Something I wanna get off my chest.

Hey Guys,

I'm posting this journal because there's been something bothering for a while now and I'd really like to get it off my chest. Recently, I've been feeling my enthusiasm for My Little Pony wane a bit. Now that's usually not a big deal: fatigue is inevitable and my passion for my hobbies and interests do rotate. It's most likely my love for MLP will rise again come the highly anticipated finale.

However, I don't just think it's fatigue. There's something else that's been putting me off and it has a lot to do with the negativity coming out of the Brony fandom not just recently, but for quite some time now.

Now hey, look, I'm the first guy to champion constructive criticism, and this is the case with MLP the majority of the time. If you dislike an episode of the show or an issue of the IDW comics, then fine by me, because that's your right. There are episodes and issues that aren't my favourite and have criticized them accordingly.

My problem comes from the barrage of visceral anger and at times downright nastiness I see being lobbed at episodes, comics and worse, even the writers and staff. I know this fandom is no stranger to dramas, be it Equestria Girls, Twilicorn, and lately the comic series. Hell, most, if not all fandoms suffer from drama from time to time, but that still doesn't mean it can't bother me.

What really nudged me into writing this journal is the sheer amount of hate thrown at the latest IDW arc, Siege of the Crystal Empire. I understand why some people may not like this arc and do not begrudge them that, it's how rude and outright obnoxious some act in doing so. You see, it's not enough for some folks to say they dislike a comic and why, they need to attack the writer personally, they need to go on Jeremy Whitely's (the writer) twitter feed and badger him there.

Sure, that may not sound too bad and just annoyance than anything else, but let's remember that in the past, there have been fans who issued DEATH THREATS to Amy Keating Rodgers and DHX staff because they didn't like Pinkie's portrayal Filly Vanillie and over Equestria Girls! 

Yes, there's being passionate for something you love very much, but then there's getting upset and overly-invested over a kid's show and comic about pastel-coloured ponies that we're supposed to watch and read for a bit of fun. Really think about it: people are getting this angry and expending so much negative energy towards something that, in the grand scheme of things, really doesn't warrant it.

There's so much other stuff out there that rightfully deserves your anger. Syrians and their children drowning in the Mediterranean and being treated like vermin by the rest of the world? Yeah, that pisses me off. Corruption in governments that are supposed to tout freedom and democracy? You bet that pisses me off. But a mixed episode or comic issue of My Little Pony or Steven Universe or Adventure Time or whatever? Dude, that sorta thing is just not worth getting so furious over. Trust me, if you remember one of my old journals*, I used to be like that and it only makes you feel drained and horrible.

It's not worth it, guys.

Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. Thank you for listening. And hey, if you disagree with me, then that's totally fine. This is my opinion at the end of the day. If you feel I'm missing something or am not seeing it from another perspective, do tell me, share your thoughts.

Kindest regards,
Magic man

PS, On a sidenote, I really don't like the "I could write this WAY better" mentality among some disgruntled fans. Not only is that really insulting to professional writers who did this for a living, but people have a tendency to proclaim it without understanding the stark differences in the writing of an official episode/comic and a fanfiction. In an episode and comic book, you have to work around restrictions both in time and space and by the executive higher-ups (e.g. Whitley was given a list telling him what villains he couldn't use), while in fanfiction, you have all the time and length you want and you have so much more liberties; there's almost no limitations on what you can do in a fanfiction.