• NPR, Bronies, and The Great and Powerful Sethisto

    Here, have a mad scientist pony because my picasa account rolled over to a new album and all I have quick access to are OC ponies.

    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. 

    399 comments:

    1. oh jesus, i'm afraid of what i'm about to hear.

      ReplyDelete
    2. FOOL! That's no OC, that's Doctor Insano!

      Also, to hell with the media. They wouldn't know a decent show if it burned their headquarters down with combustible lemons.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Just thought I'd mention, the OC pony in the image is based on Dr. Insano of That Guy With The Glasses/The Spoony Experiment fame.

      Also good job not saying anything stupid, if it had been me they'd probably get an hour long rant from the ten minute interview of stupid quotes and general insanity.

      ReplyDelete
    4. Ughhh, I'm getting tired of all of this media attention...especially when we're getting hit so bad with it.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Some Random AssholeJune 18, 2011 at 11:20 PM

      And who says journalism's dead.

      ReplyDelete
    6. I curse them with pain as well

      ReplyDelete
    7. Huh. A Doctor Insano pony.

      This... this could get potentially very confusing. Everypony in favor of avoiding temporal-spacial shenanigans avoid neighing.

      ReplyDelete
    8. They wouldn't know a decent show if it made them money.

      ReplyDelete
    9. Wait Wait Don't Tell Me is about finding absurdity in just about everything. It's about as respectful as they can be for any subject.

      Also, as soon as I heard "something that has missed the targeted demographic" I knew they would mention us!

      ReplyDelete
    10. Haters gonna hate

      ReplyDelete
    11. Anon #1 here, just finished the clip. God, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks so much Seth for covering our collective ass there.

      On a side note, I love Wait Wait, but I missed this weeks episode. And I listen to Chuck and Dave on a semi-regular basis, but I missed them tearing us up too. Jesus Christ, the irony!

      ReplyDelete
    12. Wai the media no love us

      ReplyDelete
    13. Media will always and always show 99.9% negitive stuff to increase ratings, it's very rare to see anything postivie on the news.

      ReplyDelete
    14. More of this "unemployed" stuff in there too? If we didn't have jobs, what else would we be yelling at Hasbro to take from us?

      Also, excellent job Seth, you make us all proud.

      ReplyDelete
    15. Some Random AssholeJune 18, 2011 at 11:27 PM

      @Anonymous
      Because actually making something resembling an effort is too damn difficult and making shit up is quite easy.

      ReplyDelete
    16. @Danfish77
      Exactly this. It's more of an entertainment segment than actual news so no one should blame them too much for not doing much research.

      They love finding absurd things and rolling with it so we should just roll with it as well.

      ReplyDelete
    17. Alright, let's sneak this in before it gets buried by a manure-storm.

      I, for one, completely understand why the media is eating this up. Everyone here remembers the first thread they were in which asked "How would your past self react to you now?" This is not really that different. All these media outlets need good pop culture stories that will get talked about, and what else is better than BRONIES?

      Now, in no way am I endorsing the inconsistencies and misreporting happening in most of these cases (e.g. "unemployed" "disability collecting") but in this case, I'm sure the writers for this show pulled their info from one of the previous writeups on us.

      In conclusion, don't freak out. I'm not gonna get mad unless someone goes and misrepresents us on a large scale (i.e. a /b/ troll pretending to be one of us and getting interviews everywhere, or something like that.)

      Thanks for reading :)

      ReplyDelete
    18. For some reason, reading the (Soundbite of laughter) really rustled my jimmies.

      ReplyDelete
    19. I wouldn't mind if they didn't say unemployed.

      ReplyDelete
    20. It wasn't so bad, I thought. In all fairness, it is supposed to be all in good fun. So a few playful jabs at the weirdness of it all are fine, as long as we know they're joking.

      But for the last time...WE'RE NOT ALL UNEMPLOYED, and WE'RE NOT ALL GROWN MEN.

      Also I wonder if Seth gave a false last name?

      ReplyDelete
    21. I'd like to see proof that all of us are unemployed.

      ReplyDelete
    22. Wow, that "To hell with the media" bit sounded at little harsh. Let me just sum my actual feelings up more accurately with this:

      http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

      ...Which is also why I don't bother watching TV more often than not.

      ReplyDelete
    23. Good job Seth, you are the best.

      ReplyDelete
    24. I'm getting fucking sick of these.

      ReplyDelete
    25. Why are we getting this attention all of a sudden?

      ReplyDelete
    26. And yes, good work Seth.

      ReplyDelete
    27. @Anonymous
      Because we are wandering around with incandescent targets painted on our heads. Targets titled, "Come at me, bro." Or something like that. Hey, if I needed to pull an easy story out of the pile, I'd go for this too. Overall, not that bad, though.

      ReplyDelete
    28. I think it would be interesting to have a poll about current employment.

      Simple yes or no poll to counter the media trolls.

      ReplyDelete
    29. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack:

      We've long resisted asking you for guidance. Perhaps we have feared, in doing so, we might acknowledge that our bronyhood - which we so, so revere - is not entirely our own. Perhaps we've feared an appeal to you might be taken for weakness. But, we've come to understand - finally - that this is not so. We understand now, we've been made to understand - and to embrace the understanding that who they are is who we were.

      We desperately need your strength and wisdom to triumph over their fears, their prejudices, their not-yet-brony selves. Give us the courage to do what is right. And if it means tolerant love, then let it come. And when it does, may it be - finally - the last battle of the worldwide Ponilution.

      ReplyDelete
    30. You know, my only problem with al lthis media attention is where it could easily go from here.

      Just hear me out. SO these guys with their popular talk shows and their millions of viewers/listeners all bash on bronies. They call us sick or patheitc or so on and what happens next?

      Well, what could easily happen is that all the braying, opinionless viewers and listeners start taking those baseless opinions and parroting them as their own. Suddenly a huge population of people are ranting against bronies, calling us names and beating on us en masse in chatrooms and in forums. The next thing you know, Bronies are the new Furries.

      You remember how you probably never heard of furry subculture before CSI brought it to a sickening and in some ways inaccurate light in 2002 or something? And now they're all reviled? Picture the same happening with bronies now that they have that meddia attention.

      And finally, people getting sick of being made fun of, and people that just want all the teasing to end... well they all leave the herd. Everything goes back to the way it was.

      That's the thing I'm worried about. It's why I was *really* close to writing a letter in to these people...

      ReplyDelete
    31. *facehoof*
      Seriously? NPR? The last U.S. media outlet I would expect to Not Do The Research? Seriously?

      ReplyDelete
    32. So, I'm guessing that you didn't tell them about all the porn, fursuits, and roleplaying Seth? And you're saying they're trying to skew the interview?

      ReplyDelete
    33. We should just ignore this kind of stuff. It will blow over soon.

      ReplyDelete
    34. This is makes me so mad i could just kick something.

      *Fluttershy kick*

      no but im mad. I may just kill anyone that makes fun of bronies.

      ReplyDelete
    35. Bleh! We don't need their permission to feel joy.

      ReplyDelete
    36. Hmph. Dunno why that Insano pony gets all the exposure. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but I still did it first.
      Pout and so forth.

      ReplyDelete
    37. Im doing my best to really not get mad or unsettled about this, but if it get serious..

      SHITS GONNA HIT THE MOTHERFUCKING FAN

      ReplyDelete
    38. I read the transcript, TBH it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be, at least theres no homphobic or reactionist accusations of us being all pedos.

      ReplyDelete
    39. Before any of us take drastic measures against the sudden media attention (again), please remember that ideas have consequences. Even ours.

      Though I do wish they'd stop calling us pedophiles, or unemployed (which I am cause of college. Hurts, man...), or basement dwellers, or homosexuals...

      ReplyDelete
    40. It's best to keep in mind that Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me is a game show about the news, not a News show.

      Also, we all need to prep for more public attention. It's a fact of life now.

      ReplyDelete
    41. Well, there's no such ting as bad publicity, right?

      ReplyDelete
    42. Another media outlet not doing research? I'm not surprised. Personally I'm not outraged, I just wish they put a little effort in it.

      Also if anyone does anything because of this or Fox's report it will just validate their claims.

      ReplyDelete
    43. Yeah, don't take this as an attack at all, it's not! "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" is a lighthearted show that's all about finding humor in situations and having a good time doing it. They're a great show, and just because they mention us on the show doesn't mean they're mocking us - they're just having a good time.

      And you do have to admit, the idea of grown adults liking My Little Pony is rather silly-looking from the outside.

      (And as an avid WWDTM listener myself, I honestly would be surprised if there's *not* a brony or two or on their writing staff.)

      ReplyDelete
    44. As a long time listener of WWDTM, that was pretty tame in terms of the response from Peter and the panel. Not mean spirited, just, "oh those wacky internet geeks, which we are somewhat part of" (Peter's an admitted Trekkie, so, yea...)

      *and* they put the theme at the end? so AWESOME

      ReplyDelete
    45. They wouldn't know a good show if...

      Oh wait
      Crap already taken

      ReplyDelete
    46. @Anonymous

      It'll never come to that, if Hasbro has anything to say about it. We're not talking about the fandom being at stake. It's a billion-dollar toy-line, too.

      ReplyDelete
    47. @Anon

      We can't just ignore these. I want to. But even though we ignore it they still keep poking us with a stick trying to get some kind of reaction.

      And yea, Furries got fucked up big time by CSI in 2002. We as bronies still have a clean stone.

      The media only have that luke allen thing as ammo againts us, as long as none of you guys FUCK UP and give them ammo. We should be fine. Cause thats all they have. Is Luke Allen. They want MORE to throw at us. DO NOT give in to there game.

      Just ignore them bronies, we just have to love and tolerate the living shit out of them.

      Cause we know that soon, the media will starting searching for people to bring in for interviews, another thing furrys fucked up on badly. If they do call for interviews. Please PLEASE. Don't do it for the 5 min of fame on Tv, Send it to seth. I believe greatly that he can repesent our fandom the best.

      ReplyDelete
    48. Why is everyone attacking NPR and Wired for these articles? They interviewed people, nosed around the fandom, and then printed what they see. There is porn starting to go up on ED, Ponychan is furaffinity 2.0, and most of you act like creepy middle-aged men.

      Normal people would see multiple respected news sources saying that this is a creepy fandom and say, "Hey, maybe it's time to clean house?" Instead, you lash out like children.

      ReplyDelete
    49. No such thing as bad publicity.

      ReplyDelete
    50. When you started talking about NPR, I was surprised. I agree with the sentiment that I'd really expect better of them in general.

      But then I realized this was part of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. They don't even pretend to be a legitimate news source. You really can't be bothered when they make fun of you. I mean, really, Fox is a more legitimate news agency.

      ReplyDelete
    51. @Fon Shaolin

      I thought we were handling this pretty maturely. You know... by doing our best NOT to lash out at them?

      And really. The fandom is based on love and tolerance. We may not agree with creepy fetishes but it's a thing that we tolerate for the good of the herd.

      ReplyDelete
    52. @Fon Shaolin Tell me what fandom has ever cleaned house and succeeded at this point in time the fandom has grown exponentially so I don't ever see this "cleaning of house happening" I'd love to see some examples

      ReplyDelete
    53. "I'm sure its out of his mothers basement."
      I hate these guys.

      ReplyDelete
    54. I seriously don't know why you guys get offended by this. I find it a bit funny, really. It's all entertainment. If they need to poke fun at someone to get listeners and viewers, they don't discriminate. Ya gotta be able to take being made fun of, or you risk being a stubborn asshole all your life. So if the media makes fun of you, you can laugh a bit at yourself, or shrug it off. Just don't write to them complaining you don't wish to be made fun of for being a fan of a show about colored ponies having adventures about magic and friendship. We're going to be open for a bit of media abuse, so just grow a sense of humor or some balls and deal with it.

      ReplyDelete
    55. @Anon above

      It's the most over used insult to any sub-culture fandom

      ReplyDelete
    56. The most shocking thing about this was when the theme song started and then jump cutted to the last phrase of it and I was like wait what

      ReplyDelete
    57. Wait a minute. What's Fon doing back here?

      ReplyDelete
    58. If the media keeps attacking us, that could backfire too. When Fox News grilled "Mass Effect" sales actually went up.

      ReplyDelete
    59. @gravityequalszero

      Like I said, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Someone who listens is gonna go 'there is NO way this is true, I gotta check this out' Bam, instant brony.

      ReplyDelete
    60. Dang it, and I've always liked Peter Sagal, too.

      ReplyDelete
    61. @Anonymous
      Just because no fandom has done it before doesn't mean it can't be done. I mean, imagine if Kennedy said that about the moon! If we go back to the *chan roots this entire thing grew out of and marginalized the creepy stuff the majority of us don't like, we can sweep the majority of it under a rug.

      Seth could do most of it by himself by regulating the content on here. No posts about fursuits, no more porn in the daily art threads, and don't post things that you wouldn't be comfortable talking about in every day conversation (like your new pony crochet piece. WTF). It would mean less hits on ED, but it would make for a better community.

      ReplyDelete
    62. It wasn't that bad folks. Lighten up just a bit of Satire Relax.

      ReplyDelete
    63. This is actually a pretty good showing. This show shouldn't be raged at, it is essentially more comedy than news - and we were made a part of it since most viewers (and as mentioned previously our own pre-brony selves) would have never believed the show to be as good as it is.

      Thanks again Seth for giving them minimal firepower with the quotes.

      All in all, I consider it a positive note that we were noticed by this show, and can't see any reason to get mad at their light-hearted joking.

      For a fandom, if this is one of the worst news pieces we face, we are doing damn good.

      ReplyDelete
    64. The next time anyone interviews you, can you drive home the point that we're not unemployed 20-30 year olds (for the most part)? I'm willing to bet that most bronies are either employed or younger than that. A good segment of us must be aged in our late teens; I am.

      ReplyDelete
    65. The media wants everyone to be an unemployed male with some kind of disease or psychological issue. I guess it's impossible for people with careers and friends and other hobbies to enjoy the cartoon.

      ReplyDelete
    66. @Anonymous
      >The fandom is based on love and tolerance.

      Yeah the show advocates it if the person in question isn't an ass.

      Trixie and Gilda? The parasprites? They weren't "loved and tolerated", they were kicked out of town for being disruptive and rude to people. No where in this goddamn show does it talk about love and tolerance, only friendship and no one in this fandom is truly your friend.

      It's a community. I REALLY wish we could weed out the weak and strange ones to make this fandom less of a laughing stock.

      ReplyDelete
    67. I don't see what the big deal is. I love WWDTM, and I thought this was actually really funny.

      ReplyDelete
    68. >> "I'm sure its out of his mothers basement."

      Even though that was the caller's joke, it's a common repeat joke when the topic involves anything about computing, the internet, fandom, and the like. Again, par for the course, and if you can't look at your/ourselves and laugh with them, you're probably in just a bit too deep.

      If you want an attack, *this* is one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbFZ-adsKc8

      ReplyDelete
    69. @Anon

      I would actually just forget that part about 'unmeployed' alltogether. Cause we know we have people of ALL ages that watch this show. So Yea there will be UMEPLOYED FANS!

      ReplyDelete
    70. ... Well, at least we're targeting ALL the orginizations that don't understand us.

      ReplyDelete
    71. @Fon Shaolin

      You sound like one of the nutters that wants to ban everything fun because it might hurt 'the children'.

      ReplyDelete
    72. Where'd the idea that we're unemployed come from? I'm gainfully employed and have been for all my adult life. And I'm also a brony.

      WTF?

      ReplyDelete
    73. @Fon Shaolin That will never happen Fon Saucy pics that *ARENT 34* have been posted on EQD since it's inception. The fandom is too big at this point to go back to being a chan fandom. The only way the fandom will shrink is when the show ends.

      ReplyDelete
    74. @Anonymous
      No, they haven't. I know this because I've been here since it's inception. "saucy" pics are an entirely new animal (pun intended).

      ReplyDelete
    75. Thank you NPR for making brony Hypocrisy fair and balanced.

      ReplyDelete
    76. No, this is good, media attention is exactly what we need. The more publicity bronydom gets, the more exposure the show gets, and the more likely that people are going to start to wonder what makes the show so great. Then, from there, its only a matter of time bronydom sweeps the nation, and then, the world.
      *justasplanned.jpg*

      ReplyDelete
    77. I'm looking forward to Colbert or Jon Stewart referencing Bronies and MLP: FIM... Colbert in particular, since he's geeky enough to really get something out of it.

      ReplyDelete
    78. @ToonNinja yeah the media's a bunch of haters that want an audience i never watch the news and i don't watch/listen anything that i don't give a damn about

      ReplyDelete
    79. Too late! I am freaking out!

      ReplyDelete
    80. I'd like to see a comprehensive survey done on bronies' ages, genders, occupations, residence and marital status.

      Because I'm a 21 year old female college student, with a part-time job and a boyfriend. And though I do live with my parents, that's because of the college thing.

      ReplyDelete
    81. Never before have I been so pissed off at a low-intelligence news w****... =I

      ReplyDelete
    82. @Wanderer DColbert would probably post a ponysona. I fully support this notion, btw.

      ReplyDelete
    83. Cereal, before you do any interviews, can you first ask
      "Do you plan on shitting on the fandom?"

      ReplyDelete
    84. It's funny how they focus on the premise of the show rather than the entire sub-culture it's created.

      I came here cause of the show (and the mistake of looking up the 'cupcakes' fanfic...) but I'm staying cause there are some awesome bronies out there.

      ReplyDelete
    85. @Fon Shaolin

      Seriously? You think the fandom should go BACK to its chan roots? You do realize that there are people who like the show and also think that 4chan is the armpit of the internet, right?

      ReplyDelete
    86. To sum up my opinion on this, everyone needs to get a sense of humor. You all take things WAY too seriously. That's also what Fox or NPR might say. Harsh or not, it's a giant joke that we all can laugh at or deal with. It's not like they're sending us off to concentration camps or convicting us all of murder. I'm friggin 17 and I learned to laugh at myself sometimes, maybe some of you should too before you become the basement dwelling antisocials they're portraying some of us to be.

      ReplyDelete
    87. One day there will be pony floats at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it will be glorious.

      ReplyDelete
    88. @Fon Shaolin

      You must be a lot of fun at parties
      </sarcasm>

      Just go back to filly and let the adults have fun.

      ReplyDelete
    89. So they spend (let's assume here) an hour or so grilling Seth for an incriminating quote just to have him apparently run circles around them until the very end of the interview, where they get a quote that sounds stupid if you blatantly portray it as such by leading up to it with an extremely biased and highly unprofessional tone...and then they lead into the most standard "nerd" insult in the world. And the host eats it up.

      I'm sorry, is this supposed to be NPR? The station I always heard of as being, I don't know...intelligent? Kudos to Seth for coming pretty close to beating them at their own game, I guess, but...damn. Is nothing sacred?

      Meh, fuck do I care. I'd love to be interviewed for one of these things, preferably with video attached. Just so I could use my height to my advantage. XD

      ReplyDelete
    90. They spammed our FaceBook wall because of this.
      Moral
      Do not make interviews unless is freaking CNN or BBC.

      Christ, all try to relax please. The most damaged person was sethisto because of the line "sure he lives in his moms basemen hahha" poor losers. But at least he knew what to expect.

      As i SAY please someone do an ARTICLE made by us, with our story, detailing perfectly the fandom so we can ship it to REAL news sites.
      I would do it but im not a native speaker/writer and since those guys criticize everything i could do more damage than help.

      Lets not become the new EMOS or new SKINHEAD loser stereotype.

      Greets.

      ReplyDelete
    91. @Fenix

      ...I don't see how being a little strange and having wierd fetishes makes one an "ass" though.

      If anything they should be pitied and taken in. Shown that they have friends and that they don't have to turn to fictional characters from their sexual release in this community. You know, shown *friendship*? I know the show advocates THAT.

      Now if someone's being an ass, that's a different story. But weird fetishes are more of a psychological oddity than true jerk-ness.

      ReplyDelete
    92. @Abalidoth
      That's kinda the point. 4chan tends to drum out the really weird folks like that one aspie in the Wired article.

      ReplyDelete
    93. ugghh...dissapointment has never been greater in my fellow man...npr

      ReplyDelete
    94. Love and tolerance, everybody. Love and tolerance.

      ReplyDelete
    95. Hello,

      It's probably been said before, but there are alot of comments and I just wanted to put in my two bits.

      The major media outlets will always have a negative view on something they cannot percieve, that they find wrong, or simply that they do not like. It happened to furries, video games, D&D, comic books, etc. What is happening now, is this fandom being under the radar and being targeted for smear attacks.

      The best way to go about things is to do nothing negative. Have a laugh, and move on. Getting mad adds fuel to the fire. The last thing anyone wants is a CSI episode about bronies.

      Thank you.

      ReplyDelete
    96. hey, I'm glad we got on wait wait don't tell me. sure they poked some fun, but honestly that's what that show does, it makes fun of news. I'm thrilled we got on that one in my opinion this is the media big time.

      ReplyDelete
    97. I'd say you bronies should just weed out all the furries and porn shit. I mean c'mon...

      ReplyDelete
    98. ITT: Peopl going imokaywiththis.jpg, fon shaolin acting like chicken little... again, people anoning to reinforce their own opinions, and generally an average discussion thread on EqD...

      I love this, it's like /b/ only it usually ends with everyone laughing it off in the end.

      ReplyDelete
    99. Guys, get used to it and don't freak out. This will not go away any time soon. And Seth...nice job not cracking under the pressure.

      ReplyDelete
    100. im gonna say what probably everyone else is thinking, its not that i care what they think about us, its just that they put it on the air where everyone else who isnt enlightened yet can hear it. thats what bothers me most.

      ReplyDelete
    101. also ITT: people who apparently haven't ever been in a fandom before "Weed out all the furries and porn..."

      You might as well ask me to pick out every single dark grain of sand on a beach.

      ReplyDelete
    102. i never gave NPR much merit in the first place

      also i do enjoy the doctor insano pony and son image

      ReplyDelete
    103. @fon didn't you say you were leaving EQD and never coming back?

      ReplyDelete
    104. Honestly I don't think it was that bad. And think about this. It's a game show where you make the story sound so outrageous, they don't believe it. The whole concept is outrageous to begin with. Add in a bit more flare and it's a perfect story. If this were a legitimate news thing, I would care. I am still a fan of NPR and enjoy Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and all their other shows.

      Also, I would KILL for a mint condition Fluttershy. Gossip is I might get a Luna from a friend at Metrocon! Wish I could have gone (damn cousin and her stupid wedding)

      ReplyDelete
    105. I have to agree with the anon up top. Get rid of the Rule34 on EQD Foreeeeevvvvaaaa!

      ReplyDelete
    106. It's official. The public media is now worse than /b/.

      ReplyDelete
    107. and the basic consensus , from what I have noticed, is "if the media approaches you, don't let them get anything they can use out of context, don't say anything more than needed about yourself, try to list the most objective good points of the show (good writing and animation) and if at all possible try to pass them off to someone who can handle the media better like sethisto."

      ReplyDelete
    108. Of course we are going to get ribbed, we are grown men who watch a show aimed at little girls. Now reach back into your pants and find the cahoonahs that allowed you to give this show a try in the first place. Maybe then you can stop bitching about how 'unfair the lamestream media is'.

      Honestly I wouldn't think this community would get so worked up over what people think of them. I feel like you're all about to start bitching about "Fursection" or some equally embarrassing butt hurt nonsense.

      ReplyDelete
    109. @OmegaPony11 Not to undermine your entire friggin post, but is "putting my two bits in" a pun for the equestrian currency of "Bits"?

      ReplyDelete
    110. All this "cleaning up" jive sounds like elitist talk to me.
      ALL aspects of fandom are EQUALLY valid.

      Rarely have I seen such a prudish fandom, especially knowing where it originated.

      ReplyDelete
    111. @Anonymous

      Yeah when NPR starts spamming child porn in our threads you may have a point.

      ReplyDelete
    112. To the people who are wondering about the "unemployed" and "disability collecting" being in the media so much, you do know that Chris-chan is a HUGE pony fan now, right? He's probably next on the interview list.

      ReplyDelete
    113. Trekkies didnt have to put up with this shit... at least not this bad... this is 4 negative reports/attacks/debasements on us in ONE WEEK! now they are naming names! this is just bad... i have never felt so helpless in my life. there is nothing we can do! no amount of letters or e-mails in any tone no matter how professional is going to change anything! you know what... they all get this from one source... wired. and wired just had to choose a less respectable bronie to open up with and set the standard for the stereotype of brony. Perhaps we just need a better poster boy for bronies.

      ReplyDelete
    114. Kill me, I'm a PONYJune 19, 2011 at 12:15 AM

      Easy way to stem the tide of negative/mocking press: Organize a charity through ponies. Artists of all kinds just donate work to be auctioned off, the proceeds going to some charity.

      ReplyDelete
    115. @Fon Shaolin

      Oh God I pray with all my might they don't interview him.

      ReplyDelete
    116. I was ready to be disappointed for a moment, but then I realized it's "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me." They're always screwing around. I'll tell you more as I finish listening to it.

      ReplyDelete
    117. @Adrian Brony

      and for the sake of all that is holy, if you look even slightly stereotypicaly, nerdy don't allow them to use any pictures of you.

      we need more pictures of people like seth so people don't immediately think we are all basement dwelling manchildren... and if you are a grown woman, PLEASE allow them to use it so they know it is a diverse fanbase

      ReplyDelete
    118. Thank Celestia no one listens to NPR.

      ReplyDelete
    119. Yeah, other than the living-with-mother crack (which was made by the caller, not the show itself), this wasn't really an attack at all. I'm kind of disappointed with how the fandom has been acting lately. What happened to just laughing it off? Now every time someone (quite reasonably) sees our particular fandom as a bit odd, everyone flips a shit. I still love all of you, but come on, we're better than this. Stop feeding the parasprites.

      ReplyDelete
    120. @Kill me, I'm a PONY

      Well we sort of already did that. Surprise surprise no news media outlet has mentioned it. Even the wikipedia article grossly under-represents the proceeds of that auction.

      ReplyDelete
    121. Ironically... or, actually, fittingly... I believe Noah Antwiler said it best. "So long as you're not hurting anyone, wave that freak flag high."

      ReplyDelete
    122. really, i dont understand what the big deal is

      okay, adults like the new MLP
      sure, it's a bit weird

      it's a boring article.


      somehow though, i have a feeling this media coverage is a slap in the face of ms. faust and her team.

      ReplyDelete
    123. Good job Seth, you dealt very well with these assholes.

      ReplyDelete
    124. I feel a disturbance and i am afraid, so very afraid...

      ReplyDelete
    125. It's Doctor Insano! Turned into a pony because of SCIENCE!

      ReplyDelete
    126. i retract my earlier statement... because i realized i have never heard of NPR until just now. i'm sure both of their listeners ain't gonna change nuthin'

      ReplyDelete
    127. We need to organize an anti brony-defamation league. I'm sick of people saying we're unemployed. I work for a living, dammit!

      ReplyDelete
    128. News 101 -

      Find a topic. Example: MLP FiM

      Do enough research to know the basics of the topic. Example: Subculture's name, what it's obsessing over (in this case, a "revamp" of mlp).

      Make shit up that grabs people's attention. Example: People who watch the show are unemployed and have nothing better to do.

      Relate it to something else that grabs peoples attention. Example: The show has a dragon... Claim it references dungeons and dragons, since clearly dragons is half of what that game is about.

      Finally, your done. You now contributed to the most worthless form of entertainment in history...

      ReplyDelete
    129. Seriously though, JUST this week we've gotten all this media attention. As a fanbase, we need to expect it to continue, and possibly get worse...just please, for the love of CELESTIA don't let Chris-chan talk about ponies in front of the public eye.

      ReplyDelete
    130. @Adrian Brony

      Exactly. Not to mention that those people are still fans like us and deserve to be treated as such. When confronted with the topic we need to enforce the truth: That, yes, some bronies are furries and some bronies do enjoy rule 34 but that is just their personal opinion and it has nothing to do with them as a person or with them being a brony.

      ReplyDelete
    131. THIS ARTICLE IS POSTED AS SATIRE>

      ReplyDelete
    132. @Pinkie_Pie_fan471
      You've been fucked since that fursuit on the front page a few weeks ago and that guy who changed his name to Rainbow Dash.

      Just wait until some enterprising report shows up at a furrycon and interviews people in a Twilight Sparkle fursuit. Majority of bronies won't' even be able to show their faces in sunlight again.

      ReplyDelete
    133. Seth is a worldly one. Good efforts.
      Though I'm not going to click the link, since doing so would just fuel the fire for more people to try to glean creditability by saying bad things about the viewers as a group, same as the VG site hackings situation after the Sony incident.

      ReplyDelete
    134. @Anonymous
      "Claim it references dungeons and dragons, since clearly dragons is half of what that game is about."

      I lol'd

      ReplyDelete
    135. ...Is there some way we can get Lauren Faust to do an interview on this? She could probably set everything straight. She's done it in the past, albeit on a smaller scale.

      ReplyDelete
    136. @Fon Shaolin

      That stuff is a bit weird imo, and doesn't help our case at all...but Chris is on a whole other level.

      ReplyDelete
    137. @Anonymous

      About 2/3 of us are unemployed according to a survey. Then again, a lot of us are in college, and there's also those of us who probably aren't old enough to have found jobs yet, although I'm not one of those people (and college starts in a few months again for me).

      ReplyDelete
    138. The brony fandom has nothing to do with furries or Fursuits. Please keep that shit away from our fandom.

      I don't like it and this fandom is still young and still have somewhat of a clean stone(expect for that luke allen) But it can still be corrected.

      ReplyDelete
    139. @Fon Shaolin

      That's the problem, we need to be able to stand proud no matter WHAT happens. If a guy in a fursuit gets mocked, we defend his right to opinion because, despite his personal hobbies, he is still one of us.

      ReplyDelete
    140. @Fon Shaolin

      I really hope for your sake that you are trolling.

      ReplyDelete
    141. Good for seth for not cracking under pressure.

      Now then, There's a good saying my dad taught me. "Keep your head low, and your mouth shut."

      In layman terms: "Don't say anything and try not to attract attention."

      I hope that little word of wisdom becomes useful.

      ReplyDelete
    142. "men in their 20's and 30's"

      I'm 17 and what is this. Anyways this is a good thing.

      Think about it. Lets say 100 people are wondering about us, making fun, etc. 10 of those people might turn into bronies out of curiosity of wondering what all the hub bub is about. The other 90 people will have absolutely no effect on us because it seems we just don't give a shit.

      BOOM we just gained 10 more bronies at the cost of nothing.

      RINSE AND REPEAT. the Herd will always grow as long as this show continues (and stays good mind you)

      ReplyDelete
    143. It's just astounding that the media constantly goes for the negative about something as positive as bronies. I mean, jeez, here we're actually bringing niceness, of all things, to a very cynical internet and they keep going for the weird-o, let's scare grandma and grandpa angle.

      Hey media knobs, viewers like to have happy stories too. Lolcats wouldn't exist if people weren't tired of your depressing crap all the time.

      ReplyDelete
    144. I think Fon needs a hug.

      ReplyDelete
    145. @Filiecs

      This. If the choices are:

      1.) Allow the "freaks" in the fandom and be ridiculed
      and
      2.) Don't allow the "freaks" in the fandom and don't be ridiculed

      I choose option #1

      ReplyDelete
    146. @Filiecs
      There is no end to the hatred I feel for you right this second.

      ReplyDelete
    147. On a tangent, do furries use real fur in their costumes, or do they generally use faux fur? because that brings up interesting ethical questions.

      ReplyDelete
    148. @Fon Shaolin

      On the bright side you'll grow up some day.

      ReplyDelete
    149. @Fon Shaolin

      > raging over a discussion.

      is this fandom like the only thing you have to hold onto or something?

      ReplyDelete
    150. >mfw Im only 14 and I'm getting a summer job.
      What's that about being unemployed?

      ReplyDelete
    151. The fur suit guys weird me out a bit too, I can't lie about that...they do, but yeah, they're just as much a part of this fandom as I am, and i'm sure aside from their...differing interests, that they're normal people, just like us.

      ReplyDelete
    152. @Adrian Brony

      He's either a troll or a very hateful man.

      I'll take furries over him any day; they have a really polite TF2 server.

      ReplyDelete
    153. @Eric

      That's besides the point.

      @ Fon Seth for the MOST part has done well in keeping stuff like that off Eqd

      ReplyDelete
    154. That was actually funny. Clearly they were just exaggerating for laughs. They probably do believe it, but I know people who honestly believe Dungeons and Dragons, although not intentionally satanic, draws evil spirits towards the people who play it. People believe weird shit, and people like weird shit.

      ReplyDelete
    155. And you're acting as though Seth posts people wearing fursuits all the time

      ReplyDelete
    156. @Adrian Brony
      No, it's just that this is the first one I've ever been with from the ground-up. It feel sort of attached to it and it's a pain to see it devolve into "MLP? It's just a furry thing."

      Damn it, it was a good show and fandom at one point.

      ReplyDelete
    157. I'm disappointed Paula Poundstone wasn't a panelist today because her comments would have been the funniest.

      ReplyDelete
    158. @Fon Shaolin

      If you want a fandom that doesn't include furries...

      You're not going to find a fandom.

      ReplyDelete
    159. @Fon Shaolin Oh.Shit.
      Being in the same sentence as Chris-chan could tank any fandom. Pray that this never comes to pass.

      Also, with regards to the interview, I lol'd.

      ReplyDelete
    160. @BagOfChips
      @BagOfChips

      You are right, except the choices are actually the opposite.

      1. Allow the "freaks" in the fandom and cause the haters to look like ginormous a-holes while we stay true to ourselves and our ideals.

      or

      2. Don't allow the "freaks" in the fandom and make ourselves look like hypocritical freaks who are also a-holes.

      ReplyDelete
    161. Actually that picture has me curious as to what Spoony's take on the fanbase would be...or has he already done something on it?

      ReplyDelete
    162. @BagOfChips
      It's not that! God knows I know that they're everywhere on the internet these days. It's that people in the fandom are no longer saying, "holy shit these people are creepy" like any normal fandom does.

      These news stories are the logical next step for not nipping that in the bud soon on. You think that this is bad reporting? No, it's just that they found a growing minority in the fandom. You can't deny that Ponychan has become the new go-to place for FiM fans and the people on there are, by large, furries. The fandom is being defined by this creepy minority and no one seems to care.

      ReplyDelete
    163. @Fon Shaolin

      that's kind of like reminding me of the one kind who goes through punerty but has no clue what it is. she desperately works to keep his body looking like before; trimming every new hair and downplaying growth spurts because he doesn't realize that some of the unseemly bits of pubrty are inevitable and natural.

      so there you go: you're nervous because you've never seen a fandom go through puberty before.

      ReplyDelete
    164. @Fon Shaolin

      What makes you say the majority of those on pony chan are furries?

      I hang out a lot on /pony/ and I don't see anything "repulsive".

      ReplyDelete
    165. Furries are people too. Stop sounding like elitist griffins.

      ReplyDelete
    166. @Anonymous
      I thought furries were animals in people suits.

      ReplyDelete
    167. Fon is just pissy that Dave Glover took the Parasprite World Cup away from him.

      ReplyDelete
    168. I don't mind furries but they have there own fandom, which is... The furry fandom, Keep everything Furry away from MLP:FiM and I'll be happy. So that means. No fursuits, no 'yiffing' and all that other crazy shit furries seem to like to do.

      I don't hate furries, As I have a friend that is one. But this is NOT the furry fandom. When your in this fandom, you are in the MLP:FiM fandom Not furry. So keep it seperate.

      ReplyDelete
    169. were really not getting treated any different from any other type of nerd and let's not deny it. we are all a bit nerdy. And with that title comes all those classic insults "Virgin, lives in mother's basement, fat, lazy, unemployed." There are plenty of us who break that stereotype and there are some who fit it to a tee. But this is the very moral of "Bridle Gossip"

      Dear Princess Celestia,

      My friends and I have all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; It's the "contents" of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.

      Your faithful student,

      Twilight Sparkle.

      ReplyDelete
    170. @Fon Shaolin Everywhere I go I see Bronies viewed as weird,just because they watch a show intended for little girls. Not because they are furries. Where exactly is the fandom being defined as "creepy furries"? All I've seen them define us as the usual reactionary comments

      ReplyDelete
    171. y'know, i'm starting to see A LOT of the negative aspects surfacing in this community and, for some weird reason they've become the norm

      ReplyDelete
    172. Must Love and Tolerate... I must. I must. I mussst!
      NPR, Wait Wait... I used to think you guys were cool... What happened?

      ReplyDelete
    173. @Anonymous
      Furries are fans of anthropomorphic animal characters.

      That's literally the only thing all furries have in common.

      Honestly, I'd say the majority of furries aren't even interested in any sort of sexual furry stuff. It's just that they tend to meld into the background and don't get as noticed.

      ReplyDelete
    174. @RBD FAN

      RBD Fan has no idea what a furry is, and yet he acts like he does.

      This is cute.

      ReplyDelete
    175. @Anonymous

      This. So if you've ever enjoyed a disney movie, congrats; you technically are a furry!

      Haha.

      ReplyDelete
    176. @Anon above me x2.

      Hate? Well no duh. People are getting pissed off and people are aurging so of course people are just going to post hate out of anger.

      This fandom. Even though how new it is. Is one of the most accepting fandom ever.

      Love and Tolerate.

      ReplyDelete
    177. @RBD FAN

      Tolerating unless you're gay or a furry. Then it's "Gtfo you make people say mean things about me that aren't true".

      ReplyDelete
    178. @Bagsofchips

      Um, excuse me but I do know what furries are. As I use to be in that community with a friend since he dragged me into it. I am no longer part of that community cause of the content drama, and bawwwing, I have ever seen in my life.

      And even know I poke my head back and all I see is the same damn thing. Furries bitching about Media and people hating them. I am sick of that drama and left. I know what furries are, cause I USE to be one myself. The fandom is going down hill faster and faster The only person in that fandom that I respected so much; And still do, Is Uncle Kage. So Thank you very much.

      ReplyDelete
    179. So obviously we have bronies listening but for some reason they never call in...

      ReplyDelete
    180. So what if everyone thinks of us essentially as NEETs? Think of it like this:

      If someone hears you like MLP, and accuses you of being an unemployed male living in his parent's basement, there's a number of simple things you could do:

      1. Ignore them, as their opinion really has no effect on your life.

      2. Simply point out that you have a job/go to school, and once again ignore them.

      3. Inform them that you are not male, and are in fact, female (NOTE: this only works if you actually are female).

      4. Tell your co-worker that he should mind his own business and go back to watching My Little Pony when he should be working.

      5. Remind this person that you're their boss, and proceed to fire them (Again, this only works if you actually ARE their boss... otherwise it's just awkward).

      ReplyDelete
    181. >"Please don't freak out again."

      >182 comments in less than 2 hours

      Poor Seth. At least he tried.

      ReplyDelete
    182. This is the way I see it. The worst insult we got from NPR is basically the stereotypical nerd insult. And....we ARE nerds in a way.

      Every nerd subculture has gotten that jab, and we're no more immune to it than any Trekkie or D&D Fan. I just think that we shouldn't give these guys as much crap as say....Dave & Chuck, who outright called us a bunch of pedophiles....that's just low.

      So, if you want my opinion, just put this to rest and just move on with our lives. It's probably the least hurtful "insult" we've gotten so far.

      PS: Just how did a whole discussion about furries get started in a post about Sethisto appearing on NPR? Just asking?

      ReplyDelete
    183. Ok people so Fon Shaolin has made up her mind about what she likes and not, let's leave it at that... I mean, sure there are some that will always view furries as a negative because they Do.Not.Know.Any.Better. Same deal as what happens to nerds, geeks, gamers, role-players (especially LARPers), etc.

      The topic here is the NPR doing what shows like theirs and FOX Entertainment do best: find reasons to make people hate each other. It gives them better ratings.

      ReplyDelete
    184. They just haven't actually watched the show yet. Once they do, the hate will dissolve.

      ReplyDelete
    185. @Fenix

      First off, wasn't Gilda shunned because of how she treated Rainbow Dash's new friends with such vitriol? Secondly, don't the ponies manage to accept each others despite their flaws and personalities?

      Ironic how you bring up Gilda when you're being just like her and hatin' on people you don't approve of personally. I may not know everyone in the fandom, but it's not like we haven't grown close.

      ReplyDelete
    186. Oh, I don't hate the NPR for this or anything. As long as we're not being labeled as pedophiles or being accused of mass fraud I don't care what people say.

      ReplyDelete
    187. Nopony has noticed the funny part of this yet.
      You see, it doesn't really matter who you are, once FIM has touched you, it's too late. as soon as you start noticing those silly pony pics on the boards, in the comments and now in the news you have begun to change. It is only a matter of time before everyone involved in these interviews asks the question that we all asked ourselves at one point namely "why is this so popular?". After that, their curiosity will begin decaying their intolerance, bit by bit they will slowly turn.
      http://www.ponychan.net/chan/pony/src/130723239386.png
      they all begin at the Gilda stage, but they will turn, oh yes they will turn, as we all did...
      Let them conspire against us! it is already too late for them!

      ReplyDelete
    188. We seem to be forgetting that just because we're bronies preaching love and tolerance we still can't win an internet argument... even amongst ourselves.

      if you've been a nerd long before FiM then you know how to handle this shit.

      ReplyDelete
    189. You know what? I'll say it right now, I am furry. I have friends that are hardcore furry, and I have an fa account.

      I have been a member of the brony fandom since before the /b/ans

      I have seen this blog grow from a small gathering, to it's current omniescence.

      So, does that mean I am less than you guys? No! I like the show and the fandom as much as you, so why should you care?

      One of the rules of being a brony is to love and tolerate...

      So, please do.

      ReplyDelete
    190. @B-Man

      Actually gilda wasn't shunned at all. they threw her a freakin' party.
      she shunned herself.

      ReplyDelete
    191. @Fon Shaolin

      Chris-Chan was always a huge pony fan, and he hasnt been on the internet forever, no one knows where he went to, sort of like boxxy. Also he is autistic new stations will point this out and no one will take anything he says seriously, even if he could be found
      ALSO
      What ever happened to loving and tolerating Fon?
      every1 in this community is equal no matter what their sexual preferences, who are you to judge who is "worthy" to watch this show and who is not. Have you ever heard of faschism? this sounds a lot like it. Hitler would be proud

      ReplyDelete
    192. @B-Man

      People who are jobless are split into four categories: to young, in college, retired, and the rest.

      The definition of the word unemployed means jobless, but it's usage implies the speaker is referring to "the rest."

      The word can, when used in news related media, usually includes "in college" unless it qualifies that group by saying "unemployed or still in school." The word almost never includes "to young" and "retired."

      I don't doubt that the majority of the fandom is jobless, but I believe the use of the word "unemployed" is incorrect. That is because it's usage, and not its definition, implies the exclusion of all groups except "the rest."

      ReplyDelete
    193. I'm not ashamed of watching cartoons at 19.. Why should the media make us feel guilty for sharing a common interest?

      I always say you should take pride in what you love. Don't let things like this get to you. In my opinion they've won if that happens. I'm not exactly screaming out the window that I'm a brony, but if someone asked I wouldn't hide it.

      ReplyDelete