Why do some people hate Rainbow Dash?

[Princess-Sunbutt 268]

Because they have not yet reached enlightenment 

[Princess Pinny 6,099]

I love Rainbow Dash with all my heart. She is exactly like me in real life, and I just love how she has a rainbow mane. I don't like to see her hated, it doesn't sit well with me. But she will always be my favorite pony forever.

[emeraldink 13]

Personally she is my least favorite because arrogance annoys me that much.  Yes I know she is allowed to have that flaw and yes I know it makes her more realistic. I won't argue against either of those points, but It doesn't make that flaw any less grating to me.

[urapony 41]

A small minority of people fail to see the comedy in her personality. The arrogance is played for laughs, and I honestly love her for it. It what makes a far more entertaining character than Applejack as far as I'm concerned. Whatever though, that favorite pony poll on here doesn't lie.

[mars 4,862]

I use to hate Rainbow Dash. I hated her arrogance, the fact she was willing to ditch her friends, the way she showed off... She's grown on me. She's still my least favorite of the mane six, but her character development has really been making her more likable. I started liking Rainbow Dash after Wonderbolt Academy.

[kanashimi purinsesu 244]

My take on this is that she was part of dat 20% cooler motto when mlp was first taking off from NASA's launchpad and that she was probably the first pony many peeps saw and were introduced to. Thus raising her popularity and making her the icon of dislike.

 

Inside of the Fandom, I'd have to go with the arrogance that she seems to have and if you aren't accustomed to somepony like that In real life, it's easy to kinda get put off by arrogance but at the same time I guess it's also because she's a bit rowdy? I don't understand it myself either lol

[Cloud Strife 928]

My take on this is that she was part of dat 20% cooler motto when mlp was first taking off from NASA's launchpad and that she was probably the first pony many peeps saw and were introduced to. Thus raising her popularity and making her the icon of dislike.

 

Inside of the Fandom, I'd have to go with the arrogance that she seems to have and if you aren't accustomed to somepony like that In real life, it's easy to kinda get put off by arrogance but at the same time I guess it's also because she's a bit rowdy? I don't understand it myself either lol

 

I understand it. Rainbow Dash is a character that would definitely be the most divisive of the Mane Six, with Applejack being the least. Applejack's character in comparison to Rainbow's is more subtle; and the more subtle a character is, the less likely people will feel extremely for that character either which way (hence the joke that Applejack is a "background pony"). Rainbow's character is much more in your face, so that either makes or breaks her for people. Unfortunately, fandoms also have a habit of reducing characters to one-dimensional archetypes - and while those characters do fit those archetypes, there's more to them than just the archetype. There are people who like her despite knowing that she has good traits, but there are also people who dislike a caricature of her that they believe to be her, rather than the character herself.

 

I think it's a reflection of how we characterize people in real life. Some people will look at someone who comes off a bit brash and give them the benefit of the doubt, think they are just that way because they're into sports and they have a soft side to them; while others will look at them and instantly think "wow that person is a big jerk I don't ever want to get to know them". In reality, everyone (and therefore, if a writer is good, everypony) cannot be reduced to a single phrase. Heck, I can't tell you how many people who will assume that Rainbow just hates everything feminine and will write her like that despite evidence in canon to the contrary (the episode with the Parasprites not counting because c'mon, that hat really did look freaking ridiculous). That's because it's extremely rare for there to be a real person out there who rejects all aspects of masculinity, or all aspects of femininity, and having Rainbow like some but not others is how real people like her function.

 

This fandom also tends to attract people who aren't the types to look beyond surface-level, too. That's not a bad thing, mind you. Trusting your gut and your first impression can come in handy in certain situations, because there are some people who are just as awful as you think they are. Being too trusting is just as much something that would put someone at a disadvantage as being distrustful of everyone. Many people in this fandom come here as a safe haven because out in the real world, they're being bullied by people who may come off similarly to Rainbow, and it makes it difficult for them to make that distinction. It's likely why another commenter in this thread said that Rainbow's only a "tweak" away from being like Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon, despite that being blatantly false; she does share a lot of characteristics with people like that, but the main difference being, funnily enough, her element. I'd go on about how people in this fandom also like to reduce characters to their elements instead of, y'know, being actual characters (thereby going into debates about whether or not Applejack/Rainbow should have their elements switched) but that's a tangent for another discussion. Regardless, it counts as an example of why there are so many misconceptions about characters like her: they're looked at a highly personal and incorrect angle, instead of as literary characters with depth that the writers (for the most part) know what they're doing with.

 

That being said, as some other commenters have pointed out, some of them just can't stand her faults even despite acknowledging that she has genuinely good traits as well and that's fine. My intention is not to make people like Rainbow Dash who can't possibly do so, but rather to clear up any misconception about her based on personal experiences that actually don't apply to her.

[Doxus 14]

It's probably due to Rainbow Dash's superiority complex… or the fact that she's the Grave Digger (the Monster Jam truck) of MLP, meaning that she's known by just about everybody… even people who aren't a fan of the show.

[Vox 870]

I for one don't hate her, she's my second favorite borderline favorite character. I can see why people don't like her, big ego, arrongant, egotistical, and a bit immature at times. 

[EpitomeOfTruth 243]

A question to all of RD's critics: Why is arrogance seen as a bad thing?

[Oblivion 20,266]

A question to all of RD's critics: Why is arrogance seen as a bad thing?

Well, I am certainly not a Dash hater, (in fact the opposite is true), but many people simply do not like people that are "full of themselves" and strut around thinking they are they best, many people prefer people with more of a humble personality that underplays themselves and their talents. And to be honest that is a perfectly valid reason to dislike Dash In my opinoun, if someone just doesn't like those character traits in a fictional character then that is their prerogative.

[Cloud Strife 928]

Well, I am certainly not a Dash hater, (in fact the opposite is true), but many people simply do not like people that are "full of themselves" and strut around thinking they are they best, many people prefer people with more of a humble personality that underplays themselves and their talents. And to be honest that is a perfectly valid reason to dislike Dash In my opinoun, if someone just doesn't like those character traits in a fictional character then that is their prerogative.

 

I'd actually argue that that's something that's worth questioning. While it's a perfectly valid reason, why do people dislike people who take pride in their accomplishments and brag about it? Why are we so down on braggarts, logically? For some you could argue it's because they put others down in their bragging, but funnily enough, Rainbow Dash doesn't do that much at all (in fact, quite the opposite). People loving themselves is a good thing, and it's just as annoying, to me, when someone goes out of their way to put themselves down, whether they're doing it for sympathy or not. Feeling good about yourself is not a crime. I'd say it's something we should actually strive for.

[Oblivion 20,266]

I don't understand how anyone could hate Rainbow Dash! She's my favorite!   She's spunky, sporty, and has a fiery personality on occasion. I think because she does not fit into a typical female gender role people tend to mark her as too masculine which sucks because there is no cookie cutter mold for female personalities. 

My head canon on that is that Dashie does indeed have a very feminine side, she just views is at a sort of "weakness" and thus tries to hide it, in fact that emoticon is proof enough of Dashies feminine side!   

[Cloud Strife 928]

My head canon on that is that Dashie does indeed have a very feminine side, she just views is at a sort of "weakness" and thus tries to hide it, in fact that emoticon is proof enough of Dashies feminine side! 

 

Actually, funnily enough, it's canon that Rainbow Dash has a feminine side. She likes the dress that she's been given by Rarity, and she has, more than once, shown interest in typically feminine activities. It's sappiness (which, to be fair, is a feminine-associated trait) that she seems to shy away from, but even then that was more early seasons and back then, it'd more been along the lines of "THIS IS JUST LIQUID PRIDE. I JUST HAVE SOMETHING IN MY EYE." Lately, she's taken to being pretty openly affectionate.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,463]

A question to all of RD's critics: Why is arrogance seen as a bad thing?

 

I'd actually argue that that's something that's worth questioning. While it's a perfectly valid reason, why do people dislike people who take pride in their accomplishments and brag about it? Why are we so down on braggarts, logically? For some you could argue it's because they put others down in their bragging, but funnily enough, Rainbow Dash doesn't do that much at all (in fact, quite the opposite). People loving themselves is a good thing, and it's just as annoying, to me, when someone goes out of their way to put themselves down, whether they're doing it for sympathy or not. Feeling good about yourself is not a crime. I'd say it's something we should actually strive for.

Because modesty > the reverse. We prefer our role models to show humbleness and to act less... Blunt about their accomplishments. It isn't that we don't like seeing someone proud of themselves, it is just that we don't like to see them rubbing it in everyone's faces. When you do that, it gets a bit... Annoying. Now RD doesn't rub it in everyone's faces as much as some people do, but she does it enough that it can be very, very grating and turns people off her character, and is one of the biggest if not the biggest reason she jumps around so much on whether I like her or not

[Oblivion 20,266]

I'd actually argue that that's something that's worth questioning. While it's a perfectly valid reason, why do people dislike people who take pride in their accomplishments and brag about it? Why are we so down on braggarts, logically? For some you could argue it's because they put others down in their bragging, but funnily enough, Rainbow Dash doesn't do that much at all (in fact, quite the opposite). People loving themselves is a good thing, and it's just as annoying, to me, when someone goes out of their way to put themselves down, whether they're doing it for sympathy or not. Feeling good about yourself is not a crime. I'd say it's something we should actually strive for.

Never said I had anything against arrogance, (being arrogant myself), all I was saying as that many people don't like that particular trait, and it is perfectly fine IMO for someone to like or dislike certain traits in a person (or pony). When people decide on what character they like most, rather it be in MLP or a entirely different show people tend to gravitate towards who they can most relate to or at the very least what they find the most emotionally attractive, just like favorite colors, some love blue, and others hate it, well apply that to ponies and some love cocky, others like shy, bubbly or adorkable.

[kanashimi purinsesu 244]

I understand it. Rainbow Dash is a character that would definitely be the most divisive of the Mane Six, with Applejack being the least. Applejack's character in comparison to Rainbow's is more subtle; and the more subtle a character is, the less likely people will feel extremely for that character either which way (hence the joke that Applejack is a "background pony"). Rainbow's character is much more in your face, so that either makes or breaks her for people. Unfortunately, fandoms also have a habit of reducing characters to one-dimensional archetypes - and while those characters do fit those archetypes, there's more to them than just the archetype. There are people who like her despite knowing that she has good traits, but there are also people who dislike a caricature of her that they believe to be her, rather than the character herself.

 

I think it's a reflection of how we characterize people in real life. Some people will look at someone who comes off a bit brash and give them the benefit of the doubt, think they are just that way because they're into sports and they have a soft side to them; while others will look at them and instantly think "wow that person is a big jerk I don't ever want to get to know them". In reality, everyone (and therefore, if a writer is good, everypony) cannot be reduced to a single phrase. Heck, I can't tell you how many people who will assume that Rainbow just hates everything feminine and will write her like that despite evidence in canon to the contrary (the episode with the Parasprites not counting because c'mon, that hat really did look freaking ridiculous). That's because it's extremely rare for there to be a real person out there who rejects all aspects of masculinity, or all aspects of femininity, and having Rainbow like some but not others is how real people like her function.

 

This fandom also tends to attract people who aren't the types to look beyond surface-level, too. That's not a bad thing, mind you. Trusting your gut and your first impression can come in handy in certain situations, because there are some people who are just as awful as you think they are. Being too trusting is just as much something that would put someone at a disadvantage as being distrustful of everyone. Many people in this fandom come here as a safe haven because out in the real world, they're being bullied by people who may come off similarly to Rainbow, and it makes it difficult for them to make that distinction. It's likely why another commenter in this thread said that Rainbow's only a "tweak" away from being like Diamond Tiara and Silverspoon, despite that being blatantly false; she does share a lot of characteristics with people like that, but the main difference being, funnily enough, her element. I'd go on about how people in this fandom also like to reduce characters to their elements instead of, y'know, being actual characters (thereby going into debates about whether or not Applejack/Rainbow should have their elements switched) but that's a tangent for another discussion. Regardless, it counts as an example of why there are so many misconceptions about characters like her: they're looked at a highly personal and incorrect angle, instead of as literary characters with depth that the writers (for the most part) know what they're doing with.

 

That being said, as some other commenters have pointed out, some of them just can't stand her faults even despite acknowledging that she has genuinely good traits as well and that's fine. My intention is not to make people like Rainbow Dash who can't possibly do so, but rather to clear up any misconception about her based on personal experiences that actually don't apply to her.

I know exactly what you mean! Like it kinda irks me irl too when people judge someone that's clearly not doing any harm to anypony, it's like "Hey, just leave them be, you never know they could be one of the nicest people you'll ever meet!" And you cant judge people based on what they did one time unless they keep doing it or if it was something really, REALLY big, i agree with you 100%

 

Rainbow Dash is a fascinating mystery still but imo she has quite a few angles that make her a bit more complex than most give her credit for lol

Edited October 22, 2014 by oPinkeroo4Uo

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

Tremendous JEALOUSY

The fact that her fans would assume that people who hate this fictional character are all jealous, is the reason people hate her. Congrats. 

 

Anyway, she can be really egotistical and unlikable and being able to do a lame Sonic Rainboom doesn't make up for that fact. People who call themselves cool, are not cool. Ever. That's why people hate her. Deal. 

 

I don't dislike her that much, though, just the mentality that anyone would be jealous of a fictional character and that it's the only reason anyone would dislike her. If you won't even admit that that part of her personality is negative, you're deluded with love for your favorite pony.

 

Being able to do dumb flying tricks doesn't make up for being a jerk, that's why Pinkie is best pony.  

Edited October 22, 2014 by Grumpy Enchantress

[Castle Bleck 19,334]

They've probably just seen the parts where she's Flanderized from a Jerk With A Heart Of Gold into just a Jerk@$$.

Edited October 22, 2014 by A.V.

[Pat.Rio.T. 305]

Well, she is selfish. It's part of her personality, but if you think about it, all of the mane six are at least a little selfish. Anyway, there's always going to be haters for everything. And also, people who come to certain conclusions through obscure reasoning.

[urapony 41]

It's jealousy over the fact that more people love her than whoever their favorite pony is. It makes them oblivious to the development and improvements she's made as a character. I promise you, a TON of people have admitted to liking her more these days, and I've seen it.

[Cloud Strife 928]

The fact that her fans would assume that people who hate this fictional character are all jealous, is the reason people hate her. Congrats. 

 

Anyway, she can be really egotistical and unlikable and being able to do a lame Sonic Rainboom doesn't make up for that fact. People who call themselves cool, are not cool. Ever. That's why people hate her. Deal. 

 

I don't dislike her that much, though, just the mentality that anyone would be jealous of a fictional character and that it's the only reason anyone would dislike her. If you won't even admit that that part of her personality is negative, you're deluded with love for your favorite pony.

 

Being able to do dumb flying tricks doesn't make up for being a jerk, that's why Pinkie is best pony.  

 

 

It's jealousy over the fact that more people love her than whoever their favorite pony is. It makes them oblivious to the development and improvements she's made as a character. I promise you, a TON of people have admitted to liking her more these days, and I've seen it.

 

Whoa, time out.

 

I'm sensing quite a bit of (needless) hostility here - and not just from the first post quoted, either. You do have to realize that we are all within the same fandom and we're all looking at the same character, and some characters are just not going to click with some while others will heavily embrace that character, and no amount of accusing the other side of being "blind" or "jealous" is going to make that fact change.

 

@Grumpy Enchantress; I know that your feathers are a little ruffled by the accusation that people who dislike Rainbow Dash are jealous, and I definitely agree with you on that, but I caution against resorting to generalizations and sarcasm to "get back at" the other side. (From what I figure, the original post was a joke anyway, but you can't really tell for sure on the internet.) These generalizations don't just hurt the people that you're targeting, but anyone who may be associated with them - like me. I have never insinuated in any of my posts in this topic that anyone is jealous of anypony. It is possible that there are people like that, but much of my analysis on why people like her stems from either a) they misunderstand who she is and make her out to be a caricature of that, or b ) she's not the kind of pony that people relate to all that well. I certainly don't like being told that I only like her because I think she's "cool" and that her sonic rainboom is neat. In fact, the reason that I like the episode Sonic Rainboom has very little to do with the rainboom itself (as neat as it is). It stems from the fact that that episode shed light on Rainbow as more than a one-dimensional character, and it showed that the writers know what they're doing and won't just put the characters into neat little stereotypes of how girls may act. That is why I like the episode; Rainbow exhibited stage fright and, moreover, Rarity showed that she could get a bit too vain herself.

 

I will admit that Rainbow has not only been selfish and rude in the past (especially in Dragonshy), but she's also been used often by the writers to deliver pretty annoying non-sequiters. I will restate this, but the point of my posts is not to cover up these facts about her, but instead to argue that these aren't the only things about her and that she has, on more than one occasion, gone against these accusations. I'm not calling anyone who dislikes her petty. I'm not saying that anyone who dislikes these traits of hers doesn't have a good reason to. Even in my post asking why we dislike people who boast, there was no hidden agenda behind that post besides a legitimate question to get you thinking.

 

The only "kind of people who dislike Rainbow Dash" whose minds I'm trying to open up are the ones who see her as that caricature, rather than as the complete character she is, and even then I'm not trying to get them to like her. All I'm attempting to do is allow others to see her from another perspective, because that's the point of a discussion like this. If everyone just agreed with each other all the time, there would be no purpose to this entire topic.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Bow to the Rain

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

It's jealousy over the fact that more people love her than whoever their favorite pony is. It makes them oblivious to the development and improvements she's made as a character. I promise you, a TON of people have admitted to liking her more these days, and I've seen it.

What are you talking about, dude? Almost everyone used to love her in like 2011, but Fluttershy and Rarity both have bigger (yet still undeserved) fan bases now. Even Derpy is more popular with a lot of people. Dashie's popularity has been fading since like Season 2. Where is this idea that she's getting more popular coming from? 

 

@Grumpy Enchantress; I know that your feathers are a little ruffled by the accusation that people who dislike Rainbow Dash are jealous, and I definitely agree with you on that, but I caution against resorting to generalizations and sarcasm to "get back at" the other side. (From what I figure, the original post was a joke anyway, but you can't really tell for sure on the internet.) These generalizations don't just hurt the people that you're targeting, but anyone who may be associated with them - like me. I have never insinuated in any of my posts in this topic that anyone is jealous of anypony. 

How am I generalizing by responding to a certain person? I never said all Rainbow Dash fans are, just a good number and it's annoying.

 

It is possible that there are people like that, but much of my analysis on why people like her stems from either a) they misunderstand who she is and make her out to be a caricature of that, or b ) she's not the kind of pony that people relate to all that well.

The writers have made her a caricature of herself already, dude.

 

I certainly don't like being told that I only like her because I think she's "cool" and that her sonic rainboom is neat. In fact, the reason that I like the episode Sonic Rainboom has very little to do with the rainboom itself (as neat as it is). It stems from the fact that that episode shed light on Rainbow as more than a one-dimensional character, and it showed that the writers know what they're doing and won't just put the characters into neat little stereotypes of how girls may act. That is why I like the episode; Rainbow exhibited stage fright and, moreover, Rarity showed that she could get a bit too vain herself.

The post I was responding too literally said that because she's able to do a dumb trick, it's okay for her to act like a bitch.

 

The only "kind of people who dislike Rainbow Dash" whose minds I'm trying to open up are the ones who see her as that caricature, rather than as the complete character she is, and even then I'm not trying to get them to like her.

I don't think she is diverse, I think most of the current writers do make her a caricature and that she seems really out of character when they try to make her likable. It's not a caricature if it's literally based on the way she acts 99% of the time, though. She's basically written as a caricature of how Lauren Faust intended her now. (Although, I hated Lauren's characterization of her too, personally.  )

[Cloud Strife 928]

How am I generalizing by responding to a certain person? I never said all Rainbow Dash fans are, just a good number and it's annoying.

 

It came across that way. My apologies if that was not what you were trying to say with it.

 

 

 

The writers have made her a caricature of herself already, dude. 

 

Not all of them have. I wouldn't say she was a caricature in Hurricane Fluttershy.

 

 

 

The post I was responding too literally said that because she's able to do a dumb trick, it's okay for her to act like a bitch.

 

Well, I think it should be clear I don't agree with that, yeah?

 

 

 

I don't think she is diverse, I think most of the current writers do make her a caricature and that she seems really out of character when they try to make her likable. It's not a caricature if it's literally based on the way she acts 99% of the time, though. She's basically written as a caricature of how Lauren Faust intended her now. (Although, I hated Lauren's characterization of her too, personally.    )

 

Or she's had character development? It is possible for a character to change over time, you know. Also, I highly dislike the "out of character" argument that people have taken on.

 

Besides, her original view was in Sonic Rainboom as well, an episode I already mentioned made her more of a three-dimensional character.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Can I just come in here and mention that just like real people and well written characters in fiction, that perhaps the Mane Six are deeper and complex? You can't always predict what they'll do in a situation?

 

Rainbow Dash doesn't haven't to be arrogant 24/7 and show off all the time in order to remain in character. People have multiple layers to themselves.

 

That's like saying that Johnny Depp acts the same at home as he does in front of the cameras for interviews. We both know it's not true and he's in character in both situations, just like Rainbow Dash is in character when she's bragging about herself and coming out of her shell a little and showing some emotion.