Why Is Fluttershy the 2nd most loved and hated character at the same time?

[USGC 16]

Ok. I know why she is 2nd most loved, but 2nd most hated? Idk why. I think its because people think she is a weird and a wuss. But they would wuss out if they had to face their fears too. And overrated is just someone's opinion, I want to know why is she the 2nd most hated character at the same time. Ya, I am weird. But everyone is weird.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

1. Fanhate dumb reaction to anything that's popular is part of it.

 

2. Fluttershy suffered some bad character stagnation in S3 and S4 where it seemed that her episodes not only reverted to her problem of dealing with social anxiety, but the fact that none of them are particularly great only makes this issue worse.

 

3. The lack of any notable presence as a secondary character only makes the hate worse.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Nuke87654

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

She is so loved because she is quite possible the most relatable character in the show. Shes an animal lover, motherly figure, and will defy her weaknesses in order to help her friends.

 

On the other \hand..... Putting her hoof down turned her into a complete sociopath for that episode.

[Crypty Scribbles 5,417]

I know the secret. Fluttershy is a Marmite. Nobody is indifferent. You or love her or hate.

It's surprising why she is not 1st loved and hated character.

 

Also is well known fact that she's most huggable pony.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

Because a lot of people who watch the show think she's too wussy even for a kids' show, and probably also as backlash against her massive popularity.

 

I'm more part of the first group, though I by no means hate her. Still, however, I think her shyness is overplayed. Yes, Putting Your Hoof Down made her go overboard, but IIRC at the end of that episode she said she'd learned to balance being assertive with being nice or something to that effect, which was then referenced exactly once the next episode, and after that it was as if it had never happened.

 

I can appreciate a flawed character, a character must have flaws to be interesting. To a degree this goes for all characters, but I think Fluttershy just didn't learn enough from her past experiences. By now she should at least have become slightly more assertive than she was before, but she's still a doormat. In Scare Master, I thought for a moment that she'd upped her game, but of course that was Angel and she was actually horrified by what she'd done...for absolutely no reason.

 

In short, she's too meek for me to consider her truly likable, although I don't hate or even dislike her either.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,853]

Because a lot of people who watch the show think she's too wussy even for a kids' show, and probably also as backlash against her massive popularity.

 

I'm more part of the first group, though I by no means hate her. Still, however, I think her shyness is overplayed. Yes, Putting Your Hoof Down made her go overboard, but IIRC at the end of that episode she said she'd learned to balance being assertive with being nice or something to that effect, which was then referenced exactly once the next episode, and after that it was as if it had never happened.

 

I can appreciate a flawed character, a character must have flaws to be interesting. To a degree this goes for all characters, but I think Fluttershy just didn't learn enough from her past experiences. By now she should at least have become slightly more assertive than she was before, but she's still a doormat. In Scare Master, I thought for a moment that she'd upped her game, but of course that was Angel and she was actually horrified by what she'd done...for absolutely no reason.

 

In short, she's too meek for me to consider her truly likable, although I don't hate or even dislike her either.

I disagree with the Scaremaster part. I don't consider that to be her being meek in that instance, more like she realized it was something that she just didn't like to do. 

 

Fluttershy, to me, gets a lot of unnecessary hate thanks to fandom inconsistencies. On one hoof, I have seen people saying before that she should be better with her problems by now, she shouldn't be so shy, timid, or scared. On another entirely, we have people that want her to be as she is, to keep her personality completely intact and relatable to them.

 

Me, I think she is fine as she is and even though Twilight is now my favorite pony, Flutters is in a very close 2nd place for me still. 

[KatonRyu 1,033]

 

 

I disagree with the Scaremaster part. I don't consider that to be her being meek in that instance, more like she realized it was something that she just didn't like to do.

 

Fair enough. Looking at it that way makes it somewhat more relatable, actually. Still, on the whole I don't relate to her much at all, which contributes to her being my least favorite of the Mane Six. (Though again, not disliked)

[PinkieatHeart 208]

I know the secret. Fluttershy is a Marmite. Nobody is indifferent. You or love her or hate.

It's surprising why she is not 1st loved and hated character.

 

Also is well known fact that she's most huggable pony.

 

 

 

*raises hoof* So... did I break the universe then, cuz I'm pretty indifferent about Fluttershy.

[Crypty Scribbles 5,417]

*raises hoof* So... did I break the universe then, cuz I'm pretty indifferent about Fluttershy.

LOL! Congratulations. Because of you she's only second most loved and hated poney.

[cider float 2,538]

Maybe they hate Fluttershy because she's the 2nd most loved? That's why it places her as the second most hated.

[AtomicStone 724]

Well, she has many qualities which is why she's my favourite pony but she has flaws too. Maybe her big popularity with the fandom has something to do with this as well. But my opinion of her certainly isn't going to be changing, that's for sure XD

[Merion 783]

Well... I'm gonna sound like a tumblr social justice warrior, but bear with me. I'm not a big fan of Fluttershy (and of other fictional characters that fit the Shrinking Violet trope, for that matter). And it's not about the character itself... what annoys me about Fluttershy is how the fandom romanticizes her social anxiety.

 

You may say that she's just a cartoon character and that her characteristics are supposed to a little bit be over-the-top and that her extreme shyness makes her just a caricature of an actual shy person. But I've been struggling with some minor anxiety issues and some aspects of Fluttershy's shyness seem just too realistic. To me, she's a picture of social anxiety. I see her as a troubled, anxiety-driven character and I can relate to her on that level.

 

And then I see people actually finding her shyness cute or even hot. They way her eyes fill up with tears is considered adorable... It just doesn't feel right. What's so attractive about a mental illness?

Look, this may seem ridiculous, but I'm a little bit jealous of how much love that kind of characters get. In real life people with social anxiety often end up being bullied or left behind by their peers. Crying in public is not socially acceptable (and it's definitely not cute!) People romanticize characters with mental illnesses but hate to be around actual people with those illnesses. Fans love fictional characters for their flaws while they dislike the exact same flaws in real life. Dunno guys, this just makes me sad.

 

So... I guess the fandom ruined Fluttershy for me and I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way.

[geartree 33]

Fluttershy is my second favorite pony. But I guess why I can see why a lot of people do not like her. She can go over the top with her social anxiety (I believe I have social anxiety, but never got it diagnosed, so I will not claim I do have it), but I guess there are people that react that way even in real life.

[Starlet Harmony 128]

Flutterhsy is loveable and cute, yet her character gets REALLY old REALLY fast... I think thats why.

[Fhaolan 4,484]

Since this has to do with a character in the current show, off this goes to Show Discussion.

[Rawzy 1,302]

I guess certain episodes like "putting your hoof down" really had a big effect on certain people, and also some people just hate her because she is mainstream asf, before I even knew what mlp was, the name "Fluttershy" would always ring a bell.

[Scootie 108]

 

Look, this may seem ridiculous, but I'm a little bit jealous of how much love that kind of characters get. In real life people with social anxiety often end up being bullied or left behind by their peers. Crying in public is not socially acceptable (and it's definitely not cute!) People romanticize characters with mental illnesses but hate to be around actual people with those illnesses. Fans love fictional characters for their flaws while they dislike the exact same flaws in real life. Dunno guys, this just makes me sad.

 

So... I guess the fandom ruined Fluttershy for me and I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way.

THIS

 

I'm also shy and introverted. I WISH I was treated in real life like how the fandom treats Fluttershy. 

No one found me cute throughout school. I just got bullied and/or ignored. I still do even.

 

I just can't warm up to Fluttershy at all, as much as I want to, because I hate disliking fictional characters.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,699]

Fluttershy's very moe, which is good for her. at the same time she has a very Serious flaw, in that she is a VERY static character.

She never changes or advances; She has no goals in life, no aspirations, no NOTHING, and she has never *kept* any character development from episode to episode (As she learns lessons about being more assertive and not shy and immediately forgets them afterwards).


As such, she can start to get kind of boring and stale to a lot of fans who find her to be running on a single aspect of herself (her moeness and shyness) without ever actually developing as a character, which can cause people to dislike her.



This is a bit of a problem in the show in that half the cast lack goals or ambitions so it can be kind of hard to avoid them starting to seem like they never change.

[NeonCobalt 256]

I imagine it's because while she is very likable, some people think her character occasionally stagnates in her development. As in we'll get multiple epsiodes where she comes out of her social anxiety, only to find her back in it next time. Being honest though, I never understood this complaint. Social Anxiety can be complex, and just because she is doing better in one area (Fear of performing in front of others, from Filli Vanilli), doesn't mean she doesn't still need work in another (Fear of Nightmare Night, from Scare Master).

[Se7en 1]

Because she is damn Fluttershy.

[Swifty 249]

THIS

 

I'm also shy and introverted. I WISH I was treated in real life like how the fandom treats Fluttershy.

No one found me cute throughout school. I just got bullied and/or ignored. I still do even.

 

I just can't warm up to Fluttershy at all, as much as I want to, because I hate disliking fictional characters.

I think the reason is, that Fluttershy is appealing to the eye and we people are shallow. Would Fluttershy still be cute, if she would look like...(i don't know a ugly mare at the moment)? I have my doubts.

 

If a boy look like Brat Pitt at his peak, i believe he would be liked as Fluttershy, at least by some girls. :-D

[chili 120]

I used to hate her to the bottom of my heart. She was a coward, regurarly changed her mind set so her character became very untrustworthy. Nobody understood my reason to why because she was SOOOO CUUUTE AND HUGGABLE AND BOBOBO, but that only made me more disgusted from the thought of her.

Nowadays, after watching the latest season, I feel more neutral about her. I feel as if I could relate to her better and her character has grown to be all the more trustworthy to me. She's not a complete idiot anymore and I can relate to her struggles and interests.

I just still hate how the fandom usually treat her. "So cute and adorable and huggable". I think there is way more to her than that and that's why her stereotypes annoys me.

[cmarston1 5,959]

Because she is an incredibly popular character, and whenever something gets popular there is always going to be some sort of backlash.  Similar to how some people feel about Rainbow Dash or Frozen or what have you.

[bluseymoe 258]

For all the complaining I've done about Fluttershy, I really don't hate her. In fact, I find her to be very entertaining most of the time, which is more than I can say for Applejack or Rarity.

 

That said, popularity is both a blessing and a curse. You get lots of love, but you also get lots of hate for getting lots of love.

Edited March 8, 2016 by bluseymoe