Stories of people being rude about MLP

[partypony566]

Sorry that happened to you

*hugs*  I'm so sorry you had that experience!

In my experience comic book shops in particular attract rude people.   I have no idea why.

Agreed!

[Aurora]

The thing that has always helped me is to remember that these people have something they love, too. Everyone does. It might be something common, like football. I honestly hate conversations about football, but I'm not going to tell you that you are childish for enjoying watching a game. And that's what it is- it's a game, the sort of thing you send the kids into the yard to play when they are driving you crazy. And it's worth billions of dollars, people will drop everything to sit in a chair, eat chips and drink beer and watch some guys throw around a ball. Radio shows are taken over by discussions on last night's game, and people dress up like their favorite players. How is this different from ponies? Vikings jersey, Rainbow Dash shirt. Giant foam hand, Paradise Estate.

The very last shred of self-consciousness I had about my ponies was erased when I realized Lester collects Minneapolis Moline Tractors. Lester is a man in town who has lived there his whole life. He's a respected farmer and businessman. He is friendly, everyone knows him, and everyone smiles when they think of him, because he's a great guy. He lives on a farm in the country, but he owns a pole shed in town, where he sells parts for Minneapolis Moline tractors. One day he and his grandsons were driving all of the tractors out of the shed and getting ready to take them somewhere, so I asked him what was up. He usually takes them out for parades, but there was no parade. It was his birthday, and he had invited his tractors to his birthday party. Those are his words.

Since that day, I realized that if a well-respected and loved hometown character could have a "quirk" like that, and without a trace of self-consciousness could tell me he was having a party with his tractors, my pony obsession isn't even a little strange.

Now if someone gives me grief (which doesn't happen very often, and I like it that way) I ask them what they love. If they tell me nothing, I dig a little more. Sometimes it's their kids, sometimes it's going to the bar, but it's still the thing they love, and that's no different than ponies. I haven't found anyone yet who can't fathom that. But if they can't, I'm guess I wouldn't be too worried about it. I would just assume they love porn or drugs, something not nearly as awesome as ponies, so they don't want to admit it! Because EVERYONE LOVES SOMETHING.

[Takoto]

I was at Uni a few days back and we were talking about stuff in my class and we got onto the subject of MLP. And someone brought up Bronycon and was like "it's a little weird", and then a girl who I sort of like...d, jumped in with "Oh, those bronies, they're all perverts". She started talking about how most of them just only ever draw... NSFW material and make horrible fan-creations and such. I sort of just sat there like... " ; _ ; " because everyone else was like "Oh my god really they make porn of ponies that's HORRIBLE and all of them do it? ugh". I really wanted to jump in and say "But most of them are completely innocent" but... yeah. I was way too nervous. They spent a good five minutes just talking about how perverted all recent-MLP fans/bronies are and how disgusting what they do is...

They didn't mention the older gens or anything but yeah. It's made me incredibly reluctant to mention to ANYONE in my Uni that I like ponies (old AND new...)  = _ =;;

There's also a lady at a toy store near where I live, whenever I buy ponies she shoots me horrible dirty looks and such. We had a large brony meet a while back and a lot of us came in to buy toys... We were  VERY quiet, very calm, weren't "singing" or anything akin, we didn't even clog up the isle... :/ but when we went up to buy them, she told one brony how it's  "illegal to repaint ponies" and something like we'll get arrested if we do it. LOL.
We have local brony meet ups where I live every week, and whenever we go in to buy ponies (bare in mind, we try to be as quiet and as quick as possible so as not to clog up the isles or annoy parents) she always shoots us looks and acts really passive aggressive when talking to us... O _ o

[MaronaPossessed]

Well I was at Walmart and looking for blind bags and there were two little girls and a mother looking at the Fashion Style Luna and Celestia.

"Look it's Nightmare Moon! She's pretty!"

The mother says. "That's not Nightmare Moon, it's..."

I spoke out. "Princess Luna" I smiled.

"Yeah!" the little girl said. and the mother was like "Yeah..."with a small smile.

I wasn't sure by it, but I think she was scared of me. I just moved on when I couldn't find blind bags.

[Sarahlacewing]

I was at Uni a few days back and we were talking about stuff in my class and we got onto the subject of MLP. And someone brought up Bronycon and was like "it's a little weird", and then a girl who I sort of like...d, jumped in with "Oh, those bronies, they're all perverts". She started talking about how most of them just only ever draw... NSFW material and make horrible fan-creations and such. I sort of just sat there like... " ; _ ; " because everyone else was like "Oh my god really they make porn of ponies that's HORRIBLE and all of them do it? ugh". I really wanted to jump in and say "But most of them are completely innocent" but... yeah. I was way too nervous. They spent a good five minutes just talking about how perverted all recent-MLP fans/bronies are and how disgusting what they do is...

They didn't mention the older gens or anything but yeah. It's made me incredibly reluctant to mention to ANYONE in my Uni that I like ponies (old AND new...)  = _ =;;

I think this happens a lot.  There are extremists in every social group. Some people do like extremely sexual or very violent fandom even if that fandom stems from a cartoon intended for children.  And of course there are even more unusual fetishes out there.  I'll admit I am not comfortable with this subsection of fan.  I steer away from any of that stuff because to me toys are a very innocent and childlike thing.  I don't enjoy mixing adult themes with them.

But some people do. And as long as they do it over there where it isn't in my face and my little ones aren't going to accidentally see it, I don't care.  It's a very small percentage of the fan base. I just hate how EVERY group everywhere is generalized by their most eccentric people.

[Takoto]

I think this happens a lot.  There are extremists in every social group. Some people do like extremely sexual or very violent fandom even if that fandom stems from a cartoon intended for children.  And of course there are even more unusual fetishes out there.  I'll admit I am not comfortable with this subsection of fan.  I steer away from any of that stuff because to me toys are a very innocent and childlike thing.  I don't enjoy mixing adult themes with them.

But some people do. And as long as they do it over there where it isn't in my face and my little ones aren't going to accidentally see it, I don't care.  It's a very small percentage of the fan base. I just hate how EVERY group everywhere is generalized by their most eccentric people.

Yeah, I've noticed that about pretty much every fandom/group/community is often stereotyped. Like, when people outside the "Pokémon fandom" think of it, a lot of people view everyone as incredibly childish/immature/loud, or mentions the small amount of people in the fandom who draw NSFW as well, even though only a very very small percentage of the fandom does. But yeah. I understand that the "brony" / G4-loving community have a fair few people who like to draw and write NSFW, but honestly they're a minority ; w ; (I personally don't mind the NSFW. I don't look at it or draw it/I tend to avoid it, but I'm not bothered at all by others doing it). I guess it's just easier for some people to generalize than it is to properly explain a community, especially one like bronies/older MLP fans.

Just made me really awkward having to sit through "Bronies are all perverts!" "I won't touch G4 stuff because of them and their nsfw" (there was one girl in my class who seems to collect G1s), "they're all completely weird", and other such things... orz... I've never been in a community that gets that kinda hatred in public O _ o

[Sarahlacewing]

Just made me really awkward having to sit through "Bronies are all perverts!" "I won't touch G4 stuff because of them and their nsfw" (there was one girl in my class who seems to collect G1s), "they're all completely weird", and other such things... orz... I've never been in a community that gets that kinda hatred in public O _ o

Unfortunately it's a pretty common reaction.  My husband isn't a Bronie  but he knows what they are of course because of me.  He has a guy that comes into his work all the time with his fluttershy/pinkie pie stuff on.  And people treat him like some kind of pedophile. It's upsetting also because it's completely fine for an adult to like comics, action figures, violent video games, sexy whatever floats your boat... but it's not ok to enjoy a 'kids show' like Pokemon or Ponies.  I'm like first of all I watched this stuff when I was a kid.  If my son likes Dora in 40 years you better not call him a pervert.  Besides that it's a show about love and magic and friendship.  There are ALOT worse things to enjoy. 

[Takoto]

Unfortunately it's a pretty common reaction.  My husband isn't a Bronie  but he knows what they are of course because of me.  He has a guy that comes into his work all the time with his fluttershy/pinkie pie stuff on.  And people treat him like some kind of pedophile. It's upsetting also because it's completely fine for an adult to like comics, action figures, violent video games, sexy whatever floats your boat... but it's not ok to enjoy a 'kids show' like Pokemon or Ponies.  I'm like first of all I watched this stuff when I was a kid.  If my son likes Dora in 40 years you better not call him a pervert.  Besides that it's a show about love and magic and friendship.  There are ALOT worse things to enjoy.

Yeah. There's noting wrong with being an adult and enjoying anything intended for kids, be it games, cartoons, comics, etc. It's horrible that guy gets such abuse just for wearing pony-related things. :c It's just a really positive, cute show about helping others, making friends, spreading love and just being and making others happy... > _<