Why Are Bronies Disliked?

[Aureity 3,055]

Yeah...I know I'm probably going to get flame over this, so before I post let me just say these are NOT my views, they are the views of a few close friends I have who do not like bronies.

 

So why do some people find bronies annoying? I wondered that myself every day, as my friends started laughing every time I made a mlp reference. They smirked whenever I trawled the forums in my spare time (at school), and they poked holes with their pencils in my mlp doodles. Rather than get angry at them, however, I wondered Why? I searched up a few anti-brony websites just to figure out why some people hate bronies so much.

 

The result was actually quite surprising. Yes, some people hate bronies because they are homophobes and afraid to even look at something that seems slightly "queer" to them. It's definitely true, and there will always be people like that. But most of the people who dislike bronies (dislike not being fanatical hate, that's usually the homophobic rascists) dislike them for another reason-they simply don't like how bronies shove mlp into their faces.

 

According to one person, whose name I forgot, "It's not like I ("I" referring to the person who said the quote, not me) actually have anything against ponies. You can watch your show all you want for all I care, we all have something I like. It's just the amount of pony-related crap I go through all the time. It's everywhere on the internet, I can't go three feet without something pony-related being shove into my face. And when I try to tell them to quit it, they call me a hater."

 

Another quote I remember is "Bronies claim that they're (the guys at least) are just as masculine, and more secure about their masculinity, because they watch ponies and aren't afraid to show it. But that's actually rather hypocritical. If they felt so secure, they wouldn't feel the need to announce to the world that they like ponies. Look at all the coming-out stories. No one CARES. If you felt so secure about your position, you wouldn't feel the need to have to tell the entire world."

 

 

So what do you think about this, fellow bronies?

[RainbowDashie 767]

the fan-art is kinda annoying sometimes. and we left NOTHING unponyfied...

[LowfatEnvelope 335]

Interesting. I guess it makes sense. I've seen the "Stop shoving it down my throat" response a couple times, and i guess that would get rather annoying. Then again though, you could always come back and say "Well, we have to traverse YOUR garbage to". Idk. People who dislike bronies for that reason i don't mind that much, it's just the people who hate on the show in general without ANY knowledge of it that drive me up the wall.

[Kyreth 193]

I have a friend like that. He says he actually may have liked mlp if 4chan hadn't become so over saturated with pony stuff. I don't have any problem with that but it tends to get generalised to all bronies. I know some of my friends don't like mlp so I try my best not to shove it down their throats. I avoid watching it when they're around, I only talk ponies to my other brony friend, things like that. But when they've been exposed to more of it than they are comfortable with online, they start to see every little thing as me shoving it down their throats. That's when people start to jump on the PONIES ARE EVIL AND MUST BE DESTROYED bandwagon.

[Eavath 278]

Interesting. I guess it makes sense. I've seen the "Stop shoving it down my throat" response a couple times, and i guess that would get rather annoying. Then again though, you could always come back and say "Well, we have to traverse YOUR garbage to". Idk. People who dislike bronies for that reason i don't mind that much, it's just the people who hate on the show in general without ANY knowledge of it that drive me up the wall.

I would have to agree here. I've got a friend who absolutely detests bronies for this reason. Warning, possible confusion incoming:

 

He had a friend who was a brony. Nothing was hidden or anything, so, you know, ponies. I guess one day he talked to another friend and stuff ensued and it pretty much ended with: "You don't like ponies, I can't be friends with you any more." Not to mention the fact that evidently he had been shoving it down people's throats incessently. I can understand why people don't like bronies because of the bad ones.

 

It's a general rule of thumb about humans. We categorize things even if we don't intend to. One bad apple can give us a sour taste in our mouths and not want to have anything to do with the rest of the community.

 

He even told me he was going to give the show a shot. Until that happened. He would have loved to have watched the show, yet all this bull involving attempted force-feeding (not to mention all the R34 stuff he's seen) has completely put him off of giving it a chance, and a very bitter and sour taste for all of the bronies.

--

I can honestly see why he would feel this way. I've had stuff forced down my throat, and after that, I've wanted nothing at all to do anything with it.

 

And, about the whole "Well, we have to traverse YOUR garbage to," I'd have to agree. There's lots of stuff I see that I'd rather not see, but I don't go around and yell at people about seeing it all >.<

[Pumpkinbot 69]

Y'know, I used to be the same way. I used to say I disliked the show just because it was everywhere, but then...well, I watched episode 1, then episode 2...you get the idea.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

I could see that in the beginning of the brony phenomenon, there weren't too many dedicated websites to MLP and bronies, so pony stuff would be everywhere on the internet and shoved in non-bronies' faces because the only place for bronies to express themselves were on big, general websites

 

HOWEVA, now pony stuff has been somewhat centralized and contained within pony-specific websites or pony-specific boards/forums on certain websites. The only exception is meme websites but then there's plenty of other memes and shows and references on it.

 

The "getting MLP shoved down our throats" excuse by haters was valid in the beginning, but now I don't think so.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Doctor XFizzle

[Crispy 5,563]

I guess one day he talked to another friend and stuff ensued and it pretty much ended with: "You don't like ponies, I can't be friends with you any more."

 

Man. I hate when someone is doing it wrong. Total opposite of the entire "idea" of being a brony.

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

I'd have to slightly agree with them on this one. I was pretty much the same before I watched the show in that I was often bothered by the sheer amount of pony related art on the internet, especially when it was crossed with other things I enjoyed. Now I actively seek out such crossover art, but they still have a valid point here.

 

However...!

 

Those aren't the people I can't stand. No, it's the haters who go completely out of their way to find anything related to something for the sole purpose of hating on it and anyone who may like it. I'd call them trolls, but even trolls have more class more often than not.

[roomforapony 285]

There's annoying fans that ruin any fandom that try to shove their love of something down other people's throats, or go too far with it. It's annoying to non fans, and I completely understand how those people feel who have to endure it. And remember, it's the annoying fans that always stick out and they will always be the ones that sticks in people's memories.

[Toastypk 920]

I don't go overboard with pony stuff and I don't shove it in people's faces.

In fact there's someone I know who doesn't watch the show, and I've very rarely brought it up.

Also I just watch the show and don't make a big deal out of it, unless I'm explaining to someone how it's so different than what would be expected.

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Another quote I remember is "Bronies claim that they're (the guys at least) are just as masculine, and more secure about their masculinity, because they watch ponies and aren't afraid to show it. But that's actually rather hypocritical. If they felt so secure, they wouldn't feel the need to announce to the world that they like ponies. Look at all the coming-out stories. No one CARES. If you felt so secure about your position, you wouldn't feel the need to have to tell the entire world."

 

 

 

We wouldnt have to if people didn't call us gay...

[Magnus 69]

Lol, heard alot of those comments before. Thing is, somepony think that you can create spiderman threads, troll threads and so on, but the second you respond with a pony meme, you are "showing ponies" in their face

 

But I do aggree, I have no need to forcefeed people with mlp. I like mlp for my own reasons, and couldnt care less if other people like it or not. "Missionary"style fans of any kind annoy be to a great extent.

 

This is not a good thing:

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

*light bulb*

MLP = Tim Tebow

Bronies = Tebow supporters

the internet = ESPN

haters = rest of the NFL

 

ESPN shoves Tebow down people's throats and the Tebow supporters are very VERY fanatical about their guy.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Doctor XFizzle

[Shankveld 4,945]

As with anything (ie Religion, Justin Bieber etc) no one likes it shoved in their faces. But As I do with the aforementioned examples instead of hating it I just go places where I won't see it.

~

Just because people like something to an obsession is not a good enough reason to hate them or it, in my opinion.

~

[RippedOffMattress 314]

I've been stalking some anti-brony groups on DeviantART, and I think I've come to fully understand our hate.

 

We have been known to repeatedly contradict ourselves with the "Love and Tolerance" idea. Bronies tend to be mean to dislikers, therfore, making the antis hate us more.

 

It's funny though, the anti-bronies try to pass us off as these evil human beings, When in reality, they're the ones creating these conflicts. Probably the reason we're dicks to them is because of how much they are to us.

 

This confession sums up a good bit on why bronies can act this way.

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

Inductive reasoning is a nifty yet perilous tool. A lot of people will use it in order to rapidly formulate an opinion about a large group. At times, it is helpful simply because we lack the time and energy for extended observation. In certain cases, too, inductive logic may indeed be supportive in formulating a broader working assessment. But clearly there are failures in making inductive observations pervasive; for lack of effort, it is easier to construct a stereotype and go from there. Unfortunately, that means bronies will be subject to such judgments.

 

Are there unsavory members of the herd? Yes, most certainly. They might be pushy, exceedingly socially awkward/creepy, or obnoxious about their love of ponies. It seems to me, however, that most bronies are pretty chill about the whole subject; but if someone decides to berate them for their fandom, they'll become defensive. It makes sense, all things considered. It's highly debateable whether the majority of bronies force their proclivities onto others. That may need be assessed on a case by case basis.

 

A lot of corners of the internet breed small mindedness on a variety of subjects, so bronies, vast and budding as we are, are bound to become targets of those who either feel saturated or are looking for a fight.

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

*light bulb*

MLP = Tim Tebow

Bronies = Tebow supporters

the internet = ESPN

haters = rest of the NFL

 

ESPN shoves Tebow down people's throats and the Tebow supporters are very VERY fanatical about their guy.

 

I would compare MLP to Tom Brady instead of Tim Tebow, lol. A lot more people hate Brady than Tebow, similar to how many people hate MLP, yet even more people like it.

[Kodiak 431]

 

I've been stalking some anti-brony groups on DeviantART, and I think I've come to fully understand our hate. We have been known to repeatedly contradict ourselves with the "Love and Tolerance" idea. Bronies tend to be mean to dislikers, therfore, making the antis hate us more. It's funny though, the anti-bronies try to pass us off as these evil human beings, When in reality, they're the ones creating these conflicts. Probably the reason we're dicks to them is because of how much they are to us.

 

 

I honestly think the brony community, at large, have lost the ways of "love and tolerance;" the whole drama with Derpy Hooves and AcousticBrony releasing a new song clearly proves that. I loved my first dive into the fandom because the motto "love and tolerance" really meant something: not lashing back at people who insult you; not insulting others when their ideas differ from yours; being constuctively helpful and mature instead of spiteful and "lulzy" (believe me, I've met many bronies like that).

 

I'm still a brony to the end, but I feel that things have been taking a turn for the worst in the last few months. Maybe we can pull it back up, but hey, it's just my opinion.

[Key Gear 6,662]

Yeah...I know I'm probably going to get flame over this, so before I post let me just say these are NOT my views, they are the views of a few close friends I have who do not like bronies.

 

Aureity, I don't think that any member will flame you for this post. Not on this site at least. Besides, you raise a point that is worth discussing.

 

I searched up a few anti-brony websites just to figure out why some people hate bronies so much.

There are anti-brony websites? You mean that people have built entire sites that are dedicated towards their dislike of bronies? Wow, I did not know that.

 

...... Ok, I just went and googled a bit. I did wander across a few sites, but they hardly seem to be very numerous.

 

So what do you think about this, fellow bronies?

 

Well, I was going to write a long, elaborate post talking about tribalism and how opposing tribes seek to defend their "turf" from newer tribes, but I feel like getting straight to the point this time.

 

Frankly, I think that this is bullcrap.

 

Where are these brony-haters visiting that they find themselves wading through "pony-related crap"? I would be curious to know, because I only very rarely see any pony-related stuff on other sites that I go to. And I visit a lot of sites.

 

I don't visit many meme sites or image boards though. If they are wading through pony-related stuff on 4chan, some other image board, or some random meme site then they should shut up and deal with it. Those sites are filled with thousands of images from thousands of shows. Why is it that only the pony stuff bothers them?

 

To be frank, I am aware that some gaming forums have been fighting "brony wars". My point is still valid though. Gamer forums have thousands of memes and random images posted everyday. Once again, why is it that only the pony stuff bothers them?

 

I have heard many brony-haters say that it is "everywhere on the Internet". I really would like to corner one of them and get them to define what they mean by the word "Internet", because they keep saying it, but I do not think that they know what it actually means. From the brony-hater sites that I looked at, it seems that they define the Internet as gamer forums, image boards, and meme sites. I find that definition to be actually funny.

 

That point about masculinity is completely without merit. Let's think about this for a second. They say that if we felt so secure about watching the show, then we would not need to announce that we like ponies. Parse that sentence slowly. It doesn't make any sense.

 

Let's turn it around. Why should they care about whether bronies tell others that they are a brony? It has nothing to do with them at all. It is not about insecurity. It is about getting connected with other bronies online. They are not telling "the world", they are telling other bronies. How else should bronies communicate? Telepathically? Certainly not.

 

He had a friend who was a brony. Nothing was hidden or anything, so, you know, ponies. I guess one day he talked to another friend and stuff ensued and it pretty much ended with: "You don't like ponies, I can't be friends with you any more."

 

Let's be real here. Unless we were there, we really don't know what really happened there. If your friend had insulted the brony (even unintentionally), then maybe that would provide a good explanation for what happened. Most likely there are additional details that would help to add clarity to that particular event.

 

It's a general rule of thumb about humans. We categorize things even if we don't intend to. One bad apple can give us a sour taste in our mouths and not want to have anything to do with the rest of the community.

One bad taste? Oh come on, there are idiots all over the place. If someone has a bad experience with one person and then extends that bad experience over everyone else that shares some attribute with that one person, then that is a sorry way to live life.

 

He would have loved to have watched the show, yet all this bull involving attempted force-feeding (not to mention all the R34 stuff he's seen)

Let's be real. There are "adult" themed versions of everything that has ever existed in the history of mankind. That is not a valid reason for disliking any single community.

 

As a side note, what is your friend doing that has led to him seeing so much r34? I have never seen anything r34 related for this show. It's easy enough to avoid. How come your friend hasn't had much luck in avoiding it?

 

Look, I have nothing against people that dislike bronies. My entire point is that it seems that they are indulging in ex post facto rationalization. In other words, they seem to start with a dislike of bronies then they desperately seek out anything that would provide a reason for them to dislike bronies.

 

In reality, if they don't like pony related stuff, then all they have to do is just ignore it. Until they start doing that, then they should expect the amount of pony-related stuff to increase, if only because trolls will purposefully post ponies just to get a flamewar going.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Scootacool

[Eavath 278]

Let's be real here. Unless we were there, we really don't know what really happened there. If your friend had insulted the brony (even unintentionally), then maybe that would provide a good explanation for what happened. Most likely there are additional details that would help to add clarity to that particular event.

 

Don't get me wrong, I know there's a whole story we're not getting anything about, I'm just relaying what I was told by a brony-hater that was actually civil enough to have a conversation about it without exploding

>.<. I'd love to actually get the full story about it, but I don't like having friends pull up past drama. Especially when it deals with past friends.

 

One bad taste? Oh come on, there are idiots all over the place. If someone has a bad experience with one person and then extends that bad experience over everyone else that shares some attribute with that one person, then that is a sorry way to live life.

 

I'm just going off of everything that I've experienced personally with people here. I'm not saying everyone feels this way, but I've seen stuff like this happen all my life. I agree with this point too, hating an entire group because of a few reactions is definitely not an outlook on life that's in any way shape or form healthy.

 

Let's be real. There are "adult" themed versions of everything that has ever existed in the history of mankind. That is not a valid reason for disliking any single community.

 

As a side note, what is your friend doing that has led to him seeing so much r34? I have never seen anything r34 related for this show. It's easy enough to avoid. How come your friend hasn't had much luck in avoiding it?

 

Yeah, I've told him the same things, and I try not to pry into people's "private time" and asking about such things. I felt a lot of his arguments were quite unfounded, but I didn't want to prod and poke and get him all worked up over stuff.

 

--

 

and, also, about the "omg, ponies are everywhere, would you please just shut up about it and go away?" This, I feel, is the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. I'm always doing something on the internet, whether it be randomly surfing websites, or just attempting to see where random-youtubing will take me. Before I started watching the show, I hardly saw anything of pony-nature. Granted, I saw random PMVs here and there scattered on youtube, but nothing that made me feel like I was getting flooded by it. It wasn't until I got into the show and actively searching for the stuff that I actually found it.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

I would compare MLP to Tom Brady instead of Tim Tebow, lol. A lot more people hate Brady than Tebow, similar to how many people hate MLP, yet even more people like it.

 

I guess that's more true because Brady is actually good and is actually a QB.

Maybe Tebow is like some other fandom that's not as cool as MLP

[Nordica 179]

and, also, about the "omg, ponies are everywhere, would you please just shut up about it and go away?" This, I feel, is the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. I'm always doing something on the internet, whether it be randomly surfing websites, or just attempting to see where random-youtubing will take me. Before I started watching the show, I hardly saw anything of pony-nature. Granted, I saw random PMVs here and there scattered on youtube, but nothing that made me feel like I was getting flooded by it. It wasn't until I got into the show and actively searching for the stuff that I actually found it.

 

I agree with this. Before I became a brony, I wasn't aware of the pony craziness at all. I may have stumbled over something once in a while without noticing, but that just means the internet isn't as ponyfied as the haters claim it to be. It's almost like they're looking for it just to have an excuse for all their hating.

[Strafe 593]

MY THEORY:

 

 

They just jelly.

 

[Princess Ariona 402]

I also know some bronies in the other non mlp sites, what they do is totally " postin and writin about ponies everywhere" there -.- I hate that, cuz seriously it makes people hate us even more. I just don't understand why those bronies are doin that and it makes me feel sad. It's nothin more than a show off " I'm a brony and proud of it, look at me! "..... If nopony ever tried to show and tell about ponies to the entire world, there wouldn't be anythin what is called Anti-brony.