Ponies vs Parents: A Response To Saberspark

- I was glad to see another video from Saberspark that addresses a very prevalent question within the brony fandom.  How do you talk to your family about being a brony.  For those of you who haven’t seen that video yet, I would recommend giving it a watch.  Saberspark has provided some intriguing videos in the past and this most recent one is no exception.  In fact, one of the first informative videos I found on the Brony Fandom way back in 2012 was his Ballad of the Brony documentary.  He has contributed a lot to this fandom, and I hope to see him doing more videos that address even more pressing questions.  However, despite the fact that Saberspark’s latest video did cover a lot of good ground on how to talk to others about your interest in My Little Pony, I think there is something crucial I can add to the conversation that he didn’t touch on.
- First off, I do want to give him a lot of credit for most everything he did talk about.  Learning to keep your enthusiasm about MLP from dominating all your conversations with other people is a step in the right direction.  If you don’t feel up to taking flak from others, then I can agree keeping your status as a brony on the down low is a good idea.  Especially if you’re still in High School.  And, bridling your passions so that it doesn’t become an addiction will help others from worrying about you.  Or in other words, all good things in moderation.  But when it came to talking to your family about your status as a brony, I think Saberspark missed something that I believe can be crucial.  And that comes down to helping them to understand how you are becoming a better person because of the fandom.
- I have heard countless stories from other fans about how much happier they are when they are able to find so much comradery with other bronies.  How they feel more confident about themselves when they can relate to these characters.  And especially for those who are able to improve upon their creative talents by producing their own MLP related content.  Art, music, stories, voice acting, animation, the list goes on.  I believe there are ways to help your family better identify with you being a brony, no matter what kind of fan you are.  But it really does come down to showing them in ways that they would understand, and not just how you would understand.  In my case, I know that taking part in this fandom has made me into a better person.  I know that I’m making far better use of my free time by creating these videos rather than spending countless hours playing video games like I used to.  I know that I feel inspired by these characters and how they grow.
- But when it comes to showing others why I enjoy being a brony, those things really don’t matter unless I can present it in a way that they can understand.  So, when I was talking to my family about this new hobby I was starting, naturally I got some confused looks.  Like Saberspark had mentioned in his recent video, this sort of fandom is going to be weird for a lot of people.  And I’m sure that won’t be going away any time soon.  However, I was able to show my family how much of a positive difference there is from how I was before.  I am being far more social now than I have at any other point in my life.  I am improving upon my writing, my analytical skills, and especially my voice talents.  I can show my family all the comments left by others about how my videos are influencing them in positive ways.  My parents and my siblings may not ever enjoy MLP, but I was able to help them understand why I enjoy it and how I’m becoming a better person for it.
- So, I would encourage everyone within the sound of my voice to ponder these things if you’re feeling hesitant about telling your family about your status as a brony.  Try to think of ways to show others how MLP and the brony fandom is a positive influence in your life.  And make sure to present in a way that they would understand, and not necessarily how you would understand.  For those of you who have had a good experience in sharing your status as a brony, I hope that you will leave your thoughts and opinions here.  There may be others who will find inspiration from your words.  As for Mr. Saberspark, I do hope that you continue making videos that create good discussion among the fandom, as well as helping others to find more confidence in themselves.  Until next time, I am DRWolf, and I look forward to hearing from you.