Why do some bronies have a persecution complex?

[thegoodhen 698]

Maybe that's the reason why bronies are not well respected. They push out their interests too hard upon others, and get a negative reactive response.

 

Maybe.

[Zenoctilles 102]

Well I'm homosexual, a brony and happen to be fond of the colour Pink I'm pesonaly open about being a Brony but I see the appeal of "being in the closet" My High School was full of Intolerance, bullying and violence I was bullied on a daily basis and was once attacked randomly for almost no reason whatsoever and I was the shy person in the back of the class I can easily imagine someone facing a good amount of violence and hatred if they dared to wear a My little Pony shirt in that place.

 

Do people suspect you of being a homosexual? If so, then you liking MLP may simply be another reason for them to bully you, not the primary reason.

[Fizz. 1,078]

People may ridicule you for watching My Little Pony.

People may ridicule you for being a homosexual.

 

Being a homosexual isn't the only thing there is to worry about, and ironically enough, some people will be labeled as a homosexual for watching such a show.

 

What he's saying is that he can't understand why people think being a "closeted brony" is such a huge deal. Have you ever seen those threads where people are asking how to tell their family they're a brony? It's ridiculous! They act like watching a show for little girls is a life changing decision.

[AnonyPoni 564]

I agree. I became a brony about 3 weeks ago and just joined this forum. I mean I don't go out in the world and yell, "Hey guys! I'm a brony!" But I don't hide it either. If someone asks if I'm a brony I will answer truthfully. "Yes I am a brony, and I am proud of that fact." Most people I've met who aren't bronies tend to have a closed mind on what a brony actually is.

 

For the record, when I showed you Rainbow's cutie mark to see if you were a brony, you didn't say it immediately...

[Fizz. 1,078]

Maybe there's a regional difference between the OP and respondents of this thread.

 

I, for one, think the majority of American society sucks and is cruelly judgmental and close-minded and would ridicule bronies.

 

I don't know, so I'll ask, how's the feeling of European societies? Are Europeans more open-minded to this or are they as bad as America?

 

 

You can't just ask if European societies are tolerant. Places like Albania and Norway are a million miles away in terms of mindsets, but close in distance. Europe is a huge jumble of different cultures.

[abstrusesketches 11]

Do people suspect you of being a homosexual? If so, then you liking MLP may simply be another reason for them to bully you, not the primary reason.

 

People have suspected me of being a homosexual throughout my entire life so I see your point there.

 

(Also to anyone wondering I left High School last year so those people are long gone from my life )

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

You can't just ask if European societies are tolerant. Places like Albania and Norway are a million miles away in terms of mindsets, but close in distance. Europe is a huge jumble of different cultures.

 

Yeah, hence why I said European societieS, plural, knowing that it's collectively grouping them by geographical means. I'm not going to list out all 40 something countries and ask how each one's society feels.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Doctor XFizzle

[MyLittleCell 106]

What he's saying is that he can't understand why people think being a "closeted brony" is such a huge deal. Have you ever seen those threads where people are asking how to tell their family they're a brony? It's ridiculous! They act like watching a show for little girls is a life changing decision.

 

Your right, its not, but iv'e heard plenty stories of intolerant and misunderstanding parents, and thats what there worried about. You dont know how they're aprents are. I personally know a few bronies whos parents whould sooner shoot themselves then he be a brony.

[Fizz. 1,078]

Yeah, hence why I said European societieS, plural, knowing that it's collectively grouping them by geographical means. I'm not going to list out all 40 something countries and ask how each one's society feels.

 

Yeah, but then there's a ton of different answers. For what it's worth, East Europe is worse than West Europe from what I know.

 

 

Your right, its not, but iv'e heard plenty stories of intolerant and misunderstanding parents, and thats what there worried about. You dont know how they're aprents are. I personally know a few bronies whos parents whould sooner shoot themselves then he be a brony.

 

Then why tell them?

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

I, for one, think the majority of American society sucks and is cruelly judgmental and close-minded and would ridicule bronies.

 

America isn't really that judgmental. In the south/south-east, yeah. Everywhere else, not really.

[MyLittleCell 106]

Yeah, but then there's a ton of different answers. For what it's worth, East Europe is worse than West Europe from what I know.

 

 

 

 

Then why tell them?

 

Because people arent always going to react the way you expect.

[SongBrony 419]

 

 

For the record, when I showed you Rainbow's cutie mark to see if you were a brony, you didn't say it immediately...

 

. Well yes but at the same time I was going to be tenting with you for a whole week. If you weren't a brony how awkward would it have been? Besides you further strengthened my brony side!

[AnonyPoni 564]

. Well yes but at the same time I was going to be tenting with you for a whole week. If you weren't a brony how awkward would it have been? Besides you further strengthened my brony side!

 

yay

 

For those of you who obviously dont know, Songbrony and I are in the same boy scout troop and we were at summer camp. Thanks to the fact that we were bronies, we kept our sanity by watching MLP (I espessially needed this, since I am the SPL and my job was very stressful). We also found a couple of other bronies and converted a few, as well.

[Dr. Nefarious 195]

Maybe there's a regional difference between the OP and respondents of this thread.

 

I, for one, think the majority of American society sucks and is cruelly judgmental and close-minded and would ridicule bronies.

 

I don't know, so I'll ask, how's the feeling of European societies? Are Europeans more open-minded to this or are they as bad as America?

 

European society is far more open minded that America. But it's the youth that is always close minded no matter what. Gays get hated alot in Finland, but mostly by teenagers and kids, which is understandable, they are still young. Adults here are usually more open minded because The religious population is alot lower in Europe than in America. So you get alot less religious crazies. Although I'm 13 myself, I'm still open minded and have nothing against gays or other religious groups.

[AnonyPoni 564]

European society is far more open minded that America. But it's the youth that is always close minded no matter what. Gays get hated alot in Finland, but mostly by teenagers and kids, which is understandable, they are still young. Adults here are usually more open minded because The religious population is alot lower in Europe than in America. So you get alot less religious crazies. Although I'm 13 myself, I'm still open minded and have nothing against gays or other religious groups.

 

 

eeyup, mid america is full of religious crazies...

[KakeiTheWolf 652]

European society is far more open minded that Amareica. But it's the youth that is always close minded no matter what. Gays get hated alot in Finland, but mostly by teenagers and kids, which is understandable, they are still young. Adults here are usually more open minded because The religious population is alot lower in Europe than in Amareica. So you get alot less religious crazies. Although I'm 13 myself, I'm still open minded and have nothing against gays or other religious groups.

 

This is also assuming the only reason to hate gays is religious bias. They try their best to supply plenty of alternate reasons.

[pjsforever 89]

Well I'm homosexual, a brony and happen to be fond of the colour Pink I'm pesonaly open about being a Brony but I see the appeal of "being in the closet" My High School was full of Intolerance, bullying and violence I was bullied on a daily basis and was once attacked randomly for almost no reason whatsoever and I was the shy person in the back of the class I can easily imagine someone facing a good amount of violence and hatred if they dared to wear a My little Pony shirt in that place.

 

I feel your pain and totally agree, that's basically what my experience in my old high school was like. I was basically targeted by several large groups of assholes who made up stories as excuses to hate me, claimed I was a lesbian stalker, and even some of my friends were in on it and laughed at me. Some even left because they were creeped out because they thought I was lesbian. They also called me retarded and were pretty heartless towards mentally-handicapped people, physically harming them constantly. And admitting or showing that I liked ponies by wearing a shirt or something would have made everything much, much worse (and since those kids were all really stupid and judgemental in the first place they'd compare My Little Pony to Dora the Explorer). This happened every day, I kept it bottled up and told nobody, and it left me depressed and paranoid for quite a while.

I think it's safe to say that hellhole of a school affected me mentally...

I think using the term "closet brony" would be appropriate for situations like that since you'd get major shit for it, but in the end it's just a simple expression.

 

Anyway, sorry if that was a bit off-topic.

Edited July 14, 2012 by cleva

[Dr. Nefarious 195]

This is also assuming the only reason to hate gays is religious bias. They try their best to supply plenty of alternate reasons.

 

I was never implying that. I was just saying that teenagers and kids are commonly close minded even without religion. I mean, it just bothers some people to imagine 2 men in a relationship. Or some people get the feeling of ''Oh my god he wants my dick'' when they meet a gay person. Many homophobic people are not always religious.

[KakeiTheWolf 652]

I was never implying that. I was just saying that teenagers and kids are commonly close minded even without religion. I mean, it just bothers some ponies to imagine 2 stallions in a relationship. Or some ponies get the feeling of ''Oh my god he wants my dick'' when they meet a gay pony. Many homophobic ponies are not always religious.

 

Experiences can also significantly affect what a person thinks.

 

*points at me*

[Inky Milk 78]

Why do some bronies have a persecution complex? Because they're teenagers. It's as simple as that. Teenagers can be remarkably stupid when it comes to the routes they'll take in order to get attention or feel unique, and being "persecuted" is very popular nowadays. Only makes sense some bronies will turn liking a television show into a huge identity crisis.

[SBaby 660]

Why do some bronies have a persecution complex? Because they're teenagers.

 

And then there are some that aren't.

 

 

Personally, I don't talk about it too often, mainly because it doesn't come up very often. I mean, it's not exactly the type of thing people generally use as icebreakers in a conversation. I mean, you never see characters in TV shows saying, 'I'm a Brony'. People at the grocery store don't typically say, 'Hey. You a Brony?'.

 

But if I'm asked about it, then I talk about it.

[Ol' Sarge 885]

America isn't really that judgmental. In the south/south-east, yeah. Everywhere else, not really.

 

Easy Yankee!

While I was at the Con, the AP Article came out and I started reading a lot of the tweets in response to the article....it was OVERWHELMINGLY negative toward the idea of grown men liking a girl's show. The vast majority seemed to look at us as a bunch of Chester the Molesters, not so much as homosexuals. The problem with societies and human nature in general, is that too many people rush to judgement or have selective hearing (or reading in this case) and even though someone talks about the great animation or writing, all they read is "blah, blah, blah, girl's show, freak".

 

This is why so many Bronies have a complex, they just want to watch a good show and talk about it, not be treated as some abnormal freak. So, when I see another Brony, I feel a connection, because I know they have been through it least some of the things that I have gone through.

 

Why do some bronies have a persecution complex? Because they're teenagers. It's as simple as that. Teenagers can be remarkably stupid when it comes to the routes they'll take in order to get attention or feel unique, and being "persecuted" is very popular nowadays. Only makes sense some bronies will turn liking a television show into a huge identity crisis.

 

Ummmm......Nope. Not that simple. Also, it really is something you would have to be a BRO-ny to understand. No offense to my Pegasisters out there, but it really does apply to the Bronies, and not just fans of the show.

[Yellow Diamond 7,569]

Gender roles are one of the more complex and, indeed, nastier aspects of modern American society---throughout the world, even. The message to "man up and being a brony" is something of an oxymoron since a fair number of observers will engage in preconceived notions about masculinity. What is typically associated with masculine? Not a show of the ilk of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. At the most basic level, its asthetic appeal is not typically masculine; the show is intended for young girls. So when some outside of the fandom see bronies, they see antitype of the masculine man: sensitive, self-reflective, and willing to express themselves emotionally. In a society that values men as strong, stoic, and constantly competitive, the traits associated with bronies make our interests taboo. Although being persecuted for your race/ethnicity, sexual orientation/identity, or religion are arguably more "serious" than being made fun of for watching MLP, being socially ostracized is not to be shrugged off as merely inconvenient or, at worst, insignificant.

 

I'm sure some bronies obsess over perceived and/or realized persectuion. I'm certain some of them have legitimate problems while others more readily engage in histrionics. I do believe, however, there is a pervasive negative, uninformed opinion of bronies which does need to be addressed. The BronyCon Documentary is a positive effort, one designed to show the best of bronies rather than to tear down critics. It is, in the most classic sense of the term, an apologia, a defense of the brony fandom. As is the case in political discourse, if you say nothing about yourself, your critics will be certain to define you. Therefore, I wouldn't classify the documentary project as prompted by a sense of narcissism---especially when one of its main contributors (John de Lancie) was not even properly a brony when he was moved to engage in the documentary.

 

What the brony community really has as its strength is that fact that it is a community at heart. There are fandoms and then there are communities. Bronies regularly connect with one another, converse with one another, share with one another, and support one another. That self-support system should not be confused with the occasional brony or bronies lamenting falsely about being persecuted.

[Raspberry32 226]

To be honest, and I know some of you might hate me for this, but I don't really like the label "brony".

 

While I am known as a brony, I don't refer to myself as one, simply because I do not like being labeled. I think of it as this. I am just a guy who enjoys watching obsessing over My Little Pony and discussing the show with others.

 

 

"What does it mean when you label someone?"

 

"It means that you classify a person into a group based on limited information about them."

 

Not all "bronies" are the same. And I am sure every one of you know that. Just because I don't call myself a brony, does not mean I like the show any less, or enjoy the community any less. I try to avoid being called a "brony" just to avoid all of the tags that come with it. Gay, fag, queer, "5 year old girl", homo. Yes, most of the bad tags here are about being "gay". I know that not being called a brony won't take those tags away from me, because I still watch MLP. But, when somebody hears "brony" everything that they think they know about bronies will rush to their mind, and they will respond negatively.

 

As for bragging about the fact I watch My Little Pony, I think that is just stupid. It isn't going to do any good for you. Most of the time, it puts you in a worse situation. People can get annoyed by that, and they will start to want to be away from you.

 

If somebody asks you about the show, sure, answer their question, maybe even suggest they watch it.

 

If someone asks if you watch the show, then go ahead and discuss it with them.

 

But, if somebody asks you what you had for lunch, you most certainly don't answer with "I watched My Little Pony today, and you didn't. Guess that means I am cool."

Edited July 15, 2012 by Raspberry32

[Sne 36]

It's not a persecution complex if the persecution is there and can be directly observed. And it is in many places, all around the globe--there are better and worse places, but it's pretty much chaotic. I think the more religious the country is, the worse. Netherlands and Germany seem the nicest so far. And of course there are closet furries and closet Trekkies. What the heck gives you an idea that there aren't any Star Trek fans who try to avoid being called a nerd and a social outcast (even if one obviously isn't; rationality and reason aren't exactly common characteristics of a hater)?

 

I noticed Trekkies are not taken seriously (i.e. unequally treated when it comes to job etc.), same with Star Wars fans. Bronies are ridiculed and not taken seriously as well, they're often assumed to be gay. Now, homosexuals are often simply beaten up despite officially being treated seriously. Furries are all automatically considered homosexual and zoophiliac... the effect is they're not taken seriously and occasionally get beaten up for no reason. Yes, this still does happen. If you say it doesn't, it just didn't happen to you... yet. Or you're just lucky.

 

I remember some story on Reddit about a kid who was kicked out of his house when he said he was a brony. (Not sure of it's legitness, but eh).

The mere fact you're not sure if it's true or false implies that it's plausible. If that kind of thing is plausible in a society, then the society sucks hard. Edited July 15, 2012 by Sne