"We Trekkies and we know it!"

YouTube comedy group SCRIMSHANKRECORDS (nicknamed SSR) created a parody video combining Trekkie stereotypes and quotes with the LMFAO song, "I'm sexy and I know it." This enterprise (pun intended) that SSR undertook combines an overanalyzing fandom with an obviously tongue-in-cheek song. It seems to reward knowledgeable fans of the Star Trek show, with tons of clever lines and Easter Eggs. But it also manages to entertain the average audience member who may not know much of anything about Star Trek.  

"We Trekkies and we know it"

"Weeeee are Trekkieeeeeeeees!!" 

(in front of the Riverside, Iowa sign, future birthplace of James Kirk)

SCRIMSHANKRECORDS, the creators of the parody video, seem to be major Star Trek fans, also called Trekkies. According to their Facebook page, the three men who create the parody videos go by user names: Werd-dreW, LocoBradito, and Ushmasta. They each have joking bios about their lives and it also seems that their channel is now dead, having not released any new content since 2013. Apparently they live up to the definition of their YouTube name: Scrimshank means "that which one does whilst procrastinating." This could refer to the viewer choosing to watch the video instead of something more productive or it could be a light jab at their own release schedule, which is apparently not very consistent anymore. 

Regardless, I think it is obvious that SSR are major Trekkies, members of the almost fanatical fandom that follow the voyages of the star-ship Enterprise (and all the other various space ships that the show follows). The video is full of famous Star Trek quotes and lines. For instance, perhaps the most famous hand signal in all geek fandom, the Vulcan salute, makes a prominent appearance in verse two. SSR name drops common Star Trek terms like "Enterprise," "Beam me up Scotty," "Captain Kirk out," and many others. Visual trivia, such as SSR dancing in front of the sign to Riverside Iowa, the future birthplace of Captain Kirk reward Trekkies for knowing random facts. The parody is clever though because it is accessible to both loyal fans of the show and the laymen watcher. 

Trekkies are not exactly a welcoming group to the un-knowledgeable. The biggest fans of the show know far too much about it, from character names to the complex layout of the ship. They start brutal arguments with other fans over topics like, "Who is the better Captain: Kirk or Picard?" Trekkies will fight tooth and nail to declare that their opinion is right and their opponent is wrong. This is comparable to every other fandom but few take it to as far of an extreme. However this parody video appears to appease both fans and non fans alike. 

For example, the main refrain of the song is backed up by the popular line "Khaaaan!" from Captain Kirk himself. To a fan who knows who William Shatner is and knows of his legendary "over acting" in almost every scene, this vocal track is funny because it brings the over the top line into an over the top parody. But it also works on basic level for the un-informed. Viewers who don't know anything about William Shatner can enjoy the weird face he is making and super loud way he says the line. Removed from the dramatic context where the line is actually said, it looks and sounds fairly ridiculous, perfect for a goofy parody video. 

The overall feel of the video works for both Trekkies and non fans. Both groups can collectively mock the "I'm sexy and I know it" song and they can especially laugh at the nerdy dancing that all three members of SSR use. With all the pelvic thrusting and lame swaying back and forth, its clear that they are trying to combine the "sexiness" of the LMFAO video and the nerdiness of Star Trek. Fans can enjoy seeing men in the supposed-to-be-taken-seriously uniforms of Star Fleet dancing like weirdos and non fans can just laugh at the annoying singing and dancing. 

In conclusion, YouTube artists have to be mindful of their audience when creating content. Parody videos can be very funny if done correctly but fans can also take major offense if the creator is not careful. SSR have a large amount of courage for making a goofy video that pokes fun at such a volatile and strong fandom. But I think Trekkies are quite used to having people make fun of them. Movies like "Galaxy Quest," both make fun of and treasure fans of Star Trek and they seem to have a higher tolerance for mocking than usual. I took a look in the comments section of the video and this comment had 6 thumbs up:"Its's great to see Trekkies standing proud, if only it was cool when I was at school I had my a$$ handed to me for being a Trekkie at school." I think it's great that our culture has progressed enough for nerds to be proud of their favorite shows and movies in public. 

Sources:

Original Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNfYz6Yw0W8&list=PLreodM-Supw8qjOOBGZSF87iUmVMgFVow&index=6

SSR YouTube Page
https://www.youtube.com/user/SCRIMSHANKRECORDS/about

SSR Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/Scrimshank-Records-153327661463950/info?tab=page_info

Urban Dictionary Definition of "Scrimshanker"
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=scrimshanker

Church of the Final Frontier

Why has Star Trek become such a deeply involved fan universe? Is it safe to compare it to religion? There are some dedicated fandoms out there but Star Trek takes the cake in my book.

Although the series is not as widely popular as Star Wars, the fandom is much larger. Star Trek started out as a show, and has grown into an international subculture. I have watched a few seasons of TNG, but I'm nowhere near well versed enough in the universe to call myself a true Trekkie. One could spend weeks binge watching every episode and movie of every Star Trek series, but I couldn't think of one other fandom that has such an endless stream of fan created content.

So Why Star Trek? Other series have a wide universe of possibilities for fans to explore when they run out of official content to consume, but no other fandom does it like Star Trek. Perhaps it is the morality of the Star Trek universe that gives this incentive. Star Trek presents a Utopian society made up of multiple planets. Combining moral ethics with the passion of scientific progress is a very attractive future to strive for. It gives people hope in the future.

This open sort of world provides room for fans to become a part of the mythology. Star Trek conventions allow fans to roleplay as characters, and feel a part of that utopian universe. It's easy to see why someone would want to do this, when we live in a world full of war, plague and opposition to scientific progress. The fact that Klingon is the second most complete and widely spoken constructed language(after Esperanto) speaks volumes to the depth of this fandom.

When Pop Culture Turns into Something More

Star Trek is a piece of popular culture with an extremely dedicated fan base. The fandom to an average person will make people question why Star Trek? It has lead people to question what makes Star Trek so successful. Initially it was thought that the original character and their relationships where the reason for success but that was soon disproved with the success of TNG. Star Trek has a picture of the future that is very attractive to many of the individuals who watch. The positive view of the future is one of the most popular reasons fans like the show. The show creates a utopic future that the fans flock towards.

What happens in Star Trek is that it “mixes sci-fi and technical ideals of America’ to produce a progressive world. People of all races work together to create this perfect world. Many Star Trek fans tend to take what happens on Star Trek very seriously. There are countless communities, virtual and real life that allows Trek fans to communicate. One fan organization called the ‘Welcommittee’ connects fans and introduces new fans to the Star Trek universe.  The Welcommittee began in 1977 that now has at least 14 geographical areas, each with its own ‘caption’ and ‘crew'.

In the article “Star Trek as a Religious Phenomenon” it mentions that while Star Trek brings hope to the fans it also brought intolerance and prejudice. One could ask that this intolerance and prejudice could be brought on by Trekkie’s themselves. Certain fans  have distain for individuals who refuse to consider “alternative worlds and futures that science fiction construct”. Even the actors in Star Trek themselves such as William Shatner made fun of Trek fans. He told them to get a life in a SNL skit where fans assumed Star Trek was real. Even the characters of Star Trek themselves don’t understand the fandom. Star Trek director Nicholas Meyer even admits to that, “ I don’t really understand fandom. I tend to think its people with too much time on their hands.”

With the countless fan made content Meyer may have a point about fans having too much time on their hands. Fans are literally arguing on boards over a fictional world that doesn’t exist in the first place.  Fans have constructed their own world with Star Trek essentially.  Star Trek does give fans hope for the future, which isn’t a bad thing. It is important though that Trek fans remember that the universe is fictional even if certain aspects have spilled reality.

Religion in Space and Time

Joss Whedon once stated, “I guess the thing that I want to say about fandom is that it’s the closest thing to religion there is that isn’t actually religion.” When reading Jindra’s article on Star Trek as a religion, this notion is clear. She presents Star Trek as a religious experience. When we look at other fan cultures, similar experiences can be seen.

Live Long and Prosper

“It (Star Trek Fandom) is a phenomenon that relates to deep-seated American beliefs about the nature of humankind, the world and its future, and encourages the practices that parallel religious processes of codifying, forming a community and developing institutions to guide its practices.” -Michael Jindra

Michael Jindra, of the University of Wisconsin- Madison, argues the Star Trek fan base is in another form of religion in his article “Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon.” While many academics have formulated their own reasoning for the show’s popularity, Jindra aims “to go boldly where no man has gone before” (Star Trek quote?) to prove that the Trekkie fandom can be considered a religion. In his article, Jindra delves into a brief history of Star Trek, the other academics viewpoints of the show, the definition of religion, and then continues into his argument of Star Trek as a religion.

The Star Trek series follows the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew on the spaceship, Enterprise. The first season of Star Trek aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons on NBC. It wasn’t until after the show was cancelled on NBC that the fandom started to grow. In 1972, the first Star Trek convention occurred in New York followed by the publishing of magazines, books, and manuals. In 1987, the Next Generation series aired and then ran for seven seasons with the highest ratings and was the top hourlong show among males 18-49. Jindra writes, “No other popular culture phenomenon has shown the depth and the breadth of “creations” or “productions” (in the broad sense of “cultural productions”) that Star Trek has, both officially and unofficially” (Jindra, 41). The Star Trek novels continue to be on the bestseller list with over four million copies sold. When Jindra wrote this article in 1994, he states, “over $500 million in merchandise sold over the last 25 years”! In the 21 years following Jindra’s article, this dollar amount could have doubled! The question remains, how did Star Trek become so popular?

Many academic scholars from different disciplinarians have studied the Star Trek fandom phenomenon. Jindra writes,

Anthropologist Peter Claus (1976), utilizing Levi-Straussian structuralism, examined the mediation of the nature/culture oppositions in the plot. Karen Blair (1977), using Carl Jung’s more psychological approach to oppositions, sees the mediation of internal oppositions such as masculine/feminine, as in Spock’s conflict between mind and emotion. Ina Hark (1979) regards each story as a moral message, a lesson on relations with “outsiders” or on the dangers of succumbing to computerization (Jindra, 41).

Some argue that the fans have formed a connection to the seven original characters and how the relationships develop, and others theorize that “active fans use the show for their own purposes” in order to allow them to deal with social issues (Jindra, 41). On the other hand, Jindra decided to study the culture of Star Trek Fandom, rather than the individual fans themselves. He writes in his article about going to the public library and finding an entire section devoted to Star Trek, he visits conventions and talks to fans, he went to meetings for the local science fiction club, and he visits the online networks for fans.

In order for Jindra to determine whether the Star Trek fandom is a religious phenomenon, he finds it important to define what a religion is. He states, “The “folk” definition of religion, that is, how most Americans think of religion, is that of a system of private, conscious and articulated beliefs off from the other “spheres” of life such as work, politics or leisure” (Jindra, 43). Because of so many religions, ideas of religion, and religious change throughout history, it is hard to construct guidelines for what actually constitutes a religion. Jindra decides to stick with the “folk” definition to show how Star Trek fans have created a “symbolic community” (Jindra, 45).

Star Trek fans place their faith in science and the human mind, while pointing them to another world. They believe in creating a utopian society free of inequality and promoting hope and prosperity. One observer at the World Science Fiction convention wrote, “We noticed people of various races, genders and planetary origins working together. Here was a future it did not hurt to imagine. Here was a constructive tomorrow for mankind, emphasizing exploration and expansion” (Jindra, 46). Their positive views on the future offer hope and peace, while other religions often contain pessimistic tones. Star Trek fans even have an organizational structure within their community, including clubs all around the world. Each chapter is given a name after Star Trek vessels and those that have been established are considered starships. Leadership positions within each club have a hierarchical structure as well, with titles such as Captain and Admiral given to active, outstanding members.

The smaller communities have an opportunity to meet others when attending conventions, tourist sights, and pilgrimages. Jindra writes, “Conventions are an opportunity to immerse oneself further in the ST “experience” much as one immerses oneself in ritual” (Jindra, 52) and argues that these conventions are “a direct expression of the fervency of fandom” (Jindra, 52). Traveling to tourist sights is a way to experience different aspect of Star Trek. Jindra mentions the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry which features a 6,000 square foot Star Trek exhibit and Universal Studios in California which gives guest an opportunity to dress up and act out Star Trek scenes. On fan described the experience in California as her “Mecca” (Jindra, 53). These activities allow the fans to escape their everyday lives and live within the experiences of Star Trek.

As with religion, Star Trek is so much more than going to meetings, conventions, and taking pilgrimages to tourist to experience a “fantastical universe” (Jindra, 54). It is relatable to everyday lives, inspiring fans to become scientist and doctors and giving hope; “ST has given hope for the future, inspiring them to take control of their lives in the same way many self- help and quasi- religions do” (Jindra, 54). Star Trek is also just as tangible a universe as a traditional religion. There are encyclopedia, “crew books,” language books, and the entire history, philosophy, and geography of the Star Trek planet Vulcan. All of the literature creates a “complete” and “authentic” alternate universe (Jindra, 57), drawing fans to escape to it.

In conclusion, Jindra argues “ST fandom does not seem to fit the more restrictive, substantive definition of religion that posits beliefs in a deity or in the supernatural” (Jindra, 61), but rather, in the words of Robert Bellah, is a “civil religion” (Jindra, 62). Civil religion is “a “generalizing” of religious beliefs necessary to have an integrated society, as a counter to “pluralizing” trends that divide society” (Jindra, 62). Star Trek fandom shares many of the same elements as other “quasi-religions” that have a broader meaning of religion. Star Trek offers something for every person, regardless of race, gender, or age, bringing communities together to continue to inspire and expand knowledge.

Star Trek Fandom: Live Long and Prosper

In the article “Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon,” professor Michael Jindra discusses the history and practices of the dedicated fan base. With attention paid to canon, organized communities with a hierarchy, conventions, and fan-written books, Jindra compares Star Trek to a religious experience. 

President Obama with Nichelle Nichols (Uhura)

No More Mediated

"Not only are we just as human within the digital world, the digital also provides many new opportunities for anthropology to help us understand what it means to be human.”

With increase accessibility, more technological advances, and greater internet use, the field of anthropology is spreading to the digital sphere. Daniel Miller and Heather A. Horst wrote in their article, The Digital and the Human: A Prospectus for Digital Humanity, “The digital should and can be a highly effective means for reflecting upon what it means to be human, the ultimate task of anthropology as a discipline” (Horst, 22). The digital world is just as much a part of being human as the physical world. Miller and Horst present six principles for the foundation of digital anthropology in their article.
The first principle is the digital world intensifies what already exists, “the digital intensifies the dialectical nature of culture” (Horst, 22). Within this principle, the authors find it helpful to start with the definition of digital for the purpose of their book. They define digital in this context as, “everything that has been developed by, or can be reduced to, the binary- that is bits consisting of 0s and 1s” (Horst, 23). Everything in the digital world can be broken down to a single element, just as the monetary system in the physical world.
The second principle is that the information (or media) we receive has, throughout history, always been filtered before we receive it. Some claim the human race is more “mediated” than we ever were, but Miller and Horst argue that we are not “one iota more mediated by the rise of the digital” (Horst, 22). The concept of the book has been around hundreds of years, early humans have carved pictures in caves, and the Egyptians wrote their history on scrolls. We have had newspapers, radios, and televisions. Information has been filtered through people’s mouths since the beginning of time. Miller and Horst write, “online worlds are simply another arena, alongside offline worlds, for expressive practice, and there is no reason to privilege one over the other” (Horst, 27).

The third principle is of holism, “anthropologists focus upon life as lived and all the (mess of) relevant factors that comes with that” (Horst, 23). In lecture, we talked about human beings being social creatures. While some disciplines may study an individual alone and in solitude, anthropologists study human race in the natural, social environment. Miller and Horst argue, “that no one lives an entirely digital life and that no digital media or technology exists outside of networks that include analogue and other media technologies” (Horst, 29). The digital world and the physical world cannot exist without each other now and should be studied as a whole.

The fourth principle focuses on “cultural relativism” (Horst, 23), which is closely related to the fourth principle. Cultures are still very different, despite having digital access and the digital world is shaped by the dominant cultures. The authors argue, “Ignoring a global demography where most people actually live in rural India and China rather than in New York and Paris, the theoretical insights and developments emerging from this empirical base then reflect North American and Northern European imaginations about the word and, if perpetuated, become a form of cultural dominance” (Horst, 31).

The fifth principle is about openness and closure, “which emerge on matters ranging from politics and privacy to the authenticity of ambivalence” (Horst, 23). The authors mention William Debbel’s article, “A Rape in Cyberspace” where in a virtual world “Bungle” takes over other avatars and then “engaged in unspeakable sexual practices both with themselves and others” (Horst, 31). It makes the reader realize that the digital world is not so different, and not even safer, than the real world. It is a balancing act, just as the real world, between being too open and being too closed.

The sixth and final principle is that of the material world, the normalizing of the evolving technology and digital worlds. Miller and Horst write, “It is impossible to become human other than through socializing within a material world of cultural artefacts that include the order, agency, and relationships between things themselves and not just their relationship to persons. Artefacts do more than just express human intention” (Horst, 33). For me, I take this principle very literally. Materially, we all need some kind of device to enter into the digital world. A person will buy “artefacts” such as a computer, laptop, smartphone, etc. in order to connect themselves to a digital world. I think this principle shows, once again, that the real and digital world cannot exist today without the other. 

Did Digital Life Has Changed Who We Are?

For this week, we are discussing digital life and how has digital shaped/changed our actions. Today, we find different ways to connect to people by posting random thought through social media, we find relationships through digital world and etc. However, the main question that concerns us is whether or not digital life changed us or on the contrary humans have adapted to new ways of living.

Digital Anthropology

The discipline of anthropology, as described by American Anthropological Association is a study of humans both past and present. The area of study can be broken down into four sub-disciplines which include many areas of human life and culture. However, with rise of computer technology in last two decades, anthropologist Dr. Heather Horst looks at how the digital culture impact the human world and becoming its own area of study under the umbrella of anthropology. However, how does one define the term digital? What does it encompass?

Seeking Arrangement

In the online dating world, many know about the apps and websites that people mostly call "sex apps," because most of the time, people turn to these options for... you got it, sex. If anyone has ever attempted the vicious online dating world, many would conclude that this romantic-less, sex driven world is not beneficial because of how these websites and apps are set up.  From the article read for class, there is the appearance selection with people making snap judgements based on looks with (or with out) a small bio, every app and website has this. Many may not know about the fairly new "dating website," which is not a common topic of discussion, but this new one shows more than a quick bio, like net worth, annual income... prices... it deals more with Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies than an random couple...

Timber Parody (Pitbull Ke$ha) by Brian O'Sullivan

The theme of this week’s material is Online Dating and Mating. In today’s world, virtually every aspect of life is made a little easier with the use of technology. This extends to the dating world as well. Meeting people can be difficult in several ways. Some people just don’t have the time to go out and find partners, some people maybe feel too shy to do it, as well as other factors. Whatever the reason, people are turning to online dating. This week’s parody video lists several (but not nearly all) popular dating sites along with the up’s and down’s of online dating.

There are many options of dating sites on the internet. Some use chemistry quizzes to find a person’s “perfect match” and others have a specific target group that attract users who desire a partner with a certain interest. Some examples of these in the video are Christian Mingle and Farmers Only, although there are many more out there. My aunt and uncle recently got divorced and my dad has been helping him get back in the game, including signing him up for dating websites. My uncle got really excited when my dad found him a dating website for dog lovers because for him, a doggy daddy of three, finding someone that shares his love of dogs is very important.

The video also references some of the downfalls of online dating. Although a benefit of online dating is knowing what you’re getting yourself into before you meet, which is similar to the “filtering” process discussed in the article, Online Dating and Mating by Danielle Couch and Pranee Liamputtong, where online daters are able to sort through their options to find people that match their type, online dating can also do the opposite. It’s very easy for a person to misrepresent themselves online, either on purpose by using fake pictures or information on their profiles, or unintentionally as people tend to present themselves in the best light they can. Brian O’Sullivan expresses this issue when he sings “ask her out to dinner by now but when we meet she looks like a cow.” Seconds later he brings it up again, saying “get catfished well I just might go and join a brand new site.” A catfish, in terms of the online world, is a person that lures someone into a relationship “by means of a fictional online persona.” This term became popularized by the MTV show Catfish, in which two men, Max and Nev, investigate relationships that started online and bring the two love interests together to find out if everyone is who they say they are.

Getting What You Came For: Online Dating and Mating

Online dating is becoming one of the preferred choices of meeting people for both sexual activity and seeking long-term relationships.  While most friends I’ve spoken to would agree it is not where they expected to turn, the convenience of meeting someone online can be far less work then trying to find someone out in the non-digital world.  Even if you do find someone in the non-digital world, the first thing most of us do upon meeting someone new is check out their facebook and do a quick google search to make sure they are what they seem, online dating appears to just reverse the order.  

Online Dating and Mating

Let’s be Honest! We’ve all done some sort of online dating or are in the process of finding our match. Some of us are looking for one-night stand, some are looking for relationship, and others are just doing it for fun. Obviously, everybody has their own reasons to why they turn themselves to online dating, but most people have given up on the idea of meeting their partner offline. Why so? Are we more open about our feelings when we have text-base conversations or it is just convenient?

How Big Is Your Gap?

In class on Thursday we looked as social media and some individual and groups' social media presences.  What stood out was the correlation between the irl income gap and the gap of fame and income from online channels or users.  Which just seems to tie back to the fact that nothing in life is new anymore and everything is just regurgitated and forced back into consumers in hope of profits, awareness, or fame.

Time Lords and Time Warps, need you ask for more?

The Doctor doing the time warp has never been so punny, and being the next YouTube star has never been so difficult. 

So you want to become a digital content creator?

So are you ready to become internet famous?  Do you plan on vloging during your upcoming vacation to China or simply blogging about your day to day life?  Maybe you would prefer to play video games and upload them to Youtube or better yet live stream on Twitch.  Well prepare your buns for the long haul, because it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Content and Culture

YouTube and other sites are rich with content created by people of varying degrees of knowledge and talent. Some of the most enjoyed genres are the parody videos made by those fans wishing to express their love for different things or how it is a way for them to enter the universe which their fandom takes place. I will focus on one YouTube fandom that I believe is grossly misunderstood which are Bronies and their contribution to the fandom.

For those that do not know Bronies are the adult male fan base, most of whom are in their twenties and thirties, of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. The female version is called the Pegasisters but they are not as well known and do not receive the same hostilities that Bronies do. I remember my reaction first to Bronies was not a favorable one so I understand where people come from when they are uneasy about this fandom. They are a subculture that I believe is not widely accepted because of the challenge that is issued that we must then accept that this model challenges our cultures view on manliness. As I learned more about the group it turned to a fascination, YouTube was an outlet that was easy to use and just full of Brony content. I soon found that Bronies usually did not just make videos but there is music, forums, and fan art. As a firm supporter of digital media art this was a world that was full of creativity and wonder, if not still having the creepy factor of a grown man watching a show that is designed for girls between the ages of six to ten.
Another reason the subculture that is the Brony may not be accepted is a reason that can be applied to many fan based subculture is that the mainstream culture or society cannot find a value in it. As my dad put it, "a culture like Boy Scouts our culture finds value in, it adds a value but a man dressed as Tom Baker walking down the street they can't find a value in. That is the down side to the Trekkies, Whoovians and the Bronies, they don't have a place."
From the first post about subcultures and how most are deeply misunderstood by outsiders, that describes the Brony experience. The first question I am asked when I introduce Bronies to people is "Are they pedophiles?" After explaining more about them then comes the question "Well then what is wrong with them?" The simple answer is there is nothing wrong with them they are not a part of the jock category that men are expected to be a part of in society. Most Bronies are believed be more open emotionally or honest about their feelings. Some are viewed as underdeveloped emotionally and see the show with a positive message of support for one another as a support in their own life. This leads to the creators of content that also do not fit these models. There is a special part of the fandom that are military Bronies, making an even more uncomfortable situation for those trying to explain the Brony. On video I watched there was a well toned military man with a mustache that could be associated with owning a motorcycle sat with authority in his seat while he talked about his reaction to the latest My Little Pony episode.
MandoPony and SimGretina are music creators that make both remixes and original songs from shows, video games, and other media forms. FluffyMixer the creator of the video above created the character Fluffle Puff and shows her adventures in the My Little Pony Universe. But there is so much more to it. One of the best rap songs I have heard in a while was a man talking about how much he liked that shown and how glad he was someone suggested it to him even though he was hesitant at first, the song is titled Pony Swag . The song even goes to address haters (I would have used this video but the language gets strong at points, though I highly suggest listening to it). There are club mixes, dubstep mixes, rock, metal, and even acoustic songs that are both remixes and originals. MandoPony has even been given nods from the My Little Pony creators and has collaborated with them for charity events. This shows that the Brony fandom are active creators and active in the world they created. There has also have a legitimacy about them now that the show's creators acknowledge them but like the Trekkie fandom there are varying degrees to which people are fans but we first have to take a moment to learn about one another before we pass judgement upon each other.