Why do so many people dislike Rarity so much and like Rainbow Dash so much?

[Prince Firemane 309]

Personally, Rarity is my second favorite of the mane six ((Twilight being first since I relate to her more than I do the others)). I'm sure that this has been mentioned a lot before, but I think the reason people have hated Rarity is because even though she represents the Element of Generosity, she doesn't embody it as much as people think she should. Most of the generosity she employs is with the aim of gaining some kind of favor with somepony, but that's not unrealistic, we all do that. But Rarity, as representing said Element, is held up to a higher standard. She really hardly ever shows genuine generosity, without the aim of gaining favor. It became so glaring that Rarity Takes Manehattan, an episode that tried so hard to have her show genuine generosity, that it felt completely out of place and forced.

 

Conversely, as I'm sure has been said quite a lot, I think people like Rainbow Dash because she's so tomboyish and isn't afraid to get dirty or roughed up. I have a hard time understanding this myself since she's a mid-ground character for me, I don't love her but I don't hate her either. But, I think what has to be taken into account is that a lot of bronies take her to be the token lesbian of the group, her tomboyish qualities and her rainbow coloration screams lesbian stereotype to them.

[#1FluttershyFan 206]

I, for one, don't dislike Rarity. She is my fifth favorite pony. The only one I like less is Twilight but it's not like I dislike Rarity. I just happen to like the other ponies more. Rarity is a great character if you really look into her but her seemingly girly hobbies make her less desirable to many bronies. She's not a bad character. Not at all. She is just out shined by other characters that are more appealing to the majority of the audience.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

Is this thread even applicable anymore?
 

For instance, here's a survey taken in 2012. As you can see, it ranks Rarity is being quite the unpopular pony.

 

 

 

Just a personal note - this isn't actually as bad as it looks for Rarity. If you look across the numbers at the bottom, you'd see Rarity achieved 145 votes as a first favorite pony, whereas Rainbow, in 5th place, received 160 - only 15 more votes. Not ideal for lovely lady Rarity, but it isn't as nearly as bad as it looks

 

 

Now, here's the same survey taken at the end of 2014:

 

 

That looks like a pretty huge improvement in popularity for lovely lady Rarity, if I do say so myself This leads me to the impression that this discussion hardly applies to the current state of the fandom anymore

...This topic is a bit outdated, it's not really the case anymore (Rarity has become more popular).

 

 

Really?

 

I thought that was the way it used to be. In my experience it's completely switched round now.

I AM NOT ALONE IN THINKING THIS TOPIC IS OUTDATED

 

I demand an explanation over why this thread is still being discussed in a modern-fandom context over a cup of tea and some crumpets.

 

Thank you for your patience, everyone, and have a wonderful day.

 

 

[baba_booey 4,301]

What are you talking about? Lots of people love Rarity nowada-

 

"Posted in November 2013"

 

Oh, I see! Carry on.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

What are you talking about? Lots of people love Rarity nowada-

 

"Posted in November 2013"

 

Oh, I see! Carry on.

I actually remember when this thread was made I was 16 years old and writing my angry, "ima fight you" Rarity defenses. You might be able to see some earlier in this thread, but I digress.

 

Things used to be so different than they are now. There were like, 4 other threads full of people talking about why they hated Rarity and why she sucked at the time this thread was initially active, and the early days of the RFC we got trolled on a weekly basis

 

Things used to be a whole lot different back in 2013 than they are now. It's surprising how fast things changed, though, especially on this site. Rarity went from being like the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees in the span of like, 2 months

 

[Amourie 63]

I am glad some people gave Rarity a chance such as i did. I, at first, did see her as your stereotypical popular conceited brat but as i watch more episodes, i grew on to start appreciating her more. She relates to me as being a hard-working pony, using her talents and looks to help her out with her boutique. Not only that, my pony oc Amour Couture tends to have the same personality traits as rarity but with a few other traits from the mane 6 to top it all off. But what made me fall in love with Rarity, is that she had a deep and complex personality that you have to dig deep into to find her true inner beauty, so she is deserving of her name and i think she would be a good role model for women and girls alike.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Amourie

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

From a feminist's point of view, Rainbow Dash is the female that is equal to what everyone else calls ''masculine''. The people that aren't feminists see masculine as a trait which a person it tough, more of risk takers, and more capable. Rainbow Dash shows the exact opposite because she is female, except the problem is that non-feminists think that Rainbow Dash is male when they first start watching the show. Rarity is hated because she appears to match a non-feminist's stereotypes.

Edited February 25, 2015 by gamecubeguy214

[airtseuqe 24]

My dislike for Rarity comes from the fact that I just can't stand her personality. She's not a bad pony or anything, but she just drives me nuts with the way she acts. RD's just a lot more entertaining and easier to relate to.  

Edited February 26, 2015 by airtseuqe

[Odyssey 5,714]

At this point I feel as if Rarity is the most liked of the Mane 6, while RD becoming the most disliked. But these two are my favourite ponies, so I suppose I got something to say.

 

The reason why people dislike Rarity so much is her personality. At first glance, it seems as if she'll be your typical bitchy character - snooty, doesn't care for her family, likes fashion, etc.. She can also be arrogant, but not as much as RD. But over the course of the series, the writers found a way to write her without making her too antagonistic.

 

On the other hand, the reason why so many people like Rainbow Dash is because of her masculine traits, her loyalty and knowing cool stunts like the Sonic Rainboom.

 

Even if both are flawed, that's what makes them great. One thing that I'm fed up with is how most Rainbow Dash haters bash on her only because she's arrogant. Yes, arrogance sure can be annoying, but I think it's not as bad as what so many people make it out to be. I also find it very shallow to hate on her just because of a measly character flaw. If anything, I'd rather have both Rare and RD that way instead of being annoying Mary Sues.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Odyssey

[veryoriginalponyname 121]

Believe it or not, but the mane 6 pony I've getting the most hate recently (and I've been looking all over) is neither Dash nor Rarity.

 

It's Fluttershy.

 

Maybe it's backlash from winning that favorite pony poll The Hub (RIP) did a while back or something, but it just seems like recently everyone's coming out and saying they've had it with her. I don't really care or anything, since she's my least favorite mane 6, but still, I'm kinda surprised.

 

Also, RD and Rarity are my two favorite mane 6 ponies. Give them an episode, Hasbro!

[RarityFan01 2,444]

I think they should make Rarity and Rainbow Dash do a lot of things together in season 5 so that people who hate Rarity but love Rainbow Dash (or vice versa) can't praise the pony they love without praising the pony they hate. I love them both (Although I did used to hat Rainbow Dash.) so I'm perfectly fine. I can praise them both.  

 

Bronies can be hypocrites. 

 

Rainbow Dash is a show off. People love her.

Trixie is a show off. People love her. 

Rarity is a show off. Suddenly, that draws the line. 

 

Even though Rarity is willing to let other ponies have the spotlight instead of her. Rainbow Dash would put her friends before her dreams, but she loves being the center of attention. 

 

They both where outshined by somepony else. They where both jealous, but Rarity acknowledged it and put it aside and continued to encourage Fluttershy to shine. Rainbow Dash didn't do the same with the Mysterious Mare Do Well. So while both ponies love the center of attention, it isn't far to point Rarity out when she can deal with it much better than Rainbow Dash... most of the time... 

 

As for selfishness: It actually adds contrast to both generosity and loyalty. They both care a lot about themselves, but they also both care about others, too. I will not deny that they are selfish. However, people blow Rarity's selfishness out of proportion.  They both are selfish, but they both can put others before them at times, even giving up on their dreams. 

 

In fact, Rarity and Rainbow Dash are very similar. People put them as opposites because of their gender expressions, but they are very similar. They love attention, they have big dreams, they care about their friends deeply but can be selfish, they have a lot of pride in what they do, they can be very arrogant, I'm sure I can list more. Sure the stuff they enjoy may be different, but they aren't. Hating one of them and loving the other makes no sense. I realized that after realizing how similar they are. Then I started loving Rainbow Dash. 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

I think a big part of dash's Popularity is her style and design. She's got a classic adventure hero setup: Really flashy and eye catching color scheme, spiky hair, boisterous attitude, a dream, and she's the pony most inclined to adventure (Though Ironically she sees much, MUCH less action and fighting than twilight).

As such, she appeals to the individuals who like the more magical girl aspects of the show and the adventure portions. Rarity on the other hand lends herself far more to slice of life style stuff, which is something which took a while to grab hold with fans, hence her S1 low position. But now? Dang, Rarity tends to actually do very well with older fans: Over at Ponychan, she won the favorite pony census the past couple of years in a row.

 

 

 

 

That being said, I do think Rarity does very poorly with the target audience it seems; her character and appeal probably work best with older fans who appreciate her focus on her career and who she is, while the little girls are more entranced by things like bright colors like RD and Pinkie, or by the princess motif of Twilight.

I'd actually like to see data from the younger crowd (and only them) of their favorite ponies.

[twilightfan 12]

 

 

Rarity likes to show off fancy, it's just a case of an aritst showcasing their work.

 rarity don't understand that not everypony likes fansy

[cider float 2,537]

Is this thread even applicable anymore?

 

For instance, here's a survey taken in 2012. As you can see, it ranks Rarity is being quite the unpopular pony.

 

 

 

Just a personal note - this isn't actually as bad as it looks for Rarity. If you look across the numbers at the bottom, you'd see Rarity achieved 145 votes as a first favorite pony, whereas Rainbow, in 5th place, received 160 - only 15 more votes. Not ideal for lovely lady Rarity, but it isn't as nearly as bad as it looks

 

 

Now, here's the same survey taken at the end of 2014:

 

 

That looks like a pretty huge improvement in popularity for lovely lady Rarity, if I do say so myself This leads me to the impression that this discussion hardly applies to the current state of the fandom anymore

 

 

I AM NOT ALONE IN THINKING THIS TOPIC IS OUTDATED

 

I demand an explanation over why this thread is still being discussed in a modern-fandom context over a cup of tea and some crumpets.

 

Thank you for your patience, everyone, and have a wonderful day.

 

 

2012 is such a long time ago by considering the lifespan of MLP. That was when the fandom was pretty much born so any information from 2012 is not applicable with now. The seasons have drastically changed and we probably got a whole new breed of bronies these days. I would say Rainbow Dash is at the top nowadays, Rarity a little more close to the middle and Fluttershy would be at the bottom. 

[RarityFan01 2,444]

I think the Rarity hate is dying down. It's hard to hate a pony who is the reason your favorite pony is able to achieve her dreams, and Rarity haters were typically Rainbow Dash fans. 

 

Unfortunately, there are still "bronies" who want her dead. (I know, it's extreme, but some actually want her dead.) But for the most part, bronies are neutral about her. She's not their favorite, but she's not horrible either. (There are Rarity fans who see her as their favorite, but most don't)

[taryncoda03 52]

Rarity lands at number 3 in the mane 6 for me.  I do really like her and I can see how people wouldn't like her personality because she seems snooty and conceited.  She really isn't that bad if people could look past her seemingly snooty attitude.  She's very kind and generous.  I don't understand how people like Rainbow Dash.  She is very selfish and annoying with how she thinks she has to be cool all the time.  She's the one out of any of the ponies that would remind me of the popular kids at school, not Rarity.  But I also figure that it is perhaps how colorful she is that a lot of people seem attracted to her.  She does LOOK cool but I do not like her personality one bit.  

[Mesme Rize 15,683]

Okay, i am probably going into a mindfield now, but please let me talk.

 

Rarity is my least favorite of the mane 6. But that dosen't mean i really hate her, considering her episodes are very good most of the time. I simply can't work with anything that has to do with high society, fashion and all that other fru-fru stuff, like Spike would say. Rarity loves all of these things and that's why i pretty much barely can relate to her.

 

That's not Raritys fault as a character, it's just the way i am. Please don't shoot me.

[Frostgage 7,974]

I think it's because Rarity and Dashie's personalities stand out more than the rest of the mane 6. That kind of eccentricity leads to more passionate fans and haters.

[TheLeastEvil 50]

I really don't hate Rarity, but it has always hurt me to see her attacking Applejack like she is a stupid and lowly character. Mostly, it frustrates me because I am reminded that many people see my entire state as uncivilized and uneducated.

[Celli 4,336]

I say they're both amazing characters, and tied for my second favorite mane 6(probably even character in general). I can kind of understand why some people hate certain characters, Twilight, Rares, Dash, all of 'em. I like them both for having really interesting quirks and traits, I'd say they're the most rounded characters in the show. (Twi's still my favorite, mostly due to relating to her quite a bit, and maybe a little personal bias )

As for why people hate either one,

Rarity: too girly, vane, obsessed with guys at a couple points, her demeanor might turn some off. (I think all of those are exaggerated, by the way)

Rainbow Dash: Arrogant, Hot-headed, selfish, only cares about being the best and not just trying your best. (Again, I feel those traits are exaggerated)

Some people just can't be pleased; biased towards a character. There's nothing wrong with any of it.

[M'gann M'orzz 745]

I really don't hate Rarity, but it has always hurt me to see her attacking Applejack like she is a stupid and lowly character. Mostly, it frustrates me because I am reminded that many people see my entire state as uncivilized and uneducated.

Her and AJ are practically best friends though, they just bicker a lot, but deep down they greatly respect the other, they wouldn't hang out as much as we see them together if they didn't.

[cider float 2,537]

Probably has to do with if people relate to the characters or not. I don't relate to any of the ponies I just watch them for entertainment. 

[Script Dangles 231]

I can only speak for myself with regard to Rarity:  I was not a fan until I saw "Rarity Investigates!" (which was just today!).  I thought she was a one-dimensional character that offered little but drama to the story.  This episode changed a lot for me, though.  I appreciate her a lot more than I did before.

 

I think the writers of the show have done a really nice job balancing all the characters.  They all have different things that you can appreciate about them, if you're looking for them.  Rarity included, as I've discovered.   :grin2: 

[M'gann M'orzz 745]

Probably has to do with if people relate to the characters or not. I don't relate to any of the ponies I just watch them for entertainment. 

I love this show for a bunch of reasons, but Iv never cared so much about relating to characters, It's good if you can but Iv always felt it's a lazy way to determine a favorite, and I don't really see the appeal in wanting to watch someone as similar to you as possible.

[cider float 2,537]

I love this show for a bunch of reasons, but Iv never cared so much about relating to characters, It's good if you can but Iv always felt it's a lazy way to determine a favorite, and I don't really see the appeal in wanting to watch someone as similar to you as possible.

Yeah you and me both. I just watch for the fun of it.