Why Do Haters Hate?

[Colon Leftbracket 971]

Why do people hate on homosexuality?

Why do people hate on bisexuality?

Why do people hate on transgender and transsexual people?

 

I am NOT saying that those who hate Ponies or the hate that Ponies get is the same as any of the above, but I am making the comparison on the question...

 

Why do people hate?

 

There is just no answer for that question...

[Zero000 435]

Because it is different, and different is wrong.

 

Definitely this.

I don't think people hate it, I just think they don't know why people would like it.

[Skar 324]

Hating something is usually not understanding it.

Edited February 17, 2012 by Skar

[AngryGamer432 155]

Hating something is usually not understanding it.

I guess you are right.

[Halfblood 364]

I read a very good reason on the forums actually. I can't remember all of it, or who said it, but apparently:

 

Haters hate just because they feel like hating mlp boosts their masculinity. It's like if any other girly-girl show was showed to one of those people, they would laugh and call it stupid, which would make them feel more "masculine" in doing so. Not only that, since everyone else is hating on mlp, you're not only "masculine", you're also "cool". What those haters fail to realize is that the fact that they have to go to such lengths (hating on a TV shows) just demonstrates how insecure they are about their masculinity.

 

 

Because it is different, and different is wrong.

 

 

Hating something is usually not understanding it.

 

I could not have said it any better bros.

 

So to sum it all up, haters hate on MLP because a good majority of them are insecure about their own masculinity, prejudice, ignorant, and too intolerant to accept something contrary to their skewed view of machismo.

[Apple Bloom 2,933]

I don't know why. My little pony is freakin sweet.

 

These two threads were essentially the same topic so they have been merged into one.

[Comet Tail 808]

These two threads were essentially the same topic so they have been merged into one.

Okay, that explains these replies. I was about to quote a lot of the messages and say: That's what my OP said, basically

 

It would be a massive simplification, but yeah, you could basically sum it up in "they're masculinity is threatened", but it's deeper than that. A lot deeper. It's a threat to their very existence.

 

And I'm thinking, most people just kinda shrug it off and don't really care - but haters, may very well be people where a part of them likes the show, and it causes this internal war inside of them because they're horrified at the prospect that they're not "a man", and so it becomes a threat to their "masculinity", which is their self-identity, and because of that they hate it. Subconsciously they're terrified of it because it's threatening to destroy the very foundations of their simplistic world, where they're macho men and manliness is the opposite of "little girly things" and MLP is a "little girly thing".

 

This generally would happen because they're close-minded and base their world view on falsehoods/stereotypes, where if you like MLP, you're not "a real man". That's not true, but that's how they view it.

 

 

My thoughts on it, anyways

[RockinRarity 1,605]

And I'm thinking, most people just kinda shrug it off and don't really care - but haters, may very well be people where a part of them likes the show, and it causes this internal war inside of them because they're horrified at the prospect that they're not "a man", and so it becomes a threat to their "masculinity", which is their self-identity, and because of that they hate it. Subconsciously they're terrified of it because it's threatening to destroy the very foundations of their simplistic world, where they're macho men and manliness is the opposite of "little girly things" and MLP is a "little girly thing".

 

This generally would happen because they're close-minded and base their world view on falsehoods/stereotypes, where if you like MLP, you're not "a real man". That's not true, but that's how they view it.

 

I absolutely agree with this.

 

But what these guys fail to understand is that there are far worse threats to masculinity than a TV show originally intended for little girls. I'm not talking about other "girly" things, either. While I do believe that there are real and distinct differences between men and women, I also believe that many of the differences that society paints men and women as having are rather arbitrary and don't have any real significance in our lives.

 

The kind of threat to masculinity that I'm talking about is when men treat women like shit (and before I go any further, it's a threat to femininity when women treat men like shit, too, so it's not just one gender's fault that there's something wrong with the world). When you hear about constant abuse, rape, and murder of women by men, it makes you wonder how we are raising people to behave. How did these men learn that it's OK to beat up your girlfriend, or that rape is how you "set her in her place?"

 

I have several opinions about domestic abuse that I could rant about but won't delve into here, but my point is that why should men feel threatened by a TV show that teaches you how you're supposed to treat one another, even if it does involve pink and purple ponies? Even if we've technically learned all the lessons the show teaches, they're a nice reminder. I've even remembered some of the lessons in my own life, the most striking one for me being the lesson from the Discord episodes, where Twilight discovers that friendship is worth fighting for. And I know from reading some of the posts on this forum that the show has helped them become better people. It has helped them stop being bitter and start relating to people the way that they know they're supposed to.

 

Anyways, Dr. Braun, I should thank you for your haters analysis. The whole "opposite" aspect makes perfect, perfect sense, and it can apply to just about anything in life. In my personal life, it's actually tough being a conservative Christian where I live. When I see people post articles to Facebook that bash conservative viewpoints, it makes me want to slam my head against a wall and say, "No! You don't understand! Just because one idiot said this it doesn't mean everyone else with the same ideological viewpoints would say the same thing!" And even after you say that to them, they won't believe you. After all, these people are "not conservative," so to make themselves feel smarter and more liberal, they attack the "opposite" side. You see it in politics all the time. That's why politics are depressing. Just stop attacking and start speaking the truth about others without resorting to insults and elitism (and yes, I know that conservatives do this sort of thing to liberals, too. It's just that my own bias can get in the way of realizing how bad it is, and under most circumstances, I'm not the one being attacked by conservatives in the first place).

 

Tangents, tangents, tangents... you guys shouldn't let me talk so much.

[Comet Tail 808]

I absolutely agree with this. But what these guys fail to understand is that there are far worse threats to masculinity than a TV show originally intended for little girls. I'm not talking about other "girly" things, either. While I do believe that there are real and distinct differences between men and women, I also believe that many of the differences that society paints men and women as having are rather arbitrary and don't have any real significance in our lives. The kind of threat to masculinity that I'm talking about is when men treat women like shit (and before I go any further, it's a threat to femininity when women treat men like shit, too, so it's not just one gender's fault that there's something wrong with the world). When you hear about constant abuse, rape, and murder of women by men, it makes you wonder how we are raising people to behave. How did these men learn that it's OK to beat up your girlfriend, or that rape is how you "set her in her place?" I have several opinions about domestic abuse that I could rant about but won't delve into here, but my point is that why should men feel threatened by a TV show that teaches you how you're supposed to treat one another, even if it does involve pink and purple ponies? Even if we've technically learned all the lessons the show teaches, they're a nice reminder. I've even remembered some of the lessons in my own life, the most striking one for me being the lesson from the Discord episodes, where Twilight discovers that friendship is worth fighting for. And I know from reading some of the posts on this forum that the show has helped them become better people. It has helped them stop being bitter and start relating to people the way that they know they're supposed to. Anyways, Dr. Braun, I should thank you for your haters analysis. The whole "opposite" aspect makes perfect, perfect sense, and it can apply to just about anything in life. In my personal life, it's actually tough being a conservative Christian where I live. When I see people post articles to Facebook that bash conservative viewpoints, it makes me want to slam my head against a wall and say, "No! You don't understand! Just because one idiot said this it doesn't mean everyone else with the same ideological viewpoints would say the same thing!" And even after you say that to them, they won't believe you. After all, these people are "not conservative," so to make themselves feel smarter and more liberal, they attack the "opposite" side. You see it in politics all the time. That's why politics are depressing. Just stop attacking and start speaking the truth about others without resorting to insults and elitism (and yes, I know that conservatives do this sort of thing to liberals, too. It's just that my own bias can get in the way of realizing how bad it is, and under most circumstances, I'm not the one being attacked by conservatives in the first place). Tangents, tangents, tangents... you guys shouldn't let me talk so much.

Bravo! This is entirely something I would've written. Lol, yeah, I digress quiet a bit, too, I understandya there

 

Honestly, living here in the south, it's nice people are conservative, but actually, I often find that I'm also around alot of the same people that give conservatives a bad steroetype among liberals. People who think space exploration is silly because it's not in the bible (Hullo, America!) and aliens don't exist because they're not in the bible, they lack compassion for animals "because they don't have souls", roll their eyes at psychology and biology, believe the Earth is 6,000 years old, all kinds of stuff like that...

 

Still, though, it definitely beats the heck out of living somewhere that's very liberal and loves having a bajillion local laws and regulations to pop up and surprise you like Pinkie Pie, except giving you a ticket and/or a fine instead of a party. And really, it's more to do with maturity and selflessness than political tendency. I don't care if they're conservative or liberal, a jerk's a jerk, and a friend's a friend.

(It's funny how the magic of friendship is. Strange how people who seem to be polar opposites can be friends.)

[~asdf~ 110]

Something I've noticed about haters, (having been one at one point in my life, then I realized I'm Bi XD) Most hating is based on fear.

 

Eg. 1: They don't understand it -> It's weird and strange -> It's scary -> Show distaste in meanest way possible.

Eg. 2: They don't understand why they enjoy it, it goes against their "image" -> It's weird and strange (the feeling) -> It's scary (I don't know what is going on in my head) -> show distaste.

Eg. 3: A friend I've had forever likes it (I thought I knew everything about them) -> This isn't my friend, this is not who he/she is (this goes against their image (friend's)) -> This is strange (I'm losing someone precious to me [Due to close mindedness]) -> Show distaste (especially towards old friend)

 

Those are some of the ways I've been able to realize and understand how fear is usually the cause of hate.

 

If people are confused, like any other animal on earth, they will be scared. It's human nature. Only by pushing away fear and acknowledging things open-mindedly can confusion be over come.

 

Unfortunately some of us just aren't patient or willing enough to try and make sence of things and this causes people to fear and hate things. Every one hates being afraid. (and I don't mean watching a horror flick afraid. I mean "life or death" type fear.)

 

But that's just my opinion.

[Comet Tail 808]

My post is POPULAR!

^{I love you guys! Dis make me so happy!}

 

*ahem*...

 

Something I've noticed about haters, (having been one at one point in my life, then I realized I'm Bi XD) Most hating is based on fear.

 

Eg. 1: They don't understand it -> It's weird and strange -> It's scary -> Show distaste in meanest way possible.

Eg. 2: They don't understand why they enjoy it, it goes against their "image" -> It's weird and strange (the feeling) -> It's scary (I don't know what is going on in my head) -> show distaste.

Eg. 3: A friend I've had forever likes it (I thought I knew everything about them) -> This isn't my friend, this is not who he/she is (this goes against their image (friend's)) -> This is strange (I'm losing someone precious to me [Due to close mindedness]) -> Show distaste (especially towards old friend)

 

Those are some of the ways I've been able to realize and understand how fear is usually the cause of hate.

 

If people are confused, like any other animal on earth, they will be scared. It's human nature. Only by pushing away fear and acknowledging things open-mindedly can confusion be over come.

 

Unfortunately some of us just aren't patient or willing enough to try and make sence of things and this causes people to fear and hate things. Every one hates being afraid. (and I don't mean watching a horror flick afraid. I mean "life or death" type fear.)

 

But that's just my opinion.

 

Something in me was thinking - there must be more than one reason for haters to hate; after all, nothing is that simple, as to have just one cause. So this provides a great second and third type of hater (eg 1 & 3), thanks for sharing!

 

eg 2 is really kind of a rephrasing of what I wrote, though

Convergence of ideas is really a great sign that we're onto something!

 

Hmm, and recently I'm really starting to get concerned about eg 3. I'm coming closer and closer to not being so secretive.

 

But, I've done some pretty crazy things before, but nothing really outlandish, so I'm really worried this might happen to a number of friends. Worst part is, they might get really concerned about me, like it's some kind of sign of serious distress, since they don't know the show is a real show now. This, and eg.3: I wouldn't want them to freak out like that, mostly for their own sake, because it would really scare them and make them feel like they've lost a really good friend, and those two things (eg3 and concern) might even feed on eachother.

 

That would be like a Pinkie-Pie meltdown moment for me, if I did that to them... I probably wouldn't talk to turnips and rocks, but you get the idea

 

_{(PS, credit where it's due. Preview image of this used.)}

Edited February 19, 2012 by EASA - Dr. Braun

[~asdf~ 110]

My post is POPULAR! ^{I love you guys! Dis make me so happy!} *ahem*... Something in me was thinking - there must be more than one reason for haters to hate; after all, nothing is that simple, as to have just one cause. So this provides a great second and third type of hater (eg 1 & 3), thanks for sharing! eg 2 is really kind of a rephrasing of what I wrote, though [/url] used.)[/sub]

Well I was agreeing with you for Eg. 2. I was just writing an example instead of writing it in thought.

Convergence of ideas is really a great sign that we're onto something! Hmm, and recently I'm really starting to get concerned about eg 3. I'm coming closer and closer to not being so secretive. But, I've done some pretty crazy things before, but nothing really outlandish, so I'm really worried this might happen to a number of friends. Worst part is, they might get really concerned about me, like it's some kind of sign of serious distress, since they don't know the show is a real show now. This, and eg.3: I wouldn't want them to freak out like that, mostly for their own sake, because it would really scare them and make them feel like they've lost a really good friend, and those two things (eg3 and concern) might even feed on eachother. That would be like a Pinkie-Pie meltdown moment for me, if I did that to them... I probably wouldn't talk to turnips and rocks, but you get the idea _{(PS, credit where it's due. Preview image of this used.)}

It's sad to hear that. But if they are really your friends they will look past it like my friends did.

[ffffff 50]

Because they are insecure and feel the need to call anything slightly different from them 'gay'.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

First, let me apologize not noticing this thread before, since you specifically called out to me as a knowledgeable person, something for which I feel honored.

 

Secondly...I feel like your analysis was fairly spot on, at least in regards to understanding your own emotional reaction to the show, and how you would have characterized your prior dislike for the show as a result of that. Hatred is a difficult emotion to process, to understand. At its core, at least in the type of hatred we are discussing, it's about fearing and not understanding something that is different from oneself.

 

One's experiences and point of view sums up how we view life. We can only filter everything we see and hear through what makes sense to us. This is a difficult concept to explain, so let me give an example.

 

I find it extremely difficult to understand religious faith. I have never been able to believe in God or some other deity, because it never made sense to me. I always felt silly or ridiculous whenever I attempted to explore various spiritual or religious beliefs. I've tried my hand at many, both mainstream religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, etc, as well as a few other less mainstream views, but in every instance I found myself unable to believe. I just couldn't, because for whatever reason, that is the way that I am. That is my perspective, my viewpoint, how I process the universe. It extends into a number of different aspects of my life, such as how I interpret circumstances. Whenever I encounter something that most would accredit as being supernatural or at the very least possible to interpret as proof of their beliefs, I look for an alternative, more empirical explanation, because I can't accept that one doesn't exist.

 

This is in many ways the sort of thing Twilight went through in Feeling Pinkie Keen when she attempted to understand the nature of the Pinkie Sense. It baffled her, conflicted with her worldview and with the knowledge she had about the extent or limit of Earth Pony magic/magic-like abilities. As usual I was able to see the episode through Twilight's perspective, because in her horseshoes I would have been acting the same way as she did.

 

It could be easy enough for me to take this lack of understanding and allow it to twist into hatred. For a long time I was the angry sort of atheist, the type who viewed organized religion as a poison or even an existential threat to humanity itself. I no longer have that viewpoint because I've learned just how silly that notion even is. I didn't understand the religious viewpoint, therefore I feared it and hated it and saw it as a threat to me.

 

Thus, the sort of hatred espoused by haters of Friendship is Magic is based on a lack of tolerance for a viewpoint different from theirs. Whether it is based on a perception of masculinity, or a dislike of anything that could be characterized as girly, or even hatred aimed instead at fans of the show, such as those who would accuse male fans of being outright paedophilic, it's all about a lack of understanding, about how the show represents a different point of view from how they perceive everything, and that represents, at a basic level, a threat, a threat they lash out at with their hatred.

 

Too often we don't think about why we have the emotional reactions that we do to the world around us. Your typical FIM hater isn't going to think about why they hate the show, because people just don't do that sort of thing in general. We as a society tend to look outward rather than inward, even stereotyping those who look inward as being weak or foolish. It ties back into a much broader range of subjects than I feel I should really get into, because whole books can, have been, and will be written about this topic.

 

But basically, I feel, as I said, that your analysis was fairly spot on. Not every hater's experience will be like that of course, and there are plenty of haters of the show who would never be converted no matter how much they examine themselves, because the things they may dislike about the show will never change and they may dislike those aspects because of aspects of themselves that will never change, like my inability to understand the religious viewpoint. And that's fine, because disliking the show isn't a bad thing. When they attack fans of the show, though, that isn't acceptable, and is something we should put more effort towards trying to stop if we can, not through trying to convert them necessarily so much as simply getting them to let us be.

[~asdf~ 110]

 

I like you posts .

 

And I believe there are more reasons than just this and my "fear" theory. Lots of people have different reasons to hate and pretty much everypony has hated at one point, it's human nature.

 

Your analysises always leave me interested in further study into the topics you're analyzing. But when you mentioned "lack of tolerance for a veiwpoint" Do you think this is due to close-mindedness, fear of accepting, or just overall ignorance?

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

I like you posts .

 

And I believe there are more reasons than just this and my "fear" theory. Lots of people have different reasons to hate and pretty much everypony has hated at one point, it's human nature.

 

Your analysises always leave me interested in further study into the topics you're analyzing. But when you mentioned "lack of tolerance for a veiwpoint" Do you think this is due to close-mindedness, fear of accepting, or just overall ignorance?

 

Oh there's definitely more to hatred than just what I said. After all, I only discussed one aspect of hatred. There are plenty of other aspects, especially the ones regarding direct interpersonal hatred of other human beings.

 

However, to answer your question specifically, I feel it is a combination of all three. Close-mindedness, while not necessarily the word I would have chosen, does describe the general lack of self-examination I referred to in my previous post. Fear of acceptance ties into fearing the unknown...in some ways it's almost like a survival instinct, the avoidance of change because the change could be bad. I say almost because describing it as a survival instinct isn't entirely accurate and is also easy to misinterpret.

 

Overall ignorance also plays into a lack of tolerance for viewpoints for sure, especially when it comes to any sort of viewpoint that is wholly separated from one's own. For example, it can be extremely difficult for someone raised in the United States in a typical suburban setting to understand the general viewpoint of a farmer in India, because the two individuals are separated by their varying cultural backgrouns and by the environments in which they grew up. Or, for a much more lighthearted and forum appropriate example, it can be difficult for someone to understand the quality of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic without educating themselves about the writing, the animation, the people involved, the songs composed, and so on and so forth.

[Victoria and Co. 782]

So, I'm just wondering, why are there so many people that hate bronies and MLP? I just don't get it, what's the difference between me watching MLP FiM and me watching Doctor Who? I understand there are people who hate just to get attention, but they can't all be attention desperate parasprites can they?

 

I'd like to see some reasons you guys think these haters exist like they do!

[Barz 15]

People hate for very different reasons. More importantly, people usually hate what they don't understand. MLP FiM IS a show aimed (at least initially I guess it was) at small girls.

But again, like I said. People hate for VERY different reasons.

 

For example: I at first refused to watch MLP. Not because of the actual topic: I've seen tons of cartoons and im fine with that. No, it was because of the constant amount of pony posts being thrown at me. And whenever I complained (obviously because I didn't get the joke) I was called immediately a hater or even worse, was told that it's ok and that they'd love and tolerate me.

 

See, that idea in and out of itself is fine. I'm all in for love and toleration. But it's very different to just say it to me like that. It's very passive agressive.

 

So I refused to watch the show. Sometime later (over a year!) the pony posts stopped appearing. Even more important, some of the actual posts I saw made me laugh. Once I had that mindset of a 'brony' out of my head, I was able to watch the show without any bias. I enjoyed the show, and sometime later here I am.

 

Not sure if that helps you though.

[Starshine 16,333]

They didn't hate MLP at the first sight, if that was you're afraid of.

 

Some of the bronies were extremely loud and obnoxious, continuously trying to shove all pony related memes to non-bronies, even when they never said anything about hating ponies in the first place.

 

Our 'love and tolerance' is our greatest backlash

[Legit101 300]

It's a girl's show. For girls.

You're (probably) a guy. Watching a girl's show.

[DJ MUFF1N D3RP 322]

They hate because they don't understand. If you don't give this show a chance, it can seem pretty strange for a grown man/teenager to watch this show that's name implies that it is meant squarely for little girls. They just don't see the quality show laying underneath the girly packaging and don't even want to risk opening the metaphorical package to find the amazing content within. Edited February 23, 2012 by super muffin derpy506

[I_wesley125 393]

You will find that most haters are homophobic, they think were "gay".

[SailorCardKnight 85]

People hate for very different reasons. More importantly, people usually hate what they don't understand. MLP FiM IS a show aimed (at least initially I guess it was) at small girls.

But again, like I said. People hate for VERY different reasons.

 

This. This appears to be the common reason why people hate. Plus, before FiM came along, dunno about others, but I noticed there was a trend where it it was cool for guys to hate on MLP. Apparently that mindset is still there.

 

You will find that most haters are homophobic, they think were "gay".

 

Theres been a study where they found that most homophobic people are actually gay but in denial and won't admit it. Which is pretty amusing.

Edited February 23, 2012 by SailorCardKnight

[Twi Rubix 726]

I think its just because of the show itself.... Candy colored ponies with big eyes learning about friendship. Doesn't sound right when you know nothing about the show. I kinda don't like it when people don't even give it a chance, though.

Edited February 23, 2012 by TwilightRubix

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

For a lot of haters, it's the "OMG LOL UR GAYYYYY" thing. Because it's not football or guns or killing, it's too feminine for them to enjoy. And so, to prove that they are indeed manly, they have to bash fans of MLP:FiM.

 

Others probably see it plastered in places like that "cheezburger network" and assume it's some lame passing internet trend like "THIS IS SPARTA" or "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" and hate FiM fans because they assume they're just idiots on a internet meme bandwagon.

 

And then there's the other thing: How annoying some (see: the bad) members of the fandom are. The ones who force pony discussion to the point it's aggravating to people who haven't got a clue what the hay is going one. Derailing comment sections/forum topics/etc. with pony image macros, insulting people who don't like ponies, etc. etc. And the ones who "clop" don't help the fandom's image either. http://mlpforums.com/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.png

 

Just my two bits.