Why do people spend so much time purposely hating on characters from TV shows?

[CyberCubed]

This is what I don't get. There have always been plenty of characters in various shows/cartoons, etc. that I either didn't like or didn't care for that much. But I could never bring myself to literally sit there "hating" on a character and making huge posts across the internet spreading said hate.

Usually when I don't like a character in a show, I'm just "Meh" about it and move on. But I always see on various forums people who continually post, FOR YEARS, endless amounts of ranting hate about a fictional character as if they ruined their life or something.

I mean what is the point of this? Even characters in shows who are *intended* to be hated (like villains or people who do something immoral in a show), don't require that much energy to sit there loathing a character and fuming at the mouth.

Then there's also insane shippers, mostly female, who spend all their time hating a male or female character who gets in the way of their ship. Which is beyond retarded for altogether different reasons, because if you're getting butt-hurt that two fictional characters didn't get together because another pairing came to be, you have serious problems.

Why do people do this?

[Netkeeper]

As soon as I saw the thread title I knew you were the OP. Bravo, CyberCubed.

[plastroncafe]

Pot, call from kettle on line one.

[Cure]

Yeah, I'm in agreement with you this time, CyberCubed. People just take everything super seriously and it's kind of bizarre.

Although it is a little odd this is coming from you.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Pot, call from kettle on line one.

He must've gotten bored of whacking off to Korra and whatsername holding hands while simultaneously complaining about how awful it was.

[Refractive Reflections]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

This is what I don't get. There have always been plenty of characters in various shows/cartoons, etc. that I either didn't like or didn't care for that much. But I could never bring myself to literally sit there "hating" on a character and making huge posts across the internet spreading said hate.

Usually when I don't like a character in a show, I'm just "Meh" about it and move on. But I always see on various forums people who continually post, FOR YEARS, endless amounts of ranting hate about a fictional character as if they ruined their life or something.

I mean what is the point of this? Even characters in shows who are *intended* to be hated (like villains or people who do something immoral in a show), don't require that much energy to sit there loathing a character and fuming at the mouth.

Then there's also insane shippers, mostly female, who spend all their time hating a male or female character who gets in the way of their ship. Which is beyond retarded for altogether different reasons, because if you're getting butt-hurt that two fictional characters didn't get together because another pairing came to be, you have serious problems.

Why do people do this?

So you can't understand the "hate" on television shows, hmm... so what about movies then? ...You'll have to elaborate on the difference here CyberCubed.

[Coola Yagami]

Possibly the worst person to make a topic about something he's usually the biggest offender of.


Genius. Just sheer genius.

[CyberCubed]

I am looking forward to the discussion. Let's begin.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I am looking forward to the discussion. Let's begin.

That about covers it.

[Coola Yagami]

This thread needs to be locked.

[Katie]

I agree with you on your OP, strange coming from a guy who went ballistic over a character design change.

But to answer your question, the Internet is filled with people who literally have nothing better to do than go on the Internet. People who have nothing better in their real life than the shows and movies they watch.

If you're the kind of person who didn't fit in with peers in your real life, it isn't hard to find a tribe of like minded people on the Internet and sometimes people join in with opinions and mannerisms with a found group just to fit in. Thus it grows.

[ZariusTwo]

I think a lot of these people have an "ideal" notion about love with their favorite pairings and sometimes they get into such an odd mental state they sort of latch onto them as the solution to their own problems in life "Oh, if it could happen to someone I LIKE, It can happen to me". Reality tends to surround us with things that contradict that, and when the shows reflect things they try to escape from (i.e not every loving relationship works out or can be fixed with love, people change etc), they have a tough time taking to it.

[Brooke507]

I agree. Fictional characters aren't real, they're just there for entertainment purposes, so I see no reason to actually hate them. I was reading on this one blog post that this one user thought that Donatello is a spoiled conceited brat. So I'm all like fine that's your choice, but I'm still going to like the ninja turtle in purple.

[PangolinFeets]

Yea. Like, who cares if Hun isn't blonde in 2k12?

[NinjaPug]

Originally Posted by PangolinFeets

Yea. Like, who cares if Hun isn't blonde in 2k12?

That's not Hun. They should've called him Akira.

[snake]

They spend too much time on the internet.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

I think a lot of these people have an "ideal" notion about love with their favorite pairings and sometimes they get into such an odd mental state they sort of latch onto them as the solution to their own problems in life "Oh, if it could happen to someone I LIKE, It can happen to me". Reality tends to surround us with things that contradict that, and when the shows reflect things they try to escape from (i.e not every loving relationship works out or can be fixed with love, people change etc), they have a tough time taking to it.

I think a lot of these female fans self-insert themselves into the characters they like and then decide who they want to be with. And then when the author takes the characters in a different direction or goes to an opposing pairing, they get all angry and defensive over it.

Shipping is wish-fullfilment to some of these people. They either have poor relationships or no relationships in real life, so they care about the pairings of cartoon/anime characters more than their own. If an opposing female "steals away the guy they wanted for their favorite character" they see it as if its the same threat in real life. When a character winds up in a ship they like they're content as if they "won" like they got their wish-fullfilment ending in real life.

Its funny, us males like relationships in shows too and sometimes ship, but we don't go crazy over it. If an opposing ship happens, then so be it. I don't know why female shippers go ballistic over it.

[plastroncafe]

Translation:

THESE ICKY GIRLS ARE PLAYING WITH DOLLS DIFFERENTLY THAN I DO!

[Leo656]

That was good.

[slashpieturtlemix]

lol I can understand if it is a nostalgic property (Ninja turtles, Transformers, Mega Man, etc) because everyone wants it to live up to their mental image of what the show used to be. I hated on a bunch of Transformers series as a kid because I deemed (still do) the '86 movie as amazing. We all like shows because we think they are amazing.

Now this does not apply for those newer shows. If you don't like a newer character, then you just need to forget his name and move on.