• Dealing with the Media PSA

    A few days ago I tossed up a casting call for a documentary.  I didn't really research the company, which I admit, was my bad.  I tend to get a lot of things from the media, so I'm pretty jaded to all of it at this point.

    Some of the New York bronies + Bejoty have put togeather a quick PSA For you all to browse through.  It gives some good tips on dealing with the media as a whole.  This fandom is growing at an astonishing rate, so it is only natural that several TV agencies will be all over it.  Please take a few minutes and read over the information after the break.  Knowledge will benefit us all.

    Now with a live reading for the lazy ones out there. 




    Hey everypony. We know that some of you were wondering about why Sethisto had pulled that post regarding the TV production company’s interview request from Chicago. Well, the reason he did so was because this company produces TLC's “shockumentary” TV series called “My Strange Addiction”, in which they film people with weird fetishes and fixations.

    Now, we know that some of you have emailed them for a request to be interviewed. Please understand, however, that they will be most likely be looking for a “weird” brony, possibly someone with a “pony fetish” or the like. Of course, this sort of person wouldn’t be representative of the brony fandom in general.

    It’s important to remember that when talking to the media, we need to put our best hoof forwards. Despite the immense popularity of MLP:FiM on the Internet, the average person still has not heard of “bronies”, and-- if and when this production company finally produces a program on bronies-- it may in fact be many viewers’ very first exposure to the concept of a “brony” at all. Therefore, whoever represents us on such a show will be the ambassador for our entire little subculture.

    Needless to say, if bronies make a bad “first impression” on the viewing public, the result could be a PR disaster that could affect all of us. If the first interview subject chosen is awkward, creepy, or even simply unattractive (let’s face it, TV is a visual medium and people are, sadly, judgmental about this kind of thing), people both on and off the Internet will end up mocking us all.

    This is generally a fun, kind, light-hearted subculture, filled with people who just like to enjoy themselves. We’re a harmless bunch, and we enjoy doing good both amongst ourselves and for the world at large. That should be the message that we want to get across here. Particularly if they are first exposed to our ranks via an intentionally sensationalistic program such as “My Strange Addiction”, the brony-naïve viewer is going to go into this thinking “Men? Men who like My Little Pony? What, are they gay or something?”-- and that’s a best case scenario. Worst-case scenario, they might assume that we are sexually repressed or-- even worse-- pedophiles. We need to anticipate these misconceptions, and pre-emptively counter them.

    While we can’t tell you not to go along with the production company’s request for interviews, it’s probably best to recommend caution. If you’re considering being interviewed for the show, think: “What would the average person think upon seeing me on TV? What would the bully from my fifth-grade playground think? What would my mom think?” If the answer to any of those questions is anything less than stellar, perhaps you would be best to simply tell the production company “no thanks”. Remember, the goal of this program is to entertain its viewers, and sometimes, a train wreck is the greatest sort of entertainment. As our subculture begins to garner more and more media attention, we have to all be wary of our public image. If anyone is to represent us publicly, it should be the most photogenic, intelligent, well-spoken, most “normal”-appearing bronies we can muster up, since whomever appears on TV as a representative of the brony community will be taken as exemplars of typical bronyhood.

    As a reminder, the viewing audiences of TV shows can be brutally judgmental. For instance, talk show hostess Wendy Williams has been mocked for being tall and broad-featured, and has been slurred as “tranny” and “Wendell” by anonymous trolls on the Internet. Her fellow hostess Oprah, despite stellar success, is regularly mocked for her (past or present) weight. TV show guests, as well as hosts, can be subject to this kind of intense and mean-spirited scrutiny and mockery. Even perfectly ordinary-looking, ordinary-sounding people can be, and have been, raked over the coals for minor and very ordinary imperfections.

    This isn’t meant as a piece of scaremongering, but simply a reality check. Television exposure may sound glamorous, but it can be brutal. Even the slightest perceived flaw can, and will, be picked apart and brutally mocked by anonymous trolls, both on and off the Internet. If you’re considering appearing on TV as a representative of the brony community, make sure that you would be a good ambassador to the world. If you have any doubts, just politely decline the opportunity.

    Yours truly,

    Purple Tinker, Cabal, & Bejoty

    357 comments:

    1. It's alright, Seth, couldn't have seen it coming! I know I wouldn't have.

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    2. Seth, it was a day or two ago.

      Not a few days.

      damn my correctness.

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    3. Good thing to post.

      Also, Third.

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    4. This is why I stopped watching TV

      Brain cancer-inducing shows for the stupid.

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    5. Oh no. I hope someone mature goes on

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    6. "they might assume that we are sexually repressed or-- even worse-- pedophiles"


      I will forever avoid the media then... <.< This fandom forever changed my life but i have a bad feeling my past would haunt me.

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    7. It's not your fault Seth, we all make mistakes.

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    8. This is good. The last thing we need is for people start vilifying the brony community or taking us out of context.

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    9. You totally did the right thing on passing the documentary up. Thanks for this post too!

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    10. Extremely well thought out. And an excellent warning. Let's be honest, most places these days are going for shock value and ratings these days. Very few places will want to altruistically tell the truth.

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    11. Wow...
      Thanks for getting that taken down. It's rather sad that other cartoons don't seem to be this... Controversial. To people who haven't seen it, of course.

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    12. the best thing we could do is put out our own type of documentary on bronies. A community driven effort.

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    13. Dear God I hope they don't get some crazy person to represent us! Still thanks for poasting before I emailed them.

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    14. The last thing I want people to think when I tell them that I'm a brony, if I ever do tell someone, is that I'm some sort of sexual deviant.

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    15. I think I know why I don't watch TV much anymore.

      I still think they are going to find a way to portray us as freaks no matter what measures we take.

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    16. How bout one of the musicians do it, like foozogz or RainbowCrash88 or somthing

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    17. And this is why we all should be careful with those things. We know of stupid reality shows in Spain, comic fans in general and manga ones in particular have been through the usual "misunderstood by general audience because of some weirdos that are not representative of the fandom" crap.

      So it's good this letter has been written, so people will think it twice because being on TV, a very influential media, can make general public to misunderstand what you try to communicate.

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    18. @wackyteen
      I think I saw that mentioned in the post that got pulled actually, would be a great idea. maybe Seth could post something about it.

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    19. Hopefully we can achieve some positive media attention.. That would be nice.

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    20. When I first heard that a TV company was looking to interview bronies, I feared it would be this sort of sensationalist hatemongering - it doesn't matter how old or respected subcultures may be, it seems that the media at large will go out of its way to avoid representing them in a positive light. It's a shame because it crushes individuality and makes people feel that they can't truly be themselves - and FiM teaches that not only is that obviously not a good thing, but I think on a more meta level, it's encouraged a lot of folks (myself included) to be more open about their interests, and to take pride in their individuality. I represent my broniness simply through my day-to-day life - I make no secret of it but I don't consciously make any sort of statement about it either - I'd rather be judged as an individual, rather than as a member of any particular subculture. I like to think that the people worth my time will judge me for who I am, in everything I do - my love for FiM is just another part of that.

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    21. This is a great post and I think that it will help us all maintain a positive public image (when compared to most fandoms)

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    22. This should be a must read on every Brony wepsite!

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    23. As someone who is well known amongst a few communities as a sexual deviant, I can tell you that it's one of the last things you ever want to be known as.

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    24. Most excellent advice... as much as it pains me to admit it, these bronies are quite correct in their evaluation of the media's interest in our fandom, I believe.

      Good looking out, Seth.

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    25. @wackyteen

      I agree. I'd love to see a documentary on the evolution of the fanbase.

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    26. "Shockumentaries"
      ...
      Only in America! I wonder how things will go if they do something similar in Spain. Being a furry as well as Brony, I know how to deal with the media. I just hope those who emailed will read this as carefully as I did.

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    27. You saved us....
      Thanks!

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    28. Tv? Been there. Done that. Fought the masses.

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    29. Even if this shockumentary gets posted, the best defense we have is to smear it with facts and bad ratings.

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    30. Damn... I hope that either they don't get anyone to do an interview, or that someone REALLY mature goes and does it...
      Otherwise, I hate to say it, but this is the beginning of the end for Bronies probably.

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    31. The vast majority of medias are more interested in views than genuine information, that's just the way it is nowadays. The best we can do is to create the best environment possible so that the 'average person' doesn't get any more ideas than usual.

      It won't come as a surprise for most, but the brony community is already met with criticism. The least we can do is to keep an open mind Above all, stop feeding debates clearly made to provoke fans, provide entertainment to haters and fuel for the medias.

      The sad truth is that they're likely going to get their story anyway, either through a brony's quest for 'fame', or by simply making it up.

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    32. It should be said, however, that when somepony who can't help but be an attention horse is found—I will be very surprised if they don't find one—that the fandom should not use the opportunity to detonate a drama-bomb. Lashing out against those who do appear certainly won't make the whole matter go away, and doing so will probably make it worse.

      Also, if it hasn't been done yet, please sticky this story for a day or so. Everypony must know what they're getting into if they are approached, and everypony must understand what may happen when crap like "My Strange Addiction" mocks your fandom.

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    33. If any TV-company really wanted to show bronies in bad light all they would need to do is few google searches and they would find more than enough material to make the whole community to look like punch of creepy as hell pedos or what ever they want.

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    34. To be honest, id rather not get involved with the media at all. Were doing fine, and we keep getting more bronies in the group. I say avoid the media, for fear of this amazing community falling apart.

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    35. Related:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8jeuYMHX9Y

      Also if you do objectively fit the description of the perfect interviewee, I still say don't participate. The questions in the e-mail they sent were very bad signs. I would wait for a more reputable company's offer.

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    36. Hang on, what if a troll purposely enters this and gives us a bad image...

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    37. The more I think about it, the worse this whole documentary thing sounds to me. The average brony either works or goes to school, lives normal social lives, and functions at least at a decent level in society. In other words, is just like anyone else.

      So I'm guessing the film company isn't going to select an average brony because it would be 'bad TV'. Odds are, they're going to pick someone off the charts weird. I'm not saying the film co is trying to make us look bad, just things don't look too kosher.

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    38. @Servicerevolver I've been thinking the same thing this whole time...

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    39. All of those are lessons well learned from my years within the furry fandom. Just like here, the vast majority are people out to have fun. Unlike here, at least so far, they've largely been overshadowed by the creepy fetishists in the eyes of the general public.

      I really hope the same doesn't happen here, and this is an excellent way to spread the word. Remember folks: If you don't know what you're getting into, you probably shouldn't talk to the media. They're there to get entertainment, and they don't really care who they humiliate, infuriate, or misrepresent if it means they get a story.

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    40. I too would like to see a documentary about 'us lot', but looking at some of the other 'strange' people depicted on that show, I find it hard to believe we'd be compared to them. Well, people will believe anything that they see on TV nowadays. The documentary could probably even say that bronies "are all satanic cult worshippers". We of course know this isn't true and that's all that matters. If people find it weird that a large fanbase enjoys pastel-coloured ponies, then what has the world come to? Are we not allowed to enjoy what we want to? I say that however the media portrays us will always be flawed, and we should probably just ignore any negativity from them.

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    41. Unfortunately, they're probably going to just scour the internet for some creepy people anyways. The sad fact is, the chances of us getting through this with any amount of decent PR is extremely low. In fact, they're probably going to completely skip over all the "normal" bronies and pick a freak. *sigh*

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    42. If you care for this fandom at all. Please pass it up.

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    43. I don't see how this is the "end" for bronies - every fandom and subculture has been treated badly by elements of the media, it's hardly a recent phenomenon or something exclusive to MLP. You can guarantee that any time a news outlet covers any conventions, they will focus on the more extreme "fringe" elements of the fandom and describe them with a patronising tone at best, as though these sad, sad people are somehow not on the same intellectual level as their audience and are worthy of their snide remarks. I do think that on the whole, the MLP fandom is resoundingly positive and it exists to spread a message of peace and friendship, I don't feel there's enough of a radical fringe to tip the scales into a full-on media assault outside of the usual suspects. If anything, it'll just mean that bronies will pull together more, and perhaps subconsciously make even more of a point of showing that folks from all walks of life can be a brony, and that it's something to be proud of.

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    44. Wow this was a good read, I love this Fandom, it's so much closer then anyof the other other Fandoms i'm a part (IE The Toku fandom, which is so divided by the subbing groups.) Even if this show try's to shine a bad light on us as Bronys, i well still wear my Brony shirt with pride and (Epic Brohoof) all those in the fandom. I for one will not appear on this show as i would not be the right pick, but i well watch and see what they do with it.

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    45. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    46. we're actually lucky, because a lot of people are already skeptical of the media as is and we know how the media works.

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    47. @The Derpy One

      There's one difference and that is Hasbro. Do you think that if the shit starts to hit the fan really badly that they won't react at all?

      In worst case scenario they might pull the plug for the show to avoid some really bad press.

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    48. Being black, I'm already part of a minority that's acceptable to ridicule in the media with stereotyping, slap a negative perception of brony on that; well that ain't gonna make things better. Really glad you took that post off, also I really do hope they pick a good repressentative if they get around to doing this interveiw.

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    49. The media has, and will always be, a bunch of fucking retards.

      Best thing to do is to stay as faaar away as possible, but like someone said before, I'm expecting some troll to take the interview and be a complete asshole about it :/

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    50. You know what's funny?
      Who here hates Furries? Yeah? I'm going to guess something clicked in some peoples' brains there when you read that word. Furry. Yeah.

      Okay. Now, you want to know something that's going to shock the hell out of you? I have a friend who is a "furry" and he doesn't own a "fursuit" and he's generally a normal guy. He works as an intern at a hospital and goes to some of my psychology classes.

      The fact is, Furries were generally unknown in the public eye until CSI came out with that one episode with the furry convention where everybody was a tranny or sexual deviant or something.

      After that, furries ended up being marked and judged by that one episode. It was a real shame, actually. Because from what I can tell, a good portion of them, if not most of them, are relatively normal.

      So what happens when Bronies end up on TV and they're shown as sexual deviants or pathetic manchildren or something else equally as degrading? The same thing happened with the Furries of course.

      And, well, after that it all goes downhill. People start leaving the Bronies because they don't want to be seen in a negative light since we, as humans, feel a need for acceptance, and those that remain are marked. And when the trolling level goes up, being a brony just won't be anywhere near as fun anymore...

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    51. The sad part is that there will be people interviewed and their words will be twisted to fit the "story" the producers want to tell. It's not as if this documentary is going to be an objective evaluation and if they determine that the brony fandom isn't that "strange" that they'd simply accept it. That would be "bad television."

      As others have said though, this isn't the end for the fandom, even in a worse case scenario (okay, maybe in a REALLY worst case scenario where the bad PR leads to the show's shameful cancellation). Other fandoms (e.g. Trekkies, otaku), have received similarity bad reputations and are still going strong through people who believe in the culture. Sure there are a few bad apples but that's true of any fandom (rule 34 proves this).

      tl;dr: Stay strong. Love and tolerate.

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    52. They'd only except creepy people, and even then, twist around facts or exaggerate to get the train wreck they was, Normal people will never understand. It's best we try to keep off of TV.

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    53. @Dusty the Royal Janitor

      anyone who honestly thinks that all furries own a fursuit, is someone that deserves to be ridiculed themselves.

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    54. @Servicerevolver

      That kind of troll represents an advanced persistent threat who is very difficult or impossible to defeat without luck.

      So don't worry about it. We'll deal with bad press if and when it happens.

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    55. In other words, this would be the MLP fandom's equivalent of that CSI furry episode. Something that will NEVER be lived down, ever.

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    56. @Servicerevolver
      Ditto.

      In the end it doesn't matter whether one of us goes on TV, the trolls will have a ball with it. We just need to remember that despite what everyone else thinks, we are NOT weird. This is a great show. If anyone has the guts (and the maturity) to go up in front of the camera and show the world what we're REALLY all about, then I say go for it!

      Otherwise we'll just have to sit here and push through it, while the trolls have their "fun."

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    57. @The Derpy One

      Everyone, please pay respects to this brony, here! Well said, sir, well said on all counts!

      As for the documentary, the best-case-scenario I think is that of the people who replied, they won't find anyone "weird" enough to put on their show, so they'll just drop it and we'll never hear about it again.

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    58. A better example of poor media exposure would be Rebecca Black.

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    59. hmm.... reading over the comments, the two best ideas so far are

      1. to have the documentary made BY bronies

      and 2. to have it made about a musician

      the media, television especially, is a very volatile environment. imagine a vast, flat expanse or rock. a vast expanse of THIN rock. hanging over a volcano. lined with hot spikes. with proxy mines every 2 feet. and you're getting chased by a bunch of creepers. and it's raining.

      anypony got something to add?

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    60. yeah, I'm not gonna go for an interview, despite my high intellect I fear that my looks would be enough of a thing for them to latch on to to make me seem like I'm a creeper or something.
      Whoever they do find should probably be a young man who has a steady girl friend or is married and is a good looking and intelligent person with a job. That would be the absolute best candidate to represent us, also someone who is very into the brony life style as well though.
      But I fear that with editing just right, no mater how we do in the interview they would manage to make us look weird, so... My advice to all would simply be to watch out, and don't do it.

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    61. Wait, so I shouldn't tell the media my theory that the world would be better off if I was allowed to start a Clockwork Orange-style rehabilitation program for the entire population? =P

      Way ahead of you, Seth. I know that if a person appears on TV, they've gotta be well-groomed, chemically mellowed, prepared ahead of time for all possible questions, lawyered-up, and capable of lying their asses off with a pleasant smile. :) (I am only two of those, though I could get a lawyer on the cheap without too much trouble, I think - point is, no televised interviews for me, thanks)

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    62. Fact of the mater is we will always be "an easy target" we fall too far out of the norm. Still If we hold ourselves with dignity I would hope that decent people would be able to see the truth.

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    63. I think we need to think of how to counter what they do, maybe if someone was to send in a faked 'Crazy' entry to this and gets picked, then acts normally in the interview, this is the best idea I can think currently...

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    64. Luckily, any serious hour-long documentary is certain to be aired on TLC or another Discovery Communications channel. That means they have a vested interest in making sure The Hub's fans have a positive airing.

      However, Viacom has no such compunction. We furries know that MTV will gladly air pony smut for ratings.

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    65. That some good advice. I hope it can lead to a more possitive sterotype and nothing like what happend with FOX- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqEDIFfy4Yg

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    66. @Damazania

      You raise a fair point which I admit I hadn't thought of - I'd like to think that the potential damage dealt by this show won't be extensive enough that Hasbro would actively jeopardise itself, considering how FiM has exceeded everyone's expectations.

      I'm English and over here, these types of shows tend to be relatively low-key, buried in an obscure timeslot on an out-of-the-way channel. I'm not sure how it is in the US, but I'd like to think it would take a bit more than just one episode of one program - a show which, from the sounds of it, exists solely to mock others based solely on their interests and hobbies - to cause a backlash severe enough for the MLP franchise to actually be impacted, as opposed to just the brony community (who I maintain would maintain solidarity throughout, because we KNOW we're not bad folk).

      Of course, no-one knows - it's incredibly early days - but the MLP fandom has a lot more solidarity than most, and our fairly unique solid relationship with Hasbro and the creators of the show holds us in fairly good stead, at least in my opinion.

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    67. Quote from the original post:

      "Are you forced to skip out on social events in order to watch the show in real time? Do you devote hours of your free time visiting MLP chat rooms and organizing meetups? Do you hide your obsession from your girlfriend or coworkers?"

      Y'know, looking at this again, this seems like a bit of a red flag...

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    68. As a fairly normal guy, reasonably well-spoken, living fully employed and self-sufficient, and typically looking less than deranged (if not Rarity-coiffed), yeah, I don't think the "documentarians" would want any part of me.

      To some degree, I understand. I'm a reporter myself. You're always looking for some kind of angle; that's what sells. I wish that the "Wait, Wait..." intern had been a bit more prepared/well-spoken when he got a chance to defend bronyism. He sounded stammering, defensive, and unsure of himself.

      At risk of sounding Dash-arrogant, I think I could do a pretty good job of describing how the strong group dynamics, realistically flawed protagonists, hyperstylized art and dollops of humor ranging from the sitcom-ish to the surreal play into creating an experience enjoyable for all ages; add on the creator-fan interactiveness and the massive potential for a participatory culture, and you have the perfect recipe for mass appeal.

      But that's not what they want to hear, is it? :-)

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    69. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    70. "we can’t tell you not to go along with the production company’s request for interviews." I disagree, I think we very much can. DO NOT GO ALONG WITH THE COMPANY'S REQUEST!

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    71. i feel lucky for never getting too far into the furry community to know the ugly side it brings.

      at best(worst?) i was a furfag. >.> not anymore though, thanks to Ponies.

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    72. @GaruuSpike

      It's time to stop posting. This isn't the kind of image OR act that'll make friends. Not to mention that raging is exactly what they want..

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    73. There´s no media that can represent how awesome we are

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    74. I hope everyone reads this-its very important and true. Thanks for posting it, too!

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    75. In fact, I once wrote a 2500-word profile of the "Gargoyles" fandom for a journalism-school final assignment; looking back, I can see how things can look from an outsider's perspective. It was really cool though; I got to talk to the show's creator and everything.

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    76. It's entirely likely that they'll bring up a lot of the more sexually related fanart and what we have to say in defense of it. Remember that some people will draw porn of just about anything, but the community as a whole shouldn't have to be judged by the actions of just a few individuals.

      A good example would be those who draw porn of The Simpsons. Yet, if you claimed to be a fan of The Simpsons, no one would give you the evil eye for it because that's not what the normal fanbase of The Simpsons is about.

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    77. To be honest a show called 'My strange addiction' would show anyone in a bad light, even if you are the most respectable and kindest person, the show is going to do everything and anything to make you appear as strange, because that's how the media works and that is what today's television is like. Facts and understanding don't matter as long as it gets the views, hopefully we will get our own chance to show the media what the community and the show is really about.

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    78. Man i'm loving this fandom with every post i see. I wish the Toku Fan was this tight knit, but it is not.

      @Project-345: Yea i'm also i black male age 23, I take a lot of shit of the thinks i like. (Anime, Kamen rider, Super Sentai, Kpop and Jrock) All things i tell people i'm only close to. Cause these are fandoms that have seen bad press over here in the US.

      Toku fandom: Oh you like those Japanese Power Rangers and masked bugged man. You most be a weirdo.

      Anime: Your a perv Otaku that likes those show's with little girls.

      Kpop/Jrock: You don't even speak those languages why listen to it. (I'm listening to some Kpop as i type this up.)

      I'm just saying with every fandom comes a negative rap to it. Can not really stop it from happening. but i enjoy telling people about the show's and stuff I LIKE.

      On the Furry note, i'm not a furry person, but i love hanging with the furry people at Con, they are a lot of fun and are normal people.

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    79. @Apsuenbwyfer11
      You have a broken leg, one eye is blind, and the other has such blurry vision that it might as well be blind, also you are drunk so walking would be a challenge even normally.

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    80. >inb4 TLC doesn't get enough real bronies that are actually wierd and resorts to having other people "act" as "bronies" the way they want them to for the sake of ratings

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    81. @Dusty the Royal Janitor

      TLC isn't nearly as manestream as CSI though, so the effects of anything they'd put out wouldn't have nearly the impact of anything that happened to the furry fandom. Besides, anyone who's watching a show about "strange addictions" are already wired to assume the worst of humanity, so they'd sort of be "preaching to the choir" while with CSI it truly exposes a fandom to a mainstream audience.

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    82. This should be required reading for any brony considering to go on camera to represent us. We don't need any more negative press.

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    83. hate to say it, but it's pretty much guarenteed that TLC or whoever's doing the documentary will find a crazy weirdo Cupcakes-fetish brony to do the interview. If any "normal" mainstream bronies like us are interviewed, we most likely won't show up on the documentary. What we need to is is be prepared for the negative publicity that will inevitably come from this and take it in stride (or gallop lol) We all knew this would happen eventually, but the important thing is not to forget why we like the show in the first place.

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    84. I remember a year or two ago when a fursuiter went on one of these shows, she was pretty much flayed and exiled from the fandom. Here's the thing, no matter how normal and reasonable you think you are, they will always edit it to make you look like a complete loony.

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    85. If we ever plan on having someone be interviewed, they need to be experienced with some form of public speaking. Preferably, it needs to be someone well known, otherwise it really wouldn't have any effect.

      We'd also want someone who can stand to public criticism. Because if you get interviewed for something like this, you will lose all sense of privacy. That being said, I think that this is a great possibility, but insanely dangerous

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    86. I'd say we avoid this opportunity and raise funds to buy a F-22 raptor so we... Wait...

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    87. >inafter I remembered that TLC is part of Discovery Networks and is, in fact, a sister channel to The Hub.

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    88. Why not just beat them to the punch and do a Youtube video on what a Brony really is. Talk about what we really are all about. could really but a damper on what TLC would have in mind.

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    89. @Favines blog

      An interesting idea, but how would you orchestrate that?

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    90. I really hope if that if they ruin the reputation of bronies everywhere, they at least make it funny.

      Have some guy come on and talk at length about how much he wants to have sex with Rarity or something.

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    91. Seth. You don't have to apologize to us. If anything, we should be thanking you for all you do for us! Thank you Seth!

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    92. I have a strange addiction; an addiction to the aversion of television.

      On a more serious note, just let the whackjobs make up stuff and try to put the brony community in a bad light. The community as a whole is vast, and every little niche within this community has its own stacks of merits and positive facts. Them picking the most bizarre stuff will do nothing to harm the rest of the fanbase, I can guarantee that any extreme sensationalist "documentary" will meet a huge backlash from rival companies who want to get one over on their competitors, and then it'll become less about bronies and more about the news groups slinging shit at each other like insane monkeys. The most any company can do is bitch about people 'they don't like' and hope that mindless drones believe them. People are a damn sight smarter than TV guys want to believe, and the few who aren't are frequently looked upon as nutters by the general public.

      Bottom line is, avoid the media, they're untrustworthy. When they eventually come out with whatever crap they come up with, just ignore it and continue with your regularly scheduled ponies. Anyone who watches the "shockumentaries" and cares to load up on more ammo will either research the community further and find the truth (sound familiar?), or they'll just sit on their porches talking disgustedly about people they don't even know.

      Haters gonna hate, ponies gonna pwn. End of.

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    93. "Weird fetishes".
      I still want to strangle the folks at G4 for what they did with their steaming trashpile of cancer-causing misinforming mud-slinging waste they've done over things that are a part of who I am as a person in the past.

      I really don't want the same thing to happen to TLC FiM.

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    94. *TLC *and* FiM. Herp a derp.

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    95. The media will make negative images from subcultures to entertain their "normal" viewers. You can't avoid that.

      Here in germany we had the "RTL Explosiv incident". They made a short report about the GamesCom making the gamers look like unwashed freaks. And that is not a small subculture. OK, they caused a huge shitstorm but nonetheless this showed how the media works.

      In short: if you we are unlucky we will be portrayed as stupid freaks so be prepared.

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    96. That's ridiculous, these people will likely exaggerate and completely misinform people no matter who ends up being interviewed, and to blatantly tell people that only the "most photogenic, intelligent, well-spoken, most “normal”-appearing bronies we can muster up" should be interviewed is borderline offensive.

      I thought one of the most important lessons to be learnt from the very existence of this bizarre community is that it's OK to be different! I can't believe I'm seeing messages like this HERE of all places. I find I'm incredibly disappointed, more than anything else.

      If you're weird, I say go ahead and be interviewed anyway. If they choose to make fun of you and the pony fandom as a whole (which they will no matter who is interviewed) then that is their loss, frankly.

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    97. I'd go further, Seth, and recommend that everybody stay the hell away from the media regardless of their level of intelligence, charisma, and attractiveness. Anybody looking for interviews is going in with an agenda. If you don't turn out to be what they're looking for (a freak) they'll either take you out of context or cut you altogether. It's really a no-win situation.

      Nonetheless, I'm sure if these guys are determined they will dredge up a few brony drama queens who will happily act like fools for a little screen time. Don't be one of those guys . . .

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    98. @baschotaria Really it would be a hard thing to do. i think the idea of putting our best hoof first and picking the most normal looking person. If we are going to bring to light what TLC would try to do, we would need a few "Non normal looking bronys" to show up and say "Hey i'm a normal person even if you don't think so, and i love this show."
      Or

      Have people send in footage to someone welling to go throught it and pick the best stuff to add to what would be "Epic Brohoof. 'The true story of the everyday Brony'" This Fandom is more together then most, so i can see something like this happening. Hell the letter that started this is a good point to what we can do.

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    99. I honestly think that this won't be any major mark on the community, either for or against. The fact that this group is on a second tier cable network, instead of national free broadcast like CSI was? Instead of having an audience numbering in the tens of millions, the show will be lucky to get 100k.

      Even if something scathing gets done about us, the only people who will really latch onto it are those who are already looking for something negative about us in the first place. The fact that we're still 'waiting' for the first big bad thing about us to come along, when several other outlets have already tried to do one (Fox News, for example).

      Here's my point: This is really just another case of trolling being done against us. The only difference is that it is happening IRL instead of on the internet. Best course of action? Don't feed the parasprites. Don't react to them with anything but indifference. Don't panic, don't whine, don't complain. Just go about your everyday routine as if nothing had been said or done. If people want to look down on you because of something that was said on a TV show, without bothering to get the other side of the story, you didn't want to be friends with them anyway.

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    100. Since people keep saying brony in this thread, I have learned how fun it is to say brony. On another note, bronies.

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    101. Proceed with caution...
      I just hope they don't pick some heavy-breathing neckbeard that's excited to have people paying attention to 'em on TV and didn't think these underlying intentions through...

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    102. I have a feeling if this does happen, it will be completely trumped by 300 youtube videos countering it. This fandom doesn't take this crap for the most part.

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    103. @Laurence Brown
      Somepony get this brony some oatmeal, because he's crazy smart!

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    104. Thanks for the advice, guys. Of course, I have nothing to worry about because I'm about as bland as they come, so even if someone did contact me for an interview they would never use it.

      Let's face it, this show is going to succeed at finding some crazy to represent the brony community if that's their goal (and it sounds like it is). In which case our course of action will be to ignore it. Don't even acknowledge it. And hell, we're so over-saturated with reality shows in the U.S. I doubt a single interview will make much of an impact, especially coming from a show that does lots of these kinds of interviews.

      In the long run, I don't think we don't have much to worry about. And really, who needs TV? We've got the internet and we've got each other. Friendship is magic, right?

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    105. @Favines blog scootalooImLikingThisIdea.jpg
      Sethisto, we need to organize a community PR video. It needs to seem a bit like it could be a shocku-mentary at first, just to get people curious - before bombarding them with love and tolerance from the orbital friendship cannon. Then it gets posted on YouTube and we somehow make it into a Promoted Video.
      One of the things it HAS to have though is actual coverage of some of the darker aspects of the fandom, but to expose them primarily for being a very, very small part of the fandom that is unavoidable as it is in every fan community or special interest group. With extra emphasis on "every." It's called "rule" 34 for a reason. Actually, add that in as part of the documentary. Rule 34 is universal, all-encompassing, unavoidable, and just overall not worth getting in a tizzy over. The BBC once did an investigation into furries and found that the common media perception was largely unfounded and biased; but that was within the past couple of years, already way too late to have any meaningful impact. Bronies are still a new thing. We can learn from the mistakes of our furry brethren before us. We will not let MLP turn into the next Sonic.

      Hey, someone said something about an email from the shockumentary company with questions. Any chance we could find out what those questions were, or do you think that would only serve to get somepony to be over-confident enough to actually give these parasprites an interview?

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    106. @Lunncal It's unfortunate but that's how the world works.
      I get what you are saying about the superficial message in the post but the pulse of the fandom wants it's best to be put forward.
      In any case a feature on this show no matter who it is a lose/lose for the fandom. Fandom gets negative press and the person gets crucified and excommunicated from the fandom. I've already seen it happen once within the fandom and it wasn't pretty.

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    107. Look, guys and girls, this is great advice, and it would be wise to be cautious in dealing with the media going forward. Hell, that could apply to just about every person on the planet, since they exist to get ratings and earn money.

      But does anybody else thing there might be a little overreaction going on here? This is a frigging piece of trash documentary series on TLC. Do you really think this is going to reach all that many people or cause some kind of permanent damage to the community?

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    108. "people both on and off the Internet will end up mocking us all."

      >implying a majority of people don't mock or laugh at the idea of the Brony community already. :P

      Before you say it, I know, I know. Being mocked or laughed at even more-so than now.

      Same stuff I've heard and knew about already. I've had to deal with the media regarding these sorts of things before. And I'm sure it won't be the last.

      It's a good read for anyone a little unsure on how to act or what to do. Though, with shows and stations like this. It doesn't matter how well-spoken you are or how beautiful you think you are, they can and WILL find a way to make you appear odd or weird. It's their jobs and most of the time they're damn good at them. Trust me. I'd just decline all together myself. Because with these people, it's unlikely you will come out on top no matter how hard you try. They just want someone to manipulate to garner ratings and viewers. That's how the business works.

      Now, if it were a network known for good programming. No slander and drama-filled stuff, then maybe I'd consider it. But even then, you always have to be cautious with these people. They oftentimes don't have your best interests in mind. They have theirs.

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    109. I'm not too worried, because A) I've never even heard of this show before, so it can't be two mainstream, and B) The network is owned by Discovery, who is part owner of The Hub, and C) Being owned by Discovery, I don't anticipate it as being the sort of right wing conservative bible belt propaganda trash that we would REALLY need to worry about.

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    110. Ah, I see Laurence Brown up there pretty much made the same point I was trying to in a much more eloquent manner.

      So yeah, disregard me, just read his post.

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    111. Now that's some great advice. Way better than anything Advice Dog would give.

      As someone who has talked about his brony-ness on national TV (See Nightly Roundup #106), I'd like to add that the number one thing to remember when dealing with any kind of media is to stay calm and play it cool. Just imagine some MLP T-shirt-clad guy sweating and stuttering in front of the camera as he nervously tries to explain why he likes a cartoon meant for little girls - not a very good first impression, if you ask me.

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    112. I can already see the worst case scenarios and cringe at the backlash that this would cause.

      But then I recall myself thinking, "There's a show called 'My Strange Addiction'?"

      The only impact I could see coming out of this is that the term "Brony" will be seen in the public with negative connotations. Which would just be horrible.

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    113. Have them interview myself and my brony friends who are active duty military. It's practically impossible to try and warp the production to make it seem like navy rescue swimmers are creepy.

      We're professional, we're responsible for multi-million dollar aircraft, and we would certainly ensure we portray the brony community in the highest light possible.

      Of course though, there's that whole thing about doing public representations of the Navy. There goes the 3 of us in flight suits idea :(

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    114. @Flutterfan

      Oddly enough, when I see the word "Brony/bronies", my mind goes straight to chocolate brownies.

      Still haven't gotten used to saying/thinking/typing that, I guess.

      Apologies for being off-topic, just thought I'd lighten the mood if it got a bit "tense" around here.

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    115. @waffle911I like how that Sounds. I love the idea to use the "Orbital Friendship Cannon"

      This Fandom is a united one, i think we can withstand the best the media can throw at us, and then give it back in true brony fashion.

      And YES let's not make this another Sonic type Fandom... -_- Man they have the worst rep by far.

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    116. What is this My Strange Addiction? lol j/k

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    117. @Lunncal While I would like to agree with you, the problem is that when you are anticipating being attacked by something, the best you can do is shore up your defenses against how you know you will be attacked. If you are going to be attacked by the use of superficial misinformation, you need to fight fire with fire and put forth superficial counter-information.

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    118. It was a good read. =)

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    119. @Navy Brony

      Crap, bronies in flight suits. That sounds totally bad-ass.

      Of course, if they DID interview you, they'd probably just downplay the fact that you're active military.

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    120. I'm actually working on a guide to go into more specifics on what exactly to do when approached by the media right now. The way I see it, if bronies avoid the spotlight altogether, trolls masquerading as bronies would be more than happy to stand in for us.

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    121. One of the best things everyone can do is not panic. Regardless if this happens or not,this will not effect the show

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    122. @Navy Brony
      unfortunately, if all they are after is something to sensationalize, they likely won't even think about accepting an interview with you, or even acknowledging the exsistance of bronies in the military.

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    123. I found it kinda funny when I read it was "My Strange Addiction". I've always hated every show on TLC. I always thought that it was just, like, a girl thing to watch the TLC shows because my mom and sister love TLC.(<--I suck at making sentences that flow)

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    124. @waffle911

      "A strange game, the only winning move is not to play."

      Jason pretty much said "Don't feed the parasprites" in that film (Wargames, if you don't know), and that film was made before the internet even took off. Yes, he was commenting on thermonuclear warfare, but the principle still stands.

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    125. Fantastic article! Thanks for bringing this up and essentially protecting us all!

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    126. Id love to sign up for this, had dealings similar to this before

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    127. Well, i say we avoid this. The media can be more untrustworthy than the devil himself. "my strange addiction"? This doesn't sound good. We already are hated enough even though most people don't even have an idea of our existance, release a docmentary about it called "my strange addiction" and we're fucked.

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    128. Phew, very good warning, guys. Good work.
      God, TV really does its best to make some things look far worse than they really are.. Just so they can prove everybody that being 100% generic in every aspect of your life means being a good citizen of the world. Clones, clones everywhere.

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    129. @Adrian Brony Do you think someone is that daring or stupid enough to care to ruin the reputation of a fandom. Because this seems like a whole lot of work for a troll to do. Not trying to sound condescending just wanting your take on this

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    130. Perhaps we should send some of the more respected and mature bronies their way, so they don't need to search on their own. If they decline these people, then we KNOW that they're just out to get us. However, they could still twist the interviewee's words for the worse, no matter who it is...

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    131. @SupaSpeedStrut
      Read the comment by Octavia up there. They WILL make us look ridiculous/creepy no matter what. This is media, comrade.

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    132. Part of me wants to be mad at this simply because at it's simplest, it's saying, "We want 'normal' people to be shown from the community so that we don't look bad." Then I calm down a bit because I still understand how little this has to do with us and how much it has to do with all the others out there looking to incite hatred from their own misconceptions and spreading it to others.

      I'm normally in disagreement with those that say "Ew, that person did /this/? Great, it's people like these that ruin the community/make us look bad." It's one person and while I'm not going to say that it's only that one person, it still means that it's not you. If you know you don't like variable x and you avoid it, then just don't get involved. If others are going to call you out on it and tease you then for a lack of better words, "F**k them." because if they're too unwilling to learn the truth about our community, then their opinion doesn't matter.

      The problem therein, is that this is bigger than one troll on one website going "Ew, look at those men that like ponies. They must be (Insert slander here)." This is a live television show that if I understand correctly is on a popular channel. To make things worse, it's a show actively trying to incite negativity towards whatever group they're interviewing. I understand how deeply this concerns some people, especially when there's so much on the line compared to just one instance, but I honestly think that while I do admit having the person who finally hits big time talking about ponies is able to speak about their love of ponies without sounding stupid, I could honestly care less about what he talks about past that. All this seems to do is speed up an inevitable process of the uninformed trying to hate what they don't care to understand. If they're gay? Good for them, I hope they're happy and finds someone they can share their life with. Into ponies /that/ way? Well it's illegal in some places, but I'dbe more concerned that he horses aren't being mistreated. Anything beneath that? (Clopart/clopfiction) That's their deal and it has nothing to do with me. Pedofile? Well I guess if they found that out on the show he wouldn't be watching ponies and instead would be sitting behind bars.

      That all being said, it's your love of ponies and why should someone tell you /how/ you're supposed to enjoy it? Look how well that goes with those telling someone to be straight when they're gay.

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    133. Oh man. I knew something was fishy about that post when it said "Send a current picture of yourself". Hopefully anyone who sent information in about themselves sees this. Kind of a dick move to send that into Seth trying to bait people for their stupid show.

      I'd still love to see a fan documentary about our little clique here. I always find it really interesting hearing how people became bronies. Mainly because I have zero friends who are bronies, and they look at me like I have 3 heads when my Rainbow Dash ringtone goes off.

      BRONIES: Y U NO IN MY CURRENT CIRCLE OF FRIENDS?

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    134. @Ikusa GT
      all I have to do is apply in email, sound a little out of touch, print out some creepy fanart and tape ti to my house walls, act like a sexually repressed pedophile manchild with a fake name, and boom, it's done. they do it in pony threads all the time.

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    135. @Favines blog

      You have no idea. Even with the most carefully picked words a few sentence fragments could be edited in such a way that you sound like a pervert.

      There were a lot of trolls in our early history. They helped make this fandom and they have no qualms about destroying it.

      The furries are still reeling from what the media did to them around 10 years ago. There are plenty of articles where the reporter didn't find anything sexual but that still hasn't changed peoples minds.

      For the sake of the fandom, please everyone politely decline.

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    136. @Favo
      U do bring up a good point if we do somthing like this then i think its gotta be a gradual thing not all at once, but they will probably still go looking for us either way so we might as well keep our image up as much as possible

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    137. Well that's me out for representing us, I'm as hairy as a yeti, the media would think I'm a bum or something.

      Plus I'd get anxiety if I were representing ALL of us, that would not go down well.

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    138. This is EXTREMELY important, because if the Brony community gets knocked down by the media, sales for the show and company itself will drop. Thus, in turn, the show will suffer.
      Essentially the show rides on us now.
      There is no steroetype for us either. One of my friends who is a die hard fan has the "Prince of Darkness" thing going, and I'm a heavy build mountain man.
      Media attention must be handled with alot of care and detail.

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    139. I feel the one thing that a majority of those partially advocating the message of this article are missing is the myopic scope of society’s perception of normalcy. I find the tone of it wary of the possibility of bronies being relegated to the ranks of the trekkies, what worse? The Furries? Perish the thought, eh? (We’re not weird like them! We just obsess over adorable little pon….hmm…) Not quite, in my opinion. The pretense of “countering” misconception represents an overestimation of the influence of testimony (even from those erudite, educated, attractive, normal men….who like to spend hours looking at colorful pictures of ponies and sing “Winter wrap up” in the shower *raises hoof.*) and a gross underestimation of the influence of social group-think and hive mind as a by-product of mass media consumption.

      So you could scour the web for the brony poster child: that diamond in the rough, archetypal brony guy who has a degree, a chiseled chin, pearly whites, and rhetoric of dynamic and irrefutable verve; it’s a big community, you’ll find him. And when the lights dim and the cameras shut down, the public will have seen a guy with a degree, a chiseled chin, pearly whites, and rhetoric of dynamic and irrefutable verve…who is obsessed with My Little Pony: a show which will steadfastly remain ingrained in the collective social superconsciousness as “for little girls.” And that’s….weird.

      And you know what? I’m okay with his. Like the furries, the trekkies, the Otaku before us, the label “weird” and all that is implicit will eventually (if not already) befall this fandom. To think this can be averted by the messianic ascent of a “photogenic” brony who doesn’t hump horses is…well…it’s a little naïve, if you ask me and represents a slight failure to look inwards. Huns, bronies, you’re grown men playing with, writing music, penning novels, drawing pictures, and attending conventions about big-eyed, squishy ponies. Attempts to excessively ennoble it (i.e.:MLP:FiM changed my life!) will likely come off as creepier, antithetical to the proposed objective of this “PSA.”

      I respect the sentiment of the message here, but the perspective leaves me scratching my head. Keep it real, bronies.

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    140. @Scary Scott
      But if we generally avoid almost all contact with media they might make us look like some sort of "cult" that hides and has its own secrets. That would lead to number of other bad things.

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    141. We as a group have a lot of people that look freaky and undesirable but we also have some pretty bad ass and good looking people. I would love to get our people that have talent in music writing and art to be show cased first because people respect what they cannot do. So showing off our amazing talents in the creative fields would make us as a whole look better to the outside world.

      The sex and horror and other aspects of pony art, music and fiction appeals to the younger audiences such as the 16 to 30 year old men and women but those people don't really judge as much when something acts bizarre. So showing a more clean cut positive side which is what the show ultimately promotes is imperative. The most judgmental people, the religious, the elderly, and the anti lifestyle/culture groups are the most likely to attack us for being weird and sick. Personally I don't care what these people think but since a lot of you do because of where you live or who you are friends with I think that staying away from freak shows would be best.

      People get scared when something that doesn't compute to them begins to grow out of control and religious people are the first to start demanding bans and burnings. I mean look how long it took the gays to gain even partial acceptance. Since MLP isn't about sexuality but is geared for a certain gender people are going instantly assume that it's a sexual kink.

      Personally I don't mind clop fic for clop art. I see nothing wrong with people being attracted to the characters since more likely than not they are attracted to the personality of the character more than her physical looks. I know this to be true because I see a lot of good looking people hooking up with ugly people and when asked why they like some one that is physically below them they often say it's their personality that draws them. So yeah, I think it's fine for you all to have a certain waifu mare in your heart.

      That all said the outside world will not go for any of this. When I talk to people that not into pony I try to stress the positive sides of pony before letting them know about the darker side. That is, of course, unless they are into darker themes like I am. I got introduced to pony by way of Cupcakes and fell in love with the characters based on that story. So people come here from all doors but most of the doors are in the back for a reason.

      Alright, I think I repeated my point enough times to get it hammered into your heads. Just act like listening to pony music full blast while driving is normal and people will think it is. Talk about pony openly like it's normal and people will think it is. Just act like it's normal and it will be.

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    142. @Zerojoe
      well, i'll give you a simply metaphor (slightly referencing the comic novel "Maus" to what *might* happen to us.
      By giving them this chance, we, as mouses, are getting out of the mousehole and getting exposed to the cats. We were, a few moments ago, unbeknownst to the cats, but now that they know of our existance they will raid the mousehole and destroy the rest of us.

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    143. @TheRaggedyDoctor Wow, I like the cut of your jib. Good Post my friend.

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    144. @SupaSpeedStrut, it doesn't matter who we send. If they are looking for weird, they will spin any interview in a way they get it.

      Even if we get the perfect representative, they may use quotes out of context against us.

      Nobody should go. Whoever goes is more likely to harm the fandom than anything else. Of all interviewers, I wouldn't trust the "My Strange Addiction" crew.

      Better opportunities from more trustworthy companies will appear, but we should pass this one.

      "My Strange Addiction" is affiliated with Discovery Communications. Does The Hub know about this? Does Hasbro know about this? They should.

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    145. Thanks very much for the informative letter. I've learned about what the media can do.

      Thanks seth for the removal of the letter. I now realize the importance of this interview. I'll ignore it

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    146. @Favo
      Spin it as u will this is probably going down weather we like it or not so we probably should just bring our A game

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    147. @waffle911 The only defence against this kind of misinformation is to not be a brony in the first place. People are going to think negatively of us no matter what we do, and that's their problem, not ours.

      I think one of the greatest things about this community is how varied its members are, and yet everyone (tends to) treat each other with respect and civility. If we ourselves want to hide our "weird" members from the public eye, how are we any different from those who would shun the pony fandom as a whole (since it is undeniably also very "weird")?

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    148. Nobody do it. This documentary isn't interested in doing the fandom justice; it's only interested in pointing and laughing and saying "Hey everybody, they watch a children's cartoon show! They're WEEEEEEEEEEEIRD!"

      TLC is a freakshow anyway and I will be disappointed if I see a show about bronies on before the kid who eats paper machete

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    149. Well, we can wait and see what they do with it. I'll watch the show if they do air it, and well drive on from there.

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    150. @Sir Keldeo
      Even if they can't get bronies they'll get their show, they will pay some actors if necessary in all likelihood.

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    151. @Zerojoe
      In the WWII many people died everywhere in Europe, and for some there was little or almost no hope. But we didn't gave up. we could have been defeated, crushed, anhillated but we didn't give up. We may have 1% chance of not losing this, but if we give up that will turn into 0%.

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    152. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    153. @Favo
      To be dead honest im really on the fence about this personaly i hate the media and how they run things this is probably going to be a very interesting thing to happen to this community if it does i think theres gunna be damage done no matter what we do so i think its just going to have to go down as a method of good judgement

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    154. Maybe we should have some auditions and some votes among ourselves to determine who should represent us when we start going on these interviews. I NOMINATE SETH!

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    155. To those people saying we shouldn't be ashamed of our more hardcore members, that's all well and good. It's true, this fandom is what it is, and I'm fine with that. Still, at the same time it's foolish to walk knowingly into a trap, and that's just what we're doing if we accept interviews like this. Maybe nothing bad would come of it, but nothing good surely will either.

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    156. Thanks for the reality check! While I knew all of this stuff already, I'm sure that for a few bronies out there that this is probably news to them.

      While I myself would probably make a nice candidate for an interview (after months of using skin-care products and a nice trip to the salon...or an entire spa treatment) I have a history of being ridiculed despite my kind and gentle demeanor. (I'm seriously on par with Fluttershy...though sadly my weirdness is also on par with Pinkie Pie!)

      Not weird like creepy-weird but...I dunno, I've been bullied my whole life XD

      Anyway, this is why I can't watch live-action visual mediums >_> Whether it's television or youtube, people are always so judgmental and someone like me would never be able to make it in Hollywood or anything.

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    157. Although joking matters aside, we really do need everyone working together on this. One rogue interviewee could end up causing Bronies to become synonymous with Furries (no offense to any of them).

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    158. I feel compelled to do the opposite of all of those things the OP told us to do.

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    159. @iWolf
      Actually, this is a trap. They're TRYING to make us look ridiculous. You should read the really long comments above me.

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    160. What we need is for people to get out there and create POSITIVE attention before that god forsaken show ever airs.

      If they are as interested as I think they are with this. They will be willing to go to any lengths to produce a shameful shockumentary.

      We need to get as much positive attention to act as a buffer for the negitive attention the show will bring.

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    161. Personally I would give this a shot... just myself though.

      Except I'm about as socially awkward as they come and I'd probably fumble my words on the interview. So I pass as a result.

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    162. At first I was terrified of our community getting mass television coverage, but then I calmed down because I knew we would be safe. Knowing Lauren, she'd never let a show doing anything too horrible with the intent of the destruction our fandom. And if they somehow did, she would somehow fix everything. Faust is like our mother when I get to thinking about. She gets us what we want, but doesn't spoil us. She cares for us when we get hurt, but sometimes needs to slap us upside the head if we do something stupid. But most importantly, even though we weren't exactly planned, she loves us more than anything.

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    163. @Favo
      Yeah, it quite possibly is. I think the best option would be to just wait this out then. Wait until we completely dominate the internet and hope we get someone in the media to join the herd, with which we can have an unbiased interview or something along those lines, if possible.

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    164. @Mr. Mediocre
      Coming to think of that, it's actually very relieving. But we can't just hope they do something. we have to act by ourselves.

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    165. To be quite honest, I would not be too worried about this documentary.

      Mainly because:

      1) "My Strange Addition", like my bronies have already said, is affiliated with the Discovery Channel, and therefore the Hub, and Hasbro. The last thing Hasbro wants is for one of its best shows to be portrayed in a negative light.

      2) Didn't Fox News already try to do something like this in regards to talking about bronies? Last time I looked, the world didn't end then, so I'm pretty sure it won't end with this either.

      Just my thoughts anyway.

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    166. @Mr. Mediocre
      Yeah, Lauren is out there, but she only has so much influence and can only protect us so much. Similar to the spread of Bronyism, a bad interview can spiral out of control, at which point no one person can stop it.

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    167. It might just be better to avoid this thing altogether. No matter what these guys will try like crazy to make it as weird as possible for the sake of views, so it might be wise to advise people to ignore it. Not exactly our place to decide, but for the good of public image, maybe it'd be a good idea.

      Hell, I'd be all for a Community-Driven Documentary if someone were to go for it.
      As great as the hundreds of Youtube Rebuttals that are bound to happen are, I don't think a pile of simple YT videos will do much as compared to say, a project with relative professionalism would.

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    168. I say let them do what they want. All true bronies shouldn't give jack. We're one of the fastest growing communities so far, we spread like wild fire, people will leave then more will come and people will return. The thing is friendship is magic and we don't need the troll's opinions so we can just love and tolerate them and see how they react.

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    169. @snowfi6916
      Fox News did have like a 5 minute segment or so about it, but it didn't have an impact because it didn't have any actual Bronies, and also because of how few viewers there probably were considering that only right wing conservatives (such as myself) watch Fox News, most of which don't care about people's opinions on internet subcultures

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    170. but furries ARE practically sexual oriented one way or another

      in all the pony sites, game servers and such that I've went I've never seen anything that is porn or sex related in such a level at least (and gladly)

      when I go to a furry place the thing is full with cocks naked drawings and the most weird stuff
      go to a furry server on tf2 and 9 out of 10 sprays will have furry porn, period

      and for experience from my friend list on steam I have some furries and 3 have tried to "yiff" and are completly annoying (used to have them not anymore) trying to role play and some other shit that Im not interested into, that the images they often use the sprays and their steam groups just tell me more than I need to know about them

      why I had them in the first place? because I believed that they were just normal and liked something a lot (pretty much like a lot of bronies and fans of FiM that I know) and I saw nothing bad

      so its their own fault as I've this before but furries would make Freud have a psychological blast by studying them

      still, as you said people should just decline, It doesn't matter WHO applies because in the end THEY choose and they WILL choose the most awkward person they can, and even then if the person itself doesn't seem weird they will find a way to put him in an awkward position by asking uncomfortable questions and such

      Im calling it they will get a guy that has a fetish, possibly a furry too (they will make him speak on that too) and the guy will have a lot of pony merchandise alongside his porn, that's what they will show

      and if they get someone relativly "normal" they will edit it as such

      "but /insertname here/ has a secret passion for his little equines" with the actual question being hidden and just showing one of the answers he gave about another matter like character design or how he became a fan of the show or something

      its sensationalism at it best, fox news did something similar on the wall street protestors were they asked a lot of people and just kept the most stupid answers, there is a video with a guy that actually knows what he is talking about, he WAS interviewed but fox news removed it because, well it just showed how stupid Fox news is

      it doesn't help that half of the internet considers bronies or fans of the show horse wankers

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    171. First Impression = Everything, unfortunately.
      We are giving our First Impression to the world, and if it get screwed by the media...
      Let's hope this ends good.

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    172. Essentially, don't let the media do to us (as Bronies) what they did to us (as Furries).

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    173. Ah, yes, the "Dealing with the public," I am very familiar with this. Ya see, I'm as much as a brony as I am a furry, and just because of that CSI episode (which, I have only been told about, haha, I dont watch CSI), it has made a bad first impression to the public. And now, when someone hears about it, they don't think, "Someone who loves cartoons and loves to dress up like them and act like one?" No, they think of terrible filthy things. Why? Maybe because they're life is boring and it excites them to be around others who might have a more interesting life. Or perhaps they love to troll and seeing someone with a much more significant life than their own just pisses them off.

      The point of all this is: in the furry fandom, we were not big on jumping out into the media, so the media made something up. Maybe just continuing to decline media isnt such a good thing. Maybe if we do that, they will make up their own information about the bronies to excite those in the public. I want people to think, "Ah, yeah, the bronies, they love this MLP:FiM show. I checked it out, its pretty good, I guess," when they think of us.

      Now as far as dealing with people who find out your a brony (whether you told them or they saw that totally awesome sprite of Pinkie Pie on you phone background (guilty!)), dont get defensive at all, people will only hear the emotion. You want to speak logically and emotionless. You see, people are emotionally driven people, they hear and see the emotion more than they would the true facts. Also, another thing to remember, who cares what they think, and who cares if they're telling the guy next to him, they're a nobody. If they are seeking knowledge, tell them. If they are seeking to make fun of you and embarrass you, chuckle at it, put your hooves up, shake your head and go, "Whatever man." Nothing irritates trolls more than not caring. Now, if someone comes up to you and really wants to know why, tell them in one sentence for them to remember. "It's awesome because it was made by the same people who did shows for Cartoon Network."

      And lastly, I learned this from Uncle Kage (Anthrocon Chairman), he said, "If at anytime, the Ceiling falls on to my head and Instantly Kills Me! and there is only One thing you remember of me, remember this: Do not describe who we are by what we are not." This is because when you say things we are not, it doesnt matter you said, "We're not," they have that image you just put into their brain and now have forever linked it with bronies.

      So anyways, when dealing with the public and the media, I say *Discord voice* "Good Luck, Everypony! Ha Haha."

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    174. @snowfi6916
      If Fox News decide to do something bigger about Bronies, then we're fucked. As already stated above, they merely mentioned it.
      @iWolf
      If you or 500 more people don't care, doesn't means none of the next 500 won't. Furries, today, lurk in the dark areas of the internet and because of media. People cared. And it was an internet subculture. Also, that might affect negatively the show and the people who actually care might aswell affect you.

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    175. We can't screw this up, so if and when the time is right, we can't be interviewed on Fox News or anything that is biased that we know is going to find ways to make us sound like furries and pedophiles. In a perfect world (AKA Equestria), Hasbro would be setting up some interviews. Until then, we should just keep our mouths shut.

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    176. I think it may be too late. TLC is going to tear us apart. We need to stonewall them, but if just one of us talks, we're going to be known as the pedofile, furry, predators who are out for your daughters.

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    177. Rule 34 is going to bite us in the ass

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    178. @Char.fudge45
      True dat, but we can always (attempt anyways) to fall back on the fact that there's always going to be those extreme hardcore people in the world, and that the few of them should not represent us as a whole.

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    179. Well kinda like when some idiots killed a girl while playing RPG (Vampire the Masquerade). So the TV started to show the RPGs like a demonic cult.

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    180. They will probably make fun of our precious fandom and there's not a lot we can do about it. They will probably pick people like me who are evil furry clopping machines that drink baby blood and blah blah. (not all of those things are true. lol)

      In all seriousness though... we're dealing with a media that drummed up the Satanic Panic of the 80s and dared to question if D&D turns children insane. I think there's not much we can do.

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    181. @Armada
      And even if no one talks, there is something called "Acting".
      This is bad...

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    182. Preach with example. Not exclusivity.

      All shall stay away from that stuff, ALL.
      If you went to interview there then you may represent Brony fandom whenever you like it or not. You cannot ask others to avoid that if you are attending to that one as well.

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    183. If anyone can give a great first impression of bronies, it would definitely be Moony from Ponychan.

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    184. @Mr. Mediocre: I think that's pretty true. Remember that Ms. Rebuttal she wrote when someone was trying to write a slanderous article about the show? I'm sure Lauren, or even Jayson would help clear up any misconceptions...

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    185. @WolfenNights
      It's just simple impossible.
      We CAN'T win a game with their rules.
      The better we can do is: Do not play.
      And still being bad...

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    186. Oh, we're gonna lose Pegasus Bridge... And i can't help but cross my fingers and hope that doesn't happens...

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    187. So... Any of you powerful Bronies got any influence in the media?

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    188. Why don't we take the people who could ruin our image and push them into oblivion!

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    189. It's obvious to me that this is a trap by the TV show writers. I urge all of you to ignore the fuck out of the interview offer. Anything you say WILL be used against you. As an American, I can confirm that TV people here are often a bunch of lying scumbags who just want sensationalism and ratings. DO NOT give them anything. For the love of all things good and innocent.

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    190. I was thinking more along the lines of imprisoning them in stone, but oblivion works too.

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    191. Take a look at the text at the start of each episode: "This program depicts addictive behaviors that are dangerous and risky in nature. Viewers should not attempt." NONE OF US SHOULD BE INTERVIEWED! They aren't looking to inform the world about bronies, they're looking to disgust their viewers. With a disclaimer like that, it doesn't matter what you say, they don't want their audience to think you're normal, so they won't let you look normal. And if you ARE the most normal brony on the planet, then they won't use your interview, they'll find somepony else.

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