Bad Horse, ponykiller · 9:15pm Jan 4th, 2013
I didn't watch most of this fall's episodes, saving them for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when I visit most of my nieces and nephews. My family is anti-pony, and makes fun of MLP when we get together and I watch the show with the kids. Well, their regular bad-mouthing of the show persuaded the little girls that they, too, were too grown-up and sophisticated for My Little Pony, and the same girls who were eager to watch it a month ago wouldn't watch it with me anymore.
I'm a little angry at the person chiefly responsible, but I feel vaguely guilty myself, like the dad who ruins his kids' games by joining in and trying too hard to be their buddy. Like it's more proof that I shouldn't watch kids' shows, that stepping outside the zones defined by age and sex can only ruin things. I don't know what I should have done differently. Probably I should have been obnoxious and ridiculed their favorite shows right back, in front of the girls. Even little girls mistake niceness for weakness.
People fear that which is different.
They'll be back.
The zones defined by age and sex are completely socially built and, basically, imaginary. And you know that, at least on some level.
To ridicule them back for their favorite shows would be folly, but to point out their own childish ways-in a 'and you do x y and z', factual way-would be better. Plenty of 'adults' that mock those for watching the show have their own childish things-a stuffed animal they can't get rid of, the desire to constantly go out and get drunk and generally act a damn fool, things like that.
The girls probably won't watch the show because the grownups dislike it, not because they dislike it. Try using logic on them.
678959 That avatar,
HHHNNGH!
And good advice to give him, just saying "and you enjoy X show" would not have the argumentative oomph as what Midnight her has proposed.
678951 I fear what is the same. Seriously, outcasts are the friendliest people once you get to know them!
678966 Excellent deduction, just as Midnight had.
Well that sucks.
But you shouldn't feel bad about it. It's not your fault that your family is being petty. You enjoyed a show that you could watch with your nieces, that's more than most parents can say.
678967 Thanks, I just made it last night <3
But yeah, to battle back like that would be showing some pretty serious defensiveness which isn't what you want to do. I mean, fuck, it's a cute show with good animation and relateable characters, you don't NEED to be defensive. It's like...I like My Little Pony. A friend of mine is absolutely mad about Dr. Who (the new ones). Neither of us understand each other's love of our respective shows, but nor do either of us feel the need to mock each other for it. Especially in front of children, what the fuck is that about seriously now.
idk, I'm raising MY son to know that people have stuff that they like and as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else, there's no problem with it. It seems to be working.
It is a sad thing, when someone gives up things they love because of outside pressure to be a certain way.
I'd perhaps suggest trying to impress upon these girls the important lesson of "love what you like, not what others say you should like", but if adults/parent figures are already driven by insecurity/ignorance/what-have-you to attack pony-watching, that would likely only make it worse.
Only thing I can say with confidence is you can't let it get to you. Never feel guilty about trying to share what you love, especially something as good and nurturing as ponies can be. As MidnightDancer said, social boundaries are merely artificial constructs--things used create 'us' and 'them'.
You shouldn't have done anything different. Be genuine and forthright, honest in your meetings, and there is nothing to be guilty of. The fault in this case lies entirely with the haters, and a little with the girls who took the easy choice and yielded to that hate. Only a little, though; in great part they probably don't know any better yet.
The "zones defined by age and sex" do not spring fully formed into the universe like Athena from the forehead of Zeus. They are social constructs defined and enforced by people. The only reason transgressing them would ruin anything is if they result in social consequences you care about from the boundary creators.
I don't think your problem here has anything to do with that, though. Your Person Chiefly Responsible (let's call him Instigator) is disparaging a show for little girls directly to the face of little girls. This does not sound like a debate over zone-crossing, it sounds like Instigator being a dick.
Respecting boundaries will not stop Instigator from being a dick.
In much happier and unrelated news, it's now canon that one of the Mane Six is a fanfic author.
Catch up! Season three is wild.
Strange how if you show you like MLP, it drives them away from the show, but if you were to offer them a bottle of Jack and a cigar....
Psychology does not work on small children, and when you add 'female' to the variable list, you get a 'Divide by Zero' error from God's compiler. Enjoy your ponies, don't be afraid to tell others you enjoy the ponies. If they come around, good. If not, meh.
Funny, watching MLP is no good, but watching Transformers, or Mickey Mouse, or Animaniacs? That's totally kosher. Not to mention playing with LEGOs, or Transformers (again) or Nerf. Or any of the stuff you did as a kid. I just don't buy the logic that a show, or games, or toys, or what-have-you have any restrictions based on age or sex. More over, cartoons are SUPPOSED to be something that kids and adults watch together, and the best ones are ones that are enjoyed by all audiences. Walt Disney once said, "If you only aim for children, your dead. Adults are only children who have grown up anyway."
Problem is, kids always want to be seen as grown up, so when they see adults say that something is kiddy, or only for little boys or little girls, they tend to reject such things. And they gravitate towards adult based entertainment, such as mature video games (COD anyone?).
It gets to be a real problem when adults encourage this behavior, and let their children play mature games, and watch violent movies and TV on a regular basis, but that's an entirely different rant.
Point is, there just isn't much you can do about your nieces choice, as you aren't gonna be able to really counteract their parents. If they change their minds, then great. If not, oh well. But don't stop doing something you like if you have any control over it just because other people, even family, don't like it, or even attempt to stop you. It's not their choice.
Most times child psyc crap is so preventitive that it just forgets that childhood is formitive.
I'm a closet brony. I keep it to myself because people who dont enjoy the show can go fuck themselves. Unevolved or poorly made brains are not mine to correct.
Then again not all bronies are perfect either
Watch it with the kids that will watch, and let the others take it or leave it. you'd be surprised at how much people will ignore what they've been told to conform to.
Coincidentally, my niece asks to watch ponies every time I see her. That all started because I showed her an episode when we were out and she needed to be quiet and still for a while. (She considers being able to play with a grownup's phone a special treat, and to watch cartoons on an adults phone, well that's just
) The next time I saw her, the first thing out of her mouth was "Hi uncle Ben, can we watch ponies?" And the best part? The rest of the family is cool with it.
Hence why I would detonate the earth if I had the power.
Never blame yourself for liking anything, mlp or otherwise.
Children are childish and easy to conform to any thought.
I enjoy the show, the members of this site do (at least I think they do) and you do.
We don't need to explain ourselves and if they'd ask me, I'd say that I like the show, why I like it and if they think it's wrong
that would be their problem. Not mine, not of the members of this site, not yours. their problem
Forget the critics greatness is achieved by those that transcend their skeptics.
You shouldn't shoulder blame that is undeserved. Sadly parents, regardless of open-mindedness has more influence on their kids than uncles. I hope you have a chance to talk to them about closed-mindedness.
*sigh* This does not suprise me. Children are very malleable when they are young and parents are the chief molders. It saddens me that people are so resistant to change, especially when the show promotes nothing but positivity. Unfortunately, I do not have any advice. Good luck though.
Le Shit Of Bulls
It's not your fault.
Children are extremely malleable, like others have said before me. I remember by my own experience that I was raised to ridicule things such as cartoons my folks didn't grow up with, video games, and rock music because they didn't like them. Only now do I realize how wrong I was, and how much good stuff I missed out on because I let myself be influenced. I'd have a talk with your nieces about close-mindedness and that having the courage and independence to like what they like is an admirable trait. If they see the logic, great, but if they don't, it's their loss.
Keep liking what you like, and stay true to yourself.