@Background Pony #DDE3  
I think you responded to the wrong person, mate.  
Wasn’t me who was saying that. So please don’t hurt me.

@Beau Skunky  
Who is your friend? This sounds made up to me. I have never turned anybody down who wanted an autograph, and I treat everybody I meet at conventions with respect, considering I’m technically an employee when I’m there.

@Prismatic  
Honestly, I don’t really feel too comfortable talking with popular folk, even with ones I’d like too. I always feel like I’m bugging them. A few like PikaPetey were nice to me though.
 
Ironically, I used to be somewhat “popular” in the Star Fox fandom, (though I don’t like considering myself such, as I never had a high opinion of myself, and internet popularity for a niche game series means nothing) so I honestly wonder if there was anybody who wanted to talk to me, but were afraid to back then.

@Beau Skunky
 
I’ve had similar experiences on Twitter with people who are popular in our fandom. Mostly along the lines of them ignoring unless it’s something I tweeted that could potentially benefit them.

@Prismatic  
Many fandoms are easy targets. Not me, I wouldn’t pay a quarter of that, just to talk to some “popular” person.
 
Plus, honestly I’ve had a few bad experiences talking to “popular” people. (Andrew Dickman a popular DA cartoonist I used to look up to, being one.) Some of ‘em aren’t very friendly.

@Beau Skunky
 
I’m actually not too entirely sure if Solrac makes things presently as I don’t actively look for new pony content.
 
Bronies tend to be the easiest group to scam, from what I’ve observed.

@Prismatic  
Solrac’s a pretty funny guy, though I haven’t watched his stuff in years. Been so busy with work & my WiiU, I forgot he existed oddly. Does he still do… stuff?
 
@Prismatic  
People really pay that much just to talk to them?

@Minus
 
I’m not going to mention the location but there was a point in time where Gabe and Michelle were charging $200 an hour for random Skype calls. Random…Skype…Calls…If that doesn’t smell like a smelly horse than I don’t know what does. Not only did Gabe endorse it but he tried to do his own damage control when it backfired which made him look so pathetic that I almost felt sorry for the guy. The only person that did right was Michelle and that’s because she isn’t nearly as vocal as Gabe and Monique are.
 
tl;dr When you see Tweets and Blogger comments that are coming from his account, one can easily look at him and evaluate his character without ever meeting him in person.

@Fwelin
 
To me this fandom adores the whole “It’s so bad it’s good” sort of content. I know Bronies React was forced humor and some people like Solrac can force it but still make it humorous. I’ll agree that natural reactions are better but BR is pretty much going to be stereotypical.

@CleverTwist  

 
That’s very disheartening to hear, especially ‘cause most fans always say they’re quite nice.
 
It’s possible Creber might be getting tired of the horse fame though. I just hope she doesn’t end up becoming like alot of other former-child celebraties. Whether becoming like Gary Coleman, (loathing their fame, original role, and being rude/nasty to fans) or like Lindsy Lohan. (Total trainwreck.)
 
Danny Bonadouce (That former Partridge Family kid) seems to be the only one who’s a good sport about it, and even admits he made alot of mistakes. Heck, he makes fun of himself all the time. He even stated he believes most former-child stars that he met are jerks, and are getting what they deserve. I honestly have more respect for somebody like him, who’s that brutally honest.

@Minus
 
Dude, do you just follow me around and undermine everything I say? Because I’ve noticed you popping up everywhere I go and you just are there to throw whatever I say right back in my face. It’s really obnoxious.
 
My friend did not just encounter him “for a day.” He was on staff for the entire duration of the con, including the day preceeding as security. So this wasn’t just a single moment experience. Plus, I’m more inclinded to trust his word than anyone elses, as I’ve known him for years and have come to know he doesn’t just exxagerate for a story. He had to put up with him and Michelle all con and his level of patience is far higher than mine, so if he was so put off by their behavior to even bring it up than it must have been pretty bad.
 
And honestly? Who are you to tell me I’m not allowed to hold judgements on someone I haven’t met yet? I don’t need to shake hands with someone to get a read on who they are as a person. From his behavior on React videos to other various appearances I’ve seen him, to knowing people who HAVE met him I am more than capable on making the decision that he wouldn’t be the kind of guy I’d want to hang out with for too long. And god damn, I even said before to take stories you hear with a grain of salt, but hear you are taking what I said and turning it back around on me. What exactly did I do to you that you need to throw shade?
 
So please do me a favor and piss off. We are talking about some guy on the internet who likes to spazz on camera and doesn’t act very mature on cons, I’m not saying it’s like Johnny Depp snubbed some guy I knew at a party. FFS, dude. Lay off.

@CleverTwist  
you’re going on the word of a friend who saw Gabe one day where he was no doubt not acting himself. You can’t decide what he’s like from that. And you shouldn’t tell others how he is from that either. I’ve been told too many bad stories about really nice people. Stories where my friends have harassed them to get an autograph when they were trying to leave the con, exhausted. Then they go telling everyone that celeb is full of themself and a huge jerk. People are WAY too entitled these days.
 
So not saying your friend is a liar. But to all of you thinking of meeting Gabe, do NOT take heed of anything you’ve heard about him. Remember that you don’t know him, and he doesn’t know you. Make your own impressions, and treat him like you would anyone else. Then if he’s a jerk, you can tell people about it. Second hand experiences aren’t useful, because they could be coming from obnoxious people. But also remember that being at a con, Gabe’s status as a celeb is gonna be highlighted a lot and he’s likely to act differently. Or heck, just being at a con makes most people act differently. Usually making people much sillier. So take it all into account when you’re deciding if someone is a nice person or not. This goes for all the celebs, and even online friends you’re meeting for the first time.

@Prismatic  
I’ve never really liked Bronies React, either; most people that regularly participate either feel fake or forced in their reactions, or tend to mock parts of the shows too much.
 
In terms of reaction collections, I’ve found Reactions Are Magic to be a much more legitimately entertaining and genuine group; it’s too bad they had to stop.

@CleverTwist
 
Yeah I remember when my sister was enjoying the brony react videos. I personally don’t find why they’re funny but all the others put on suitable performances. Gabe…Well your description of him is spot on.
 
I’ve not met Gabe but I believe I saw Michelle at a brony convention before the two were a pair. Considering as staff my stance is to keep my distance due to the shaky nature of the con I don’t know much about them.

@CleverTwist  
I had the chance to hang out with Gabe (Black Gryphon) after a convention due to him staying at the same house we were. The guy who allowed us to stay there has had Bronies stay at his place in the past and it was just a happy coincidence we happened to be staying there when he did as well. Anyways, as far as I can tell, he is a generally nice guy. I didn’t get to know him personally as I was still very introverted at the time but just being around him I got the impression that he was a party dude who tended to act before he thinks a lot but he was a good sport all the same. Never once did he come off as rude though. He even shook our hands and said it was great meeting me and my friends when we left. This was 2013 so its been a long time but I have a tough time seeing him in any other light. Even at the recent convention, he was nice. I missed out on a chance to grab a CD. Even though they were all packed up and wanting to leave, he still found the time to stop, find a CD and even sign it for me. All the while he was polite and though you could tell he was tired, he still seemed enthusiastic.

@Kraggera
 
Oh for sure. That’s the best thing about cons. You meet some real great people, all of whom are there for the same reason you are so it feels like you have that instant connection. It can be a great environment for people, like myself, you have social issues and don’t always get along with large groups of people. Its a change to get outside your comfort zone and meet new people. And this fandom is great for that.

@CleverTwist  
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ONLY going to meet the fandom’s celebrities. Heck, I hardly know most of them! It’s just one of those things to check off my list and with my luck of bumping into famous people in regular society, I just might catch Gabe being sneaky. Plus, it’s always nice to meet other bronies and pegasisters in person rather than talking by texted words.

@Background Pony #F785
 
I hope that as she grows up, she also matures so that she learns to appreciate her status in life. I don’t wanna be too harsh on her, because she is just a product of her upbringing, and in the end weren’t we all a little like that? So again, hopefully she gets better and isn’t too snobby in the future.
 
Gabe on the other hand? He is more than old enough to be mature about his “internet fame” and yet I’ve heard how he treats it as a ticket to be douchey behind fans backs. And I do agree with you in that he isn’t nearly as funny as he thinks he is.

@Background Pony #F785  

 
Have you not heard any of his songs?

@CleverTwist  
The problem is that the dude acts like horse fame is such a huge thing. He’s really not that great a musician, nor is he very funny. Without MLP and the fandom, I don’t think he’d have anything at all to fall back on. He’s forgotten where he came from and who made him.
 
Creber, on the other hand? Well, she comes from a snobby entertainment family, so that’s to be expected.

@Background Pony #923C
 
I have heard a few things about her as well, but you are right. Best to not just believe everything you hear without something backing it up. I was just telling him what my friend told me from his experiences first hand, and I have no reason to suspect him of lying, I trust his word. So at most I just hold my understanding that gryphon and Michelle to be a bit arrogant about their fame.

@CleverTwist  
Tacking on another bit of hearsay, apparently the greatest offender in that regard is Monique Creber, who was acting as his manager during the con and is notorious for being hard to work with. I suspect she was the one who somehow arranged for an autograph/merch table immediately after their set, which no other act had and which pulled a lot of the crowd out of the concert before it was over. Sure, the fame has gone to his head, but I would take these kinds of stories with a grain of salt.

@Kraggera
 
Honestly, go to a con for the interaction with other Bronies, panels and merch. Going to see celebs, fandom or show, isn’t the best way to justify the trip. Cause if you happen to get a bad impression from someone you look up to it’ll ruin your whole experience.
 
And don’t expect to get the rudeness from gryhpon if you do meet him. He’s one of those nice to your face, rude to your back kind of guys. That is what I got from what my friend relayed. Just forewarning ya.

@CleverTwist  
I guess I gotta see this for myself. I haven’t exactly been to a Brony convention yet.

@Kraggera
 
Explosive isn’t exactly how I’d describe him. More like a 4 year old who ate too many pop tarts and is now burning off the influx of sugar, making him a headache to watch over. I haven’t found him very funny in the React series, to be honest. He just forces his humor to cringe levels and it doesn’t work for him.
 
Plus he is really self absorbed in his popularity within the fandom. At a recent convention, a friend of mine was on staff as security for him and Michelle Creber, and the two of them were just horrible he told me. Very rude and disrespectful, and when he wanted to fianlly get himself an autograph after his work was done they wouldn’t give him one. They act like they are better than most because they are famous. He said it was really disheartening to see them act that way and he opted out of working staff for them if they ever returned to the con.
 
So that is why I can’t say I’m a big fan of the guy.