Strawberryland Forum

Stella Grapes Wrote:Dropping by to say I'm still alive!

Hey there!

Sorry to sour the mood, but I need to vent.

Do I ever lose faith in humanity? Sometimes I do, such as today.

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I hardly link to EQD because this isn't an MLP site, and I also don't want to offend David, but I have to share this EQD story today. Long story short... a young boy attempted to take his own life because he was bullied for liking MLP G4 and being a brony in general.

I almost have no words for this. Even with all the progress we have made to break out of the stereotypical social norms that dominated the 50s and 60s, there are still those who refuse to go forward and stay locked into these fading norms. These people then pass these traits onto their children, which is likely what occurred with the unnamed bullies who attacked this kid. They believe that a boy liking a cartoon that has colorful cartoon horses is such a sin that he needs to be mocked for it. And with today's kids being so obsessed with social media, the bullying can go beyond the classroom, directly into the victims home.

And, this is one reason why, for the longest time, I was so hesistant to try watching SSC, or any cartoon show that is targeted at girls. I discovered there is nothing wrong with liking a girls cartoon, and as with MLP G4, such cartoons can include content that boys and adults can enjoy as well. But, in our cruel world, you will encounter others who won't share your POV. If I bought one of those WeLoveFine MLP shirts, and went to a big city with a store like WalMart or a mall, I'm certain I would get strange looks from random people. In the worst case scenario, I would probably get mocked or laughed at by a complete stranger. In the end, you have to take it and move on, but it still hurts knowing that people like us get mocked for our own personal preferences.

I would like to express my love for the excellent animated kids shows that I enjoy, or get that pink wristwatch I have been wanting. But when I hear things like this, it takes me aback a bit. I don't know how bad it is in my state, but I just know if I were to one day go about in an MLP or SSC shirt, I would get mocked or stared at by at least one stranger. South Dakota is a red state entrenched in farming, hunting, and other stereotypical roles. Not much progress here.

FIM degraded into shit when they lost the E/I.

My crash last night was caused by me accidentally stumbling into Wikipedia and reading the Season 4 episode synopses. I am honestly depressed at how low quality and un-slice-of-life-like everything has become.

RAMChYLD Wrote:FIM degraded into shit when they lost the E/I.

My crash last night was caused by me accidentally stumbling into Wikipedia and reading the Season 4 episode synopses. I am honestly depressed at how low quality and un-slice-of-life-like everything has become.

Well, just remember not to mock me when and if I get back into MLP again. That ties in with the topic of my rant. We have very differing opinions here, but I should never get mocked for it. I may have forced it on you in the past, and I admit, I have mocked your opinions as well, but I learned that isn't the best way to solve these issues. We just need to let it slide and talk about things we are interested in.

It's not just MLP, it's anything kids related. Another watch I would love to have is a Winnie the Pooh type, but these issues prevent me from getting one.

I did not intend to mock you. If I mocked you by accident, I apologize.

I'm going through very trying times. One that keep repetitively pressing my berserk button and trying my patience. I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take.

Happy Chinese New Year! ^_^

Yes, Happy New Year!

My brother's sweet horse died today... on the first day of the Year of the Horse...

That seems like a really bad sign.

* welcomes Ben to the club of pain *

cpd2009 Wrote:Sorry to sour the mood, but I need to vent.

Do I ever lose faith in humanity? Sometimes I do, such as today.

Remember that for every confused bully who did something wrong, there is a bunch of good people wanting to help this kid.

Also, I don't know what to say. I know this is a late response but I mean.. I'm a male-to-female transgendered person so I know what this issue is. I live it everyday. You have to decide what's most important to you, to live your life and possibly be mocked for it.. or to not be yourself. The same thing applies though, for every person that might mock you there is are good people who will come to your defense.

I don't claim to be the brony's biggest fan. Not a fan of that label. Not a fan of the way a lot of them act, but this was a kid. It's a lot less important the label that was used and just wanting him to be around people that will care. I think that's how things like this always happen, too much focus on the negative in the world.

There is also nothing wrong with liking the show, so you should know I would even talk to you about it if you wanted.