Overall I do like the fandom. A lot of bronies (especially on fanpop) are awesome people. However, the fandom isn't perfect. Depending on what website you go to, there can be some extremely judgemental and immature bronies.

In general I also love much of the fan made stuff. Including art, music, ect, and there are some good fanfics out there. But then you get things like cupcakes and sweet apple massacre, which I have a very strong dislike for. So ,while I do like the fandom and consider myself a part of it, there are a few things about it that irritate me.

Well, if it comes right down to it, EVERYTHING has to have some flaws, if you can even call them flaws.

What I mean by that is that weird stuff like Cupcakes and Sweet Apple Massacre just prove that this fandom is just as widely diverse as any of the other popular fandoms. It proves that bronies are just as human as anyone else. Every one of us has our own weird likes and dislikes, just like any other fandom.

In fact, there's really no pretense on what is "Weird." Each and every single person has their own view on what's "Weird," and what "bothers someone" including the people that think that we're "weird" *cough cough* Fox News *Cough Cough*.

Plus, considering I've made the following point before in this club, isn't the brony fanbase born off of going against the meaning of "Normal" or "Strange" in order to show that something most would consider "Girly" can be enjoyed by all? Such is sort of the case in what most of this fanbase would consider "weird," such as Cupcakes and frowned-upon things such as that.

Yeah, yeah, I know about grimdark, and clopping, and all the other crap that comes up, but you'll get that in any and every fandom. Compared to most fandoms, this is one of, if not the, best, in my opinion. See, it only took two sentences to get my point across...

Some of the contents can be disturbing

No fandom is "perfect" and free of the...shall we say, disturbing elements. The larger it is, the more such things are going to pop up. But having attended Bronycon today, and been one of over 4,000 fans all gathered in one place to celebrate the show...hearing all the deeply touching things that John de Lancie had to say about us in general...well, I've never felt more positive about and in love with this fandom!! It's an honor to belong to it, and I cannot WAIT for the documentary (supposed to be released in September.)

And as btflash pointed out, much of the world still sees bronies as creepy weirdos...and yet, most of us also pass judgments about what is "weird," bad, unacceptable, etc. There are certain lines that are perhaps best not crossed--however, those lines are in different positions for different people. ;) What goes way too far for one may still be perfectly interesting or entertaining to another.

So been a Brony is weird? Hmmm I do like your guys opinions and yeah I agree

i like

I love bronies/pegasisters, don't get me wrong. Just... some assumptions and fan things bother me...

Outside of Fanpop, it's getting harder and harder to find decent people in the fandom. Similarly, it can be very difficult to just talk to people in the fandom about the canonical show itself, without people constantly trying to turn all the characters into sex objects, shoving their fanfics about murdering sprees in your face, and - worst of all - fighting for their right to be offensive to other people in the fandom!

However, I do not hate the fandom in its entirety. I'm just being more and more cautious when it comes to googling MLP related topics and which websites I go on, because so many of them are full of untagged porn and gore and other things I try to avoid. (No offence intended to people who do like that stuff - just be sure to tag it appropriately, okay?)

Fortunately, I do feel safe here at Fanpop. Pretty sure the worst thing I've seen here is when people post something that doesn't belong somewhere (e.g. an article that isn't MLP related or a quiz question that asks for your opinion). No big deal, and it isn't malicious. Just honest mistakes that won't traumatise any kids who stumble upon them!

The other thing that I really appreciate here is that people make a lot of polls and conversations that are on topic with the canonical show. For example, people asking each other about episode ideas (and they are good ideas too, that'd actually make sense if they happened in the show) and talking about the characters. And conversations about the characters are true to how they are in the show. People aren't all focused on trying to portray everyone as OOC as possible, and instead appreciate the show for what it is!

Also, people respecting the differences in each others' opinions. That's something you don't get much of anywhere these days, but here (and on Fanpop in general) people seem pretty cool.

It's not the only fandom that has issues. Take the Lion King fandom for example. I mean, to be fair, the movie does involve a character killing his own brother, so the film is a lot darker than MLP plus it deals with problems between relatives. However, some fans seem to have grown obsessed with fanfics about characters killing their own relatives, and also (for whatever reason) incest. But what's worse is that they try to pass off their fanfiction as canonical. There are people in that fandom who go around telling people that the married couples are siblings that kidnap each others' kids, then when the kids return to their biological parents they kill them, etc. You have to be really careful where you tread in the Lion King fandom. Like the MLP fandom It's not a safe place for under 18s and is especially dangerous to kids whose parents let them use the internet.

Don't get me started on the Spyro fandom aka Death Threat City.

Regarding the whole "bronies are weird" assumptions from people outside the fandom... obviously there's a lot of controversy here. If someone merely suggests that "brony" is a weird word, then yeah I guess I agree, because hey, aren't fandom nicknames always weird? I suppose that's kind of the point! Likewise, excessive porn of cartoon horses and gory fanfics about characters aimed at preschoolers. Also weird (though like I said, if that's your cup of tea, fair enough - but please tag it before children see it!).

However, the real problem with "bronies are weird"? This:
-Suggesting that boys aren't allowed to like something made for girls.
-Suggesting that adults can't enjoy something targeted at a younger audience.
-Suggesting that adults can't appreciate animation.
I'm sure you all know exactly what's wrong with each of these, so I won't go into any more detail.

So I guess that's my two cents. There's definitely a lot I find myself watching out for in the MLP fandom, but it's not the only fandom I'm cautious about either. Luckily, I know I'm usually safe on Fanpop. Partially due to the fact that the website has rules against excessive "adult content", but also because the people here seem genuinely more interested in the canonical show rather than creepy fan interpretations. So thanks, Fanpoppers, for helping me hold onto my last strand of sanity! :D