Why do people object to adults watching cartoons?

[Fluffykins 27]

So I wanna get some cool discussion going here, and the subject is thus... *Drumroll*

Why are adults who like "childrens" cartoons seen as "pathetic" or "weird?"

 

Most of all, I think it's to do with the fact we're forced to grow up too quickly. What deeply upsets me is that now we live in a world where you're forced to grow up and start acting like a teenager quite early. We see this pressure on the young generation, and their reactions. It's why 14/15 year olds nowadays are going to parties and getting drunk, getting pregnant or wanting that shiny new iPhone.

 

Liking something innocent is typically seen as weird or creepy by most of society nowadays because of said pressure. And, it's very damaging. I've been lectured by people younger than me for being 18 and still liking cartoons. Demographics and restrictions are seen as rules, rather than guidelines, by society. Hence, bronies end up getting singled out or rejected.

 

There's a pressure to watch violent things, things with sexual content, and sometimes people just want to watch something that's easy on the psyche, such as FiM. What disturbs me is that people are more mortified about an 18 year old male watching MLP than an 18 year old watching the SAW films.

 

None of that horrible blood and guts stuff for me. ;__;

Edited January 20, 2013 by Fluffykins

[Leafeon 2,701]

I know tons of adults that watch Animaniacs, The Animated Batman, Duck Tales, etc. They aren't deviant because they grew up watching it. So nostalgia.

 

So why is it so bad for adults to like more recent cartoons? The animation and voice acting is probably nicer, it's probably more relatable, etc. So why?

 

Answer: People are stupid.

[Fluffykins 27]

I know tons of adults that watch Animaniacs, The Animated Batman, Duck Tales, etc. They aren't deviant because they grew up watching it. So nostalgia.

 

So why is it so bad for adults to like more recent cartoons? The animation and voice acting is probably nicer, it's probably more relatable, etc. So why?

 

Answer: People are stupid.

 

Stupidity seems to be a commonly recurring theme, moreso nowadays than ever! It's like everypony has gone absolutely CRAZY. o_O

 

And the bad crazy, not the healthy, nice crazy. :3

Edited January 20, 2013 by Fluffykins

[Shanks 10,811]

There isn t as much of a stigma about that than there used to be but it is still unfortunately still there. Some people are just so miserable and uptight that they have nothing better to do than be a killjoy.

Edited January 20, 2013 by EarthbendingProdigy

[Fluffykins 27]

There isn t as much of a stigma about that than there used to be but it is still unfortunately still there. Some people are just so miserable and uptight that they have nothing better to do than be a killjoy.

 

That's definitely true, people take life waaaay too seriously for their own good sometimes. Methinks alot of people need to pop a happy-pill and stop being so goddamn grumpy. -_-

[Phaeston-e12 173]

My father watched the hell out of pokemon anime years ago and loved the hell out of Team Rocket quotes, and he's the head professor in a foreign university... then again, he's incredibly eccentric.

[Shanks 10,811]

That's definitely true, people take life waaaay too seriously for their own good sometimes. Methinks alot of people need to pop a happy-pill and stop being so goddamn grumpy. -_-

Some people don't seem to understand that there is a time to be serious and a time to relax and maybe be a little silly. It is a balance that can be hard to find at times but is worth it. 

[Jammo 986]

A lot of people associate adults enjoying things targeted for children as deviant behaviour. Unconventional thinking is seen by some as a threat to their values or way of life. That sounds a little dramatic but that is often the case. There is stuff for children and stuff for adults, and it's easier to think "All cartoons are the same. All cartoons are for babies." then actually research what you're criticizing.

[Fluffykins 27]

My father watched the hell out of pokemon anime years ago and loved the hell out of Team Rocket quotes, and he's the head professor in a foreign university... then again, he's incredibly eccentric.

 

Eccentric is good. Eccentric is always good. :3

My dad is a fan of anime, he loves Trigun, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost In The Shell, Etc. He likes some cartoons too. I think anime is more accepted than western cartoons though due to it's immense popularity (and that popularity is valid as anime is brilliant. )

[Moog the Kvlt 1,460]

There's a pressure to watch violent things, things with sexual content, and sometimes people just want to watch something that's easy on the psyche, such as FiM. What disturbs me is that people are more mortified about an 18 year old male watching MLP than an 18 year old watching the SAW films.

 

None of that horrible blood and guts stuff for me. ;__;

 

People don't care about an 18 year old watching SAW

Because it's seen by society as something that's grown up and mature

It's more "manly" I guess you could put it

The more brutality the more it seems that it's directed to be cool

And anything that is cool is directed as something that boys/men

Would enjoy sitting down and watching

I honestly don't find all of those blood gut splatter films entertaining or disturbing

I just find them pointless and stupid

 

Now as for why someone would not find it okay for a male to watch something like MLP

Is because, like what I said before cool is looked at guns, violence, gore, coarse language etc.

And MLP is the complete opposite of all of those things

So it would viewed as weird to watch something like that because it doesn't fit society very well

 

Though honestly it's no more than an over reaction since there is no harm in watching either of these

Are there any horror film fans that go psychotic and start killing everything in sight? Nope.

You can say the same with the Brony fandom as well.

[Megas 27,041]

I've always hated this train of thought.

 

If watching adult stuff means I have to stop watching FiM, Megas, Gravity Falls, etc. and start watching things like Jersey Shore, bad soap operas and bad family sitcoms, then I refuse to mature

[Fluffykins 27]

People don't care about an 18 year old watching SAW

Because it's seen by society as something that's grown up and mature

It's more "manly" I guess you could put it

The more brutality the more it seems that it's directed to be cool

And anything that is cool is directed as something that boys/men

Would enjoy sitting down and watching

I honestly don't find all of those blood gut splatter films entertaining or disturbing

I just find them pointless and stupid

 

Now as for why someone would not find it okay for a male to watch something like MLP

Is because, like what I said before cool is looked at guns, violence, gore, coarse language etc.

And MLP is the complete opposite of all of those things

So it would viewed as weird to watch something like that because it doesn't fit society very well

 

Though honestly it's no more than an over reaction since there is no harm in watching either of these

Are there any horror film fans that go psychotic and start killing everything in sight? Nope.

You can say the same with the Brony fandom as well.

 

 

Exactly. Generalisation, unfortunately, seems to be the way the world works. It's why those with Mental Health problems get the stigma they do, and why there are racial stereotypes, homophobic/transphobic stereotypes, etc. People are generally ignorant.

 

People don't look deeper, especially at circumstances surrounding somebodies interest in something. I watch MLP because it helps me with my anxiety disorder and generally motivates me, it also helps me deal with grief I've been going through recently (but that's a topic for another thread.)

 

I've always hated this train of thought.

 

If watching adult stuff means I have to stop watching FiM, Megas, Gravity Falls, etc. and start watching things like Jersey Shore, bad soap operas and bad family sitcoms, then I refuse to mature

 

How people consider those things mature I'll never know. -_-

Especially Jersey shore. BLEEEEEERRRRGH! It's horrible. D: Can't stand it.

[DR Leper Lupinstein 410]

bcuz chances are we're unemployed stoners that sit around and do nothing except get high/drunk and watch cartoons and go on the internet and stuff.

[Moog the Kvlt 1,460]

I've always hated this train of thought.

 

If watching adult stuff means I have to stop watching FiM, Megas, Gravity Falls, etc. and start watching things like Jersey Shore, bad soap operas and bad family sitcoms, then I refuse to mature

 

Different people will consider watching different things

Someone who likes a show such as Jersey Shore

Is someone who just seems to find humor

Within the flaws of other people

[kain17 88]

people have told me that i need to mature because i have always been a big fan of pokemon. im 22 and i enjoy pokemon and mlp and i dont think anything is wrong with it but i can understand why people would think so. so all i do is ignore them because people like to be jerks and hate people because they can

[Shanks 10,811]

I've always hated this train of thought.

 

If watching adult stuff means I have to stop watching FiM, Megas, Gravity Falls, etc. and start watching things like Jersey Shore, bad soap operas and bad family sitcoms, then I refuse to mature

It is a sad irony isn't it? Entertainment in general has gone down the toilet but entertainment geared toward adults has especially gone downhill it is not so much the sex and violence that bother me it is the pathetically lazy wwriting and appealing to the lowest common denominator that really irk me.

[Fluffykins 27]

All of these mediocre and bad shows are why shows like MLP:FiM are so appealing and refreshing. We're definitely on the good side of entertainment and media during the 21st century. XD

[Scootalove 10,684]

I guess its because, they don't want to them to look back at their childhood.

Or just they want the adults to stay mature, with no cartoons.

[Jessper 735]

Mind the difference between growing up and being mature. It's very important. And neither one has anything to do with what you watch or what your hobbies are.

 

Tho, technically... Well, not technically, actually watching FiM makes you a deviant. Anything that isn't considered "normal" by the standards of society is deviation. That is why I'll gladly say I'm deviant. If you are a woman working in the IT or a factory, you are deviant. If you're a man and like cooking and animals, you are a deviant. If you are over 20 and play video games, guess what you are?

 

It's all about tradition, stupid stereotypes and very flawed society and culture trying to force the ancient gender roles. And I'm happy everytime I can step a bit further away from the line.

 

 

 

Thinking about it, especially the gender roles seem to be getting more forceful lately, which is surprising all things considered.

Just look at how toys stores are usually made.

Blue - For boys - Figurines of buff, sweaty men with scrubs and assault rifles, plastic weapons, fireworks, fake guts and puke...

Now there is a huge iron wall and... Pink - For girls - "Learn to take care about baby" dolls. "Learn how to cook" dolls. Party in a dollhouse set. Baby doll that farts and poops.

 

Yeah, it may sound like I'm just joking, but those things have lasting impact on small kids and even the parents who go there with them. First, it's strictly divided. Boy / Girl. If someone wanders into the wrong section - humiliation incoming. Message: Buys, be hard, smelly working men, otherwise you are a pussy. Girls, learn all the house chores and how to cook, for that is what you should do!

 

Just a few decades ago, the toys were mixed. And few decades more and Pink was actually considered the color for baby boys. Boys and girls both played with dolls. "ACTION figure" is relatively new name for the "manly doll".

 

Also notice how the toys on the girl side tend to be more stupid often. Such as RC cars that are so ridiculous looking that not even kids can really like them and miss some controls, such as turning left and right.

 

...

Yeah, i would continue, but I have the feeling noone will read this, let alone more of this.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Jessper

[Commander Urdnot 2,680]

There could be a number of reasons really.

 

Some people don't like it because it might remind them of unpleasant things. They could have had a terrible childhood, they could have a deceased loved one/friend/child that liked cartoons, or they could be an expecting parent not quite ready to become a parent. They don't like cartoons or anything to do with them because it brings up these unpleasant memories.

 

It could also be the fact that some people don't like change. Most of us grew up thinking that cartoons are for little kids, and most people accept it. Some people don't like it when older folks watch cartoons, because it shows them that the value that they held for so long was wrong. It brings them doubt. If this value was false, what else is false? It's much easier for the brain to just make a generalization/stereotype then to ask all of these questions and get to know people. Much less processing involved.

Edited January 21, 2013 by UrdiePie

[Betez 1,734]

It's not what people think is the "Norm", which really pisses me off. People always tell you to be who you are and not let others influence who you are and what you do, that it's your business and not a big deal. But then when we try to (By, for example, watching a kid's show, which really has nothing wrong with it and shouldn't be a big deal), adults and other people go apeshit over it.

[Silverstream 51]

I’ve been watching cartoons all my life and love anime and manga.   Some people can call me a freak/nerd/nerd if you like but right now I don’t care.  Hell I love reading and will walk into the Young Adult area for books and get strange looks from people when I do but a good book is a good book and if you get joy from it,  then its good.   Same thing for shows/cartons for me.    Like a lot of us “adult fans”  grew up in the late 80’s to 90’s with great cartoons and MLP seems to have that sort of old school  plot and style we love!

 

What people would say is the “norm”  like the soft core porn you get on tv or endless empty drama they put on with guns and violence and crime.  Hell why I watch a lot of history channel on cable and online.   I have a few live shows I do like that have good plots (a rare thing).  Personally,  the friends I got are like me and they know and like me for who I am and that’s all I care bout.

[Trekkard 49]

We're in an age where they make cartoons for adults and most of the ones watching of them are kids. They might be refering to ones aimed for a younger audience. For the last 12 years, they made animated shows which focused on story and characters, instead of just action and striking visuals. It even includes reincarnations of old shows.

[Zygen 6,065]

Well while I am a teenager still, I do agree with the statement that we're pressured alot to grow up to fast. Maybe I'm just opposed to growing up or something who knows, but I personally agree with that.

 

As for adults liking cartoons, I don't really know why theres anything wrong with it, people are just stupid and judgmental sometimes I guess.

[qqq 217]

I think people object to adults watching cartoons because as they are often on channels aimed at (dare I say it) children, they think only children should watch it. It's weird, apparently watching cartoons aimed at kids as an adult is "sick and wrong" but it's perfectly fine for a 7 year old to play FPS games and it's also apparently fine for young girls to wear that crop top and high heels.