We got an interesting e-mail sent to us yesterday that we thought about copy-pasting into last night's Nightly Megathread... But, due to how long and (surprisingly) how deep the e-mail was, we decided to give it its own post and start a [serious] discussion based on what this e-mail is trying to say... So, go past the break to read this [thought-out] e-mail for yourself...
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To my Pegasister and Brony Cousins,
You have never heard of me, nor have any of you ever spoken with me. I am not one of you, I am just a man and fellow geek who has spent his entire life neck deep in conventions, fandom and geek culture. I have spent the last year watching and studying your fandom and over these months I have come to regard your community with fascination and respect, and have come to have many things I have wished to speak with you about. After watching Mr. DeLancie's documentary and reading the responses from many of you about it, I have decided that now is the time. Before I start, I want to make it clear that I carry no animosity toward your community, and that I in fact see much good and value in the things you do and stand for. Though some of what I say may seem condescending, I intend this letter to raise questions and to serve as constructive criticism.
Frankly, the reaction I have seen to Bronies has me deeply worried for the state of your community, and it seems as though most of you have missed the point entirely. You say it's misleading, biased, and too positive. You say that Mr. DeLancie should have presented a documentary that presents the viewer with the good and bad, and allows the viewer to reach their own conclusion. You say you want to present a more "truthful" version of your community, and to quote a wise man for this context, I do not think that means what you think it means.
From my view, your beginnings on 4chan went something like this: The show debuted and you began posting your pictures and discussing the show. Others saw this and reacted with unprovoked hostility and malice, insulting and berating you for sport. In turn, you reacted ungracefully and earned your reputation for obnoxious behavior. Things escalated until 4chan's powers that be decided there no place for ponies among them. While all sides acted badly in this situation, I ask you: Do you really want it to be common knowledge that some of you have the capacity to be so obnoxious?
Derpy, oh dear Derpy. From her conception as Ditzy Do to her evolution into Derpy Hooves, this character has been a wonderful study on the relationship between fan and studio, the likes of which I don't believe I've seen since The Trouble With Tribbles. Though I was saddened when I discovered Derpy's effective removal from cannon in The Last Roundup's edit, I was certain that there had to of been some legitimate reason for it. Most of you, it seemed, were more concerned with knee-jerk reactions and holding onto your outrage, rather than rationally seeking the reason for the editing. Angry letters were written, and I even found evidence of threatening messages, all because you felt somehow betrayed, without seeking an explanation. I ask you: Do you truly want it common knowledge that you behaved so irrationally?
I find that some of you even wanted for Bronies to have presented a look into Clopping. It is my own determination that Cloppers are not truly part of your community, but rather those inclined to sexual deviancy who hide under your banner, seeking to use you as a veil to hide behind. Regardless of whether they are or are not, they engage in some unquestionably unsettling indulgences, all while giving the rest of you a reputation for a sickness of the mind. Howard Stern already got a head start on bringing this group to public knowledge, and now to want to reiterate their existence in the documentary meant to help you? I ask you: Do you really wish it common knowledge that these people exist, and may or may not be part of your community?
No human is perfect, and all fandom communities have the capacity to become lost in their passions, but not all fandoms stand for something, and the Brony community I have come to know does. Not to mention that you have accomplished in under three years the same levels of fan created content, community organization, convention celebrations and fan funded charities that took other fandoms up to decades to accomplish. On the whole I find your community to be a wonderful thing, and an amazing accomplishment. I agree with Tara Strong and John DeLancie that your community may be on the forefront of an important societal evolution. For that to happen though, your community has to be able to be regarded with respect, which may not happen if there's too much about your more embarrassing moments floating around for all the world to know. You need the Bronies documentary exactly as it is, with all its' positivity intact. You need John DeLancie and Tara Strong to continue standing up for you as they have been, and foregoing mention of your bad habits.
You say you do not want to mislead people with a "biased, ultra positive spin," but I ask you: Is it misleading to say that in your hearts you are decent people, who simply want to be able to like what you like and celebrate something good without fear of harassment and alienation, and that the core of your community is built upon the Elements of Harmony you so claim to value?
Your friend beyond the horizon,
Ken
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So, after some hard thinking, FPLOON has come up with three questions that can surely kick off this [very serious] discussion (Inb4 Mike can come up with [a few] more along the way...)
- "How biased do you think Bronies are?"
- "Are we truly blinded by our general biasedness of the fandom as a whole?"
- "Do non-bronies know us... more than we know ourselves?"
So, what do you guys think? Fell free to use the questions provided as a template to your response to this interesting e-mail that was sent to us... We will also be leaving our opinions as well in the comments below...
(Side-unrelated-related-note: FPLOON was listening to this while he was both reading this and while thinking of the three questions...)
