Bronies And Furries - A Discussion

[Neuros]

Okay. Both of these fandoms have become the target of mass hate on the internet, and for pretty prejudice reasons. Okay, personally I don't like MLP and find it silly why a grown man would want to watch it. Am I going to stop that person from watching it? No. They enjoy it, and that's fine by me. Many people (including myself) like the art style involved with "Furries" (however I would never get involved in the "weird" side of the fandom [Please, say no more on this topic. Pretty messed up stuff happens]).
However, because some people who like "Furries" do get involved in these activities, people assume that the whole fandom does it. Same goes for MLP and Bronies.
Anyway, I hope this has provided something to discuss.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Two things I learnt very quickly when I started working in TV:

1) Everyone geeks over something.
2) There is always a bigger geek.

 

[Neuros]

TBH it's usually TV's fault that fandoms receive quite a bit of bashing. For furries, there's that horrible CSI episode, and for Bronies there are the countless news reports.
Even Robb Alvey hates bronies, (but then again, we hate him do we not?). I've yet to see him hate on furries though.

 

[Ted]

It might just be me, but I've never had a bad experience with a Brony. It's an overestimation of how bad they're really are. So what if a guy likes a show aimed at young girls? Nothing wrong with that. I'm 18 and I do like My Little Pony myself (I wouldn't say I was a Brony though), and I know people with a similar age to me who also like it (both inside and outside of this forum room). Most people seem to think that Bronies are 40 year olds living in their Mum's basement, but there's people like that with pretty much every fanbase of a TV Show/Video game/book series etc and they happen to be a small minority. I think the majority of Bronies happen to be Teenagers, because of how most teenagers can suffer from something like depression, and watching My Little Pony makes them feel better. I've come across a lot worse people than Bronies on the internet to be perfectly honest.

As for Furries, I've never really had any kind of interaction with them at all, But I think they get a bit too much stick. The case when someone thinks of a Furry, they tend to immediately think of something who likes to draw anthropomorphic animals in a fetish style. It's false because a Furry can simply mean anyone who can draw in this furry style, in anyway they want.

The truth is that people geek over something, and they have their right to.

 

[JonoD]

I enjoy aspects of both fandoms, but I wouldn't say that the two are really tied to each other more than the fact that furry fandom stems from an interest in anthropomorphic animals, and My Little Pony is a show that just has anthropomorphic animals as its main characters. That's not to say that there isn't some crossing of the two, but they aren't really the strongest link.

As for the media's treatment of both, I'd say that's entirely down to the fact that they're easy targets. It's a contrast to what's considered 'the norm' for people, and therefore easier to make skewed stories about them that the general consuming public will buy into. Is it fair? Not at all. Is it going to stop them? As long as it continues to give the media companies something to write about, nope.

Everything 'wrong' with the Brony community I think is summed up rather nicely in this video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7lGp4fyUVo#

At the end of the day, I liken it to playground rumors that are spread by those 'popular' stuck up kids in schools. You get the one kid who everyone seems to like and everyone listens to finding out about a less popular child's interest that isn't really normal... then turning the whole school on them for it.

 

[TheMan]

I respect everyone's right to like what they like, so long as it doesn't hurt others. Truly I do.

But Bronies? I don't get it.

There are loads of real animals that need love, girlies eeking over ponies I get.

I don't know, certainly not meant to offend, each to their own as ever, and I'm super susceptible to cute things - but usually they're real. ;D

As for "Furries"? ....not commenting ;D

 

[Meat Pie]

I genuinely don't see the difference between My Little Pony and the Powerpuff girls. When I was younger, I used to love the Power Puff girls and to some extent still do because despite the fact that the show has qualities that is widely considered 'feminine', the show itself was funny, witty and just good entertainment.

I've never seen MLP but if it's good entertainment, why not enjoy it...?

The only problem I can see is the cringey way fans of MLP define themself through a TV Show... You're a person who happens to like MLP, not a 'Brony'... And this goes for Doctor Who as well... Stop bloody calling yourself 'Whovians', you're just a fan!

And as for Furries? That is a little more unusual as I'm surprised there are significant numbers of people interested in that particular fantasy, but it's just a sub-culture like any other.

 

[Panda]

I genuinely don't see the difference between My Little Pony and the Powerpuff girls. When I was younger, I used to love the Power Puff girls and to some extent still do because despite the fact that the show has qualities that is widely considered 'feminine', the show itself was funny, witty and just good entertainment.

Lauren Faust wrote Powerpuff Girls, Fosters' Home for Imaginary Friends and My Little Pony. All of which have been extremely popular with all audiences. Guess that's why MLP is so popular.

But Bronies?I don't get it.

Rainbow Dash is best pony

 

[Neuros]

As for "Furries"? ....not commenting ;D

See, my question is why aren't you commenting? Is it because you think it's a sexual thing? (Which it isn't)
See, most hate on fandoms is caused just by lack of knowledge and/or what people have been told, and if people actually went and did some research they'd find out much more credible information.

 

[BigAl]

As for "Furries"? ....not commenting ;D

See, my question is why aren't you commenting? Is it because you think it's a sexual thing? (Which it isn't)
See, most hate on fandoms is caused just by lack of knowledge and/or what people have been told, and if people actually went and did some research they'd find out much more credible information.

Just from a quick look on Wikipedia (argh, noooo, Wikipedia):

Sexual attraction to furry characters is a polarized issue within the fandom; in one survey with 4300 furry respondents, 37% answered that sexual attraction is important in their furry activities, 38% were ambivalent, and 24% answered that it has little or nothing to do with their furry activities.[32] In a different online survey, 33% of furry respondents answered that they have a "significant sexual interest in furry", another 46% stated they have a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.

I don't particularly mind if people are into this (like TheMan said, each to their own), but what I do find peculiar is why (specifically "bronies" here) so many feel the need to tell everyone about it, as if they expect people to genuinely care about the fact that they're a guy that likes a show aimed at little girls? Good for them, but if they could please stop posting it all over the Internet, that would be much appreciated.

When I was little, I used to watch the Powerpuff Girls (though that was mainly through the fact that I'd just watch more or less everything on Cartoon Network and then Boomerang whilst I sat with my sketchpad and drew pictures). I didn't parade around expecting others to acknowledge the fact, or to feel proud of me for being so different and off-the-wall.

The arguments and hate dished out by a minority within the community to people who either don't care or object is a particularly strange. People don't have to like something that you like, just because you do.


Meh, I don't get fandoms.

 

[QTXAdsy]

I do watch MLP so I suppose I could be called a Brony and I have a friend who does Furry artwork. I don't have anything to complain about those fandoms so much, other than, much like others, complain about those guys who are into that sort of stuff...

When it comes down to it, it seems that everyone loves to diss a fandom of their choice, it's just nothing new when you think about it.

 

[delta79]

These fandoms are not harmful, the fans enjoy it. I don't really get what the attaction is, however if we did, we would not be fully indivual. Some times I see a furrie at work dressed up for CiN or Comic Relief, and their do bring a smile to my face as they enjoying themself.

People raise an eyebrow at me being a Dwarfer and a bit of a Whovian*. Thats fine with me, as i enjoy it, it chears me up and it does no harm to others.

And If it is not doing any harm, why be bothered about it?


(*sorry Meat Pie, however I use Whovian as shorthand for Doctor Who Fan)

 

[Neuros]

Some times I see a furrie at work dressed up for CiN or Comic Relief, and their do bring a smile to my face as they enjoying themself.

See, I wouldn't really go fur-suiting since most of them look like disney mascots. However there are some really good ones out there.

 

[Joseph]

I really find some of this stuff disturbing, more the Brony stuff than the Furries but nonetheless it's all a bit weird.

 

[Adam]

There are "adults" who find it fun to dress as animals?

Oh my god...

 

[Neuros]

Really though, what's the major difference between adults dressing up as animals and adults dressing up as video game, film and TV characters?

 

[Adam]

Really though, what's the major difference between adults dressing up as animals and adults dressing up as video game, film and TV characters?

None, I think they're cringey as well.

 

[JonoD]

All of a sudden, I'm beginning to feel rather unwelcome here.

Just what kind of first-hand accounts have some people had to find people like me 'creepy'?

 

[Neuros]

Furries are actually one of the most creative fandoms, so why exactly are we "Creepy"?

 

[Adam]

If you're going to dress like an animal in your spare time do you not expect people to be creeped out by this?

And anyway I never said creepy, I said cringey.