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Brony Advice: Your Questions Answered #46, 47, 48!

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#46) What's with the crazy adoration for brony 'celebrities' [people popular within the fandom]? Some of these people are treated as guests at conventions just as much as people working on the show. It pisses me off that the fandom worships certain popular bronies. What do you think of this?

Answer: It's important to remember that brony 'celebrities', as you put it, are just normal people. And, in some respects, yes, certain individuals are seen through rose-tinted glasses. I always find it amusing when fan-musicians, for example, are featured on guest lists for conventions above people such as Daniel Ingram, the guy responsible for most of the songs in the actual show.

Then again, the fandom likes its idols, and there's no point in getting pissed off just because said idols are receiving a great deal of praise. Most of the brony 'celebrities' deserve at least a portion of their fame, and so it seems fair to say that if people are willing to look up to these people, then there's nothing that you can really do to make them think otherwise. It really depends on how into the fandom you are – some people actively embrace the "Friendship is Magic" thing as it exists outside of the show, while others are more interested in the show and those who work on it.

Personally, I find it a lot more interesting to learn about the people who work on the show – the voice actresses, for example – than about a random brony who made a popular podcast, or some sort of song. That said, I don't claim to be an active part of the fandom outside of DA, and so I'm not exactly the target audience for the brony 'celebrities'. Neither are you, apparently.

Rest assured that popular bronies, although popular for a reason, aren't in any way better than you, and, at least in my mind, you shouldn't idolise someone too much. Being a popular brony isn't really something to be all that proud of – congratulations: you're a popular member of a random internet fandom – and neither is it something to concern yourself with all that much. In addition, while some pony artists on DA might be ridiculously popular, you don't have to go far on this very website to find non-pony artists who crush the vast majority of them in terms of skill. It's all relative.

Ultimately, you're right to be sceptical of brony 'celebrities'; as said, they're just regular people, and you shouldn't treat them as anything else. I was in a Livestream once with someone who was told by a moderately popular fanfiction writer that their writing was good – they started screaming with happiness and wouldn't shut up about how happy they were that said popular fanfiction writer had praised them. It was highly unusual to see - being a popular fanfiction writer doesn't even require you to be a good writer, and it's not as if the popular brony was a real author. How odd.



#47) Oh mighty Advice Lord! Hear my cry! I am in dire need of reassurance! It seems that there is a new phase sweeping through both DA and Tumblr involving bashing natural coloured ponies, such as Pinto, Appaloosa and Paint Horses, as well as dappled coats. Apparently these are just a cry for attention as they're not 'in the show', yet I would gladly look at these over 101 similar looking pastel coloured ponies!

What are your views? I hope you remember a little colt named Pipsqueak!


Answer: A phase sweeping through DA and Tumblr hating on a particular type of OC? Sounds like a typical day, with Tumblr especially proving to be the guilty culprit. People getting pissed about the designs of other people's OCs is pretty stupid in the first place. As for bashing ponies based on 'realistic' colours, that's incredibly silly.

While "Friendship is Magic" has its fair share of pastel-coloured ponies, such as Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash, there are also ponies in the show with a more traditional colour scheme. Dr. [W]hooves, for example, has a brown motif going on, and, as you say, let's not forget Pipsqueak. He's a spotty brown and white pony, proving that such colours do exist in Equestria. Therefore, people getting ratty about others having OCs with more traditional colours should think twice before getting pissed off about what is and isn't acceptable.

In general, people should butt out of the business of others altogether when it comes to OCs. It's really fucking pathetic that certain people sit around on Tumblr pointing out OCs that they deem to be 'bad'. It's the equivalent of walking around a city street pointing out people who you think are ugly – the point being that it's just malicious behaviour designed to make others feel bad.

It's not necessarily the colour scheme that even makes an OC look appealing or not. There's a lot more to it than that, and when people say something like, 'all paint horse OCs are shit', it just proves how ignorant they are. They're OCs – people make them because they like them. It doesn't matter what other people think, especially not when it comes to realistic-looking pony characters. Hell, ponies with realistic colours have an appeal all of their own, because they look as if they could exist easily outside of Equestria as much as they can within it.

Ignore the people bitching about realistic-looking OCs; if they hate them that much, they better be careful next time they walk by a field, or else they may get into a rage the next time they see an actual horse.

'Bronies – giving 'elitist' a whole new meaning!'



#48) Why do so many bronies think of Celestia and Luna as goddesses? I don't remember that notion being canon.

Answer: "As Celestia is my witness!"

The above quote lifted from the show sort of suggests a degree of god-power surrounding those characters. In the case of "Friendship is Magic", I don't think that 'princess' and 'god' are mutually exclusive. It's established that Celestia and Luna have powers beyond that of 'normal' characters, and therefore they're probably the closest thing that Equestria has to gods.

Consider that in Greek mythology, for example, the god Helios was in charge of raising the sun; in such mythology, and many others as well, gods were also able to walk among mortals and could even be hurt/killed. Apply that same logic to "Friendship is Magic", and the characters of Luna and Celestia are somewhat close to being gods, in the loosest sense of the word.

'God' does, however, imply 'religion', which doesn't seem to exist in Equestria (which is probably for the best). I think a lot of bronies latch onto the idea of Celestia and Luna being goddesses because of their special powers and authority; it's not difficult, using the above reasoning, to see why, even if it hasn't been officially canonised. I'd refer to them as 'princesses' rather than 'gods' myself, but I suppose it's harmless fun.

That said, while we're on the subject, I do find the 'war' between the Solar Empire and the New Lunar Republic to be a bit cringe-worthy, especially when people bring it up at panels with the voice actresses, who clearly have no idea what people are talking about. That is, also, probably for the best.
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A new project that I'm starting in collaboration with artists. It's an advice column, in the simplest of terms: I want you to send me notes if you have any problems, secrets or comments on the pony fandom of any nature. It doesn't matter how embarrassing, offensive or vicious they might be: if you want someone to comment on them in an unbiased way, send them over. Maybe there's something within the fandom that you particularly despise, or perhaps you're feeling sad and need to hear some friendly advice? Whatever the motive, send a note with your comment or question.

I'll then respond to them with advice and commentary and post the answers up in future installments. Users will remain anonymous, so you don't need to worry about your feelings and thoughts getting out onto DeviantArt. You may find that some of the things that you've personally been feeling will be addressed.

Feel free to note me if you would like your questions and observations to be answered in an upcoming edition. Every edition will be engaging with three issues. The above three featured today were submitted by anonymous deviants.

Artwork by *quila111. Go check out her stuff!
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trask482's avatar
im a brony and people make fun of me what should i do N