Are Fan-Dubbed Names Taking Over, and is this damaging fandom? (light hearted!)

[Icecrystalline]

I recently pondered this, and as a result, I'm left feeling just as clueless about the answer as when I began.
Fan Dubbed names are all over My Little Pony, such as 'Good Weather' did you know, she's actually called 'Holiday Pony'? Or at least that's Hasbro's name for her, although it is suggested in her backstory that the other ponies called her Good Weather.
As for an example of fan-dubbing ruining fandom, take a look at google eyes. (sorry, that's my new name for her, or some people may prefer pony) It's strange how these names can have such an adverse affect on a community, so it makes me wonder, are fan-dubbed names increasing with the new fans and new generation of collectors, or is this a war which has been waged since generation 1? This is not meant for any offensive, or bash one or pick a side behaviour. This is a genuine interest to know if it is a new generation thing whereby Fan Dubbing makes ponies more personal and relatable?

Please post your thoughts below, it's got me thinking.

[GothMummy]

No, I think that people have always done that. We used to call Lemondrop the Purple Rain pony

x

[Icecrystalline]

Ooh that's interesting! I'd never heard that before! I wasn't around in the G1 generation, so I guess I never knew the dubs back then, so thanks for sharing, that's pretty cool!

[Doedeardarling]

There's this finnish saying, "rakkaalla lapsella on monta nimeä", which translates as "a dear child has many names". It's not like it really matters what name is in the box of the pony, they won't be offended if you call them by something else.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

There's this finnish saying, "rakkaalla lapsella on monta nimeä", which translates as "a dear child has many names". It's not like it really matters what name is in the box of the pony, they won't be offended if you call them by something else.

I like that saying.

I have no problems with fan names... for the most part. My problem lies when Hasbro already uses a name the goes back and uses a fan name

[Baby Sugarberry]

I don't think there was a lot of "fan dubbing" in G1, at least not that I saw - however it's hard to pin down the "why".  I'd venture to say like most things, there was more than one reason. 

Every pony in G1 with few exceptions had a name, they were a prominent part of Hasbro's marketing - the backcards with the rest of the set, to encourage parents / kids to collect more of them.  There were also checklists in some of the pamphlets, again same purpose.  The number of G1 ponies who went without a name probably fit in one hand, and most were promos, the Rice Crispies Baby (Baby Stockings is the fandub name), Chuck E. Cheese Baby Pony (I'm not aware of any fan-name for her) and the Activity Club baby from the UK come to mind. 

Then there's a difference in the point of origin - for G4 it's not the toys, it's the show where most of the non-main cast gets their debut.  For G1, it was the other way around, all the characters in the TV show/ movies with very few exceptions came directly from the toy line.  The "mystery pony" in RfMC is a rare example of a background pony in G1 that never had a toy release, or the adult sea ponies that were colored to match Applejack/Glory.  There was no need to make up "extras" for G1 material - there was already a cast of hundreds to choose from, and Hasbro wanted (logical assumption here) the current range featured.

There's also the difference in how easy it is to connect to other people who share a similar interest when dealing with a very small subculture - this is definitely one of the strong points of the internet, something early collectors did not have pervasive access to. 

[GothMummy]

Im racking my brains now to think of any fan-dub names for G1 ponies from back in 1999-ish. Im sure there were some!
I was a little girl in the 80s Icey - I feel old now!

x

[spottedslug]

I don't think it matters what we call them, so long as they aren't stinky.

[CrazyCatPony]

i dont think it really matters what they are called lol... im very parcial to Bubble butt for the unnamed pony hehehe.... it makes me laugh

[BowtieG1]

Sorry to ask,  but who is No Pony? Is it the pony from RAMC that never got a toy or name?

I see it a lot and I have no idea what it means

In terms of the question though, I have no problem with fan names until the official name gets released. After that it's silly using the fan name because that isn't the ponies name.

[spottedslug]

Sorry to ask,  but who is No Pony? Is it the pony from RAMC that never got a toy or name?

I see it a lot and I have no idea what it means

In terms of the question though, I have no problem with fan names until the official name gets released. After that it's silly using the fan name because that isn't the ponies name.

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Muffin, Bubbles, Bubblebutt, D, or NO pony.

[MidnightVelvet]

Sorry to ask,  but who is No Pony? Is it the pony from RAMC that never got a toy or name?

I see it a lot and I have no idea what it means

In terms of the question though, I have no problem with fan names until the official name gets released. After that it's silly using the fan name because that isn't the ponies name.

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Is is no pony her fan name caused to much controversy, so it isn't  allowed on the arena 

[BowtieG1]

Ohhh, thanks! I can definitely see why her name was banned, thanks!

[Violet CLM]

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Meet Feeling Flitter. Isn't she sweet? Feeling Flitter, like many of her other unicorn friends, doesn't have any official title or merchandise or anything, but some kind people loved her so much that they came up with her very own name.

Adopt a fan name today. Show Feeling Flitter, and so many other ponies like her, that they deserve your love too.

[LadyMoondancer]

Good Weather's name really is Good Weather.  Her title is "the Holiday Pony".  Good Weather, the Holiday Pony.  And wherever she goes, there's good weather.