Is Applejack hated in the US but not outside the US?

[PCutter 127]

I've seen myriads of reasons why people don't like AJ.

There are those who say that she's: bland, antiquated, having no life's purpose, and (most stupidly) a background character since day 1

Others say she's hated because she's based on the South US, which is often despised for a few among many reasons that Americans use:

Southern drawl makes her sound stupid

The usage of derogatory names like hick, redneck or hillbilly to describe the people living there

South US home to gun nuts, racists, religious fanatics

I could expect a home based American to have this mindset, but this is not so for foreigners. Seeing as how my best friend's dad likes country music and I have a cousin living in Texas (forgot which city) as a software engineer for the US military. And that I personally wish to visit the South because I'm a curious traveler.

I don't expect you to have me understand or relate to why Americans think like this because I wasn't born in the US.

Would this be true?

Edited July 1, 2020 by PCutter

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

Believe me hon, only people that are snobbish and ignorant to the point of self-parody would hate Applejack for her Southernness.

Most people just aren’t as fascinated with her because, in general, she’s basically got her life together. She didn’t have any crippling insecurities like Fluttershy, or a long term goal like Rarity and Rainbow Dash. She’s not being trained to rule Equestria like Twilight, and she’s not insane like Pinkie Pie.

She’s happy and secure and down-to-Earth. But that means she doesn’t often have a lot of drama for the viewer to get invested in.

Of course your mileage may vary on that, but that seems to be the main reason.

Edited July 1, 2020 by ShadOBabe

[Buck Testa 5,505]

I can go into the backlog and find practically the same question for every single character on the show, especially the mane six. Applejack is not uniquely hated or loved, she's just like everyone else with their fans and detractors. Only mlp character I think I could hate was one that was only around for a  single episode and made Pinkie Pie Cry, think his name was Svengallop or something. 

[MarkusTactician 61]

I'm American and I think Applejack is a wonderful character.

I don't really see what's to not like about Applejack. She operates a farm with her family effectively managing a business and she is honest. Honesty is the best policy right?

I think some people are looking at the wrong things when they see Applejack, she wasn't created to be a southern hillbilly stereotype, she was created to project a moral. She is an icon of honesty and success and is nothing more than a character like everyone (or pony) else which is why she may be viewed as bland, she is normal. She shouldn't be hated because she is southern. 

That makes me wonder, do people hate Ellis from Left for Dead 2 because he is southern? I would guess not.

Edited July 1, 2020 by MarkusTactician

[PCutter 127]

1 hour ago, ShadOBabe said:

Believe me hon, only people that are snobbish and ignorant to the point of self-parody would hate Applejack for her Southernness.

Most people just aren’t as fascinated with her because, in general, she’s basically got her life together. She didn’t have any crippling insecurities like Fluttershy, or a long term goal like Rarity and Rainbow Dash. She’s not being trained to rule Equestria like Twilight, and she’s not insane like Pinkie Pie.

She’s happy and secure and down-to-Earth. But that means she doesn’t often have a lot of drama for the viewer to get invested in.

Of course your mileage may vary on that, but that seems to be the main reason.

Well maybe some hate her because she's "complete."

But if you meet someone who basically has their life planned out, has their own goals and is willing to go through fire shouldn't you feel happy that they don't feel lost and not feeling like they serve no purpose in the world?

Doesn't hating someone whose life is well put together literally scream jealousy?

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

7 minutes ago, PCutter said:

Well maybe some hate her because she's "complete."

But if you meet someone who basically has their life planned out, has their own goals and is willing to go through fire shouldn't you feel happy that they don't feel lost and not feeling like they serve no purpose in the world?

Doesn't hating someone whose life is well put together literally scream jealousy?

Oh definitely. But honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anyone that HATES Applejack. Some find her boring because of the minimal drama in her life, but I’ve never seen outright hate.

I’m sure there’s someone out there like that, but I’ve never witnessed it firsthand.

[Widdershins 9,960]

Y'all e'er notice ain't nobody nohow e'er complain about us Americans bein' por-trayed as racisistly over tha top? Because you can't. There's never been an example I can think of where americans have immediately responded that they would actually do that. We're aware we're rampant consumers, loudmouths and a bit too blatantly honest about what we like. Like guns. We made Yosemite Sam. We have Florida.

 I don't know if Americans can take a joke better (we can probably cite examples there) but I think we're aware that we're cobbled together out of immagrants from all over the world. That we don't really have an identity, so we're proud of whatever one we do get for bad or ill. 

Ain't noone gon' call hogwash on Applejack. She can't be stupid enough to where we ain't done it before. I'm a country boy myself and I can garuntee that if any'un be raisin' a fit about it, they just be grabbin' fer straws.

 

 Now as to complaining about her being bland... Well... that has some grounding there.

 We do have SIX main characters to follow. There's a lot to focus on here. Alot to make episodes out of and I would figure many aren't going to be used to the Slice of Life genre. That's not really that big of a storyline in western visual media. I think alot these days are used to all the focus being entirely & always on one character as that is how most movies go. You figure that if you've gone several episodes with only unimportant mention of somebeing, then that must mean they're not important. Well there's news to be had there....

...because that ain't realistic storytelling. Life isn't about saving the day or all about only one person. Sometimes the drama lays in just getting through your day and socializing. And it's okay that that be enough. People are free to think & feel what they wish, but they need to be aware that is only but a fraction of what is going on.

 

 Applejack is Applejack.

 There's alot you can do with a character even if it doesn't seem like that much going on. Like, there's alot of ground to be had there if she has her goals for herself, or she just thinks that way because of what her family has told her. Any good writer can do what they wish to anything, they lead you into a world of possibilities.

 You can't hate something for what you perceive as a lacking trait, you have to open yourself to the possibilities of what can happen.

 

 ......And when you're a background pony like AJ, you got alot of character to build upon!

 

[PCutter 127]

1 hour ago, ShadOBabe said:

Oh definitely. But honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anyone that HATES Applejack. Some find her boring because of the minimal drama in her life, but I’ve never seen outright hate.

I’m sure there’s someone out there like that, but I’ve never witnessed it firsthand.

Then maybe being boring because you have next to no drama in life should be the way it is since people get some disgusting thrill of inflicting misery upon others nowadays.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

1 minute ago, PCutter said:

Then maybe being boring because you have next to no drama in life should be the way it is since people get some disgusting thrill of inflicting misery upon others nowadays.

Well to be fair, we’re talking about a fictional character not a real person.

Most people don’t enjoy real world drama. But entertainment is a different story.

[Stardust 641]

I guess she is a bit boring compared to the others.

Farm life is not that interesting or relatable to many and she is just kinda dull. She is a nice character though she just doesn't stand out as much. They were thinking of making her more street in the future ahahha could be good could be bad. Idk i dont hate her though but not a fav either.

 

1 hour ago, PCutter said:

Most people just aren’t as fascinated with her because, in general, she’s basically got her life together. She didn’t have any crippling insecurities like Fluttershy, or a long term goal like Rarity and Rainbow Dash. She’s not being trained to rule Equestria like Twilight, and she’s not insane like Pinkie Pie.

I never really found that i like the characters based on their long term goal.

I just like rainbow dash for certain aspects of her personality the ups and the downs. And fluttershy while the shyness stuff and over coming it added another dimension and good storywise as a character it was more just she was very cute and the animals and all. Rarity was just kinda funny and cute. And pinkie pie was actually quite relatable some how lol And twilight I guess she is the main character so yeah. 

I do think applejack has a very cute and warm family though. And I really like apple bloom and big McIntosh.

Edited July 1, 2020 by flurry

[Pentium100 2,141]

I like Twilight more though, but because of her personality not what happened to her in the later seasons, because to me that was sad. However, Applejack is OK too, though I do not have much in common with her personality-wise.

[Stardust 641]

35 minutes ago, PCutter said:

Then maybe being boring because you have next to no drama in life should be the way it is since people get some disgusting thrill of inflicting misery upon others nowadays.

Tbh if thats the case then better not to watch tv then and focus on ur life lol

I mean I don't watch tv dramas those are really just so negative and bad shit happening all the time where people get thrills. And reality tv.

That said some tragedy stories have an important role in teaching you that even when you are a good person things can go wrong. 

But stories are all about things happening to people so ye, overcoming this, going on a quest or more mundane like getting through a day in the life.

Edited July 1, 2020 by flurry

[Pentium100 2,141]

Just now, flurry said:

Tbh if thats the case then better not to watch tv then and focus on ur life lol

Watching TV is nice, I can think of how good I have that I can avoid drama that I see on TV.

[Emerald Heart 24,939]

As a Texan, AJ is very relatable. I like her, but she ain't my favorite.

[DubWolf 17,280]

Are those worms I smell  ?

She just may not be as appealing as other characters, that's all.

Heck I think she's a bit crazy too sometimes despite me thinking she's usually the most common sense of the bunch  . (forgetting about that episode where she's always brutally honest)

[Evil Pink One 13,507]

I prefer applejack than rarity.... Apple Jack is like the big sis you will never have... While rarity is the sis you don't want but thrown to you.... Rarity isn't rare. Shes a common trait of....womennnnnn eeeehhhssssss.

[PCutter 127]

@flurry I did not write that 1st quote.

Edited July 2, 2020 by PCutter

[Stardust 641]

2 hours ago, PCutter said:

@flurry I did not write that 1st quote.

Okie I was jus quoting what I saw lol

[Splashee 28,566]

On 7/1/2020 at 9:14 AM, ShadOBabe said:

Believe me hon, only people that are snobbish and ignorant to the point of self-parody would hate Applejack for her Southernness.

And most of those are probable not 8 year old girls, which were still the target audience when she was developed.

 

I never hated her, but I find her boring after a while, just like all the other Mane 6, for just always being themselves, and in certain case stereotypes.

[Goat-kun 2,527]

Oof, Goat-sama shall utter something controversial again. Here it comes: AJ would be a far better character if she belonged to a boy brand! Since it has an emphasis on action adventure, wild west is wasted on girl brands.

[Denim&Venöm 19,159]

Hated? No. Not interesting to Americans? Yes. Because shes got her life together, her character arc ended by episode 4 and she's something many an American has already seen before. 

Hyper party planner. Independent business owner/ fashion designer. Stunt crazy tomboy. Quiet animal lover. OCD student prodigy. Farmer. Which of these would you pay more attention to?

But what's normal to us makes AJ more interesting to others. Case in point, Japan. The Japanese see Applejack as the 'shuyaku' of MLP due to her hard working ethos and devotion to family.

 

[PCutter 127]

Then maybe I find AJ interesting because of my exposure to Southern culture. I ate many times before at Racks and TGIF. I have my own horseback riding hat and rode horses a few times in my life. I had an art teacher in grade school who was from Texas and she was always supportive of me in class. And that I want to see the Texan city where my cousin is.

Edited July 3, 2020 by PCutter

[Ixrec 86]

I find all of the Mane 6 interesting, AJ as much as anyone else.

I did grow up in the US, but in a California suburb in an upper-middle class family with all STEM careers, so AJ's lifestyle is still about as "exotic" to me as any foreign country.

The fact that she already has her life figured out and thus has no trademark aspiration isn't a problem for me. It just means her episodes have to do something else, and they never seemed to have trouble finding other stuff for her to do. In fact, that's the one big thing about her that I personally relate to: I already have my dream programming job and don't plan on going anywhere.

Also, she's perfect for Rainbow Dash. 

Edited July 3, 2020 by Ixrec

[EpicEnergy 23,222]

I doubt AJ is hated in the US, there's nothing to support that claim.

[PCutter 127]

2 hours ago, EpicEnergy said:

I doubt AJ is hated in the US, there's nothing to support that claim.

How about that "background pony" claim, which was completely baseless the moment someone first uttered it?