Too much fan service?

[Starfox64x]

So, i have a concern (for those who know me well, this isn't shocking) about the future of the show. The first season was made entirely towards the younger audience, they didn't have much other direction since that's what hasbro wanted. about halfway through season 1 they had begun to incorporate some of the elements of the fandom (or at least nods to the fandom) like with Derpy, and continued to do so in Season 2. They've made nods in their product lines (Like Dr Hooves and all thing timey wimey on the card collections) and so on...

So... my concern is that (maybe not Season 3, but) in the future MLP will be more fan service oriented rather than what they've always done... Every episode will be tailored towards what we the fans have come up with and not what originally made the show fun...

[Deadpool]

Well I think what they need to do is half and half, which is what they are doing, like giving fan-favorite background ponies talking roles, and then making it Octavia instead of DJ-PON3 or Lyra.

If you've read my comic, you would know how badly comic book writer Daniel Way messed it up by removing my healing factor, despite fans yelling "FIX IT" after he removed said power

[flutterscotch]

Hey, at least they're giving at least recognition to the adult fans these days, unlike a when certain "Core 7" came out and they were entirely dismissive to adult fans about it... that shall always remain in my deepest fiery hate container.

[weesh]

The current standard is not 50-50. It is more like 99-90 in the target demographics favor. I see the intent as:

90% for everyone

9% for the target demographic

1% for bronies

Our 1% won't distract the target audience, but goes a long way towards satisfying us, since we like the core of the show anyway, and the direct attention to us is is a satisfying reminder that they care.

If they increase our potion, what is accomplished? Not much. I agree that they should not add too many elements than only appeal to us, since it won't have much benefit, nor improve the long term health of the show.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

The show got its start without having any nods to the fans, because there weren't any fans of the show before it began. As long as the nods to the fandom don't get in the way, I'm ok with that, but its not why I like the show.

As much as I disapproved of Hasbro's handling of the Last Roundup controversy, it really would have been better if they'd left the shout-outs to the fandom out of it in the first place. So it is my sincere hope that they won't do anything so glaringly meta in season 3... but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Keeping an open mind is important to being able to enjoy new things.

[Kendrick]

It's a reasonable fear, and one I have a tiny bit of as well, just not a great deal.

I think a lot of what is seen as fandom nods may just be due to the fact that the crew is a bunch of geeks of a similar vein as the Brony community. As a result they throw in a bunch of pop culture in-jokes that we get and love, but aren't aimed directly at us as much as they are personally entertaining to the folks doing the work. The fact that it works for us is a bonus.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Yeah, I would have preferred if Derpy/Ditzy remained a background character.

Also, Kendrick makes a good point. Putting in references to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Music Man, and everything else, ISN'T for us. It's for the writers. It can fit into the show without ruining it, and since they can get away with it, they do it. Maybe they do it a little more because they know others watching the show will actually get the references and enjoy them, but even without us, they'd still throw stuff like that in for the parents watching with their kids.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

As a professional who's doing professional work, it is important to make sure that your own little fun things don't interfere with work. Imagine if bankers did fun little things like adding in random smiley faces into their account balances or if steel workers pressed funny shapes into their I-beams. There's certainly a line you can cross where those little things will start reducing the integrity of the final product. (Scratching your initials in may not make a difference, but stamping heart shaped cutouts into the flanges will.)

There's also the matter of spending time and energy as a resource. While it is true that having some time to goof off is beneficial, it is always possible to go too far, and if someone is thinking up ways to put in funny references for their own sake at the expense of making the scene as solid for the intended audience as possible, then you can have problems.

Perhaps one of the most important lines to cross in FiM is the line where a reference feels like it doesn't belong in the setting. That is a great way to dispel the suspension of disbelief.

[Ashton]

The current standard is not 50-50. It is more like 99-90 in the target demographics favor. I see the intent as:

90% for everyone

9% for the target demographic

1% for bronies

Our 1% won't distract the target audience, but goes a long way towards satisfying us, since we like the core of the show anyway, and the direct attention to us is is a satisfying reminder that they care.

If they increase our potion, what is accomplished? Not much. I agree that they should not add too many elements than only appeal to us, since it won't have much benefit, nor improve the long term health of the show.

I think it's a hair higher than 1%, maybe 5% or so, the question is how much they put in specifically for bronies and how much was just for parents watching the show (ex: Big Lebowski background ponies) Some of it is obviously for us, such as more prevalent usage of certain background ponies, or adding in the "where's Derpy?" in every episode, but most can arguably just be for the general amusement of the "parents."

I agree there is a point where they may overshoot the target, and both lose some of the 'kiddy' audience and catch some flack from Hasbro: (Spoiler'd due to teaser-related content)

I've not read the teasers but have been unable to avoid some related artwork on DA, which makes me question if they are starting to shift focus a little (specific artwork being ponies in what looks like full battle armor, which to me says the show is either (1) aiming more towards 'boys' or (2) aiming towards an overall more mature theme)

However, if it's handled properly they may end up broadening the demographic without losing what everyone loves. (I still say they could spin off the CMC as the "pure kiddy" show and continue the mane-6 as a slightly more mature series and reap HUGE profits, possibly even doing a split series where either alternating episodes (or whatever ratio) are 'more mature' and the others are 'more kiddy' or by making each show two 15-minute episodes, one aimed at the more mature viewers/boys and one aimed at the youger viewers/girls)

As of right now (end of S2, before S3) I think everything is going well, they're managing to juggle the adult references, kiddy plots/etc, and the brony shout-outs without degrading the series, but I am a little concerned about the future with how the show seems to be evolving... (though outside of the risk of cancellation I personally don't care because so far it's still a wonderful series and fun to watch - they could turn it into essentially an Anime and I'd still love it - the world and characters are so expertly crafted that as long as it's handled properly ANY changes can only improve the series imo.)

EDIT:

I repeat, I have *NOT* read the teaser info, so what I posted above in the spoiler may be 100% fan-made and not related to canon.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

The thing is, as the show progresses, it also needs to expand. Thinks have to become bigger and better, in order to hold the audience in. The villains have gotten progressively worse, though there have only been three major ones. The dangers Equestria faces become more dire, and the slice of life lessons become deeper.

Season 1 focused on Twilight Sparkle.

Season 2 focused on her friends.

Where does season 3 have to go? There are lots of possibilities, but they can only do what's already been done so many times. There are morals to learn, sure, but they have to be careful not to cheat and use the same story but a different lesson, just because they're trying to force an episode out.

Season 3 has to be fresh, just like the previous two seasons. There has to be something new on the table. So while things change, it may not be because of the Bronies, but more in the name of progress.

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

"Change is inevitable, growth is optional," or so the saying goes. They could probably get away with just about anything as long as they have a good reason for it, a reason that makes sense.

Rule of cool will certainly carry you a long way, but if that's all you're relying on, you end up with something like this.

Poochie

Or if you're just trying to reference something cool without thinking about how to make it good in its own right.

That being said, I'm sure that as long as they have at least someone competent on staff to think about the story for its own sake, it will turn out alright in the end.

Edit: Staying the same for the sake of not wanting to change is pretty close to the same thing as changing just for the sake of doing something different. They need a story that is worth telling, and they need to consider which scenes will propel that story along best. If they can manage that, I suspect they'll keep producing episodes that are worth watching, fan service or not.

[Rosewind]

I think it's important to have balance, but it's the little shout outs and easter eggs that really make the show fun and interesting to watch -- especially on subsequent watches. How much stuff is going on in the background in any given scene, especially in Season 2?

What makes a shout out or inclusion of something automatic fanservice? We are not the only audience. I think we (the brony/unintended demographic) certainly flavor the show and inspire the producers -- if anything we're more guilty than they are because of our passion -- but it's because of this that FiM is something special in the first place.

One of the reasons FiM is awesome is because of our support of it, but any true fanservice should be done lightly and with a clever touch.