affect me as much now because I normally have a memory block defense mechanism, but thinking about it makes me relive the horror of seven year old me witnessing such things. I still can't understand how someone can be so messed up in the head to create such things out of a show for kids specially knowing it WILL attract kids and forever scar their childhoods and on top of that, most of the times, without warning. (They could've just put 'this video is not for kids', and, it would've not stopped the kids from watching it, if their parents weren't around, either due to curiosity for the forbidden or just because it's their favorite kid's show, but at least you gave a fair warning). Either they're irresponsible, ignorant and have a lack of education, or they're just morbid; but to create such thing in itself is depraved. I don't know what type of life they went through to have such sick thoughts, but it does not justify how many children consumed it and ended up having sleepless nights full of nightmares, the total opposite of what the show intended to divulge.
I loved this show. I remember watching season one the week my favorite uncle died. It gave me brief pools of peace in those heartbreaking times. I showed it to my friends and two of them loved it and we became super close. I couldn't bring myself to watch the final season when it came out and I'm only watching it now. I'm fascinated by how it is still as good as season 1 or 2. As a Power Rangers fan, I have come to expect spotty quality (sometimes great, sometimes awful, the last ten years absolutely dreadful) and I'm amazed by how despite the new characters and settings, it still retained the quality and heart that made it famous. I was actually never a super big brony (I only have it in me to be in one fandom at a time and Power Rangers have been it for 30 years) but I absolutely loved it and how passionate the fandom was.
I remember watching a amv of “you’re gonna go far kid” featuring rainbow dash. Some of the scenes n visuals from the clips used to make the amv looked interesting so I gave the show a shot. Found out I quite enjoyed it. I think it was different enough from other stuff on at the time and by the time I started watching I think season 2 was starting. Combined with the fact nothing else at the time had piqued my interest, and I had a whole season I could binge…..probably what contributed to me liking the show more. Plus I loved the remixes n fan music n fan vids most pretty high quality stuff. Plus ffs it had Q in it, idc they called him discord. To me it was just Q when he wasn’t hanging out with picard or janeway. Ultimately it had what I ask for in a show, good visuals, interesting stories, likeable relatable protagonists, decent lore n world building. Incidentally my favorite character was Queen Chrysalis. Though I also liked Magica de spell from ducktales (original and remake) as well as mirage from aladdin cartoon series. I guess I kinda have a thing for evil magical females.
I really like this video! Very well researched, praised the show and the fans for being generally wholesome, creative, and very eternal while also acknowledging the very flawed aspects of it! They've made their mark on the internet which will be remembered for long! Children deserve well written, thoroughly thought out, and immersive shows to watch. Sure these are "kids cartoons" but they should be for everyone to enjoy!
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Mandopony is also a ped0. He was always around Michelle Creiber too (applebloom's v/a) and it creeps me out more knowing he was around a minor at conventions.
Pinkie Pie is a way richer character than what you put her as. Her family is very much an analogy for an Amish family household and her entire character arc revolves around her finding her own identity asides from her past. Out of the mane six, Pinkie is one of the few who's given such a solid straightforward character base, her entire development showing how she learned to love herself and embracing what makes her happy (which is bringing happiness to others)
I agree I feel like she was very fleshed out and I can relate to her a lot
so true. because of her silliness, it's easy to write off pinkie as the goofy one and that's it. but watching the show reveals she's more than that or (from what i've heard people say) an example of toxic positivity. finding her laughter and discovering her passion for bringing joy to others got her where she is and she's happy, and for kids, the target audience, that's a pretty great lesson
She’s my fav pony❤
and then the fanbase proceeded to make her the pony version of satan
What's funny is scams used to be called FlimFlams way back in the day. That's why those two are named Flim and Flam
best of all is that one of them is voiced by Samuel Vincent (who voices Edd AKA Double D from Ed Edd n' Eddy)
OMG I never knew that. why is there so much great wordplay in the names that I didn't notice?!
so that's why flamingo's username is mrflimflam?
I remember watching RUclips back then when it was good and I saw the Pinkie Pie Simile Smile Smile song remix and little me though, "Oh this is nice." Before witnessing Pinkie killing off her friends. My reaction was like the little girl at the end of Wreck-It Ralph 2
OMG I had the same reaction and it happened again with the Cupcakes video
My friend took me to her computer and was like “Hey look at this hilarious mlp video I found!” I thought it was cute until Pinkie offed her first friend. I remember just slowly walking away lol
@@sporkles7427 I miss the old RUclips, no matter how much MLP stuff scared us with Cupcakes, The smile smile smile remix, and Rainbow factory. It was still classic stuff
@@Shadowilum True. I remember the Rainbow Factory video scaring me, but even at a young age I still thought it was a pretty cool concept. Like, these seemingly innocent ponies have a dark secret where they take the colors from ponies and turn them into rainbows. Not the most creative thing in the world but still pretty interesting
Pinkie was always portrayed as a psycho serial killer in those kinds of videos lol. Funny thing is that they aren’t too far off with how outlandish she is- a cryptid in every sense but name.
MLP G4 literally shook the entire world within the first season and no one could escape it. Once the second and third seasons came out, it was just pure chaos. Some good, some bad. Some amazing, some deprived. It was just an extremely crazy decade for a show that Faust just wanted to be for everyone, instead of just for little girls 😂
The My Little Pony fandom as a whole (good and bad) is the real life equivalant of Discord, the Lord of Chaos
@@CageBlack1443 Heh, that is actually a fantastic way of summariszing it! 😂
@@CageBlack1443Exactly my guy.
Yea
@@CageBlack1443 indeed
And i am HERE FOR IT!
I still have flashbacks so badly when hearing the word pony when its connected to the show i still wont forgive these other people for what they have done to pinkie
Twilight, Derpy, and Rainbow Dash also had it bad
Dude, even though I didn't like this content before but it's just normal adult content like pinkamena they didn't make a major mistake because they portrayed characters differently from the show...
Honestly some of the older fanfics could be possible if it wasn't meant for kids because each of the main six had their mental breakdowns like pinkie in a party for one or however the title was written
The internet did to MLP what the internet does to everything
Make it edgy or gruesome
I remember being in late middle school and early highschool so that content was ripe for my edgy teenage phase lol
Plus the internet still being the wildwest era ment that the content was more creator driven than monetary driven so people were allowed to express themselves for better or worse. You can tell the people who made these scary or gory MLP animations intended them for an adult only audience (Honestly this content isn't as bad as the stuff you see on RUclips kids which are explicitly targeted towards kids when they shouldn't be)
What about Happy tree friends?
@@Wroar2020s Would watch that too
I probably shouldn't but I knew what I was getting into
You and I had similar entrances through the fandom. I was in Highschool when I started liking MLP and would read some of the biggest horror stories that were made. That completely screwed my perception of the show and it still messes with me nearly a decade later. My biggest regret to this day about joining the fandom is entering it through the dark and gritty stuff instead of watching the show and liking it like everyone else. Lost a lot of friends and people close to me cause of it.
@@speedy7892
I did enjoy the grim dark stories but I mostly enjoyed the show and all the cute stuff that came from it too
I was more ashamed in showing my sensitive side if anything cause it wasn't "masculine"
Alot of the fandom was from 4chan during the shows early days so it makes sense, as the show went on the fandom mostly lost the 4chan influence.
I remember when a lot of the gore videos had no warning and the parents got blamed for children seeing the gore even though it was made to look EXACTLY like the show
Edit: i am aware that parents could have done more to monitor what their children see on the internet. I’m just talking about some of the videos that didn’t have warnings at all (and were made to look like the show.)
(I believe in the video “derpy gets pranked” there is no warning, but correct me if I am wrong.)
iirc the pony puppets were open sourced
but im not sure when smile and cupcake were made
Why was a kid who couldn't handle that online by themselves. I grew up with the Internet unsupervised and it's 100 percent my parents fault. Because newsflash the Internet isn't safe for kids. It not the artist fault your parents ignored literally every show from the late 90's to now telling people the Internet isn't safe for your kids. But hey blaming artists is easier than calling out your stupid or lazy parents for a mistake they made.
@@Nickelbag610 I’m talking about the stuff made to look exactly like the show that had no warnings
Not the stuff that openly admit to being horror or gore.
I don’t think a parent will click on a my little pony video that has a normal looking thumbnail and looks normal for the first minute and think that it’s not safe for their kids
However there are times where kids have watched videos with warnings and thumbnails that show horror and get scared but that’s not the artists fault in that case
Edit: I’m not saying that it’s not the parents fault, some parents should have looked more. I’m not blaming every artist for making my little pony creepypasta stuff (I like a lot of the mlp creepypasta stories and art) I’m talking about the ones with bad intentions.
Same
@@Why-ck4gf Then that's their fault too still. Just like it's the parents fault for letting their kids watch Chucky because it's about a doll. Or People going after Family Guy and South park because it was a cartoon that was volger ignoring the warning anyways. So no this is a pattern of parents just not paying attention. It's how stuff like Elsagate happened because even if the first video you click is fine because of how the website works it can take you down some weird rabbit holes. RUclips isn't like TV. It's not curetted and sectioned off like TV. And your parents thinking that is stupid. So again why were they not with you the whole time you were on RUclips. And if you were old enough to be on here without them like 13 and up(the site requires you to be 13 and up to begin with. hmmm little weird the site says not to make an account till your 13 so the whole site has its own warning your parents just didn't read it) why were you scared of Pinkie Pie killing Rainbow Dash or not clicked off once graphic parts stared if you were a teenager. Either way you slice it the site had its own warning but like most people your parents ( or possibly you) ignored that because ummm they were lazy and wanted to shut you up so they could do something more important than you.
As a Texan, I'm giving that yeehaw a 10/10
It's really refreshing seeing a video that covers both the good and the bad of the brony fandom without falling into the belief that the entire fandom is an irredeemable cesspool. There's a lot of genuinely wholesome, creative, chill people and content around. The creeps just tend to get the most attention.
Agreed!!! Also hello fellow texan
I had no idea how much I need to hear this today. This fandom put me through so many ups and downs when I was a young. I got into it by chance, and then it just became a part of me. I know it wasn’t perfect, but it was special. Just made me tear up.
@@Doc2Gypsea that’s awesome, I got to the party beyond late. I sadly admit I used to judge the show though I never bullied anyone over it but I always scoffed when anything related to it appeared. Then one day I was watching animatics on RUclips and one used the song “Open Up Your Eyes” and I was shocked at how good the song was so I looked it up and I was like “IT’S FROM MLP?!?!” And so my brother who saw the theatrical movie thanks to his friends made me sit down and watched it after telling me it has Emily Blunt in it (I’m a huge fan of hers) and the movie was so enjoyable I watched the show and have been a fan ever since. Also if anyone is wondering what my favorite episodes are I love “Hearth’s Warming Carol” and any episode that features Discord.
@@questworldiangreenknight7455 Howdy. ^-^
This. Genuinely, thank you. Every time I see a video essay about bronies, I usually feel violently ill. That's not an exaggeration. I was shaped into a better person by this fandom; pulled from 4chan and a vitriolic community into one of tolerance and acceptance. I was a damn teenager when MLP hit 4chan, and when the Herd formed, I was one of the ones who went along with the ride, leaving 4chan in the mass exodus to find a place where kindness could have a voice.
Yeah, our fandom isn't perfect. In fact, I think it's way more flawed than most. But considering the when and how of MLP, it's hard to not realize that it's a cultural zeitgeist ; a spirit of it's time of creation. MLP is the Wild West of the internet, in the days when censorship was non-existent and people just let themselves run wild. To this day, that seems to be the mentality of a lot of bronies.
Even in todays age kids are getting Smile HD recommended?
I saw my 3 year old sister watching it! I was able to take the phone away before it got grotesque but it's so sad how the old years still haunt this childrens cartoon...
3???!??
why tf is your 3 year old sister on the internet at all anyway??????? abusive parents or smth?
3 year olds really shouldnt be on the internet
blame RUclips's stupid system
Finally Someone Who Doesnt Traumatize Their Siblings Back
Discord started out as an asshole who treated Flattershy like she did, and then became the one who would kick Ranbow Dash's ass from the first season for teasing Flattershy
one of the things that ruined the show. all bad ones got redeemed to fluffy ones
@@glasperle77 Not all
@@glasperle77yeah it’s a kids show teaching kids about redemption 😭😭
@@glasperle77Ah, and the worse ones suffer a fate worse than death!
@@glasperle77The three most evil characters (including a literal child) got turned to stone for eternity (and it’s already been established that they hold consciousness all along that time) 😬
sorry that joke "silly black people" audio laid over twilight talking hit me like fuckin truck-kun does an isekai protagonist KJHSKDJ
I could be wrong, but the audio is an actual line from one of Tara Strong’s other characters, Princess Clara 🤣
WAIT, REAL??? THATS HILARIOUS @@asleepyb0i400
😂😂😂😂😂
It was from Drawn Together by the character Princess Clara which is an adult show with Clara being a racist (Clara and Twilight share the same voice actor in Tara Strong)
omg thank u so much for the context lmao thats hilarious @@veronicasawyer
Pinkie Pie had an episode in season 1 where she convinced herself that all her friends avoided and lied to her, leading to a scene where she went a bit crazy, seeming a tad scary, leading to stories like "Cupcakes". Hope that answers the question of why Pinkie Pie was the villain in lots of fanworks.
Yep, Party of One was the episode.
Wasn’t cupcakes actually written slightly before party of one aired though
Cupcakes was written _before_ Party Of One. So Cupcakes isn't based off of that flat maned Pinkie, it's based off of normal poofy maned Pinkie.
@@princessfunfetti1167 yes
I think now that is one of my favorite episodes now. idk why but i find it funny when the character is just acting crazy (like the one with Twilight trying to find a friendship problem, but just decides to make one instead). Also a nice touch that her hair just deflates like a balloon when she gets depressed
i made mlp x stardew valley crossover fanart and posted it on reddit and got actual death threats multiple times over it T-T like people are crazy about hating this show it's nuts
Oml mean :( but I’d love to see the art!!!
excuse me? people should NOT give you death threats over mlp fanart. that's just wrong. also, that actually sounds like a good crossover.
I understand the hatred, but giving you death threats? That’s WAY too harsh. Yikes.
As a brony in his late 20s, I still apologize to those scarred from the crazy satire media that buzzed around the internet in the past.
The gen 4 show *is* actually good though in showcasing life lessons and just great entertainment quality!
I'm currently in the midst of untraumatizing my friend who never watched MLP because of Smile HD. I saw it around when it came out and it scared the hell out of me but as I got older, I kept the original song in my heart cause Pinkie is one of my kins lol. So it makes me sad when we watch MLP stuff and if I mention Smile, his mind immediately hits Smile HD. I've got a lot of work ahead of me.
every Undertale oc, au, etc vs every mlp oc, au, etc (in a death battle). Who's winning?
I still have to make my pony sona for my younger self. But I feel like mlp just from the sheer volume of characters undertale is big, but mlp is infinitely bigger
Sonic the Hedgehog.
People are forgetting that's the og.
@@NekoszowaOkay, this take wins.
Well, there’s the underverse sanses.
undertale is basically defined by the insane amount of AUs it has so it would probably win
The main 6 is just the autism spectrum
Which pony is truly on the higher end of it?
Who do you think......pinkie pie
@@shads4dadsgaming580 It's not productive to try and rank the level of autistic someone is, it's why labels like "high functioning" and "low functioning" are so heavily criticized now that there is a better understanding of ASD and many autistic people have shared their dislike of the terminology
It's much more accurate to break it down by determinating support needs (basically, if one autistic person needs more support and accommodations than another). Since we have no real content that shows each pony's level of support needs, it's hard to determine. Though, I'm sure if you went on a deep dive analysis you may be able to form an opinion
FACTS OMG
@@shads4dadsgaming580 Season 1 Twilight
Nothing got ruined. The show is completely fine to watch from start to finish. Internet spawns fucked up shit for basically any fandom or show. There is no escaping r34, fanfiction or edgy fan content. Those are the rules of the internet.
Finally someone gets it!
What is this dumb trend i see on youtube on how various fandoms TRAUMATIZED entitre generations?!
Who came up with this crap?!
And at least with fanfiction there are times where ACTUAL stories can be made that aren't either poorly written or just smut, even if they are rare on most sites, but the other two are best avoided whenever possible
you neglected to mention that Lauren Faust is the reason Thems Fightin Herds got revived, because she came and offered to make original designs for all the characters :] really neat and cool of her I think
you're right
even if i'm not in the fandom i'm glad i wasn't exposed to the gore stuff and the only mlp fanmade content i remeberd watching whercrossovers, like i remember watching a mlp and batman crossover, shit was crazy
My friend and I were around eleven when the show came out, and for some reason, she found the super violent videos hilarious and would try to get me to watch them. They terrified me and gave me nightmares, but I didn’t want to offend her so I wouldn’t say anything. Those really messed with me at that age.
i saw a transformers and mlp crossover.
12 yr old me being obsessed with mlp and creepypasta was the precursor to me loving this new infection au trend (that said the fact that a lot of the old creepypastas especially are so easily accessible by children is awful 💀)
also on the other side of that coin i was scarred by mlp porn being so high in the results when i searched for fanart
😭
Honestly I’m so glad that the new infection aus have warnings and age restrictions so that gen alpha doesnt grow up watching their fave ponies get murdered, because 7 year old me should not have been watching sweet apple massacre while searching for mlp episodes
@@whiteasparagus4331 What difference would it make?
@@peachpopsicle4090 putting warnings makes them far less accessible than not putting them
Mlp is currently the 2nd most pornified show on the internet btw
I use to watch this show, out of boredom doesnt make me a brony but I'll give the show some credit its entertaining. I also watched totally spies and powerpuff girls as well.
My Little Pony jar story? I wish I forgot about that
and remember it wasn't one jar but two due to him leaving it on the heater and having that jar stink up the room
Yes I remember the story way too well and its something I wish I could forget
LET’S FUCKING GOOOO!!!
THE GOAT PULLED IT OFF DESPITE ALL THE WRENCHES LIFE THREW AT HIM!!!
Fuck no
As a little girl, I really loved the older my little pony films. The 80s specials, My little pony tales, and I was also really fond of the G3 films that came out when I was the PERFECT age for it. I also had mlp toys and made up my own stories with them, making up personalities for all ponies. And then I came online and saw all of these grown men calling these previous generations, ESPECIALLY G3, "utter garbage", "how can anyone like this", "it's braindead". And I kinda felt like I was being judged for... being the aimed demographic for my little pony and enjoying the versions that weren't FiM (and FiM was great, too, but it was like "this is the ONLY mlp allowed, all the other ones suck"). Like, sure, G3 hadn't as high stakes, but it was happy, cozy, had great music, had MINTY and it entertained little me. Pardon for being a little girl who liked movies aimed at little girls. I'm sorry that it wasn't relatable to grown adult men who never was the main demographic to begin with.
Bronies had made a bunch of cool stuff too, but then there is the gory stuff ofc and, what bothered me at least when I was younger really much, hearing everywhere I went online by these grown men that the previous generations, that I had so much nostalgia to, were trash and stupid.
No but fr what's with adult, especially grown men, thrashing kids show that weren't made for them in the first place.
It's like me going to a McDonald's and ordering an Happy Meal, then complain because the burger is too small and that I only get a Capri-Sun and can't have a RedBull with it.
Generation 3.5 is the one everyone calls "trash" and "garbage" (because it is). It's objectively awful.
The other generations aren't bad at all and even liked overall the fandom. You even admitted in your comment that you are blind to nostalgia.
As the famous quote goes, "A children's story that cannot be enjoyed by adults is not a good story".
Seriously
I saw G1's firefly
*hate her and You get A LOT of problems with me*
@@JamesP7though dont hold onto that hate too much
Someone recently discovered hd quality of g3 episodes
@@seantaggart7382 Uhhm, I don't think you're aware, but G3 and G3.5 are NOT the same thing…
God all the animations u we’re showing gave me so much nostalgia it’s crazy how when the show came out I was only 7 and now I’m a artist because of the show. It gave me such motivation that I would draw ponies everyday and do to this day I still do even at the age of 20
This video is actually... really good. Ngl, I was worried this video wasn't gonna be super well researched as most who make videos like this watched only the first 3 to seasons of the show and only look in fandom's surface level. But this actually well researched. I'm an Mlp RUclipsr and have been for almost 6 years now, and I've been a fan of the show since I was 3 around the time the first 2 episodes were out. And I've been in the fandom as soon as I learned it had one. Mlp has been my primary special interest as an autistic person with ADHD and it means the world to me. Like you said in the video, Twilight is the literal definition of a neurodivergent person, and I completely agree. She's actually my favorite fictional character cause of how much I relate to her to a concerning amount lol. Hell, I made a whole essay in my English class about autism, gifted child burnout, the connection between the two, and why I think Twilight's autistic. Which I'm making into a video. I've seen all the good, bad, shit, and such from the fandom since a young age. I will not deny that this fandom has messed up some kids, quite the contrary, I honestly think it did and am glad people are talking about it. And even I've seen people deal with bigotry and creepy stuff in the fandom, and I've even dealt with stuff like this myself. But I also think this fandom has so much beauty in it if you could find it. I've made so many friends, coworkers, work, and such from all 13 or so years in the fandom, and I love it. I'm so happy to be in this fandom and that I could possibly make my art, voice work, covers, essay videos, and other work my full time job as some of my work has started to be noticed. And even a few friends of mine who also do Mlp content have started to gain recognition. I honestly am glad you talked in good depth on the show, the Mane 6 themselves, and the fandom. It's well put together and seeing this makes me hope you make more videos like this. Though you got one thing wrong...
TANK IS A TORTOISE, NOT A TURTLE😡 /j (lol).
As someone who is also autistic and has ADHD, AND also loves and relates to Twilight, this is so nice to see! I hope you are successful in your work, you have more confidence than I do to put yourself out there with your passion, much as I'd like to do MLP related videos and try starting up an actual channel I don't think I'd ever be fully confident in taking the step, so good on you!
@@zavexcapricious2519Thank you, and you should try. You should try to do Mlp content. It's scary at first, but believe me, you start to get into it and feel the confidence more once you get used to it.
I’m afraid of this horse content when it went when I was a kid.
Hey man i wanted to say i love your videos alot, i found you a little over a month ago and i have been re watching all of your videos. They always make me laugh. I cant wait for more videos. I have even shown you to my friends and they love your videos also!
pinkie was was my fave as a kid and still is but when I saw cupcakes me and my friend were TRUAMATIZED and had took a while seeing pinkie the same. also side note I love g3
Cupcakes will always be memorial
The crossover between Fallout/TF2 and MLP has always been wild
"Tank is a turtle" he is actually a tortoise because he lives on land at all times. Turtles can swim and need to be in water most of the time to not die. Not to mention Turtles has fins instead of legs so can not they walk. Tortoises don't have fins so they can't swim.
You're talking about a specific type of turtle, not all turtles have flippers.
You are wrong. No turtle has fins, they have flippers or legs, or paddles. And all tortoises (Family: Testudinidae) are turtles (Order: Testudines), but not all turtles are tortoises. I use to think the same way as you just because I watched some RUclips video claiming those things, and I liked “correcting” everyone to sound like a smart-ass, but now I know I would ridicule myself if I kept saying the lies.
@@VinceRioSo like squares and rectangles in the simplest sense, I guess?
The videos that are purely for shock value and have no content warnings on them? Yeah, fuck that, but t fanfics and art with content warnings that are clearly written for the other adults in the fandom to explore dark themes? Yeah, no, those aren't actually a problem. (Lily Orchard's Stockholm is an exception, fuck that garbage.) Every fandom has grimdark tales, it's simply a matter of adding warnings to them so that those who aren't supposed to see them (kids) will hopefully be swayed away and not let curiousity drag them into something that'll scare or scar them. This fandom, like any other, can create amazing things, some of those things simply need to have a wall up between them and the audience before they can be viewed by anyone. Also, while the makers of those videos should be held accountable, the fact that RUclips didn't do shit about them simply because the videos included colourful characters is so insanely fucking dumb! Why have they not learned from all this shit yet?!
Shoutout to Cupcakes HD for introducing me to Andrew W.K. which is a WHOLE other rabbithole
war
war never changes
Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything: from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage.
In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation.
But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes.
In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed... and never reopened. It was here you were born. It is here you will die.
war
war has changed
I have not watched MLP in years (I mostly exist in the thomas the tankengine fandom) and I can say that lauran's approach was on fucking point about making a show for kids that everyone could enjoy. I am not saying one led to another, but I will say that my impression of MLP has increased after hearing more about it. One thing I lament in modern kids entertainment is the fact that it makes no attempt to be anything other than fluff for anyone above a certain age. A kids show that will last is one that understands that it needs to layer itself, so each age group can get something out of it while still being aimed at kids.
IMO we need more people who think and plan like Faust does, has that knack for finding talent to work with, in the franchise since it's clear the approach she had (and experience with the franchise growing up), as well as creativity, helped make it work. That, and continuing to appeal to a wide audience, making the show "for everyone."
I remember Watching My Little Dashy when I was like 7 and thinking it was super deep 😭
Watched the show when I was a kid, it introduced me to the cartoon reviewer community and I decided I wanted to become a cartoonist when I grew up, got super depressed though and gave up on that dream until a few years ago. Don't have any interest in the show anymore but it is kind of crazy that I'm 18 now and my main goal in life is directly attributable to this show for 4 year olds
15:19 "Tank is a turtle"
"TORTOISE!"
If you know, you know
Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!
That's a tortoise.
I remember I used to watch MLP and then watched ppl review the show, eventually it just became me watching the episodes with them for the first time with the ppl reviewing the show. Then I saw Smile HD and Cupcake idr how I came across it but I remember being so lost and confused after I watched it and saw ppl's reactions to it and they were equally confused af. I remember being a big fan of the show but like only collected art for like my iPad and phone and stuff, eventually I got over that phase and I unsubbed from all the RUclipsrs that I used to watch. I wasn't in the community anymore and technically I barely was since I only watched it and reviews. Then I remembered it existed since one of my ex friends basically liked MLP still and like then I kinda heard about all the insanity or at least most of it that.
I always liked some of the songs the community made, mostly Nightmare Night (without the vocals since now I wince when I hear any MLP-related lyrics)
I was a Brony. Luckily I was in my twenties and didn't have to worry about being bullied at school over it. I had some friends who found out and got me pony merch expecting me to react negatively, only for me to like what they got me. They kinda just accepted it, as long as I promised not to be 'weird' about it. I really enjoyed fan-made content like the Button Smash stuff and the Living Tombstone remixes. Some stuff, like Smile Smile Smile or Cupcakes, made me visibly cringe. I even had a MLP rp blog for awhile on tumblr, with my oc being a writer named Quillheart.
Never got to go to any conventions for MLP, though. My convention money was mostly used so I can go to cons and volunteer to DM games of D&D Adventurers' League for WotC.
the 'basic fun' in product names is likely in reference to the brand, Basic Fun!, which remade older generations of MLP and new designs on old molds. They still sell MLP stuff, I think.
im 15 and ive started rewatching my little pony recently. im also autistic and i saw a video saying that all of the mane 6 are autistic or otherwise neurodivergent. thats another reason why i still like the show because i can see a lot of myself and my own neurodivergent traits in the mane 6. i dont know if that was intentional by the writers, but i do hope it was because my little pony was one of my favorite shows when i was younger.
I can't comprehend how MLP became so sexualised,it's so incomprehensible to me how men can simp for horses with wing, someone explain
simple.. Look at the pony character's designs.
Seriously. I once simped rainbow dash when i was 10 because of how cool and cute she looks. (And also the rainbow hair lol) And that's how i understand why she was "ruined" by the "artists" as i get older and knew about "it"
you're gonna flip when you hear about furries
@@sunshinesunshineladybugsawake Nissan R34 skyline artists go- *Brrrrrrrrrrr*
Basically, if you give an anthropomorphic animal/object an appealing design and an equally charming personality, people WILL fall in love 😭 The FIM ponies are objectively adorable, Faust gave them designs that were somehow simple yet unique at the same time, and personalities that are just as loveable
People are horny and they viewed the characters as hot. I don't know how either.
Ah yes, the GORE. That's the reason why I can stomach it and how I eventually became a surgeon. Thanks childhood trama I guess???
Trauma does weird stuff to you man. XD
but also, i sure enjoyed the horse hype while it lasted 😂 i remember when the brony and pegasisters thing started spreading like wildfire at my highschool, we all started collecting the plushies and the toys were everywhere. The conventions were insane. Aside from the fandom and gorey youtube content, the music and everything else that came out of it with all of the love and solidarity that it did was a wholesome and unique experience.
Me and my father used to binge this series together when it came out
The Internet had its sonic phase and now it went through it’s my little pony phase.🐱
I’ll always adore g4. It’s so good.
I remember seeing 'MLP sad' pics on google images when I was 11. I think it was rainbow dash sitting over pinkie's grave or something? Kinda traumatized me a little bit ngl but in 2020 I sat arond and binged the show cause I had nothing better to do lol.
Yk I've been a fan of you for a year now and my god I'd never would believe you'd make a video on a fandom that my brain refuses to let me leave(it's a huge comfort thing to draw lil ponies of my own for personal reasons)
I joined around around the second season of the show basically still in diapers LMAO.
I've seen some stuff in this community that I really SHOULDN'T have seen 😂. Like the .mov series and the infamous Cupcakes grimark(basically the communities word for "creepypasta"). I actually thank this community for getting me into horror content because, while this community is admittedly cringe I can never say they aren't creative when it comes to the grimarks story's
Lovely video
I’m exactly with you. I was 6 in 2010 but joined the fandom late 2012 so I was probably 8 and I had limited access to the Internet. The fandom made me find a category of art of cute bloody vibrant multi color characters. I’m a digital artist and frankly I love grimwork. This show is my comfort show and one of my favorites. I don’t see the problem with the Internet’s gore or dark topics as long as they now give a content warning.
the Tara Strong "Silly black people" voiceline makes me audibly giggle everytime I hear it I'm sorry
by 2017!?!?! They were getting hate from the very beginning. it didn't take almost 6 year for it to get that much hate
Wait there are people who didn't know The Living Tombstone started out with brony music? Kinda surprising to me
I heard he's gone on the some great things! You go dude!!
Tbf, he was a major figure in a lot of fandoms.
Thank you so much for making an unbiased video about bronies and the mlp fandom all together, I was one of those who was afraid to show my love for mlp for long because fear of rejection and hatred by people and my family judgement from others is an awful feeling, being hated for loving a show that’s an amazing show that has a giant fandom and brings people together is a wonderful thing, yes there was and is bad deplorable people in the fandom but there’s also lots of good people and the show has helped so many people including me find friends and community of people where people a brony and massive fan wasn’t a bad thing, like mlp or hate it the fandom changed the internet for good, even if some of it was bad there was so much creativity and passion from this fandom and still producing to this day, the fandom and mlp gen4 still lives on strong even with all the hate and stereotypes around us just goes to show how powerful and impact this show has been on the world. All fandoms how have some awful people in them that do awful things unfortunately but not all fandoms change the internet and society as a whole showing that it’s okay for a guy or an any adult to like an animated kids show that has lots of colors and is seen as a show for little girls.
Ngl, I thought you were gonna talk about the ongoing revitalized fandom that's happening right now on TikTok and Instagram lmao. The infection au that's been popping off recently absolutely reignited my fandom heart and honestly, they're too good at it. Fanart, lore, series, fanaccounts, and everyone pitching in to create their own side of the infection. It's all so amazing!
I came across MLP in the funniest way. Markiplier played a mod for SCP Containment Breach, which changed the SCPs into various MLP characters. He stated he was not a brony and had no issue with bronies. I got curious, and decided to try watching it, and I adored it.
It's now my comfort show, and I have episodes I've hand picked to watch when I'm dealing with certain issues. Family or pet death? I go to the episode of Rainbow Dash coming to terms with Tank going into hibernation. There's many more as well.
Ya know I was a brony when I was younger not a rabid fan but loved the the show. the degenerates made me not like it anymore (if ya know ya know) people ruin things for others. I just remembered there was a mlp fallout fandom that wasent bad or just gross that was really cool
Yeah, the Fallout Equestria part of the Fandom is where I've been since I first found it.
Along with the Doctor Wooves audio plays here on RUclips.
I didn't know the dr.whooves audio logs were a thing now i gotta look
@@daiandregladney258I'm addicted to MLP Grimdark Audio Reads. I can't believe I can just sit there smiling and grinning when the most fucked up shit is happening in the story.
@@daiandregladney258Also give Dr Wolf a look. He's a Therapist and a Brony.
OK I was lightly Interested in some stuff like that but the only one I rember is somepony coughed
I've loved MLP G3 and G4 as a kid and still do as an adult (I'm 21). I remember seeing the gore shit at a sleepover and got traumatized and felt so sick I had to leave and never saw them again 😭
Yeah speaking of the Bronification of everything, I saw Ponyfied Trigun the other day.
Link pls
@@DefinitelyBoredOranges I can't find it but I swear I wasn't triping. Ponyfied TriStamp Vash. Lives rent free in my head but in a bad way lol.
someone is def gonna ponify your sona
I actually got into mlp gen 4 because me and older sister watched mlp gen 3 when I was a toddler so I started watching gen 4 when it came out and so I been a fan since gen 3
It finally happened, The Definitely Bored Oranges Brony Arc /JK
Good vid tho 👍
I still love mlp after all these years. But the whole fan base of mlp is the strangest and most unhinged Fandom in the world
I was on this topic the other day over Digital Circus and Stven Universe. There are certain fandoms, MLP, Monty Python, Steven Universe, The Owl House, Where the fandom gets HUGE on the internet. All fandoms have porn and creepy pastas , and shipping fics etc But MLP is one of a few that would not have grown its fan base if the fan art wasn't so popular. and also that when the fan art was out there it gave a bad 1st impression. And also, one of even fewer shows that fans actually put forth the effort to MAKE art of in the 1st place.
Yes the dark and sexual stuff exists , and it gives a bad 1st impression to the series, but in a weird sort of way, it is the reason the series does well in the 1st place.
It didn't ruin MLP, it saved it. Many people saw the show because the fan art got them curious.
We live now in an era where fan art is made less frequently. Maybe the fans don't have the passion? Or maybe RUclips cracks down on this type of content and makes it not worth the effort? But we just don't see it any more.
MLP was part of the begining of a new era of the internet
the 2010s
Tbf, coppa has not been kind of new MLP fan content.
Haven't gotten a chance to check out this video up until now, I'm honestly so glad that someone was willing to look deeper than the show appealing to just girls. I remember watching the show as a kid and unfortunately I was bullied excessively because of it and even taking a liking towards the toy collection of LPS which also had its own animated show like MLP. Considering I was bullied excessively that basically pushed me into throwing away my entire childhood. Looking back at the childhood and even realizing the show goes over so so many hard subjects while still appealing to children is out right jaw dropping. I don't know if I was jus not catching onto a lot of these themes or if I just forgot those even existed
NAHH 44:20 IS FOUL
I LOVE OK KO SO MUCH I WISH MORE PEOPLE TALKED ABT IT
My first (unfortunately there were more) traumatizing ex loved all the horrible parts of the MLP fandom. My other most traumatizing ex was also super into MLP.
My two most datable friends also are but I whole ass can't full send it cause idk if I wanna pretend to care about the horses again
I was 14 when the show came out. I only decided to watch cause I saw a trailer and said "Awe I remember My little pony, I wonder what kind of show it will be" I had remembered having G3 toy and a few of the random specials. I meant to just watch the premiere like for nostalgia. But then I was surprised I liked it, and wanted to see the next episode.
I had to wait for a year till I found people who liked the show outside the internet, as even then a 14 year old still watching cartoons would still get me crap from others. The show allowed me to make some new friends and my ability to come out of my shell a bit.
People will view things through the lens of their choosing and see what they want to see.
I enjoyed the show and most of the fandom and fan creations. For me, it's easy to forget about the tiny minority that gave the fandom a bad name.
I was 8 when I started watching the show (around 2012). I didn't have Internet access for a solid few years but caught up with the fandom stuff eventually, too. The first few notes of the Smile HD still turn on my fight or flight response which tells me I was traumatised by it at some point. But overall, being in the brony community is the best part of my life, and I still cherish a lot of friendships that I've made in the fandom. Also I'm still drawing ponies lol. It's sad to see the fandom decay over time but the popularity of ponies seems to have kind of a resurgence now, because of nostalgia, I guess
Sitting here as i draw mlp customs, beautiful timing uwu
Man watching this while writing my own silly little horsie fanfic and also playing on a horse roleplay server hits different.
Also I adore G3 and I’m not sorry
Same I grew up with that version mostly growing up. It’s kind of campy and not the greatest, but I still love it
Honestly when I saw the title, my brain resurfaced all those infection AUs I saw on Tiktok a while back.
And you couldn't avoid them since the infection AU started (ironically) spreading to most other cartoon fandoms lol
I remember on another video i heard that one kid at a con thing that was an area specifically for kids and celestias voice actor was there. One of the kids said a meme outloud that included celestia (the meme contained language that of which a child shouldn't see) and celestias va was so upset that she told the parents to monitor what their kids are watching
8:15 This was sooo random and it took me out omg im crying
Not a long-time watcher yet, but I've seen your videos here and there. I was apprehensive about clicking this one, but I was... kinda surprised. I was a closeted brony for most of my youth; I was a terminally online teen, with a bad case of "Down-With-The-System" Syndrome, and had gotten in with Anon in a bad way. At the time, I didn't realize how quickly I was careening towards a life of emotional instability and vitriol. And then the MLP /b/ craze began. I remember watching the show, laughing at it, but over time starting to actually sit down and watch it. I learned formative lessons from it, enjoyed the animation, the characters, and the stories. I started to realize that maybe I was wrong. And it was meeting a kinder, more accepting community that solidified those thoughts into reality.
Pretty soon, I was hooked. But 4chan isn't a very welcoming place, especially to someone who has undergone such a drastic shift in their worldviews. I was harassed by my own "friends" cast out of just about every social circle within 4chan, and willingly left Anon when I realized I was a part of the problem. But it didn't end there. I commend those who had the emotional fortitude to be honest about their love for the show, to use those conventions as a way to grow and become better. It was only in 2016 that I finally stepped up and used a penname to write a few action or romance fics, all the while trembling that I would be hated and judged all over again.
I never really publicly came out as a brony until a year or so ago, long after the craze had died down. I'm *still* scared to tell people, because of this atrocious stigma most video essays create about Bronies. They claim we're all filthy degenerates, who live to corrupt and destroy innocence. That we're just vile, deranged freaks, yadda yadda yadda... Honestly, I thought this video was just another one of those going in. I was glad to be proven wrong.
People tend to forget, a *lot* of MLP creators moved on to do great things. BlackGryp0n, the voice of Alastor was a brony; one of the frontliners, in fact. He wrote and sang "Proud of be a Brony" back in the fandom's hayday, and it was that song that got me out of my shell. Living Tombstone, as you mentioned, also got their start there, but did you know that Silva Hound - the guy who made Addict for Hazbin, and several other songs - was also a brony and got his start among the fandom's music? And now there are massive projects that are a clear testament to the quality and skill of brony creators; look up Elements of Justice sometime. It's a gorgeous MLP x Ace Attorney crossover with a massive team behind it, good story and writing, quality art, VA work, and... well, everything is just great about it.
I don't claim our fandom is perfect, but point me to one that is. I understand that bronies tend to be more polarizing as most, but if you really stop and consider it, MLP was the first massive online fandom to spawn in the age of the internet; we were shaped by it, but we also had way, way more eyes on us than normal. This also meant our fans came from a much larger walk of life. Rather than needing to gather at conventions to meet like-minded people, Bronies could just go to a message board. This led to a boom of creativity, both good and bad. I don't care what you say, the pony Music scene was and *still is* amazing. Go listen to some PrinceWhateverer if metal is more your thing, or JycRow is classical is the road you walk. Both are still active, high-quality musicians.
Thanks for not just being vitriolic and hateful, Orange. For a lot of us, MLP helped shape us into better people. I feel like, if I hadn't had the show come into my life, I would've just continued down the path I was on, and likely been a far less well-rounded individual than I am today. It's nice to see someone take the time to recognize the good MLP has done, rather than just bury it under all the bad in an effort to put us all down.
How did i go from horror movie reviews to a video essay about internet horror to this video in the same amount of time it took me to beat Terraria from start to Mechanical Bosses
"his name was joystick" HIS NAME IS BUTTONMASH!! (fairly oddparents meme format)
I remember I was deep in Creepypasta fandom( yes child me was obsessed over Creepypasta and I still am)
And I came across the ….cupcake and rainbow factory stories.
i was v into mlp in middle school/early highschool. had tons of ocs i would make in the pony oc maker (iykyk), edit in microsoft paint, and post on deviantart lmao. i like to redesign my ponysona every few years, even now in my mid twenties. just to check in. you know, psychologically
26:12 yea it sucks but that’s why twilight didn’t see a point in socializing or having friends. My dad is mentally disabled (I’m not going to try to spell the new word) he’s been bullied his whole life for it by literally anyone close to him or otherwise. My point? If you get backlash for doing or being something that others don’t like it’s textbook definition of fear of the unknown…. Knowing this doesn’t solve anything nor does it help with the trauma I’ve willingly gone through with him while the world treats him as an afterthought but if socializing was a good thing everyone would get along and nothing bad would ever happen
Honestly even if not so active to the MLP series(but had seen a fair amount of the show and the fan stuff), anyone remember when Derpy Hooves was at one point a talk of the town for a bit? So much she has her own fan animation too
(and also the part when her voice was changed and even changed her eyes from her cross-eyed style. Well, mostly applied to her eyes since that one's at least the most defining part of her lol)
35:54
This game existed prior to Sonic.exe.
God, this video brings back a lot of memories of being an MLP fan during the 2010s. The section about the TF2 Analysis Community especially, as reacting and talking about that series and the creators involved in it is how I got my start as a content creator myself on this platform (back when I was still calling myself Waterwitch).
I haven't created content about the fandom in years and have long since moved onto working on projects that i'm much more passionate about, but i'll always look back on that time in my life as a time where i finally began to find friends to connect with and a sense of community i had never felt before; all because of the pastel magic horse cartoon.
Like you pointed out in your video, the fandom was far from perfect. There was fan content being made for the show that was inappropriate for children that those underage were being easily exposed to. There were creators and well known names in the fandom being exposed for those heinous acts you mentioned (I remember when everything about ToonKritic came into light...), and being a brony wasn't exactly something many could openly talk about IRL without being associated with those kinds of stories and anecdotes.
But it was also a really welcoming and kind community that gave me and many others a sense of belonging and acceptance that honestly was really needed at the time, and I will always have a soft spot for the show and its fandom for that reason.
All my personal anecdotes aside, it was really nice to see a lookback on the show and fandom in our year of 2024 that acknowledged the bad and the ugly, but didn't ignore the good that came from and still comes from such a passionate community.
The reason why people think bronies are so weird and somewhat disturbing, is because they go far beyond just liking the show. If you just like the show you arent a brony. A brony is basically a superfan. And it is fairly weird to see adults going to conventions for a kids show. Theres nothing wrong with liking a kids show, hell, many people still watch their fav cartoons or whatever. They dont typically become super fixated on them to the point of obsession. I watch many things I like without being an outright fan of it. If anything, I was a fan of Scooby Doo way back when and that was pretty much it.
Of all the things to come out of the MLP fandom in the 2010s, two things that I remember fondly were Princess Trixie Sparkle and Turnabout Storm.
If anyone remembers the Big Mac massacre fanfic, I’m so sorry- you didn’t go through that alone
You did an excellent job evenly portraying both the good and the bad in the fandom, and the history of said fandom. Bravo as usual!
Random info dump of my own exprerience: I was a teenager when the show came out but I was very exposed to it and got hooked after I watched it. I didn't really participate in the brony fandom but self identified as one for a time because well, yknow, thats just what some people do, lol. Well actually i did participate as an observer more than anything. But I had my own little friend circles to talk about the show to.
I very vividly remember the early stages of the fandom and when it was still kinda taboo to not be a small child and enjoying the show.
I think it was 2016 when I started hearing about a lot of grooming allegations of big brony creators but by then I was a pretty casual fan, since I naturally move onto other interests over time. So I didn't see all of the horrors of the fandom.
I was 1000% into the horror side of the fandom lol, which makes sense since I was about 16 or 17.
But anyways yeah. I didn't actually realize just how disgusting and predatory a lot of big corners of the fanbase were until the past year or two. I do remember being very confused actually during the late 2010s because hating bronies became popular again. It was very weird for me because again, I wasn't exposed to a lot of the things that changed the public opinion of the show back to being negative.
What a wild ride
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I 1000% think it was on purpose. Hasbro was pretty aware of what was happening I imagine and they probably didn't want it to happen again. 😂 I can't even say I blame them. And that's fine. MLP g4 will always have a big place in the hearts of many. Myself included!
I'm happy that they at least kept up the way the characters are designed in G5. Theres so much G4 inspiration in there and I think G4 will always have a footprint in the show to some extent.
Hotdiggitydemon was my childhood
As an autistic who loves Rarity ur so right abt that hc actually
YOU ADDED THE JAR LET'S GOOOO
8:21 no way...
SHES JUST LIKE ME FR FR
When I was little (around 7-8 yrs old, now I'm 17) I saw most of the gore/horror animations just because MLP was (and kinda still is) a show I really loved. I guess they don't affect me as much now because I normally have a memory block defense mechanism, but thinking about it makes me relive the horror of seven year old me witnessing such things. I still can't understand how someone can be so messed up in the head to create such things out of a show for kids specially knowing it WILL attract kids and forever scar their childhoods and on top of that, most of the times, without warning. (They could've just put 'this video is not for kids', and, it would've not stopped the kids from watching it, if their parents weren't around, either due to curiosity for the forbidden or just because it's their favorite kid's show, but at least you gave a fair warning). Either they're irresponsible, ignorant and have a lack of education, or they're just morbid; but to create such thing in itself is depraved. I don't know what type of life they went through to have such sick thoughts, but it does not justify how many children consumed it and ended up having sleepless nights full of nightmares, the total opposite of what the show intended to divulge.
I loved this show. I remember watching season one the week my favorite uncle died. It gave me brief pools of peace in those heartbreaking times. I showed it to my friends and two of them loved it and we became super close. I couldn't bring myself to watch the final season when it came out and I'm only watching it now. I'm fascinated by how it is still as good as season 1 or 2. As a Power Rangers fan, I have come to expect spotty quality (sometimes great, sometimes awful, the last ten years absolutely dreadful) and I'm amazed by how despite the new characters and settings, it still retained the quality and heart that made it famous. I was actually never a super big brony (I only have it in me to be in one fandom at a time and Power Rangers have been it for 30 years) but I absolutely loved it and how passionate the fandom was.
I remember watching a amv of “you’re gonna go far kid” featuring rainbow dash. Some of the scenes n visuals from the clips used to make the amv looked interesting so I gave the show a shot. Found out I quite enjoyed it. I think it was different enough from other stuff on at the time and by the time I started watching I think season 2 was starting. Combined with the fact nothing else at the time had piqued my interest, and I had a whole season I could binge…..probably what contributed to me liking the show more.
Plus I loved the remixes n fan music n fan vids most pretty high quality stuff. Plus ffs it had Q in it, idc they called him discord. To me it was just Q when he wasn’t hanging out with picard or janeway.
Ultimately it had what I ask for in a show, good visuals, interesting stories, likeable relatable protagonists, decent lore n world building.
Incidentally my favorite character was Queen Chrysalis. Though I also liked Magica de spell from ducktales (original and remake) as well as mirage from aladdin cartoon series. I guess I kinda have a thing for evil magical females.
I really like this video! Very well researched, praised the show and the fans for being generally wholesome, creative, and very eternal while also acknowledging the very flawed aspects of it! They've made their mark on the internet which will be remembered for long!
Children deserve well written, thoroughly thought out, and immersive shows to watch. Sure these are "kids cartoons" but they should be for everyone to enjoy!