The MLP fandom in the future won't be like it is now.
But the fandom now isn't like it was in 2013.
And the 2013 fandom wasn't like it was in S1.
And the S1 fandom wasn't like it was in G1.
It's never like it was in the old days.
There'll still be room for all of us.
Honest.
I did take a little licence with that "all of us", since of course some people will move on, as indeed some people have been doing for many years now. But for those who want to stick around, there'll always be a fandom for them to stick around in. As long as they don't expect it to be the same fandom it's always been. Because it hasn't "always been".
On a similar note, there's this piece by UK PonyCon along much the same lines. It's not a surprise that they're planning on returning in 2020, but it's good to see it in print all the same. I hope I'll be there – though there's this year's UKPC to get to first!
You do make a very valid point: Just because the future of MLP in general won't be the way it is now, when we look at MLP as a whole it was 'never' as it was after one generation. Heck, even before those horrid G3 productions, I grew up in a period when 'My Little Pony Tales' was the show to watch and it was clearly targeted for an all ladies demographic. Unlike the original G1 show, the ponies did not use magic nor did they fly, they lived in a more modern town as opposed to castles and grassy fields, and there wasn't a ton of 'Monsters of the Week' to deal with because they dealt with issues the show felt ladies can relate to (Though by today's standards they are rather dated). Time and time again, MLP is consistently changing and yet the one thing that still remains the same is their marketing in the toy department. Some things will keep changing, others will remain consistent, and yet so long as we hold on to what we believe represents the true value that 'MLP' has granted us then that will never go away.
ReplyDeleteI may not know how this generation is truly going to end nor what plans there are to tie the entire series of FIM together and neither do I know if 'everything' we want resolved will be accomplished, but rather than dwelling on the fate of the show it is best to be grateful for what the show has granted us and what we should never forget. Because the truth is: We never know how truly great a production turned out to be... Until it's over and all you can do is look back on what was made and wonder 'If the show decided to keep going, is there more they could've done?' And the answer to that, given what they've already covered, even if it's hard to believe... Maybe... There's always a 'maybe'.
I've been watching some Tales just recently, as it happens. I think one of the problems the "brony generation" has often had with previous generations of MLP is in judging them directly against FiM, when -- as you say -- they're very different animals. I know I've enjoyed the (original) G1 cartoon a good deal more since I stopped doing that and viewed it on its own merits.
Deleteneither do I know if 'everything' we want resolved will be accomplished
It won't be. There are too many of us, with too many hopes and desires, for everything to be resolved in half a season. But hey, gaps like those are what fanfic etc can fill. :)
The only thing that I can imagine taking me away from this fandom is if something so much more wonderful comes along that it takes up all of my "fannish" time. That still wouldn't give me cause for complaint.
ReplyDeleteThat's fair comment. 15 years ago, the Watership Down fandom took up all my fannish time, though I wasn't at the "go to conventions" level with that one. I think the MLP one will always be some part of my fannish life, though, even if it ceases to be the major one. It's changed my life in a way no other fandom has come close to doing.
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