Poll: Why do you hate elves?

[DustyDrB]

People who hate just elves (and things that might resemble elves from some angle) outnumber people who hate just dwarves. I'd like to find out why.

Well I do prefer Dwarves over Elves, so I can comment.

When I think of Dwarves, I think:
-Hard-working
-Tough
-Brutal, often to a fault
-Resourceful
-Brave
-Drunks

When I think of Elves, I think:
-Androgynous
-Frail
-Pompous
-One with nature
-Mysterious
-Highly-educated

Dwarves are more blue-collar and easy to relate to for most people. They resemble your drinking buddies, though maybe with a much more extreme temper. They appear to make the best with what they have.

Elves are an odd sort of elitist. They come across as Hippie-Poet-Philosophers, but with the worst qualities of each of those. Even their sense of mystery is less intriguing because it feels like they only have it because they are in the club and you are not.

 

[porpoise hork]

I don't hate them as more of I hate how just about everyone uses Tolkien as a base for how the elf should be.


What's wrong with depicting them as a brutal, vicious and blood thirsty race that would readily and expertly eviscerate anything not elf in seconds with razor sharp clawed fingers. Sure they live in the woodland areas and can seamlessly blend into the trees but can also be found in nearly any environment. And my vision of the elf is far from angelic in appearance as well.

If I could draw it I would but the look of them would be something along the lines of a cross between the Shade (no back spikes and more normal head) and the Horror (no horns) from here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343838885/nekro

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

People who hate just elves (and things that might resemble elves from some angle) outnumber people who hate just dwarves. I'd like to find out why.

Well I do prefer Dwarves over Elves, so I can comment.

When I think of Dwarves, I think:
-Hard-working
-Tough
-Brutal, often to a fault
-Resourceful
-Brave
-Drunks

When I think of Elves, I think:
-Androgynous
-Frail
-Pompous
-One with nature
-Mysterious
-Highly-educated

Dwarves are more blue-collar and easy to relate to for most people. They resemble your drinking buddies, though maybe with a much more extreme temper. They appear to make the best with what they have.

Elves are an odd sort of elitist. They come across as Hippie-Poet-Philosophers, but with the worst qualities of each of those. Even their sense of mystery is less intriguing because it feels like they only have it because they are in the club and you are not.

I see...So it's that dwarves seem more friendly and relatable?

The reason I'm curious about this is because most of the time when GW2's races are brought up, people are pretty quick to jump on the sylvari as being "gay plant elves." They insist that the sylvari are just more elves (and that's terrible), even though if you compare them with elves they have very little in common. From your list, the only traits they share are "one with nature" and "mysterious." (They also tend to be slimmer and more feminine than humans, but not to the point of being androgynous or frail.)

From what I understand, it seems like people have re-defined both (WARNING: INCOMING TV TROPES LINK) the Fairy and High Man race-types [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FiveRaces] as "elves," which means that anything falling under one of those two categories is an elf, which makes them bad, because of all the baggage that the concept of "elf" brings along with it.

 

[Stu35]

Why do you hate elves?

They're cunts.


But seriously, it's the haughty attitude, it irritates me.

 

[DustyDrB]

People who hate just elves (and things that might resemble elves from some angle) outnumber people who hate just dwarves. I'd like to find out why.

Well I do prefer Dwarves over Elves, so I can comment.

When I think of Dwarves, I think:
-Hard-working
-Tough
-Brutal, often to a fault
-Resourceful
-Brave
-Drunks

When I think of Elves, I think:
-Androgynous
-Frail
-Pompous
-One with nature
-Mysterious
-Highly-educated

Dwarves are more blue-collar and easy to relate to for most people. They resemble your drinking buddies, though maybe with a much more extreme temper. They appear to make the best with what they have.

Elves are an odd sort of elitist. They come across as Hippie-Poet-Philosophers, but with the worst qualities of each of those. Even their sense of mystery is less intriguing because it feels like they only have it because they are in the club and you are not.

I see...So it's that dwarves seem more friendly and relatable?

The reason I'm curious about this is because most of the time when GW2's races are brought up, people are pretty quick to jump on the sylvari as being "gay plant elves." They insist that the sylvari are just more elves (and that's terrible), even though if you compare them with elves they have very little in common. From your list, the only traits they share are "one with nature" and "mysterious." (They also tend to be slimmer and more feminine than humans, but not to the point of being androgynous or frail.)

From what I understand, it seems like people have re-defined both (WARNING: INCOMING TV TROPES LINK) the Fairy and High Man race-types [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FiveRaces] as "elves," which means that anything falling under one of those two categories is an elf, which makes them bad, because of all the baggage that the concept of "elf" brings along with it.

I don't know any thing about Guild Wars, so I can't comment on that, but I do think it is because Dwarves are more relatable.

There was a popular kind of story in the 80's and 90's (maybe still now, but I haven't noticed it lately). A person (often a girl) born in the lower or middle class really wants to move up in the world. That "moving up" is epitomized in her desire to join some high-society club. She tries and fails, tries and fails, and tries and fails some more to impress the club. Then, in her final effort, she succeeds. She joins and is high in the accomplishment for a while...until she starts to notice that everyone in the club is a pompous asshole. They want to change her to be more "proper" while also talking down the "rabble" who she still considers friends. Finally, she realizes she'd much rather go get drunk in a dingy bar with her low-class friends than stick around in this club of elitist pricks, so she does just that.

Obviously, the Elves are the high-society club and the Dwarves are the rabble here. At least that's how I think of it.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I don't know any thing about Guild Wars, so I can't comment on that, but I do think it is because Dwarves are more relatable.

There was a popular kind of story in the 80's and 90's (maybe still now, but I haven't noticed it lately). A person (often a girl) born in the lower or middle class really wants to move up in the world. That "moving up" is epitomized in her desire to join some high-society club. She tries and fails, tries and fails, and tries and fails some more to impress the club. Then, in her final effort, she succeeds. She joins and is high in the accomplishment for a while...until she starts to notice that everyone in the club is a pompous asshole. They want to change her to be more "proper" while also talking down the "rabble" who she still considers friends. Finally, she realizes she'd much rather go get drunk in a dingy bar with her low-class friends than stick around in this club of elitist pricks, so she does just that.

Obviously, the Elves are the high-society club and the Dwarves are the rabble here. At least that's how I think of it.

Interesting...Thanks for your input!

 

[winginson]

God damn pansies!

Elves are either asshole aristocrats or one with nature tree-huggers. What ever they are too squishy. I regularly purge them from any game I play that has them.

And stop telling me to not cut down trees! I'm building Lava/Zombie Shark/Eldtrich Abonimation moat and theres nothing you can do about it.

 

[kortin]

I like elves. They're pro-mode at archery.

I hate gnomes/dwarves.

 

[CountChopula]

Mostly because of how one dimensional everyone portrays Elves to be. Ever hear of Elven society that both encompasses, good, bad, law, corruption, or has inner workings and complex hierarchial system that can only make sense to those local communities? Most of the time elves are portrayed as an embodiment of something, usually nature, or magic. In fact, we are so afraid to go beyond the one dimensional elves we have to make an entirely separate EVIL version of their race, that is also, extremely, extremely hell bent on being one dimensional.

I especially dislike how, elves when compared to nature are always portrayed as nurturing, and good, and all that, when Nature is anything but.

 

[loc978]

Because they took my home away from me in the Shadowrun universe. anyone from Portland or the forests that surround it have to bow out to these goddamn alien invaders. I like my forest the way it is!

 

[hazabaza1]

Because they're all little pansy bitches.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Because the more and more games they're in, the less and less clothes they seem to have.

I'm looking at you TERA.

 

[slipknot4]

Other, I love elves. Sure, they might be exploited and overused but when someone get's it right, it's so much fun, and... fantasy wouldn't be the same without them. Even if you hate them they bring something interesting to the table.

 

[370999]

I don't. I'm ambivalent towards them. They can be pretty cool and they ca be stupid.

What I do dislike about them is a tendency to make them into a race which is so advanced due to following the author's beliefs i.e being a vegan atheist means you are superior to everyone else

 

[CrashBang]

I initially was going to say that I like elves, but then...

My girlfriend has just finished DA2 (poor fool) and developed a huge liking for Fenris and his emo-ish look and his soft features. It made me realise how much girls love the lack of rugged manliness that elves usual depict. My beard and I get awfully frustrated over this.

 

[WanderingFool]

This is my first poll, so I hope it works.

Okay, picture the average elf. (80% of you just pictured Legolas, didn't you?) If your immediate reaction is one of rage, then this poll is for you!

I've been seeing more and more hate toward elves and anything that might remotely be considered an elf. I'd like to find out why that is.

You'll notice that one option that isn't on the poll is "because they show up everywhere all the time and I'm sick of them." There isn't the same level of hate directed toward dwarves, who are just as ubiquitous. I'd like to know why it's elves, specifically, that make people mad.

Edit: bolded the important part. This poll isn't for people who only dislike them because of how common "elves and dwarves" fantasy has become. This is to figure out why so many people specifically hate elves.

Well, I was going to say all of the above, but it really comes down to the superiority complex. Thats not to say humans and dwarves (which im cool with, BTW), are any better about it. But with Elves, they actually are better at being acting superior than humans and dwarves. Almost all fantasy games and stories with elves have them as powerful magically and wise from their god awfully long life.

 

[Shuguard]

I hate high elves, or pretty much any race branded as high elves. I personally love the dark elves from Warhammer fantasy to death though. If riding armored dinosaurs(cold ones or giant lizards which ever you prefer) and manticores to battle isn't awesome then i don't want to be associated with elves.

 

[Arina Love]

first thing i imagine when i hear word Elf is her

Spoiler

and there is NO way i will hate Elfs after that. In fact i love them!

 

[lacktheknack]

Everyone who selected "Their Love Of Nature" clearly plays Dwarf Fortress.

Talk about a scale of morality in blue and orange.

 

[Evan Halfmann]

I think their effeminacy is irritating but honestly that's not the worst part to me. It seems so often that they're extremely corny, particularly in LotR. I'm just glad there are no elves in A Song of Ice and Fire.