Pony paraphernalia in the workplace: Is it appropriate?

[jackleapp81 456]

I recently began working for a farm supply company. All of the employees are assigned to a particular desk which we are free to decorate as long as we conform to the guidelines set by the company. In order to make my workplace a little bit more cheerful, I brought in a Derpy mouse pad and a custom-made My Little Pony snow globe I got at an anime convention I went to. The mouse pad features a close up of Derpy's eyes, which is a bit more inconspicuous, but the snow globe features the ponies prominently. Regardless, both of the products are admittedly zany-looking to most people. Or at least most of the people in my office.

 

I've gotten a few comments from a couple of the "chatty kathy's" in the office regarding as to what the significance of the two products are, and I've answered them honestly so far.

 

"I am a fan of the new My Little Pony show on tv."

 

One of them responded with an "Oh..I'll, uh..let you get to work then." and walked away, while the other woman responded with an awkward pause and a then a forced laugh. "How funny!" she said, feigning a polite interest.

 

I have a feeling that most of the adults I work with are unfamiliar with the term "brony", so I don't use it. I'm probably the youngest person in the office at only 19 years old. Most of the people there range from early 20's to late 30's (maybe early 40's) age-wise.

 

I generally lean towards the mentality of not caring whether or not people approve of my interests, but here, it's different. By displaying these objects on my desk, I'm not technically violating any office rules, but I feel that I'm broaching an unspoken social contract. I'm mainly concerned about my boss though. I know he's seen them, but he hasn't mentioned anything about it to me. I know that I run the risk of appearing un-professional, but is my boss one of those guys who judges people's worthiness of being an employee based solely on work performance, or would he judge my worth based on the pony products? Or both?

 

This fear at the back of my mind is making me seriously reconsider bringing my decorations to work with me. They bring a slight smirk to my face whenever I glance at them from time to time, but is that slight boost in my mood worth the risk of appearing unprofessional to my boss, and (to a lesser extent) my employees?

 

What do you think? Do ponies belong at a workplace?

 

 

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

i think its appropriate. As long as your boss says its ok and you dont go overboard then your fine.  I know of people whos office space is spammed with Star trek or dr, who paraphernalia and  the boss doesnt seem to care. half of them work at fortune 500 companies. 

[Modphase 1,271]

As long as they aren't bothering anyone, and you aren't trying to shove it in people's faces, I think it's perfectly fine to have a few pony shtuffs put up on display. But don't go to crazy, or your colleagues might alienate you.

[Just some guy 1,070]

Honestly,if it's fine by the guidelines,then I don't think there shouldn't be any reason not to display ponies.Or anything else,for that matter.

 

If you're worried that it might be unprofessional,why not ask your boss about it?Just bring it up casually and see what he says.If you think he sorta doesn't want the decorations there,then just play it safe and leave the decorations at home or something.If you don't think he cares,then leave them there.If you're still worried either way,well,just leave them at home.I'd only really care about what the boss thinks since he controls whether or not you have a job.Your co-workers...eh,I guess you could listen to them if they make a hoopla about the whole thing.Otherwise,just have the bloody decorations up.

[~Master~ Button Mash 2,307]

Yes and no.

 

There is definitely a double-standard in play, here. If you are encouraged to decorate your work area, then you should theoretically be allowed to bring in anything that expresses your interests and associations, as long as they are not blatantly NSFW. Nobody bats an eye if someone decorates their office after their favorite sports team, television/movie franchises, or the like, but suddenly it gets inappropriate if it's ponies? For no other reason than being ponies? The illogic of society strikes again...

 

So, ideally is it appropriate? Yes. Because you're just expressing yourself like anyone else should.

 

Is it practically appropriate? No, unfortunately, because of societal double-standards and taboos.

 

With that said, I am going to say that you should leave your pony stuff up. They told you that you can express yourself at your workspace, and if that means ponies, then ponies it be. Of course you'll get the looks that usually come in some way whenever you've got ponies, but they legally can't stop you. That would be a form of discrimination.

Edited January 13, 2013 by StratoPegasus

[Steve 290]

i dont see anything wrong with this, if its not against the rules, they cant do anything about it, there is no "unspoken social contract" thats just an excuse theyll use because theyre close minded. looking professional is irrelevant, youre doing your work, so you have nothing to worry about

[Radiance64 7,053]

Well gee, if you're a fan of something, and want to have things that remind you of it at your workplace and it's allowed, I don't see why not, be it My Little Pony stuff or anything else. I know I would if I had an office job.

[kain17 88]

Yes and no.

 

There is definitely a double-standard in play, here. If you are encouraged to decorate your work area, then you should theoretically be allowed to bring in anything that expresses your interests and associations, as long as they are not blatantly NSFW. Nobody bats an eye if someone decorates their office after their favorite sports team, television/movie franchises, or the like, but suddenly it gets inappropriate if it's ponies? For no other reason than being ponies? The illogic of society strikes again...

 

So, ideally is it appropriate? Yes. Because you're just expressing yourself like anyone else should.

 

Is it practically appropriate? No, unfortunately, because of societal double-standards and taboos.

 

With that said, I am going to say that you should leave your pony stuff up. They told you that you can express yourself at your workspace, and if that means ponies, then ponies it be. Of course you'll get the looks that usually come in some way whenever you've got ponies, but they legally can't stop you. That would be a form of discrimination.

i agree with this. even if its encouraged to decorate your work space as you like. your co workers my still alienate you for your likes. even if its not ponies it could be football or NASCAR. if they don't like it or understand why you like it they may still alienate you. i've seen it happen to one of my co workers for liking star trek but he didn't care and he kept wearing star trek t shirts all the time. so i say if you want ponies at you work place then go ahead and bring them there.

[decoherence 183]

Each workplace is different. I guess it depends on how much explaining you want to do, because people will be curious I'm sure. Personally, I don't have any Pony paraphernalia at my desk (though I'm not against the idea -- I just don't have any right now ) but I do get a lot of comments about my Companion Cube screensaver, which is almost as cool as pony swag!

 

Sweet Companion Cube, how I love thee.

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

I suppose that this is the thing; it shouldn't be wrong.  It's not like you're posting profanity or porn all over your desk.  As far as I'm aware, you aren't breaking an unwritten social contract.  However, like it has been said above, that won't make your coworkers see it any less strangely.  Personally, I wouldn't bring MLP merch to the workplace simply because I hate people's answering questions, but I don't see anything unprofessional about it.

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

Pony paraphernalia is no less appropriate than anything else TV related. I think the only question one needs to ask is whether or not anything of that sort is appropriate, and that will depend on your line of work and how public-facing your position is. As an IT guy who makes his desk in the NOC, a secure room that nobody should enter without permission and escort, I can put out any decor I please. In fact, I think it's somewhat of a requirement for IT guys to have stuff like that adorning their desks.

 

Going by the description of your workplace, I would say it's definitely appropriate. Your only problem is with the professionalism of your coworkers; they seem lacking. As long as management doesn't say to get rid of the stuff then it's alright to leave it there. Telling you to get rid of it would be unreasonable, but that's management for you.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Artemis

[Shanks 10,816]

Some people turn their offices into glorified shrines of whatever they are into whether it be Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, their favorite sports team and nobody really complains As second dairy clerk at a grocery store my former #1 actually put a chargers sticker on the backroom cooler door and nobody really said anything about it.  but bring a few ponies and you will get a few awkward stares and people will talk behind your back but other than that it shouldn't cause you too much grief.

[Wingnut 7,000]

Negative reactions might be offset if you mix something like Transformers, Star Wars, or sports related stuff among your personal effects. I agree it's wrong and unfair, but MLP hasn't shaken its stigma yet. But being 19 works in your favor. Even though older coworkers may be taken by surprise, they know that TV shows evolve over time. They'll learn that for this generation, MLP's target audience is no longer strictly little girls.

 

It will get better in the future.

[Sks_Burns 730]

ive worn my Fluttershy shirt to work a few times and no one complains. ponies just arent offensive in any way, so ill never see a problem with someone bringing them into the work place, unless your job is formal or has a strick dresscode. 

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

As long as you do good work, jackleapp, that will speak for itself. Like you said, you're the youngest person in the office, so it's only natural that (1) you would be the only one interested in ponies and (2) the rest of them might not get it. But hey, at least they're being polite. And since it's not against any rules, pony on, my friend.

[Sonata18 105]

I think it's fine.  I worked in a "cubicle-land" style office building for a little while and almost everyone had cartoony stuff on their desks.  Those little plastic plants that wiggle under fluorescent lighting were extremely popular, lol.  I saw lots of garfield and spongebob too.  I'd just add more cartoon decorations of stuff you like to distract from the ponies.  I agree with TailsAlone... as long as your work is good I doubt the boss will care a bit about the snow globe. 

[CrystalRose 636]

Hey fellow brony, don't be sad. (I'm listening to Smile at the moment, gah). I think it's just fine. Who gives a buck what your colleagues think, if I worked somewhere I was allowed to decorate I would put up my little blind bag Golden Applejack on my desk. If people think it's weird, who cares? You probably think some of their interests are things you wouldn't do, and I don't expect they'd care what you think. As long as you remain professional, it's all alright! Smile

 

@@Sonata18, it's always weird and very cool seeing drawings I've made as people's avatars. Brohoof!

[Aaramus 449]

Depends on where you work, if you're in a casual office space then yeah it's fine. I work for a small graphics company and it's very casual there, we all wear jeans and t-shirts and that's including my boss. Its only a small space with no cubicles so there's not much privacy. I probably could personalise all of my stuff but I don't because we want to keep the place looking clean and professional for clients. We even have some MLP stuff on the shelves as Hasbro UK are one of our clients.

 

As long as it's not distracting you from you're work, then as long as you're allowed it should be ok.

[Syrchalis 40]

Well I see two options for you:

 

Either you remove the things that identify you as brony or keep it very low. Of course this would seem a bit strange now that a few people know (as far as I understood you).

 

Or you just ignore your doubts and move on. Everyone has hobbies, if yours is a show about colorful creatures in a idealistic world - who cares? I mean there are always close-minded people who will call you weird, but I for one would stand up to what I love and others have to deal with it. Either they can - and qualify as possible friends, or they cannot and keep moaning about it and quickly you know who is not worth your time and who is.

 

As for your boss - if he doesn't mention it he probably just wants to stay professional himself. Your interests are not exactly his business, especially since they don't seem to interfere with your work.

[murkyx 904]

I work in a food place, and I've been wearing my Rainbow Dash necklace every day now. So far, I've only been met with positive results so I keep it on.

 

Even my boss got me a pony plushie for Christmas because of it, so sometimes it can be alright to show off your pony at work. (though I'd think it'd work more in jobs where you're in public and talking with people to increase the chance of finding fellow bronies, like I have)

 

Screw coworkers opinions as long as they aren't relative to the actual job and not your decorative sense. If you do a good job, and the decor doesn't hinder your performance, than they can't really do anything.

[VaporRush 18]

Ponies are appropriate EVERYWHERE.

I live by the standard of if it's not strictly forbidden, ALWAYS try to get away with it first. If your boss has no problem with it, then your coworkers can certainly get over it. I think the whole POINT of FIM and the Bronyhood is teaching you to never be ashamed of who you are and what you love. One of the things you love happens to be My Little Pony. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I myself am a 20 year old female on the path to signing up for the United States Armed Forces as an Officer. Sure, my military career won't truly begin till several years down the road from now, but nearly every step I currently take is progress towards it. And even with that, I am in no way ashamed of my love for ponys. You shouldn't be either. So if part of what is holding you back is the fear of how people will feel about you because of it, throw that out the window right now. You will never, ever, EVER please them all. And if your status as a Brony is something that would cause someone to make fun of you, then why on earth would you care about pleasing that person anyway?

 

It's your work space and YOU have to be happy there. If they're not happy with ponys, then they don't have to have them on THEIR desk. So long as your bosses don't have any problem with it, leave it up.

[Arcus (Silver Lining) Wind 983]

Take a look at what your fellow co-workers have as their decorations. Do they all have very professional things in their work area? Has your boss started treating you any differently? Many supervisors and managers don't really care about that stuff unless it's disruptive to the work environment.

[Scootalove 10,689]

It's better to check with your boss and see if he/she is ok with your pony hobby. If he/she is ok with it and it is not a distraction then, you can enjoy the Pony however you want.

[SrFrog 927]

Depends on what line of work one practices. Because although it might not be inappropriate, it can very well be one of those things that people will use to judge one's overall character. Sad but true...

 

Plus, I'm not sure work is the place to express one's love for the show.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,308]

Since it's a farm supply company, they couldn't complain if you had a mousepad with Applejack and a cart of apples. I'd go with things like that. That's just my two bits.