What's this feminist hatred for love interests in this show?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,933]

I still don't see the feminist connection with this issue. I do however think that love is something that is apparently forbidden by many in this fandom, in the show proper that is. Everywhere, people go wild with it. Love is a delicate concept and one that is hard to do in a show like this, but I for one think that it should be given a chance eventually. It isn't required by any means, but if the writers wanted to give it a shot, I would be in full support. Sure, there is Cadence and Shining Armor as a relationship, but we really don't see anything of that relationship. Nothing results from it, well, except for an over-powered alicorn baby. 

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I think for a lot of people the reason for not wanting romance, at least where the Mane 6 are concerned, is that they either see them as their waifu, or they ship them among themselves or with other characters already and open romance would torpedo that. For instance, I ship SunLight and AppleDash, so if either of those four got into a canon relationship my preferred ships are going down.

 

As for FlashLight...if they'd actually given him a personality and show the two building affection for each other over time, that would be fine. My issue with it is that the guy is a cardboard cutout and it's just a crush for the sake of having one, rather than a meaningful and developed relationship. This goes for all of the Mane 6, really. I'm fine with any relationships as long as they're actually built up over the course of a few episodes.

[Sofen 75]

We need manism where men are men and don't get married. If thats what i think it means

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBoT9mmtTO8

But feminists should be more concerned on what goes on in the real world and not waste so much time on entertainment. Thats my suggestion.

 

But I like shipping ponies because they are so adorable ^^

Edited March 23, 2016 by Sofen

[Goat-kun 2,530]

If done right, romance is (problematic!) a nice thing to have. I do tend to like my waifus paired with a worthy canon husbando, but only when said male (OMG, Goat-kun is a misogynistic, Gamergate, LGTB-hating, racist Santa Claus apologist!) character stands on an equal footing with his significant other. There are many lulz to be had when a boy and a girl (Again, shameless KKK, transphobic misogyny! Reported for verbal harassment and internalized desire to have exposed female butts in video games!) want to prove their affection to each other in their own different way, and even more lulz can stem from the budding relationship as the two characters start working things out between them. Such union can become a friendship that lasts for a lifetime (This reasoning shows deeply entrenched islamophobic tendencies! Safe space nao! Also racism against religion! Wait, what?).

 

There is no chance in all the underworlds that such a relationship is properly done in MLP since it requires episodic progress and fair amount of meaningful moments (and maturity from your writers and supervisors capable of comprehending why random hallway encounters and your average high school crushes aren’t romantic but pure vomit). Proper love is like the sea: both shallow and deep, sometimes cold, sometimes warm, sometimes quiet, sometimes raging in a storm, but a good ship will always endure.

 

Did I mention it’s 2016? Well now you know. No thanks necessary.

[SolyWack 482]

I LOVE it when people just come right out and say what they think. Already in here, I can see people are getting angry because you called this love issue "feminist". I feed off such internet hatred.

 

But it is true in a way (see how I'm playing both sides there), because if there was a love interest, then the male character would actually need to be fleshed out, and that's a big red flag right there for Hasbro. No way is that a possibility. No no.

[cider float 2,539]

What's going on is feminists the new black?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,162]

You know when people think female heroes think they shouldn't always have a love interest for just being female? Feminists hate that. That's what I'm talking about and I'm rationalizing that all heroes end up getting some kind of love interest at some point of time in all shows especially if it's run 5 seasons straight.

 

 

That's more generalization than rationalization. Some feminists may hate it, but other feminists love it, and others still don't care either which way. It's not fair to call it a "feminist hatred," IMO. :/

[Unlikeable Pony 2,699]

I actually love love interests.

its just that a character MUST  have a purpose that lets them stand on their own before being a love interest; Basically, they must have a point in a narrative BESIDES just being a love interest.

 

Take spike for example; I like him and rarity together because both characters have reasons to exist and character facets to them if you were to erase the love interest aspect. I also enjoy Soarindash shipping because soarin has a primary purpose for his existence in the show that's seperate from being a love interest, so if they were to try and push him and dash he'd have a reason to exist already.

 

 

Its just that characters like flash sentry have zero reason to exist BEYOND being a love interest: You erase "love interest" from them, and you erase them: they lose all reason to exist.

[Mischievous Scribe 16]

It is no surprise that Twilight and others are starting to develop love interests, it was bound to happen eventually.

[ErisPegasus 56]

If done right, romance is (problematic!) a nice thing to have. I do tend to like my waifus paired with a worthy canon husbando, but only when said male (OMG, Goat-kun is a misogynistic, Gamergate, LGTB-hating, racist Santa Claus apologist!) character stands on an equal footing with his significant other. There are many lulz to be had when a boy and a girl (Again, shameless KKK, transphobic misogyny! Reported for verbal harassment and internalized desire to have exposed female butts in video games!) want to prove their affection to each other in their own different way, and even more lulz can stem from the budding relationship as the two characters start working things out between them. Such union can become a friendship that lasts for a lifetime (This reasoning shows deeply entrenched islamophobic tendencies! Safe space nao! Also racism against religion! Wait, what?).

 

There is no chance in all the underworlds that such a relationship is properly done in MLP since it requires episodic progress and fair amount of meaningful moments (and maturity from your writers and supervisors capable of comprehending why random hallway encounters and your average high school crushes aren’t romantic but pure vomit). Proper love is like the sea: both shallow and deep, sometimes cold, sometimes warm, sometimes quiet, sometimes raging in a storm, but a good ship will always endure.

 

Did I mention it’s 2016? Well now you know. No thanks necessary.

 

Funny how you jump at the negative stereotypes about Gamergaters (when no one even brought it up), then proceed to validate every single one of the those tendencies in your post. Namely, all those talking points that are copy and pasted directly from /pol/.

 

On a broader note, this thread is flame-bait. The OP isn't helping matters.

 

 

It's all SPOOKY GHOST bull and the anti-individual neo-sexism of the new far left. People think that any female or minority character automatically represents everyone of a particular group, thus if a character gets married, to them that means that it's the ideal that everyone of that group get married. The only way that would be true is if a show actively engaged in tokenism and stereotyping, but who knows they'll project that onto any work because it'll get attention to their cause.

 

Oh great, here comes the 'SPOOKY GHOST' buzzword.

 

How should I derail any discussion about social issues because thinking about the negative treatment of other groups of people makes me feel uncomfortable?

 

I know, let's use a word that has long since lost all meaning!

 

...

 

Maybe I shouldn't talk but spam Lily Peet videos instead. For a show started by a self-identified feminist - and aimed towards little girls - its fans can be utterly toxic when it comes to these debates. I know it's probably the over-representation of males in the fandom (hence the moniker 'brony'), but it's annoying at the best of times, and downright barbarous at the worst.

Edited March 26, 2016 by ErisPegasus

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

This would have gone done relatively smoothly had the OP just titled the damn thing, "Why are people against seeing more love interests in the show?"  Many of the posters in this thread still more or less replied as though that was what the OP had called it.

[Concerned Bystander 2,904]

It is certainly true that some feminists have an issue with female characters 'needing' a man, or worrying that being in a relationship will reduce that character's status to being arm candy for their partner.  That view however represents only the view of certain individuals, not the entire feminist world, as ultimately there are as many different interpretations of feminism as there are feminists.

 

The topic in question goes far beyond just a sub group of feminists though.  I am not as feminist, and I still don't want to see romance in the show, at least not within the main cast.  My aversion to the idea is not because I don't want some stallion getting his hooves on my waifu, and not because I'm some ship obsessive that is worried that canon romance will gradually sink my entire flotilla.

 

The core message of the program is friendship, and even though Twilight getting all misty eyed over Flash would not destroy her friendships, it still would alter the dynamic of the program considerably, at least, it would if it were done properly with the necessary level of attention given over to it to make it work.

 

I like the cartoon how it is, a bit of lighthearted fun, with a few awesome adventures and the occasional epic magic laser battle.  If I want to see romance there are plenty of other programs that I can watch to see it done properly.

 

I like the ponies just how they are.  Single.

[Goat-kun 2,530]

Funny how you jump at the negative stereotypes about Gamergaters (when no one even brought it up), then proceed to validate every single one of the those tendencies in your post. Namely, all those talking points that are copy and pasted directly from /pol/.

 

On a broader note, this thread is flame-bait. The OP isn't helping matters.

 

Oh great, here comes the 'SPOOKY GHOST' buzzword.

 

How should I derail any discussion about social issues because thinking about the negative treatment of other groups of people makes me feel uncomfortable?

 

I know, let's use a word that has long since lost all meaning!

 

Maybe I shouldn't talk but spam Lily Peet videos instead. For a show started by a self-identified feminist - and aimed towards little girls - its fans can be utterly toxic when it comes to these debates. I know it's probably the over-representation of males in the fandom (hence the moniker 'brony'), but it's annoying at the best of times, and downright barbarous at the worst.

It made me snicker evilly and it was clearly spicy enough to make you yelp.

 

On the side note, calling something a flamebait (or racist) without further explanation is exactly the point I was going for. Yes, the show was started by a (non-intersectional) feminist and animal lover who can actually justify her claims and understands how to approach a valid problem without making a dozen new ones. Covering for hordes of idiots screaming injustice and vandalizing everything the western world has accomplished might not be the road you want to travel without sufficient preparations.

[ErisPegasus 56]

Covering for hordes of idiots screaming injustice and vandalizing everything the western world has accomplished might not be the road you want to travel without sufficient preparations.

 

Ahaha, wow. That's some hyperbole right there, and you accuse me of 'yelping'? I'm sure the user worrying over the 'vandalizing' of 'western civilisation' is the calm one in this discussion.

 

I just noticed the 'Parasprite' flair, my bad. Engaging you was a baddddd idea.

Edited March 27, 2016 by ErisPegasus

[Shanks 10,816]

While most of the arguments against it are kind of weak most of them at least have nothing to do with feminism. The main reason hinges on the perception that any of the main or certain secondary characters getting into relationships in cannon will somehow ruin the show. There are many reasons given for this the main ones being concerns that a love interest will automatically be a bland Gary Stu character, is unnecessary or just simply dosen't make sense for this kind of show. Those things could indeed happen if it is not done right, but are far from guaranteed. While none of the main characters have been involved in a romantic relationship yet the subject isn't entirely without precedent in cannon even if it deals mainly with secondary characters. We had 2 cannon weddings, the first being the Canterlot Wedding and the second being Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda, there is the Hearts and Hooves Day episode, hints of Big Mac and Marble Pie having possible crushes on each other come to mind. To be fair a main character getting into such a relationship would have a much more significant impact on the show than a secondary character being involved in such a relationship and would require much more character development in order to work but again isn't entirely impossible.

[Jinxie Umbra 149]

"Oh no, teh evil feminists r ruining everything!"

 

Seriously, though. With the primary demographic being pre-teen girls, complex romantic relationships are not something I would expect to see in this show. Also, Twilight-Flash is weird because she goes from freaking out about her new body to getting a crush on one of these things? Hilarious.

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

It has something to do with "perpetuating stereotypes" or some stupid shit like that.......... I have no clue what's stereotypical of males being attracted to females, or females being attracted to males, but I'm sure its something patriarchal and oppressive to women in some invisible way that only feminists see.

[Goat-kun 2,530]

Ahaha, wow. That's some hyperbole right there, and you accuse me of 'yelping'? I'm sure the user worrying over the 'vandalizing' of 'western civilisation' is the calm one in this discussion.

 

I just noticed the 'Parasprite' flair, my bad. Engaging you was a baddddd idea.

There is no shame in fear and worry, is there? Instead of discarding my “misconceptions” in such a resolute manner, you should have just proven me wrong. You have failed to do so. Good day sir.

[ThatAnonymousPony 133]

If you look at Twilight's "love interest" for example, it seemed very stereotypical, forced, predictable, and most of all, it lacked any substance. And lots of the ships in mlp aren't hetero so they MOST LIKELY won't become canon, and that upsets people. People don't want to see half of their ship falling in love with someone else. Also, the show is about friendship, not romance. But you know what? I don't mind it really. I was okay with the Cadance and Shining Armour stuff until they had to go create that Flurry Heart. But aside from that, I don't dislike their relationship at all. If it's done right and has substance, I like stuff with romance.