ANYWAY
You all probably heard of the National Public Radio thing.... At least the 30 of you in my mailbox have!
They did in fact have a segment, that has once again attacked us. You can find that and everything else below!
NPR Bluff the Listener
About 3 days ago, they emailed me asking me to do an interview thing for their gameshow, so I rolled with it figuring someone was going to get hit with it. Worst case is you guys get to listen to my awesomely bad voice right? I went in knowing it was probably going to be cut up and rebuilt from ground up to make us look bad, but I gave it a shot anyway.
I made sure to give the interviewer the hardest time possible in isolating a corny quote, and I think I did a pretty good job of that considering all she managed to glean was a 10 second bit at the end. Pretty much 90% of the 10 minute interview was trying to make me say something stupid. I was asked "what is a brony" at least 5 times, and stuck with my "we like the animation and quality of the show", as opposed to the response they were probably looking for of "We love friendship and cute colorful ponies and rainbows and use it to escape the terrors of life".
Please don't freak out again. This is just how media works guys! It is extremely difficult to make My Little Pony sound cool, and they don't want it to. Sure Fox news takes it to the extreme, but every major news agency on the planet is in it for the ratings.
For those of you who DO get interviewed in the future, remember to be careful what you leave behind. Quotes like the one at the start of the Wired interview that everyone keeps blasting us with are exactly what they are looking for.
Anyway, the UK Wired magazine has an article about us coming up, and they tend to actually roll with the facts. I'll post that up here when it's sent to me.
397 comments:
@BagOfChips
ReplyDeleteOh you!
@PinkiePied
ReplyDeleteGODWINS LAW! GODWINS LAW! DING DING DING DING!
seriously, when you pull the hitler card, you automatically lose your argument.
On the first listen, I was kind of appalled. Upon seeing what the show is normally like however, it was kind of nice. Considering this was the same fandom developed a "thing" for syrup and wild berries (if you don't know, don't ask), I'm surprised it was as tame as it is. Plus, we have cupcakes... do you really think Yo Gabba Gabba, Adventure Time, or even Regular Show have such claims to infamy? We'll probably be awash in this stuff until Season 2 begins.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't my fridge..
ReplyDeleteI see the fandumb is active tonight.
ReplyDeleteGUYS, SHUT UP WITH ALL THE DRAMA! We are NEVER going to be able to stop people from doing things that make our fandom look "weird". There will always be people who, according to "society" take things too far. Our fandom was founded upon love, tolerance, and friendship. By treating some bronies as if they are lesser people we would be contradicting those ideals and end up EXACTLY like the furry fandom. Constantly being represented by the exact same things they try to hide.
ReplyDeleteIf we love and tolerate one another and defend one one another's right to opinion then people will see that bronies are loving, tolerating, and frendly people who enjoy my little pony. Simple as that.
GUYS, QUIT WITH ALL THE DRAMA! We are NEVER going to be able to stop people from doing things that make our fandom look "weird". There will always be people who, according to "society" take things too far. Our fandom was founded upon love, tolerance, and friendship. By treating some bronies as if they are lesser people we would be contradicting those ideals and end up EXACTLY like the furry fandom. Constantly being represented by the exact same things they try to hide.
ReplyDeleteIf we love and tolerate one another and defend one one another's right to opinion then people will see that bronies are loving, tolerating, and frendly people who enjoy my little pony. Simple as that.
GUYS, STOP WITH ALL THE DRAMA! We are NEVER going to be able to stop people from doing things that make our fandom look "weird". There will always be people who, according to "society" take things too far. Our fandom was founded upon love, tolerance, and friendship. By treating some bronies as if they are lesser people we would be contradicting those ideals and end up EXACTLY like the furry fandom. Constantly being represented by the exact same things they try to hide.
ReplyDeleteIf we love and tolerate one another and defend one one another's right to opinion then people will see that bronies are loving, tolerating, and frendly people who enjoy my little pony. Simple as that.
Oh look another one of these things...
ReplyDeleteGiggle at the Ghosties anybody?
Also one of the prime catch phrases of our community... Love and TOLERATE the SHIT out of you?
Just saying...
@Filiecs
ReplyDeleteOkay dude, we heard you...just chill.
GUYS, STOP WITH ALL THE DRAMA! We are NEVER going to be able to stop people from doing things that make our fandom look "weird". There will always be people who, according to "society" take things too far. Our fandom was founded upon love, tolerance, and friendship. By treating some bronies as if they are lesser people we would be contradicting those ideals and end up EXACTLY like the furry fandom. Constantly being represented by the exact same things they try to hide.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWOjM-YTd8Y My thoughts on this discussion
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, there are quite a few mystical beasts in the show. Let's make a short list...
- Cockatrice
- Griffons
- Earth Ponies (Not Mystical, but in D&D)
- Unicorns
- Pegasai
- Dragons
- Manticore
- Sea Serpents
- Hydra
- Ursa Minor (Although this is more of an original beast, as far as I know)
While the research is probably questionable, they're technically right. Also, as I game with people, I know that stereotypes about said people are only for the simple minded.
@Pinkie_Pie_fan471
ReplyDeleteI actually had to look up who Chris-Chan was. Wow, that would be an inaccurate representation of the fanbase, and an admittedly disturbing one.
>mfw parts of the theme song were played at the conclusion of the segment
ReplyDelete:D
I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't some banter between the panelists about us just after the segment. Also, I enjoyed the reaction of the contestant.
At first I was full of indignant rage, then after a little while, I thought 'meh'. Water off of a ducks ass guys and gals, this shit will blow over soon enough!
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit sad that human nature is slanted towards mocking and being afraid of things they don't understand.
ReplyDeleteHumanity as a whole will not move on unless we can drop this unfortunate part of our psyche. What can I do but to endure it and hope for the best in everyone. To the rest of you *BROHOOF*
Ha ha that show was on the radio at work today. I had to restrain myself from reacting, as the place I work at is full of manly men who would never let me live down being a brony.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's weird that we were listening to NPR. As in, it's never happened before. Usually we listen to music. It must be a sign.
Also, it might be worth noting that I'm employed.
I'm glad they ended up not picking me to do the interview because I was slotted to do it originally, but I think Seth has a lot more impact on the community (I mean I make trailers but that's not much). I agree that they just wanted someone to use so that they could exploit them for jokes, but Seth has done a great job in the past and currently to keep the image of the Brony fandom as respectable as possible, so I thank him for that. Other than that I would say it's obvious the media is going to poke fun at the show and it's new male fan base but that's to be expected and if you want to be part of the community you have to be willing to defend it for the reasons you enjoy it, even if it's embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteThat NPR bit was actually pretty funny, up until the end when they tore ya a new one. That's just messed up Bro.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the fact that NPR are stereotyping bronies that riles me. I know it's the news. They do this shit.
ReplyDeleteIt's the fact that people will believe this. Yes, there are people out there who live in their mom's basements and watch this show, but be honest. How many of you are living in your mom's basements and are unemployed?
inb4 I live in my dad's basement.
Dearest Bronies,
ReplyDeletePlease DO NOT feed the Trolls.
Speculating on what "others", including the media, will think/say/do in relation to the fandom is self-defeating.
Those who have an agenda of hate or intolerance, those wanting to bully or humiliate, will find a way. They will lie and misrepresent if they have to in order to achieve their aims, whether sinister or merely misguided.
Whether we encounter derision from a faceless and unaccountable media, or division from those pushing an agenda of "weeding out" their idea of "undesirables" in our community, our response, if we truly count ourselves as Bronies, must arise from love and tolerance.
Ours is a truly great fandom. Let's rise above the hate in the Brony way.
i looked at it and I lol'd at the mom's basement comment. Those silly fillies there's no basements where Seth is, also im pretty sure most of us are employed or getting a higher education
ReplyDeleteWe are going to tolerate and love the shit out of these people...
ReplyDeleteOk, so we're all unemployed males in our 20's and 30's? Hm...
ReplyDeleteMale, check.
20, check.
Unemployed, nope.
Also, they did a 10 minute interview to get that 5 second clip from you? Wow, that's poor form.
It's times like this I wish that Anonymous would hack spreaders of lies rather than people infringing on personal freedoms.
Y'know, I wouldn't be surprised to see the prison pacifiers deal being a real thing. I know pacifiers used to be big with some teenage groups, and I think still are.
ReplyDeleteAs for the brony banter, pfft, I don't even know why I was worried.
@PinkiePied
ReplyDeleteGodwin's law my friends.
Silliness aside, not a lot of "loving and tolerating" going on in these comments from either side. Blatant hate and rude sarcasm. Honestly guys.
I fully get that the program is itself in jest. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, but i did have to post regarding the "unemployed" quip, and share part of my reasons for liking the show... I'm new to NPR's forums, so I'm still awaiting moderator approval of my comment over there.
ReplyDelete"Adult male, 32, works 2 jobs, and likes My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!
First, I am indeed employed. I privately manufacture a component for Medtronic, a part for a surgical tool. Last year had a 0% defect rate (AWESOME!!!). Second job is just a part time for extra cash.
My Little Pony is genuinely good! Like producer Lauren Faust has stated in the past, her target audience isn't just little girls, but the whole family. Why create a show that only entertains a small demographic, young girls, when you can create something that the whole family can enjoy together. I don't have my own kids, but this is a show I can enjoy when watching my brother's kids for him... as family!
These days, when everyone seems to have a personal TV in their bedrooms, and no one sits together as a family anymore, why CAN'T we have MORE shows like "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic"!
MLP:FiM's target demographic is the human race... Everyone!
I fell in love with the show from episode 1. It's just that good. If the show had all the same characters, but animated as people, and called an Anime, NO ONE WOULD MAKE A FUSS!!! It's only because a quality TV show was created on top of the MLP license, and became popular, that others are taking notice."
I wouldn't be as annoyed if it was anyone but NPR. Bronyism is an inherently nerdy hobby and we're bound to get hated on. Hell, a month ago, I would have laughed at us. What bothers me is that NPR usually checks their facts before reporting, I expected better of them.
ReplyDelete@Adrian Brony
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right. As I recall it had to do with her pride issues.
I got 99 problems but the News ain't one.
ReplyDeleteIf you havin' News problems I feel bad for you, son.
umm...testing, is my comment going through...?
ReplyDeletePosted like an essay or something and it's not showing up...
I didn't listen to it, but I read the monologue and I was curious where they came to the conclusion that the creators thought their following were creepy people. This has displeased me.
ReplyDeleteHey Seth and everyone else!
ReplyDeleteHOW ABOUT YOU REFUSE TO DO INTERVIEWS IN THE FUTURE????
The situation is just getting worse and you guys are doing nothing. You say this will die down. You guys are wimps. They're just gonna keep bashing you guys because you're an easy target.
ReplyDeleteAnd this publicity is definitely not going to get us more fans. If you're talking about haters then yeah, there'll definitely be more of them. Once people see these stuff, they're not going to research into MLP or forget it in 3 minutes. Ya ask any one of them and they will say bronies are creepy unemployed nerd-geeks in their 30s.
We have to do something. Honestly, I don't know what we need to do. But doing nothing is obviously not going to get us anywhere.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWell that's no fun
It's not even the media. That the American media for you guys. Not so much the ratings, they just have nothing else to report. Let it slide off of your head and move on. The worst thing you guys can do is pay attention to them.
ReplyDelete@Fenix
ReplyDeleteTrixie and Gilda ran out of town on their own. Either one of them could have calmed down and discussed their problems. If Equestrians can forgive someone that kidnapped Celestia and threatened to bring about eternal night... then a braggart and a bully should have no problem being forgiven... if they bothered to change their attitude and stick around.
As for the Parasprites, they were just driven out of the populated area, by a known method (at least known by Pinkey Pie). They weren't killed.
As to your last paragraph... I much prefer the tolerant Bronies to whatever you are.
We'll get attacked by the media as this thing gets more mainstream, but oh well. Good work seth, don't give them bullets to shoot us down.
ReplyDeleteHah! I remember you bronies that we are something different from the rest, that the show has changed the way many of us see the world. So, it's quite to be expected if the non-bronies out there throw horseapples at us (and tbh, this one was pretty mild).
ReplyDeleteThe poor fellas just don't realize the power of love and friendship yet, we just need to show them the way. Preferably by example.
And as always, <3 Seth for being such a dedicated (and clever) representative of our community.
You know, after all that "bronies are pedophiles" and "bronies are the worst thing to happen to this country"...
ReplyDeleteThat radio show was actually pretty civil about it. Yeah, they were making fun of us, but it didn't get anywhere near the mean-spirited nature of the other ones.
And yeah, well handled on the interview. If they were trying to trip you up and that's the best quote they got, you did well.
Also, playing the theme song at the end definitely made it 20% less offensive :P
Well, NPR is very tongue-in-cheek with this type of stuff. I'm with people here, it's more of to spread it's knowledge,
ReplyDeletegreat job Sethisto i can imagine the dumb face of the interviewer not getting one really emberassing line of the 10 min conversation :)
ReplyDeleteThe only thing about this that really bothers me is the personal attack against Sethisto at the end. Everything else was pretty standard fare.
ReplyDeleteHehe, they think it's the 80s when the stereotype was that liking cartoons was immature, creepy, and meant you were lazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm just going to ignore this and wait for NPR to take heat for another scandal. Then I will laugh.
nprs funding is getting cut anyway so who cares
ReplyDelete@Fon, thanks, you pretty much summed up my thoughts here exactly. I mean, we'll never be as bad as the furries, but that doesn't mean we should try to ensure that the most gross, freaky stuff is swept under a rug.
ReplyDelete@Sethisto
ReplyDeleteAt least you gave them no ammo so they only used 5 seconds of the whole thing.
@B-Man
ReplyDeleteOMG, the Cockatrice is an actual mythical creature... I honestly thought they made it up as a joke.
Not really sure what your getting at by listing mythical creatures. If your saying that the link between MLP and DnD is slightly valid because MLP has mythical creatures, that seems a tad silly since those are mythical creatures, not DnD original content.
It's hard to say a mythical creature is a reference to another fantasy since the fantasy your referencing needs to make it special in some way. For example, DnD dragons all have defining features based on color. Then you need to copy that creature in a way that is apparent that your referencing the fantasy. The MLP Red Dragon, aside from being a dragon, looks nothing like a DnD red dragon.
My two bits... It's WWDTM, It fun not news, and yeah I may be unemployed but it doesn't mean I'm not looking or trying to find a job. I am 25, been working since 15 and got let go in January. Job market is flooded with people with college degrees or just a little more experience/certs. I work hard (under the table jobs right now) and I'm a brony. Economy is all kinds of messed up. I won't get into why but it is. This is the hardest job market I've seen in my short 10 years in the labor pool. So yeah I can find a low paying job that gets me not enough to pay rent or I can look for a job that pays just that small amount more and enjoy something fun. Thanks MLP:FIM team you've created something good on TV that isn't mindless drivel.
ReplyDeleteEven if it is a comedy hour (one I like nonetheless) they are still misrepresenting the community. I was hoping for something nice from NPR when I heard Seth was doing the interview, they could have done without the "Jobless Loser" bit, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteAlright, I know the fandom is built on love and tolerance, and I definitely ~should~ address everypony here with respect and try to calmly talk them down from their rage, make them realize that this show wasn't so bad, remind them that they need to tolerate everyone ~in~ the fandom as well as ~outside~ of it, but really. This is like... the third post in a few days where I've seen so much intolerance in the comments, and MY tolerance is wearing thin. As such, I would like to apologize to everypony in advance for what I'm about to type.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, God dammit Sethisto. I appreciate that you tried to calm the bronies here down beforehand, but it didn't do a damn thing when in the same breath you claimed that the radio show was attacking us. EVEN IF IT WAS, PHRASING IT THAT WAY IS GOING TO RILE SOME PEOPLE UP, REGARDLESS OF YOUR REQUEST TO THE CONTRARY. Jeez. In the future, I advise you be objective in these kinds of posts. They're touchy subjects, as the past several news posts have clearly demonstrated. All that said, congratulations on only saying one short thing that could be used against us.
Second, to everypony getting pissed at this news show. GOOD JOB COMPLETELY IGNORING WHAT SETHISTO ASKED YOU TO DO. And I mean, ~specifically~ asked you to do. Hell, he even bolded it for emphasis. And yet post after post of "How dare these people do this!" and "Psh. I NO LONGER RESPECT THESE PEOPLE." And it was much the same for the last post, where that RedEye segment wasn't bad but everypony was getting pissed at it. Granted, the rage reactions were far fewer this time around, but the ones that ~are~ here are unwarranted and unnecessary and unhelpful. I appreciate your alls' fervor to make the fandom look good, but you just aren't pulling it off by getting pissy and butthurt.
Thirdly, to all the folks bashing on other fandoms or other folks in our fandom who don't necessarily paint a pretty picture of "normal": please, please go rewatch the entire season. Marathon it. Call in sick if you work, because you all are forgetting quite possibly the most important part of the show. Love. And. Tolerance. And that's a shame, because honestly, what would the characters from the show do? If Gilda had been willing to get off her high horse and not be an ass, they would have accepted her. If Trixie had stuck around long enough to hear Twilight teach about friendship, she might have been okay with the group and they ~would have accepted her~. Zecora WAS willing to explain herself to the group, even though they wrongly accused her of things purely based on the fact that she's FiM's equivalent of black. That's right: Our Little Ponies were racist before Bridle Gossip, and they got over it and are now friends with Zecora because they were forgiven. And these are examples of people doing things ~wrong~! Trixie and Gilda being asses, the mane six being RACIST, and friendship and tolerance was always a possibility, no matter what. Show some love and tolerance yourself, please.
To everypony who's being good, I apologize for my unseemly post. I'm sincerely disappointed in this fandom right now. It's honestly changed me for the better - I used to be an asshole, and now I make a conscious effort not to be because of MLP and what bronies are supposed to be - and seeing it get so riled up and angry over such trivial things have taken their toll on me. I'm proud of you all, the bronies who are still being loving and tolerant.
I'm going to have to continue in another comment.
To everypony I raged at, I apologize as well. But I've tried for days now to be tolerant, and I've been ignored, so now it's time for tough love. Come on, people. I know you've got it in you. If you could see the change you all have had in me, you would know just how powerful it is to see a fandom loving each other and not flaring up into drama at every little thing. Some of you probably do, and have just forgotten. Please, I implore you: stop losing your cool. It has a bad effect on the public's view of the fandom, and as I've demonstrated by breaking and snapping at everyone, it's detrimental to the fandom from the inside as well. In the same way we can be our own allies and support each other, making the fandom strong, we can eat away at it from within and end up crumpling. It's your call. I hope you make the right decision.
ReplyDeletePeace.
I'd have to compare this media distortion to how many people are uninformed about people who play world of warcraft. It's easier, funnier and more believable to play on the worst examples than represent a group as a whole. Fucking uninformed media.
ReplyDelete... I don't understand why guys like Fon Shaolin and Fenix have this need to nip it this fandom at the bud and try to stop something that's IMPOSSIBLE to stop. It exists in every single fandom, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Last time I checked, guys, this is the internet and weird porn about cars and vore exist here. End of story.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this might just be a community, Fenix, and the whole 'love and tolerance' wasn't mentioned in the show - why stop it? Why should we all be mean and bitter douchebags to everyone, even to people who we dislike? Isn't there enough of that on the internet? Frankly, I for one am sick and tired of those kinds of hate trash and bitchslap shipping wars, and this community has been the only fandom that doesn't give me a headache since lots of bronies do live up to our ideals of 'Love and Tolerance'. They welcome people, and the amount of prejudice I've experienced here I could count up with my hands.
I'm sorry for using your comments in particular, and I don't mind if my opinion is something you won't ever consider, but fellow bronies - this community doesn't have to degenerate to 'We hate you. You make us bad. NOW LEAVE'.
We can be a taller community despite the bad light if we accept our fellow bronies and even our haters for who they are. We can be the more mature community who welcomes anyone with open arms, while others may hate on them. We're able to help, give advice, smile, tolerate - why not?
I won't mind having a bad light and being judged badly if it means proving to everyone else this community is better than most by being the most open-minded, non-judgmental, and happiest community out there.
*steps off the soap box*
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThank you. By Celestia's Beard, thank you. Maybe with two people saying as much, somepony will stop and take a look.
Guys, this is the internet. Even car porn exists here and there's nothing we can do about it, there will always be r34 in every single fandom we will ever be in. Yes, even Pong.
ReplyDeleteWhy should this fandom degenerate into 'We hate you because you make us look bad. NOW LEAVE.' route? Isn't there enough of that on the internet as it is? Aren't you all fed up with douchebaggery online?
Can't this community be the bigger community and, despite the bad light, live up to its name of Love and Tolerance? Even if that wasn't mentioned in the show itself - why should we stop it?
There's enough of the whole prejudice and hate online, and frankly I'm sick and tired of it. All of the prejudice I've ever experienced in the brony community I could count up with my own hands, why change all that? Even if someone said this is just a fandom community, it's still spreading something fascinating and overall positive to many people who don't belong anywhere. I've seen bronies who were willing to help, lend a hand, give support, give charity - and from those examples, I for one think our fellow bronies deserve all the bad rap we're getting nowadays.
We don't have to nip things at the bud or send hate mail. What we can do is keep walking and keep being the only online community out there in the world who actually have a descent, positive conscience.
To the brony community: people might call you sick or fetishists, but the people who we help and extend a comforting hand to will know better.
What the hay is up with these people and their strange obsession saying a defining element of the brony term is being unemployed?!
ReplyDeleteOkay i love this show. I really do.
ReplyDeleteI got it on my iPod. I started listening as normal.
Bluff the listener comes up and the instant I hear what its about I knew MLP would be included.
And I also knew I wouldn't like it.
First round: Prison Pacifiers.
The second round came up and the second I heard "When the Hub." I knew it and braced myself.
I guess I'm a unemployed 20-30something for being a brony.
I understand they just like making fun of people but REALLY? They were dead serious. Be mature and have an open mind. Maybe the show is good, ya never know. Oh wait... This is wait wait. What maturity?
Well for most new networks a 'normal' story wouldn't be interesting enough so they have to spice it up showing what weirdos we people are. But that is how tv quotes work, so no need to rage about that. Actually stuff like Fox 'News' I think is hilarious, like a spoof how a news network should be besides that they are dead serious. So take a chill guys it's not like they know what they are doing ;)
ReplyDeleteOh and good job Seth.
Hate has never achieved anything in the history of the world. The people who hate never win. If you give into hate and prejudice, you'll only hurt yourself.
ReplyDeleteDon't be a sucker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23X14HS4gLk. "There are people who spend their days and night, trying to take away what we have".
> For their part, the show's creators say they're pleasantly creeped out
ReplyDeleteNo they didn't. That's just blatant lying.
@Sethisto
ReplyDeleteErm...Seth. I know this is a bit off-topic but now that I saw your surname...well...Dunno how to put this but...
Do you know it kinda reminds me of Scootaloo? XD
<.< >.>
WHAT?! Someone had to say it !
>Ouch... I kind of expected better from NPR.
ReplyDelete>Love and tolerate, everyponi.
>Fox News got to it first, now the real news organizations can use it as a reference to say/imply things that are blown out of proportion/not true :C
>I know many of us are jobless, but thats because most of us are college students, and I'm sure a couple are high school students like me. Focusing on education can be made to sound really negative.
>There's proof that the majority of us are students too. I'm sure there's a poll or something, but you can also see on google trends that popularity spikes w/ each college semester... or maybe half-semester... I'm not too familiar with that stuff...again, I'm a high school student.
This is EPR, Equestria Public Radio.
ReplyDeleteBronies, there's something we all need to remember when seeing slander from articles on the internet: we have the home-field advantage. MLP fandom has spread to every corner of the internet and our numbers rank in the thousands. This is THE biggest thing on the internet at this time.
ReplyDeleteNow yes, it sucks that they make these bullshit stories, but it is YOUR decision whether or not you should feel mad that someone lied on the internet, or whether you should feel satisfied that they made themselves look like asses to thousands of people.
Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't speak up to defend the fandom, as the best way for somepony to realize they've been a douche is for somepony else to call them out on it (and if we don't defend ourselves, who will?) However, there's no need to react with anger or resentment. Not that I have seen especially angry comments posted on articles like this, but it does seem like the fandom's collective temper is rising.
WE know that the show is awesome. WE know that we are awesome. Someday, either they will realize how awesome we are, or eventually they'll get bored and leave us alone. But until then, just like every subculture before us, we are different, so we are judged.
I for one am just proud that we have reached such a magnitude that we are getting so much media attention! If it weren't for our strong community and passion for sharing our enjoyment of the show, nopony would even know we exist (and we wouldn't be attracting new bronies on a constant basis.)
Brohoof!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Nick
ReplyDelete<3 Great post. And thanks for trying at being a better person. It's what we all have to do ^^
This is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. They make fun of everything and mean everything. If they can't make fun of it, they don't touch it. Sadly, they take the most ludicrous view of the story, even if its not necessarily true.
ReplyDeleteAt least they aren't doing this in on All Things Considered. :/
@Tosxychor
ReplyDeleteThanks. Good to know someone read it. I'm just really pissed that I'm seeing people start to flout the very things that I once saw in this fandom that inspired me to be a better person.
Honestly, people. I was a Grade-A douchebag up until about two weeks ago, when I realized that love and tolerance was awesome. Because of you all, and seeing you all spread it and embody it. Now I'm seeing hateposts against furries and people overreacting and butthurting over the slightest things. We need to pull ourselves together and all just take a few deep breaths. Take a look at how we're all acting, and decide if it's really how we want to be. If it's not, we need to fix it.
@ToonNinja
ReplyDeleteLook at "Phineas and Ferb". Show's really bad. Main reason I think that is because the people who tell me to watch it, say it has "Family Guy Humor".
I think the Fox Red Eye and NPR piece have been surprisingly okay, and could have been way harsher. Seth handles this stuff amazingly well.
ReplyDeleteThe first wave of coverage was always going to be sceptical and amused. Because it's grown-ups watching My Little Pony.
But there's a lot of positive press too, from places like Comics Alliance, and the AV Club, and I could see some places doing episode re-caps or at least covering the second season when it launches, even if just to see what the fuss is about. I could see it becoming legit once people actually see it, as long as the second season's good.
I mean, Michael Bay's returning to our screens with his third Transformers douchestravaganza this summer, which will gross roughly the GDP of a small African country in spite of being totally horrible, and there's no stigma attached to seeing that.
But I guess that's because it's about robots and explosions and stuff. Whereas MLP, just because it's about friendship and baked goods and pretty pretty dresses, people are implying it's GIRLY. What gives, lamestream media??
tl;dr, initial mainstream coverage could never be anything but 'hah, what on earth?', but if season 2 maintains the quality of the first, people might give it a look. And then, legitimacy! Also, pretty, pretty dresses.
Oh come on... NPR? Oh, never mind, it's the idiots on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me.
ReplyDeleteI knew all the ladies loved Noah Antwiler (aka. Dr. Insano) but I never thought I'd end up thinking him cute.
ReplyDeleteThe whole point of "Bluff the Listener" is for the panelists to make up fake news stories and have the listener guess the real one. That means all of them need to be equally exaggerated and funny, and how else can you be funny about something like this to a wide audience than by using the standard unemployed/virgin barbs?
ReplyDeleteIn the end, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and we've probably all laughed openly at people similarly described who love something else that we don't. It's always funny until they talk about you.
The guys at Wait wait are paid to make fun of people. Eh. Seth should be proud. Not falling for the obvious traps. *pats Seth on back*
ReplyDeleteI'll say it again.
ReplyDeleteFurry fandom.
2006.
Get used to it.
Y'know what? I'm actually loving all this media hate. It's making this fandom even more awesome. Let's look at it this way, what has the media hated on?
ReplyDeleteRock and Roll (for ruining the country)
Metal (for ruining the country)
Rap (for ruining the country)
Video Games (for ruining the country)
Ponies
Yep, we've added ponies to the list of things that are ruining the country. Am I the only one that thinks that's awesome?
@Kyouhen
ReplyDeleteActually... that is pretty awesome. More like ruining the world though. Sweet.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI'll bite, why exactly?
I don't know much about furries, but if I remember right, the CSI episode which covered them was about a nightclub where furries went in animal costumes and got off with each other.
Unless any of the MLP meet-ups have anything particularly sinister planned, I don't see how you can compare that to watching a tv show.
Anyway, isn't Duke Nukem Forever out now? From what I've heard about that, a lot of the outraged coverage of geek stuff will probably shift over to how utterly repellant that game sounds now.
ReplyDelete@Kyouhen
ReplyDeleteI didn't freak out from these news so I was pretty cool, but lookingat it from your point of view does make it a lot cooler :)
Rock/Metalfan Brony here \m/
I await the glorious day when headbangers and bronies unite!
Did you guys honestly expect NPR to be any better than Fox News? They are just as bad if not worse. Especially since WE are the ones that pay to listen to this.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Bronies we all just paid to be dehumanized some more. Someday though... They'll understand... They'll all understand.
I am awaiting next episode. If a good amount of bronies used the contact them thing on the NPR site and rammed on them it may be mentioned (and then we'll be insulted again) on the show.
ReplyDeletePart of me wonders if the college-kid demographic of Spongebob Squarepants and Yo Gabba Gabba! ever got this much mainstream media attention, and if it was as mocking as this.
ReplyDeleteI'm not super-bothered by the segment, but I'm slightly DISAPPOINT at NPR.
The news quiz "Wait Wait..." is mostly about the major events, in a comedic form, I felt that they did with us the same treatment as they did with other subjects.
ReplyDeleteI was laughing so hard at the other stories, I almost ran into a Jersey Barrier, at a TA.
In all seriousness, these guys will rag on the Red Hats the same as the Hell's Angels.
I am not ashamed of being a Bronie... I am going to keep my refrences subtle lest folks get the 'wrong idea'
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYeah. Yo gabba gabba is the stupidest show ever made [watched it], Spongebob is just popular (but still stupid IMHO) [watched it]. But neither gets major coverage that college students and older like it.
People are starting to make better kids shows. If one has a stigma of being epically girly deal with it. There is some unemployed guy watching Phineas and Ferb right now (decent show) and no one cares. But everyone cares about everypony that watches MLP.
@Anonymous ^
ReplyDeleteHa you know whats funny since you mention Yo Gabba Gabba if you finish up the Bronie bit. Theres a recommendation after it that PRAISES Yo Gabba Gabba as being great! While we get shafted.
Gotta love that Love and Tolerance...
It actually wasn't that bad at all, I just wish they'd stop making us all out as unemployed.
ReplyDeleteBronies have been loving and tolerating trolls efficiently since day one. This is only so irritating because many of us assumed 'news' sources were different.
ReplyDeleteThey're not. The size of your soapbox has little correlation with your honesty or merit, and lending a group the respect of authority on the sole basis of its money and PR is a terrible mistake.
But now that we've been burned, we know better than to make the same mistake, so... thank you, Fox/NPR parasprites, for opening our eyes.
Dear Princess Celestia...
Why does everyone assume we're unemployed? I'm betting 80% of us have jobs, and that number is only that low because real unemployment is something like 20%.
ReplyDeleteWhatever, I'll happy wear my rainbow dash lapel pin. I'm a 29 year old dude and I don't care who knows I like cartoons. I've been watching cartoons since I was a toddler, and they were terrible back then. We have great cartoons now, why shouldn't we enjoy them?
@Vanner
ReplyDeleteSame, 28 year-old guy, employed, Fluttershy badge on my jacket lapel. Wore it to a party last night. Reprazent.
To be honest being an European, I can't tell the difference between the FOX story about us and NPR story about us. Even through I know that one has conservative bias and other has liberal bias. They both seem to have the same "amused pity/disbelief" approach on the subject... :/
ReplyDelete@Vanner
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget that most of us are in some state of studies/education. And therefore are counted as "unemployed".
NPR is generally a reliable news organization, but this is dissapointing, though slightly forgivable since this bit is from wait wait don't tell me and not something serious like Talk of The Nation or ____ Edition. Give em a chance to do something on their real shows before getting too righteously indignant.
ReplyDeleteRemember, the media always goes for the oddball parts of subcultures, Just roll with it and prove em wrong.
@Tekaramity
ReplyDeleteAs Twilight once advised Rainbow Dash, just let them go. Maybe someday they'll learn their lesson.
There's nothing any of us can do to force the media to get past their preconceptions, so it's best to just shrug, ignore it, and move along.
@WhatPayne
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't call NPR having a liberal bias at all. Plus this is supposed to be a funny segment, not a news segment, so imo it's a bit more forgivable. Obviously, grown men and college folk watching MLP is going to be met with skepticism. The only part I felt a bit offended at was that they decided to throw in that we are all unemployed.
@Anonymous
ReplyDelete*whisper* Oh, for Celestia's beard don't give them ideas!
Can somebody please make a documentary that depicts this fandom accurately?
ReplyDelete@Thattagen
ReplyDeleteYeah, but it's just Nerdum stereotyping which for all intensive purposes is funny. Like they mentioned D&D in that segment. So it's like hey nerds will be nerds and like whatever.
@Frostbite
ReplyDelete>FRIENDSHIP'S GONNA HIT THE MOTHERFUCKING FAN
Fixed that for you.
Dear NPR:
ReplyDeleteWe're going to love and tolerate the shit out of you. We're untrollable. Better trolls than you have tried. :)
Love, the Bronies.
Well. How interesting that no one has even remotely tthe same level of vitriol for NPR.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job, Seth. Unfortunately so long as they have the editing on their side, no amount of careful wording will help you.
I don't know how to @ my comments properly, so this is to the Anon somewhere up there.
ReplyDeleteBasically, the furry fandom has been weathering these sorts of media attacks for most of a decade now (and before anyone reiterates, yes, I know it's a game show and not a news segment; we should really keep that in mind). Aside from the CSI episode, there was the magazine article, a number of other news reports and articles, and the MTV sex show.
We've reacted poorly, to put it mildly. By crying fursecution and writing nasty letters, we've made the public view of our fandom (however small that 'public' may actually be) worse. We've done ourselves no favors.
My point in harping on this is threefold. First, learn from our mistakes. Bronies have two media spots against them; one isn't even news. (Neither is, depending on how you view FOX.) We can bounce back from this, be positive, not react, whatever. So long as we don't come across as a bunch of crybabies, we'll be well on the road to building a positive reputation in the future.
Number two, bronies ain't the first. The public likes freaks. What we are all doing is weird, against expectation. There will be lots of finger-pointing and stares, but frankly, you are not alone. I know bronies don't terribly like furries, but I'm sure furries would be willing to lend support, or at least a shoulder to cry on. YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Finally... It gets better. It took years, but furries started making sure to get people in to events where they could come away with a good experience. There've been numerous articles written about furries in a positive light. The impact so far? Minimal; they're mostly just in local newspapers. But it's a start. When most people just remember CSI, we can point to these and say, "No, those guys were wrong; there's more to us." The only way to fight bad press is with good press. This is not the end of the world. Things may get worse before they get better, but I believe we can take these experiences and make something positive out of them. Get out there and show them what you're made of!
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteHey, that radio show, actually it was more fun than I thought. It makes much more sense than these 'respected' news media. It makes me remember who I was last year.
I didn't think this was that bad! Maybe it's because I listen to NPR frequently, and I know their type of humor, but I thought that while it was a little biting, it was nowhere near as bad as the Fox2 story. Plus, I legitimately laughed at the end when they played the theme song.
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs to just stop taking these things to heart! The news is the news, and everyone has their own opinions. Call me naive, but I think the public will have their own opinions on this, not just copypasta the news' opinions.
NO! SOMEONE MADE A SPOONY LINKED PONY! MLP IS RUINED FOREVER!
ReplyDeleteone sentence
ReplyDelete(soundbite of laughter)
one sentence
(soundbite of laughter)
one sentence
(soundbite of applause)
one sentence
(soundbite of laughter)
(soundbite of applause)
Bye bye
What the hay did I just listen to?
Yeah... we're all unemployed... I guess my THREE JOBS don't count.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we have Seth to be our colt and keep his cool during interviews like this.
ReplyDeleteGo Seth! ^_^
Chill out, it will pass over like always when they find the newwst thing to mock.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mind this really. It was aimed as a comedy segment, not serious news. It's a little annoying to be stereotyped but could have been a lot worse.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with this unemployed nonsense. :/ I need the money to buy my hunks of plastic idiots.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate I'm also amused that they are ignoring the adult female population (like me) who only started liking MLP with this show as well.
Why does everyone think we are 30 something? I'm 13 for Christ's sake and I've watched every episode. Big deal.
ReplyDelete~Chaostech
... that's the best they could come up with?
ReplyDeletethat "we're unemployed men" and that the creator of Equestria Daily runs it out of his mom's basement?
*shrugs it off and continues with his day*
OK, I raged. Damnit. Is it really that hard to do a little research?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to really dislike this crap, and I blame Wired for it. The media wouldn't have their worst ammo if they hadn't gotten that guy who's like 35 and out of a job as their first interview source in that article.
ReplyDeleteI mean ffs, when I started reading it and cringed because I knew that guy was perfect loser cannon fodder to make fun of us. So yeah, every time one of these stories crops up I curse that Wired went out and found the worst example of the fanbase and put it forth to the media and world at large. Doesn't help they put up a picture of him either because now that's the poster manchild for what we all look like in the eyes of the public.
Also someone made mention of unemployed not necessarily meaning you're an unemployed adult. Well sorry that's what it means in the media; if they wanted to make the point that most of the fanbase are students and therefore "unemployed" they would have done so. By using unemployed they put the negative connotation into people's minds that there is a large group of people who are playing with fucking pony toys instead of being productive members of society. If they had instead chosen to say "popular with college students and men in their 30's" it paints us in the non-loser light. They didn't though and so NPR makes my media shit list.
Love and tolerance my right foot, they said the creators were creeped out at the fandom when it's been expressly made clear they aren't.
Really?
ReplyDeleteGuys, come on. This is wait wait don't tell me. It's meant to be a joke, just go along with it. Besides, was what they said really that bad? I was actually rather happy when I saw that we got on to my favorite news show.
Well played, Seth. Good job keeping a level head during a slanted interview - a much tougher task than one might think. Thanks for doing a fantastic job in not yielding them more material than that. I did notice they had to throw on the canned laughter awfully early during your 10 seconds of creme de la creme cherry-picked interview slice, so it was really difficult to even hear what you said. Kudos, for making them jump to measures like that to make it seem palatable to their audience!
ReplyDeleteAll hail Seth! And the TGAPT as well, for good measure!
The one thing that really bothered me, which seems to be a running theme, looking through the comments, was the addition of 'unemployed'. I for one second the proposal for the employment poll. Perhaps adding for variables such as 'public service', 'business sector', or 'government employee'...
Oooh, We could even get so detailed as to add an 'other'.
a) the news is dumb. My primary sources of news is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.
ReplyDeleteb) I still can't figure out how anyone in their right mind could think this is a bad thing (well obviously if they're in news they aren't in their right mind), if anything this is the best thing to happen to the world in a while as far as cultural stuffs.
Goodness. I don't think any other fandom has ever gotten so much media attention. But what really surprises me is that it's all happening during a break between seasons. I wonder what will happen when season two starts up...
ReplyDeleteI say let them do their worst. We can take it and just like every time in the past we have been persecuted by our peers it has only strengthened our resolve. And it seems that even through all of the bans and mocking and ill-informed news reports our numbers continue to grow. This is all just a part of a growing communities life. We will always face adversity in some form but don't let that bog you down, know simply that any ideal, our ideals, are only as strong as the trials they overcome. Stand firm my bronies and we overcome.
ReplyDeleteThis seems more on the fun side of things when compared to the other segments...
ReplyDeleteI'll continue my donations to NPR.
I am jobless, but that's only because I'm fifteen and I have a month left before I can get my working papers but I do have a lucrative babysitting business on the rise ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't see why the media has to portray the Bronies so negatively. Like I said, I'm not an unemployed 30 year old man (I hope :D) I'm a normal fifteen year old girl with a severe love of animation who loves this show.
On the bright side, its just NPR. Nobody cares what NPR says anymore
ReplyDeleteI thought it was funny.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteexcept what, 30 million listeners?
Thing about haters is, they're gonna hate.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, having held a steady job for the last seven years, the "unemployed" bit seemed a bit harsh, but then again, they say the same thing about comic book fans and D&D players, but I highly doubt they actually think it's true.
In the end, it's all in good fun. Hell, even I, a Brony who owns all 6 of the mane cast's dolls, am CONSTANTLY joking about the situation with my friends, Bronies or not. They know I don't mean it. That's all it is is playful jabbing. Don't take a comedy show so seriously, guys.
Sigh. once again the media does no research before a report.
ReplyDeleteOpen the door, get on the floor, everybody walk the media bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteSo, even though I'm sure very few people will read the comments all the way down here, I agree with a few points already made. Here's my two cents: Chill out and remain calm. It's not the end of the world. Yes, the negative media attention is annoying but just ignore it and they will loose interest. As for the porn and such issue: Not everyone wants to see or be part of any risque fan art but there are people who DO like it. I'm not one of them but I don't think the people that do should be forced away. That's why there are different message boards and the like specifically for such media. Porn will happen. No exceptions. Read the Rules of the Internet people, you'll find that they actually DO apply to EVERYTHING whether you like it or not. Simple solution? Don't make a big deal out of the stuff you don't like and it won't attract lots of attention.
ReplyDeleteIf you read all this, thank you for your time and I wish you a better rest of your day.
Everyone seems to be working off that horrible Wired article.
ReplyDeleteLuke Allen, I'm sure you're a nice guy, but we really don't need a balding out of work man with aspergers to be the media's poster child for bronies.
@Friendly Fred
ReplyDeleteYeah, Nobody but a few people who agreed with me in the first place read my wall of text, it seems. People just skip over all the comments to post "ALL MY RAGE" because lots of the comments point out good reasons they shouldn't be pissed and reading them would put a damper on their rage.
I read, and agreed with, everything you said. I hope the angry people will see this and maybe stop being so mad too.
Fon Shaolin actually ended up making an agreeable point.
ReplyDeleteSomething about the cultures centering around 4chan, ironically, weed out awkward or strange people. People in 4chan fandoms tend to be more socially aware of how they come across, and have enough emotional fortitude and the right amount of cynicism to avoid problems like this.
In a way I wish the fandom hadn't expanded so far out and into the media outlets.
Good job Seth, for not letting them get to you.
ReplyDelete*Sigh*
That interview, you know unemployed doesn't equal living in your mother basement. Most of us are unemployed because we are still in school. Honestly these people, I know the media is like this but honestly.
Oh well at least it wasn't that bad.
Seth totally wins, listened to this live yesterday!
ReplyDeleteAll it showed was how awesome we are!
*Sigh* I really like NPR
ReplyDeletebut hate Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me
just solidifies my opinion of that awful show I suppose
Well Seth you're still awesome in my book!
Wow, that was a pretty douche thing for them to interview you for 10 minutes, just in an attempt to get a single sound byte to take out of context and paint the fandom in a bad light. And then for being sporting enough to go through with it, they take shots at you anyway.
ReplyDeletePeople should really use the argument of changing gender expectations more. Think of it, over time gender expectations defiantly change. 10 years a go ( give or take ) a guy wearing a pink shirt would be considered gay, now it is perfectly normal. The current gender expectation for males seems to revolve around liking sports and avoiding anything remotely girly. Now we are braking that expectation as all of a sudden a show aimed a girls has majority of it's fan base being men.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteDon't knock the Wired article. It was very good. It was unkind of them to lead with that unemployed brony, but it's surely the fault of the other crap 'news' shows that they barely even skimmed the article and conducted no research of their own.
Ah, well.
@Star Whistle
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you THANK YOU.
I've been saying that from the start as well, and nopony at all listens when I do. Good to see some shared sentiments.
Well, it's the media world after all. Ain't pretty in there.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was kind of half hoping the caller would've said, "I know about this trend because I'm a brony myself!" or something.
ReplyDelete@hamster_doom
ReplyDeleteIt's not really persecution. Unless they take to actually beating us in the streets or something, it's not really persecution. I really don't like persecution complexes, and your comment just radiates one.
The funny line came from the caller that called in.. that was not the host's line about the basement.. Well if it is a Psudonym you used, nice use of Scootaloo... may we always love that little pony heart.
ReplyDeleteI've been an avid listener and supporter of NPR all of my adult life. When you pledge to NPR you're asked to call in during specific shows you wish to support.
ReplyDeleteWhen I pledge this year it will definitely be during "Car Talk" and not "Wait, Wait".
This is kinda ironic, as each week Peter Sagal finds some time to announce what a huge Star Wars Nerd/ Trekkie he is (I love 'em too, just sayin' the pot shouldn't call the kettle black).
Good day and I think that the fact that Mo Rocca knew who Fluttershy and Twilight are is a telling revelation...
I'm a fan of WWDTM and, as others said, aside from the assertion of unemployment, (which was him just reading a scrip,) Peter was really quite respectful of us. The only comment that really actually came close to pissing me off was the douchebag caller, who isn't associated with the show other than by being a listener.
ReplyDeleteRadio guy says a funny line.
ReplyDelete*laugh simulator plays*
Radio guy says a funny line.
*laugh simulator plays*
Radio guy says a funny line.
*laugh simulator plays*
Radio guy says a funny line.
*laugh simulator plays*
That was... Cruel. Frankly you, Cereal and Phoe do a brilliant job on this blog. I highly doubt the fervor would've continued for as long as it has done after the series ended without ED, to be honest.
ReplyDelete>mfw this is far more offensive than anything said on Fox, but it won't get half as many rage posts
ReplyDeleteOh internet, u so biased.
@Pixel Coder [RebeccaRGB] My thoughts exactly. I would think NPR would spin this in a less Fox-esque light.
ReplyDeleteSo, um... I know I haven't read the interview, but... from the majority of the comments I've read, there doesn't seem to be much of a issue with this one, right? I mean, in the sense that it CAN be tolerated...
ReplyDeleteI mean, those nerd stereotype jokes is something I can get over, and people finding it weird that MLP:FiM attracted a large adult male fanbase (with the proper apologies to the female or young fans) is something to be expected (since it was basically how I reacted after first finding about this, though I was rather curious about it than outright shocked)...
Um... did I make much sense up there? I mean, I do not speak native English, and it has been hard to find anything pony-related being talked about here in my country... so... oh, I'm sorry, I side-tracked there...
Also, this may not be the best place for this, but... I grew attached to this fandom because of its "love and tolerate" motto (I feel I'm too much of a "nice guy" for my own good), since it didn't feel like it would chase me away (as a matter of fact, that's why I entered the Training Grounds!)... but with all I've been reading in the comments lately (and mostly at those media news), I wasn't sure if I wanted to post a comment... and so, I got silent... all this intolerance is surely frightening me...
I'm sorry if I bored or offended someone, but... I think I feel better now...
Seriously?
ReplyDeleteGuys, NPR is not HATING. NPR is TROLLING, which is what wait wait is basically about. They bring up something on the show and poke fun at it. NPR was even pretty ok about it, so I really don't get why you guys are all annoyed about it. At least it's better then fox, who seriously called us "sick and twisted".
I used to respect NPR. I still do. But after this, I must say my respect for the station has declined quite a bit. At least the guy at the end dissing Seth was a guest, and not the actual host.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see it as an attack, just a playful jab at the odd phenomenon that is bronies. Considering we live in an era where consumer products are carefully manufactured to appeal to specific demographics, the fact that the franchise has such unprecedented appeal is pretty remarkable. Y'all need to lighten up - Wait Wait, as far as I can tell, is always done in good fun. The "Bluff the Listener" section in particular only works when the stories are totally outrageous, so it's no surprise to me that they hammed it up. I enjoyed it and was excited to hear about bronies on NPR!
ReplyDeleteGreat quote, Sethisto - you did us proud! :)
Why did you keep apologizing for raging? You were raging?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but what did Seth do? Look like he didn't do shit. Did he say that we're not 20-30 unemployed nerds? Did he say that most of us don't buy the shitty toys? All the bad stuff they said about us. Did he tell them that none of them is true? And that 10 second clip is enough for a person who doesn't know MLP to be disgusts as shit. Not your fault on that one. After ALL the things NPR said, saying "it hass good animated characters and personality" just sounds like some fucking excuse to watch some little girl's tv shows.
You guys say this was ok compared to other news like Fox, but I'd say it was just as worse.
Especially worrying is that NPR is apparently a very trusted, accurate news source most of the time. You know what that means? People are now REALLY going to believe we're human trash.
@Nick
ReplyDelete<3.
@Gunny
The fandom has always had a sense of humor about itself. We're well aware it's strange and funny that adult men are so interested in My Little Pony. However, we don't appreciate slander. NPR and Fox2 both lied publicly to get a laugh at our expense, and NPR tried to twist Sethisto's MLP advocacy against him. That's pretty mean.
We should love and tolerate, but I hope you can understand why some bronies are upset.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteSethisto was never ON the radio show. They recorded an interview with him, chopped out a short clip, and played that clip on the show. He was given no opportunity to refute their crudeness on air.
Pfff, I'm not ashamed. Whatever. Haters gonna hate. And a goofy showup on an NPR quiz game is hardly damaging to any image issues as is.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they did this, just because of the off-chance that they gave the topic "things that didn't didn't reach their target audience" and the guy replies "This is about those ponies, isn't it? Confound those darned ponies."
ReplyDeleteTrue, it's really not his fault. But what I was saying is he didn't help make anything better. He COULDN'T make anything better in that situation.
ReplyDeleteAgain, it WILL damage our image. It's a SHOW. People watch it. Lots of people. And they WILL believe everything they say.
NPR isn't that bad.
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn't take this stuff to heart.
They don't know much about the culture.
Why the bloodlust for bronies? We're no worse than people who obsess over scifi and anime, and half of that's for kids too.
ReplyDelete@ToonNinja
ReplyDelete"Also, to hell with the media. They wouldn't know a decent show if it burned their headquarters down with combustible lemons."
May I quote you on that?
You probably won't reply to this and I probably won't come back here to read you reply, so I'll do it anyway. :)
I think your quote is excellent because it bashes media for not being able to recognize something good with a reference to something that is good.
I know for a fact I'd be a godawful posterboy for darn near anything (I enjoy arguments too much), so I'll avoid being interviewed at all costs. =P
ReplyDeletei always listen to "wait, wait, don't tell me" which is the show it was on, as soon as they said the topic, i KNEW my little pony was going to be mentioned, plus the other two storys sucked.
ReplyDeleteHere is why this upsets me.
ReplyDeleteMedia gives BS coverage to humiliate and denigrate us.
Mommy and Daddy stop buying MLP merch because they think the show is bad.
Hasbro goes "WTF".
They cancel the show... or...
They water the show down with suck to the point that we hate it.
That's why I don't like the Bullshit. Ignore us if you want to ignore us, but don't mock us. We don't have a news outlet to cover our own.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Being Weird and Discovered by Comedians.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteEither Fon is a really realistic troll, or a really stupid douchebag who has his/her head so far up his/her plothole that a team of ninety-seven surgeons could not get it out if they tried.
There's no other explanation. Why ELSE would you go back to a site that you say you've renounced just to make more nasty comments?
@Fon Shaolin
ReplyDeleteOkay, I don't blame you for not wanting to do the research on this. Anybody sane would flinch at the thought of any kind of prolonged exposure to Chris-chan.
But I don't even know whether Chris-chan knows about Friendship is Magic. Sure, he claims to be a fan of My Little Pony, but he's a fan of the pre-Faust ponies. He even drew a pony pulling a cart in Sonichu Special 2 where he got married to some imaginary girl. In fact, he'd probably hate Friendship is Magic for "turning Rainbow Dash into a lesbian".
Even if he WAS a fan of FiM, so what? How would it be "probable" that he would be "next on the interview list"? Remember, to the REST of the world, HE'S NOT REALLY EVEN IMPORTANT AT ALL. You're not helping anything by fearmongering, and either you realize that and are just trying to troll us, or you are honestly so blind that you think that everyone else thinks like you. THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DOES NOT KNOW CHRIS-CHAN. THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DOES NOT CARE ABOUT A RANDOM DELUDED MANCHILD FROM VIRGINIA WHO DRAWS CRAPPY COMICS.
@Kill me, I'm a PONY
ReplyDeleteYES. I've been thinking about this very idea myself. We TALK about "love and tolerance" all the time, why don't we actually go out and HELP some people! Maybe the proceeds could go to creative programs in not-so-well-funded schools or something.
@Joe England
ReplyDeleteTHANKS A LOT for getting They Might Be Giants stuck in my head!
"I want to raise my freak flag
Higher and...higher and...
I want to raise my freak flag
And never be aloooooooooooone............"
@Pinkie_Pie_fan471
ReplyDeleteDON'T EVEN WORRY.
The mainstream media neither knows nor cares about Chris-chan, and Fon Shaolin was just fearmongering.
I mean, let's put things in perspective. The ONLY people who would GIVE a crap about Chris-chan are the people who want to sensationalize, and the only people who would even FIND him would be the people who frequent the internet circles where he is a Scottish Trope (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheScottishTrope). In all of the "media" out there, the "media" outlets that fall into those two categories could HARDLY be considered mainstream.
@BagOfChips
ReplyDeleteYeah, because the alternative is that this Fon Shaolin person has his or her head SO FAR UP his or her ass that he or she thinks that people with Asperger syndrome are all "retarded freaks" who are inherently inferior.
As a person on the autism spectrum, I would like to point out that if it were not for a few "really weird folks", there may very well not BE an "internet" on which we could discuss this show. Hell, there might not even be a show, or a "television" on which to watch the show.
Now, of course, I could be wrong, because we have no way of seeing what might have been under different circumstances. But really, chances are I'm not.
Temple Grandin once said, “If by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the earth, then men would still be socializing in front of a wood fire at the entrance to a cave.”
There's something to think about. Again, we can't tell whether this would be the case for sure. I realize that.
But were it not for that "weird kid" who was always drawing cartoons instead of doing something that society expected them to? Perhaps our beloved ponies would still have a vacant look in their eyes, sitting around the table at tea parties, giggling moronically at nothing.
@Sandman
ReplyDeleteOh! I see what this is! An internet-exclusive variety of Godwin's Law! Simply replace "Hitler" with "Chris-chan" and BOOM you've got everyone scared and ashamed!
So there's a guy named Christian Weston Chandler. So he's a depressing, deluded manchild. So he's so bigoted he makes Rush Limbaugh look good. So he's a pervert and a hypocrite. So he draws really, REALLY crappy comics.
WHY DO WE NEED TO CARE!? Why don't we just let him carry on with his sad, depressing life and we go on with our own? WHY DOES HE DESERVE THE ATTENTION!?!?
@BagOfChips
ReplyDeleteSo I really like "Toy Story". Does that make me a furry?
Frankly I don't like the label "furry" at all. Frankly I don't like any labels at all very much. I mean, certainly there's a difference between a con-going fursuiter and a guy who likes Calvin and Hobbes. I suppose it's possible to like "furry" things without being a "furry".
Why label anything, really? I mean, why FORCE a label onto anything! Let's just enjoy the show. Person A classifies himself as a "brony", he's a "brony". Person A does not want to classify himself as a "furry", he's not a "furry".
I suppose it all depends on what definition of "furry" you use. And since there seems to be no official definition, the word "furry" doesn't really mean anything.
@BagOfChips
ReplyDeleteOoooh. That's bad. You seem to be confusing a few arrogant jerks with the rest of the fandom. That can be pretty dangerous.
God, I posted a lot of comments. I'll shut up now.
ReplyDeleteI missed this part of WWDTM... Dang it grocery shopping, you made me miss out on something that would've made me & my dad laugh our butts off. (And I'm still working on getting dad to watch the show, showing him this might actually help me a bit.)
ReplyDeleteGuys, be grown ups. Seriously. We're all individuals, and where there are individuals, there will be conflicts. Deal. Also, we are a group outside the "social norm," therefore we are going to face some crap for that. Forget love and tolerate, how about we all just shrug it off and continue on as we are? The more we do that, the less they'll try to antagonize and make us look stupid.
I do disagree with the unemployed & young men bits (female, and working two jobs, plus college) but the news is opinionated, no matter how much they try to give people "nothing but the facts." Get over it y'all!!!
(TL;DR: Get over it and put your big boy & big girl panties on, this is life when you're different from the norm. Prove by your actions that their opinions have no solid foundation, and quit whining.)
Also, technically WWDTM isn't news. Deal.
ReplyDeleteSeth, I'm sure your interview was very nice. I wish I could've heard more of it than their 10 second sound byte. A++ for not adding fuel to their fire. And I don't think you run this out of your mom's basement, that's just insulting. I apologize on behalf of the NPR listeners. I promise we're not all like that.
You know what really is strictly a show for 5 year old girls? G 3.5
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/AxS1yKUy9yA
now THAT is fucking garbage. I wish we could show everyone that clip compared to anything from Friendship is Magic to show the distinction.
I must applaud you, fellow brony, on giving those assholes at NPR so many perfectly normal answers to their questions, that the best they could do was use a perfectly in context quote from you, and not twist what you said in any way! All that that asshole could do was say you said it from you mom's basement, and that just shows how desperate that guy was to fuck up our brony image! *brohoof*
ReplyDelete...
ReplyDeleteThey even said "My Litle Ponies".
FFFFUUUU
These responses from the media only makes me love My Little Pony more.
ReplyDeleteWhile I now hate them immensely, they've done their job in ensuring I tune in again, even if it's just to hear what kind of bullshit they spew next...
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I now love being a part of the fanbase even more than before just for the sake of perpetuating that "I don't give a damn what you think of me, I'll enjoy this if I so effing choose and you can't stop me" attitude :D
ReplyDelete@Kat
ReplyDeleteThey don't deserve to have the shit loved and tolerated out of them. They deserve to have their eyes taped open and be strapped to a chair while facing a TV that's playing G3.5
I'm actually okay with all of this...
ReplyDeleteIt just makes me laugh.
People like that don't seem to understand that we college-aged bronies (and older) will soon be inheriting this society.
Memes and video games are becoming more and more of a big deal, and soon internet and gamer culture will be a huge part of our culture on the whole.
Blog Pony took lessons from the Furry fandom on what NOT to do when talking to media, & passed the wisdom to us! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI've listened to WWDTM for years. I still liked this episode and in a way I'm happy the listener contestant got it right.
ReplyDeletePeter Sagal has outright stated the show is about mockery, but not meanspirited mockery. Most listeners who get onto the show get lightly slammed by the show unless they're doing something really untouchable, like caring for sick kids.
So, I laughed along with the (honestly) overdone "mother's basement" jokes. Kinda sighed at the implications of pedophilia and unemployment. But I kinda had to draw the line at them saying the creators of the show found us creepy. Considering how much exposure they've had to the fanbase and how readily they interact with them, this was going a bit far. Their response to the bronies is the complete opposite of what WWDTM implied. Heck, didn't the Hub do a big brony tribute a few weekends ago? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if seasons 2-3 gave more to the bronies for them to enjoy.
Also, as a furry myself who has seen the level of unreasonable furry hate here on ED, a lot of you here are guilty of doign what you're accusing WWDTM of doing here, Seth included.
But obviously not as bad as CSI did back in 2002. That was just criminal. Then again, CSI isn't exactly known for its groundbreaking research. Law & Order is far more realistic and even that show had to step aside and follow the Rule of Entertainment.
In short, from my above rant: Bronies are where furries were almost a decade ago. The next stage is being trashed on sites like Something Awful. After a few years of this, it'll mostly die down, wiht only a few idiots still trying to claim negative crap that isn't even remotely true about this subculture.
ReplyDeleteWhat really surprises me is that bronies, of all people, seem to dislike furries, especially given how closely related the brony subculture actually is to the furry subculture to the point bronies could be considered a subset of furry.
So yeah. Brony AND furry and proud of it.
Well, the piece aired this morning, and given we're talking about WWDTM, is was surprisingly even handed.
ReplyDeleteWhat was *more* surprising was that they used MLP:FiM as the basis for the "Not My Job" segment - with former President Clinton as the guest!
For the record, he got all the answers right, winning the prize for the listener.
Can I make a suggestion here? Let's just campaign to have Lauren Furst be a guest on their show?
Love and tolerance!
If you listen, the question is written is a way that is supposed to be funny. It doesn't seem to me like they're necessarily bashing Bronies, just trying to make it sound preposterous in the hopes that the caller will pick one answer over the other.
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as bad publicity. Ever.
ReplyDelete*GASP* HOW DARE YOU CALL DR> INSANO AN OC PONY!!!! He will defeat all Ponies, with SCIENCE!
ReplyDeleteIt's not weird at all that people watch the show. It's weird that the show is something people would want to watch.
ReplyDeleteOk, I actually really like Wait Wait, but this is just...I dunno. I'm glad about the Clinton thing though, and I award Seth a Trixie for almost beating them.
ReplyDeleteIt would've been hilarious if the caller had been a brony, though.