Below this sentence is a tale of friendship, not unlike My Little Pony, but still particularly unlike it because it takes place in where my college-student-aged mind imagines it to.
Please enjoy reading it.
I've met a couple persons on ponychan.net last night, a Doctor and a Solen, most notably.
This is not the first time I've stayed up late on account of bronies, and it will surely not be the last. What makes this time special was the bronies who now know me by name and who's names I will remember.
In a place like ponychan, there are things to hear, things to see, things to say..
And last night, there were people to meet.
Plans to be made.
Hope to be founded.
I took part in a few threads, it was a routine lurking session throughout the /chat/ board of ponychan, when I noticed a seemingly ordinary thread hosted by a brony named Solen.
"No matter," I thought, "as long as the thread has decent content and/or decent image macros of MLP ponies."
The OP of the thread asked me a question, specifically, about my opinion on life. It wasn't directed to me, it was part of the invitation to the thread.
I hadn't thought about it beforehand, so I lurked a bit more in the thread, before coming up with some generic answer that was just in agreement with someone else's post.
After that, I stuck around a little longer, the thread feeling like a crowded bar in some coastal town. Yes, I was letting my imagination get the best of me.
I walked in through the door, the place had a faint blue light covering every flat surface, when I hear Solen, the bar owner, ask a guy named Butch Glitterface his opinion on war.
Glitterface, revealing to be too cynical for such a name, said that "unfortunately, war is a necessary evil that helps control the human population."
He said it with this weird look on his face like he got hit with a shovel across the mouth.
I stepped near the two guys and said aloud, "That is the most cynical way to put it, but yeah it's definitely a truth."
With me put in an air of agreement between the two, I changed the topic, something I just thought up, "Anyone else feel that population booms are directly related to economical growth?"Someone shouted right after I finished, "Not if cataclysmic disease has anything to say about it!"
This guy shouting looked straight happy about what he said, not knowing I just changed the subject from war to population booms, (and imagine my confusion when I thought he was talking to me), but Solen took my focus off of him for a second by saying, "Didn't China always have a huge pop...In comparison to time."
He said it more as a statement than a question.
With that kind of confidence about the subject, I tried to think up a rebuttal, so I shouted to the disease guy "Go see Contagion! Fantastic movie, I promise." with a big smile.
Why did I promise him?
Why did I smile?
That was the attitude in ponychan: smiles, peace, and camaraderie.
Yet, Solen turned to the disease guy "Damn you new age kids and your zombie apocalypse."
I faced Solen and told him that I didn't know enough about Chinese history (I even apologized, explaining how, I dabble mostly in Euro & American history) to agree or disagree with him. I was afraid we'd have to choose another topic to discuss.
With a smirk, he threw out a suggestion: "Hypocrisy in the Americas and Eurasia in 1400-2011."
It was a funny suggestion to be sure, but it was immediately followed by "Jk jk jk I don't care.. How about the downfall of American culture? (in his opinion)"
I liked this topic instead, and returned with an enthusiasm to voice my opinion.
I don't know how many people were listening, but I was happy to say what I thought in such a place.
I began: "Schadenfreude, I liked that hypocrisy suggestion, but I like your newer idea better.
What makes you think America has fallen down in terms of culture?
I certainly think that the elevation and prestige associated with reality TV and sex tape stars are to blame, but what can you do when screenwriters and genuinely talented people cost too much money when compared to (seemingly) unscripted television?"
The conversation continued between all of us, some in pairs, and some telling all of us their opinion on life. It was really a sort of introduction of them to us, it was a nice thread to be in.
Solen replied to me, "I'm more passionate about music and art/animation. Just everything is so lazy.. Songs have just basic chords. Tv shows have the same scripts since 1994. Just everything is going to hell."
"Also the "cool way" of living hedonism Oh my grosh!!!
Just fucking partying and what ever. Our generation upraises it but it's not good I hate it.
In my opinion, it's terrible.
'Jersey Shore'. *Exaggerated groan*"
I replied adamantly, "Well I think that's what makes America's culture, and in return, it's reception of other cultures pretty great.
Let the herds gather around the simplistic stuff,
if you want quality, then it's matched by how hard you look for it.
To actually put in as much effort in finding great songs as the artist who made them,
it's a great feeling and I think it goes well with the old (but maybe, hopefully, not dead) American Dream. And thank God I've never had to sit through a Jersey Show episode, I've always turned off the TV or left the room if it came on because a sibling had the remote or whatever. --And as for the hedonistic lifestyle (See: LMFAO and Lady Gaga, or, Jay Z and Kanye West), I think it's a response to what most people want to hear and talk about, which is a better lifestyle. In no way does more money + more things make a better lifestyle, but it seems that way when you don't think about it too hard.
So yeah, I suppose I'm a bit resentful towards the people who ruined how my country looks in front of other people in the world.."
A guy named Dafoid butted in and told me that what I said was "Completely true. I've heard Generation X-ers or baby boomers complain about how modern music is a lowly version of past excellence, for example, but popular music has always been rather trite. Then again, any good band has followers. Much like the late Beatles and Pink Floyd, you don't immediately look at the top-grossing songs, but the ones with the most artistic and creative potential..
Okay, bad examples, but still-most "classics" were hardly known in their time. Prog rock ftw."
I thanked Dafoid, saying "Thanks for agreeing, if you like that maybe you can check out my blog: It's ClosettedBrony.blogspot.com and whatnot. Aand just to add, I can appreciate Prog Rock, some King Crimson and all that :D.
Solen laughed at someone's joke and asked me, "Now what's your opinion on hypocrisy?"
A bit taken back, I made a pompous face and stated matter-of-factly: "Hypocrisy is unavoidable, because people who chase after power are rarely the ones who deserve it.
Especially the ones who achieve an office or other position of power..
And you?"
Solen: "I don't even know...Just there is so much..I can't even begin..."
With his undecidedness, I opted to direct him to a store across the street I was in earlier, who was looking for volunteers. He wordlessly agreed and left the thread for a minute to help stock the place with pictures of Rarity.
He returned later, and we discussed the artistic legitimacy of Dubstep, but the topic was rather boring as we walked around the thread.
We were wandering past the pool table when I passed by the bar, there were two different but equally shrouded persons talking about animal testing.
I heard one man, named the Doctor, begin with this morally-relativistic words swinging, trying to bully the other person into defeat instead of convincing him.
The other person was noticeably meek, probably one of those shy kids you see all the time in here.
I'm afraid I'll have to continue this irresponsibly long story at a later time, as this was all the set up to a rather brain-frying discussion and debate, the likes of which I haven't enjoyed before in months.
Check back soon for part 2. (I'm very sorry for any disappointment ':/)
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