Bronycon Documentary Update - The "Unsavory" Aspects of the Community and John De Lancie's Take on Fox News

Keep safesearch on and you won't have to worry about it!

Every fandom has it's less than worksafe side, and many of you were curious on how exactly the Bronycon Documentary was going to deal with ours.  Michael Brockhoff has written up a pretty large article going into detail about how it will affect the film.  The general idea:  It's not really visible from a convention/public perspective.   You can actively seek it out at any time, but the truth of the matter is, adult material really isn't that prevalent compared to everything else.   

Anyway, check out his full press release/update after the break!

(And then EQD had it's first politics and clop discussion)

We have had a number of people ask whether we intend to include some of the "unsavory aspects" of Brony fandom:

The footage we shot at BronyCon, and continue to shoot elsewhere, reinforced the positive feelings about the Brony phenomenon that inspired us to make the film in the first place. At BronyCon we witnessed people laughing; singing; getting autographs; wearing costumes; dancing; attending panels; meeting one another for the first time; taking pictures; etc, etc. We experienced a general outpouring of friendship, cooperation and excitement at being part of something new and good. It was infectious.

The notion that Bronies are a bunch of deviants to be feared by society was never in evidence -- nor did we ever think it would be. So, the question of seeking out and, therefore, giving credence to a v ery small subculture within the Brony community simply because it exists, seems like a stretch for this documentary.

We are aware of Internet Rule 34: "If it exists there is porn." Does that mean if we were to do a documentary about the Andy Griffith show, "Mayberry" we'd have to include a cosplay fan pretending to be Barney Fife having his way with Aunt Bee?

Already there is some negative inference attached to being a Brony. Mainstream society does not look kindly on twenty-something-year-old guys watching a show intended for young girls. To us, the fact that Bronies must brave that taboo and suffer ridicule is story enough. That a small minority of Bronies might indulge in "off-color" activities is, in our minds, less newsworthy than the majority of people making the initial leap into Bronyhood. The intent of the documentary has more to do with celebrating the courage it takes in becoming a Brony than in finding fault.

A note from John de Lancie regarding his public comments about Fox News:

A few of our donors have asked about my comment about Fox News during my Q&A at BronyCon:

Rest assured the documentary will not be about Fox News. That would be inappropriate and off-message. Nor am I using the documentary to push my own political agenda. What attracts me to Bronies is their desire to be nice and kind and considerate, and we want to present that message loud and clear.

That said, my journey to making this documentary happens to coincide with my growing frustration with the vituperative nature of political discourse in America. I don't like Fox News, but I don't like MSNBC either. Nor Pacifica Radio; or AirAmerica; or Rush Limbaugh; or any other agenda driven "news" outlet. I'm of the opinion that one enters personal or public dialogue in one of two ways: to seek the truth or win the argument. The news programs mentioned are, for the most part, in the latter category. They have become ratings driven e ntertainment and, more often-than-not, they are mean-spirited and disingenuous. Current events are difficult enough to understand without being purposely mislead by news organizations unconstrained by the truth. Bronies are not sissies, or pedophiles or deviants; they are nice people and a real news program would report that as such.

In addition: I'm a sailor, and as a sailor it is imperative that everyone on board works together. The success of the trip and the safety of the crew depend on it. The elements of cooperation essential to a sailing experience are not unlike the elements of harmony embraced by the Bronies. If one believes that cooperation and friendship are to be lauded, as I do, then you would have to admit that our political discourse during the last three years have been a disaster. As an independent voter, I'm appalled by the level of dishonesty employed for political advantage. And all at the expense of the nation. And while love and tolerate should ap ply to all occasions, I'm also of the opinion that deliberate lies and innuendos should never be allowed to go unopposed. At what point does tolerating the intolerable make you part of the problem?

I hope this explanation goes some way towards reconciling my remarks about Fox News and their unfortunate remarks about Bronies.

Cheers,
John de Lancie