It definitely takes a few episodes. It took me until episode four to really go from casual "this is an OK thing" interested to my current state of active seeking.
I watched 5 and skimmed 5 more, still a decided meh.
It definitely takes a few episodes. It took me until episode four to really go from casual "this is an OK thing" interested to my current state of active seeking.
Episode 4 was also my turning point. Applejack was funny, everypony got involved, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash's "SO AWESOME" face. What I love though with the show even with it's more cutesy moments, is that the element of friendship is there. Take many other cartoons you know that involve a rivalry or disagreement, and they really go off the handle. They'll end an episode with that. "No, YOU are the best. No you! NO YOU! YOU!" and they have another dumb argument. But during the ponies arguments, they always have that moment where they grin and start to laugh at each other during all back-and-forth. Like Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's bickering or the endings of Episodes 8 and 13.
I think the nonbelievers will still significantly outnumber the MLP fans at PAX; there are a lot of circles even on the Internet that have not been significantly exposed to the power of friendship.
Well, let's spark some discussion/flamewar: What are your thoughts on MLP fanfiction? Have you read any?
I sometimes read the stuff on Equestria Daily when I'm procrastinating on things I'm actually supposed to work on; I have a soft spot for short, silly pieces and the cuter Fluttershy shipping fics. There's an amusing fanfic where the ponies discover /co/; Fluttershy spends most of the story hiding in a cardboard box so the audience won't be able to see her.
I've read one or two, I think. I suspect MLP fanfiction is probably better on average than fanfiction in general, but unless other people filter out all but the high-quality ones for me I am unlikely to bother.
I have a very, very low opinion of fan fiction for a variety of reasons. Primarily, it's poorly written. I don't mean plot or characters or what have you, I'm talking word choice and sentence structure. They're often painful and unreadable. I have an even lower opinion of fan-fics that use OC's that don't fit for one reason or another, constant Mary-Suing of OC's, or even worse, self-insertions (or thinly veiled self-insertions) and sexualization of characters. I have never read any fan fiction that I have found even remotely tolerable, or funny enough to overcome some terrible writing.
I also have a very low opinion of fan-fiction. If fan-fiction is actually any good, you know what happens? It becomes officially licensed fiction, like Star Wars novels. And you know what? Even official Star Wars novels suck! If official books suck, how bad does amateur stuff suck? A zillion times more!
Now, there is a lot of good amateur work on the Internets. I mean, GeekNights, right? The thing is, I've got enough stuff to read, that I don't have time to resort to fan-fiction. Even if there is some really good stuff out there, I can wait until the author gets an editor before I start reading them. I can read it after it has passed the test of time and save myself the trouble of filtering through the bad.
I think the main problem with fan fiction is the incredibly low barrier to entry. Any literate person with a keyboard can write an awful fan-fiction. Other forms of art, like animation, comics, video games, or music, have a larger barrier to entry before the author can produce anything at all. The more skill and effort required to produce a work in the medium, the less crap will be produced in that medium.
I would argue fiction, fan or no, doesn't have that much barrier to entry but like art, it depends on how you market yourself. Not to mention, art is much more opinion-oriented than anything.
In the defense of fanfiction however, I do think it teaches a few people about the importance of writing, developing good characters and learning how to handle them. It's very rare, but it can help with people who want to go down that road like Stephen Moffat and Michael Moorcock.
I think the main problem with fan fiction is the incredibly low barrier to entry.
I don't think this is a "problem" per se. Yes, it is because of this that there is a lot of terrible fanfiction out there, but who cares? No one forces you to read it.
Good fanfiction will rise to the top of the shitpile of its own accord, regardless of how much shit there is in the shitpile. I don't think it necessarily needs an editor before it's worth looking at, either.
I would never have chosen to watch a bunch of random cartoons directed at children in order to pick out ones that happened to be good, but after I heard My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was good from trustworthy sources, I chose to start watching it and I do not regret the decision. I apply a similar policy to fanfiction, although with an even greater amount of skepticism, given the low average standard.
Even though the overwhelming majority of fanfiction is bad, that does not mean we would be better off if there was no fanfiction at all.
In the defense of fanfiction however, I do think it teaches a few people about the importance of writing, developing good characters and learning how to handle them. It's very rare, but it can help with people who want to go down that road like Stephen Moffat and Michael Moorcock.
Yes, by all means, continue writing fan-fiction. That's an excellent way to spend your time, actually making something. Just don't expect me to read it.
Jeremy had a good idea that was too late to do, but I would like to do it eventually. I should take the larger image of my avatar and have them made into stickers or patches and attach it to my jeans so they can be my cutie mark at PAX.
I should take the larger image of my avatar and have them made into stickers or patches and attach it to my jeans so they can be my cutie mark at PAX.
Cutie marks. There is a line in the sand. That line is the one beyond which bronies wear cutie marks publicly. Choose wisely if this is a line you wish to cross.
Comments
Gad damn, those episodes are like 21 minutes of setup followed by 1 minute of pure glorious payoff.
I love me some Pony.
I sometimes read the stuff on Equestria Daily when I'm procrastinating on things I'm actually supposed to work on; I have a soft spot for short, silly pieces and the cuter Fluttershy shipping fics. There's an amusing fanfic where the ponies discover /co/; Fluttershy spends most of the story hiding in a cardboard box so the audience won't be able to see her.
I have an even lower opinion of fan-fics that use OC's that don't fit for one reason or another, constant Mary-Suing of OC's, or even worse, self-insertions (or thinly veiled self-insertions) and sexualization of characters.
I have never read any fan fiction that I have found even remotely tolerable, or funny enough to overcome some terrible writing.
Now, there is a lot of good amateur work on the Internets. I mean, GeekNights, right? The thing is, I've got enough stuff to read, that I don't have time to resort to fan-fiction. Even if there is some really good stuff out there, I can wait until the author gets an editor before I start reading them. I can read it after it has passed the test of time and save myself the trouble of filtering through the bad.
I think the main problem with fan fiction is the incredibly low barrier to entry. Any literate person with a keyboard can write an awful fan-fiction. Other forms of art, like animation, comics, video games, or music, have a larger barrier to entry before the author can produce anything at all. The more skill and effort required to produce a work in the medium, the less crap will be produced in that medium.
In the defense of fanfiction however, I do think it teaches a few people about the importance of writing, developing good characters and learning how to handle them. It's very rare, but it can help with people who want to go down that road like Stephen Moffat and Michael Moorcock.
Good fanfiction will rise to the top of the shitpile of its own accord, regardless of how much shit there is in the shitpile. I don't think it necessarily needs an editor before it's worth looking at, either.
I would never have chosen to watch a bunch of random cartoons directed at children in order to pick out ones that happened to be good, but after I heard My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was good from trustworthy sources, I chose to start watching it and I do not regret the decision. I apply a similar policy to fanfiction, although with an even greater amount of skepticism, given the low average standard.
Even though the overwhelming majority of fanfiction is bad, that does not mean we would be better off if there was no fanfiction at all.