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A Double Standard?

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Nekusagi

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Okay, firstly, I apologize if this is in the wrong place, but ever since the overhaul brought about a lack of General Discussion, I figured I'd post this here. Basically, exactly what is it that makes it acceptable to pick on older Pokemon fans, but not other older fans of cartoons? I'm a junior in high school, and I've never been one to hide my obsession (I've always felt that if you love something enough, you shouldn't hide it), but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should have been more subtle about it. I wore a Charizard shirt to school today, since it's Spirit Week (I go to a Catholic high school, so this is basically our week to get out of uniform) and I got more than a few insults, and I started wondering, how is it that people can get away with putting Dora the Explorer and Incredibles coloring book pages on their locker, but if I put a few Pokemon screenshots up, it's fodder for rumors? Anyone else think there's an odd double standard going on here, where it's perfectly acceptable for a 16 year old to like, say, Tinkerbell, but if they wear a Pokemon shirt to school or get caught drawing fanart in the margins of their notebook, it's a travesty? (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with liking Disney, I'm just using that as an example, since it seriously does boggle my mind.)
 
I'm really not sure. I think some shows are seen as 'retro' and deemed more acceptable because they're similar to shows from when the person was younger.

Incredibles was billed as a family movie rather than a kid movie, wasn't it?
 
Yes, but they're still coloring book pages.
And Dora the Explorer is hardly retro.
(I asked someone once why it was okay to like Dora but not Pokemon. "Dora speaks Spanish." 0_o)
 
Exactly. And Spanish is chic.

Honestly, I don't get it either. But that's high school. NOTHING makes sense when it comes to what is and isn't accepted. It's best to just roll with the punches and not make yourself too big a target. Things in high school are just one weird and unexplainable thing after another.
 
Things must vary from high school to high school. I openly talk about my Pokémon obsession, and I haven't even gotten a single funny look for it. In fact, I tend to spot Freshman boys wearing Pokémon t-shirts on a regular basis.
 
Blackjack Gabbiani said:
Not make yourself too big a target? She should be able to wear a Pokémon shirt if she wants to wear one. Screw what anyone else thinks.
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No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. But there is a certain level at which you're just asking for people to comment on whatever you're into. It's all about not reaching that level. It's one thing to openly like something, but there is a point that you can reach where it becomes...distracting for other people. And you HAVE to deal with a distraction. I'm not saying that she's reached that point, I'm merely advising her NOT to reach that point.
 
For a while, I got away with telling people that anything Pokémon-related is for my kids. Not anymore. I watch what I want, when I want, and that's that. I don't explain my likes or dislikes to anyone. I've gotten some odd looks (from the guy at Barnes & Noble when I asked about the Viz graphic novel of the 4th movie) but otherwise most people don't care all that much.
 
GrnMarvl13 said:
No, no, no. I didn't mean it like that. But there is a certain level at which you're just asking for people to comment on whatever you're into. It's all about not reaching that level. It's one thing to openly like something, but there is a point that you can reach where it becomes...distracting for other people. And you HAVE to deal with a distraction. I'm not saying that she's reached that point, I'm merely advising her NOT to reach that point.
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Are you saying it's okay to pick on people because they like something too much? Mind you, I do think that people that get far too obsessed over certain things are a bit crazy, but I have never held anything against anyone for that. I'll have you know that I was once discriminated against for like Sonic too much, and perhaps for having an overactive imagination as well, but I don't think I actually got in anyone's way with it. This is exactly what makes teenagers so horrible, that the instant that something strange shows up, they will antagonize the junk out of it. I will hate these people for the rest of my life. Just do as you will, it doesn't matter if people approve or not, as long as it makes you happy.
 
nekusagi-chan said:
Okay, firstly, I apologize if this is in the wrong place, but ever since the overhaul brought about a lack of General Discussion, I figured I'd post this here. Basically, exactly what is it that makes it acceptable to pick on older Pokemon fans, but not other older fans of cartoons? I'm a junior in high school, and I've never been one to hide my obsession (I've always felt that if you love something enough, you shouldn't hide it), but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should have been more subtle about it. I wore a Charizard shirt to school today, since it's Spirit Week (I go to a Catholic high school, so this is basically our week to get out of uniform) and I got more than a few insults, and I started wondering, how is it that people can get away with putting Dora the Explorer and Incredibles coloring book pages on their locker, but if I put a few Pokemon screenshots up, it's fodder for rumors? Anyone else think there's an odd double standard going on here, where it's perfectly acceptable for a 16 year old to like, say, Tinkerbell, but if they wear a Pokemon shirt to school or get caught drawing fanart in the margins of their notebook, it's a travesty? (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with liking Disney, I'm just using that as an example, since it seriously does boggle my mind.)
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Generally, especially in those crappy American schools, anime and its fans are looked down upon. The fact that Pokemon is crappy and childish in comparison to other anime series only makes things worse. As mentioned, people here have grown up with Disney animation, so wearing that would be acceptable, usually.

Also, there's nothing cool about showing off your silly obsessions...so that's laughable on its own.

Also, the stubborn "I'll wear it if I like it, and I don't care what anyone else thinks" mentality won't get you anywhere, if it's merely for wearing a Pokemon shirt. I'm not saying that you should let yourself be manipulated; just use common sense. GrnMarvl13 is correct.
 
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Very well, perhaps I am a bit harsh, but I still don't think people should do that to each other. I have personally never done anything socially unacceptable, but it pretty much doesn't matter to me what anyone says. Frankly, I'm surprised that a Catholic school even allowed a Pokemon shirt, because last I recalled, they are avidly against it. There, I can see your point. You're just asking for trouble there.
 
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I forgot that I can't say anything without it being taken the wrong way.

Sceptile726 said:
Are you saying it's okay to pick on people because they like something too much?
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Of course not. Although teasing DOES help to harden people for the real world.

Just do as you will, it doesn't matter if people approve or not, as long as it makes you happy.
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There is a certain point at which it IS too much. And at that point SOMEONE should say something. Preferably your friends. But it's all about making sure your obsessions are kept in check. Just because you're not doing drugs doesn't mean you can't get addicted to something in an unhealthy manner. Of course...now I'm going off on some completely random tangent...but whatever.
 
Of course they shouldn't, but they do. Which means that you must adjust, not them - if you're planning to succeed socially, that is. (If you think that social development is not necessary in order to get anywhere in life, then you're sadly mistaken.)
 
Well, on that, you can say something, but chances are, it won't be heard. It's sad, but true. I try to be reasonable myself, but as I have just demonstrated, even I still stubbornly cling to my own views. It's not an easy thing to make someone change their point of view. If you can do that, then hats off to you. I personally let people be if I can't reason with them. I can understand when someone is showing concern that I may be doing something wrong, but to just be told it's wrong upsets people and they won't listen to you at all.
 
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Sceptile726 said:
Frankly, I'm surprised that a Catholic school even allowed a Pokemon shirt, because last I recalled, they are avidly against it.
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Some Protestant and Muslim groups make up the Pokémon-is-Satan crowd, not Catholics. The last pope even blessed Pokémon, if I recall correctly.
 
Argy said:
Some Protestant and Muslim groups make up the Pokémon-is-Satan crowd, not Catholics. The last pope even blessed Pokémon, if I recall correctly.
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Blessed? I know the Vatican said it was good, but *blessed*? I don't recall that...
But it's not the school that has problems. Just the immature students. And I seriously don't let it bother me too much, since the only ones who end up looking immature are the idiots themselves. Really, most people are cool with it. You get idiots everywhere, ne?
 
Kadabra said:
Also, the stubborn "I'll wear it if I like it, and I don't care what anyone else thinks" won't get you anywhere, if it's merely for wearing a Pokemon shirt. I'm not saying that you should let yourself be manipulated; just use common sense. GrnMarvl13 is correct.
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How is that 'dumb'? It seems to me it's a valuable life lesson.

And the Pope never blessed it, he just said it wasn't evil.

And Barb--there's a graphic novel of the 4th movie? In English? ISBN number please!
 
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There isn't a graphic novel of the 4th movie in English as far as I can tell. I've looked. Murgatroyd has one in Japanese and you can order it from http://www.amazon.co.jp. I think Viz Media stopped distributing the graphic novels after the 2nd movie.
 
Aah, I was wondering, because I can get the one in Japanese at Kinokuniya, but hey, since I found out that there was an English second movie program book...

Anyway, more on topic--at League there's a fair mix of people. There's adults with kids, adults without kids, people with all levels of play with all levels of interest.
 
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