The Special Needs Fanbase of Db

[Windrammer]

To make sweeping generalisations about the preferences of those with special needs and speak about them as if they're some sort of collective herd is to dehumanise them, and I find that really, really offensive.

You seem to think people with special needs are too delicate or incompetent to be a topic of discussion; they are not. Try to find the good in these comments.

Yeah, there were some guys I knew in 5th-9th grade who were in Special Ed. who commonly discussed DBZ and Naruto and occasionally dressed as characters from the series... the only times I got to dress up as Goku was on Halloween. I actually had a conversation with one of them and he told me that Dragon Ball was actually better than DBZ. Already being casual fan of DBZ, I decided to check it out and now, as a full fledged DB fan, I mostly agree. I might still be just a casual DBZ fan had it not been for him.

[TheGmGoken]

Whoa did not expect negative feedback. Didn't mean to offend no one and certainly not making fun of the disability of Learning(For the UK people terms)/ Special needs(USa term).

Just picturing that happening makes me laugh.

How rude. Why would you laugh at them? It's no difference than when we do it and it seems cool.

Honestly, the way you've described it makes it a little difficult to believe. This is the internet, man. We need evidence. VIDEOS. I also see that you're living in Baltimore. Come on, the general American fan-base isn't well educated enough for random kids at your school to be referring to the God of Destruction as 'Beerus'.

We're not allowed to record Special needs people in school. Let alone have our phones out unless it's lunch time or Gym(Freshmen have gyms or if you're done all of your credits you can play at the Gym). So I can't record them. I would't do that anyways. Also I said they watched BoG subbed during one of their classes and they pronounced it as they heard the name. Also they know the Vegeta bingo song.

Should I feel bad because I laughed a few times at what he just described to the kids at his school?

Depends. Are you laughing because they're special needs doing this or that the fact they're kids still playing around with DBZ stuff?

Are these actually kids from the special needs class?

Yes. I know for sure because I'm actually know one of them due to being one of my friend's cousin.

Well you know, just because they have special educational needs doesn't mean they can't like things other people like, or be knowledgeable fans of those things.

I didn't mean it like that. I was saying I was shocked to see something like this because I've never seen or heard anything like it quite frankly.

Plus, you know, you could go up and ask them about how they got into it and such. Just be friendly about it, as a fellow fan. No one with any sense about them will judge you for it. (Though I also realize that, in high school, such people might be in short supply.)

I rarely see them. Most of the time I do is on B days when I have my Avid Class. Which my teacher doesn't allow talking at all in(Besides group work and even that is kinda quiet) when we walk and learn. The day I described earlier was an A day when I had to take a piss real bad.

As someone whose father has taught in special needs for over 20 years and is acutely aware of the daily challenges faced by people with severe autism I find this topic seriously abhorrent.

I mean, what is this topic actually attempting to achieve? To become some sort of repository for people to crack jokes at the expense of Dragonball fans with special needs that they know in real life? What the hell? Has the quality of discussion on these forums really dried up that much?

There's no more reason why people with special needs would be more likely to gravitate towards Dragonball than Star Trek, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Marvel Comics or anything else for that matter - they're people just like you and I.

To make sweeping generalisations about the preferences of those with special needs and speak about them as if they're some sort of collective herd is to dehumanise them, and I find that really, really offensive.

I don't see why you find it offensive or abhorrent. I never made jokes about them and never either insulted them. In fact I was shocked and quite frankly fascinated about this. I never put them as a separate group of people(Like people do here with the Youtube fans). The point of the topic was to talk about other people experiences with special need fans of DB. Since my interest grew into this. I've study many fans and never found a special need one so this caught my eye. It's only offensive if you purposely get offended. Nothing in my post was offensive nor was it an open door to mock these people. It was to tell stories about experiences with Special Needs fans. HENCE the ending when I said

Anyone else see this before?

Something can still be incredibly ignorant or misguided, even when not intended to cause offense.

Nothing was ignorant about this topic. It's just another topic about DB fanbase. I've talked about Kazenshuu Fanbase and Youtube fanbase. I've seen a topic about the USA fanbase. So I'm doing a Special Needs one cause it currently peaks my interest.

I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time understanding the message you're trying to convey?

I'm asking about your experiences with Learning Disability/ Special needs fans of DB. Or if you can help with my research of them. Not that they're different from you and I as fans. Just something to discuss without laughing and being serious.

I dunno, conforms (am I using the right word here?) too much with what we'd want to hear on Kanzenshuu and that he's doing this simply for making his story sound more interesting.

This might come off wrong or maybe rude. But when it comes to fans of DBZ I don't really care for what website I'm on. It could be hardcores fans like Kanzenshuu or DbzF.uk. Or even casual fans on Youtube. I speak without thinking of what website I'm on when I'm talking about fans. However I did send some of my friends on Youtube the FULL story. Not just a nutshell of it. It would't have made sense on Kanzenshuu and was to..wrong(Dealt with bullying).

Is it to just sound off on who has had the same experience as you? Or to contribute material analysis like Julian did? Because if so I can't really see anywhere further for this to go.

Is Julian DragonBoxZTheMovies? If so then kinda yes a research discussion. Not a sound off. This peaks my attention now and want to know more about other fans with disabilities or other fans with a similar experience. Not saying they're different fans than people who are not special need. But obviously how they watch DB might be different from how we enjoy it.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

Honestly, the way you've described it makes it a little difficult to believe. This is the internet, man. We need evidence. VIDEOS. I also see that you're living in Baltimore. Come on, the general American fan-base isn't well educated enough for random kids at your school to be referring to the God of Destruction as 'Beerus'.

The video thing was kinda me poking fun at the need for evidence to prove stories on the internet. Y'know, the "pics or it didn't happen!11!!" sort of thing

Is Julian DragonBoxZTheMovies?

I'm confused...but I'll take that as a complement. If only I could speak Japanese half as well as he can.

[TheGmGoken]

Honestly, the way you've described it makes it a little difficult to believe. This is the internet, man. We need evidence. VIDEOS. I also see that you're living in Baltimore. Come on, the general American fan-base isn't well educated enough for random kids at your school to be referring to the God of Destruction as 'Beerus'.

The video thing was kinda me poking fun at the need for evidence to prove stories on the internet. Y'know, the "pics or it didn't happen!11!!" sort of thing

Is Julian DragonBoxZTheMovies?

I'm confused...but I'll take that as a complement. If only I could speak Japanese half as well as he can.

So you're not him. Sorry. It's just I don't know members real names. Sorry for the ignorance. Also I understand the joke now. I take it that SaiyanJedi is Julian

[SaiyaJedi]

So you're not him. Sorry. It's just I don't know members real names. Sorry for the ignorance. Also I understand the joke now. I take it that SaiyaJedi is Julian

So it would seem.

I don't see where the joke is in all that, though.

[doomydoomydoom]

I take it that SaiyanJedi is Julian

Um LOL? I've been mostly lurking for only several months and I already have a grip on who everybody is...I mean the guy even has an upside down picture of himself and identifies who he is in his sig, along with a display of his Japanese skills.

Also I, like others, find this topic...questionable. "The special needs fanbase?" As if they're a particular sub-section offshoot of "mainstream" humanity we NEED clarification on regarding their DB fandom...to me this makes as much sense as asking about "The Irish-Mexican Fanbase of DB," a group to which I would belong if such a thing existed (LOL), "The Bass Player Fanbase of DB", "The Med Student Fanbase of DB", "The Vegan Fanbase of DB," etc. Vainly identifying people by traits and singling them out for their potential interest in Dragon Ball...I guess that's how we know it's a slow-news-day around here save for the latest Blu-Ray cock-up. :P

BUT I know you just had a question, that was all...I'd venture they have no more or no less interest than anyone else, the majority would probably be casual fans with not as much of a passion as the rest of us, much less having seen the Japanese version given its obscurity 'round these here parts. In MOST cases, unless you found someone who latched onto DB as an obsession. A couple of the autistic kids I've met had an affinity for "nerd" stuff like anime & manga. I guess they tend to gravitate towards nerd interests because they identify with the social-outcast aspects and it provides something for them to get intensely interested in, there's no shortage of discussion and info about, say, DC superheroes.

[TheGmGoken]

So you're not him. Sorry. It's just I don't know members real names. Sorry for the ignorance. Also I understand the joke now. I take it that SaiyaJedi is Julian

So it would seem.

I don't see where the joke is in all that, though.

In the quote he put this in. I didn't see at first hence why I edited my message but it says

The video thing was kinda me poking fun at the need for evidence to prove stories on the internet. Y'know, the "pics or it didn't happen!11!!" sort of thing

s if they're a particular sub-section offshoot of "mainstream" humanity we NEED clarification on regarding their DB fandom...to me this makes as much sense as asking about "The Irish-Mexican Fanbase of DB,"

We have a topic about the American Fanbase so....I would't be shocked if we get an Irish or a Mexican fanbase topic. Also with how the website treats Youtube fans as separate fans or how certain fans are not even fans at all(Cause they only saw English dub), I see nothing wrong with me saying "The Special Needs Fanbase". I'm not separating them from others fans. I'm just talking about a certain group of people so to speak.

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

So you're not him. Sorry. It's just I don't know members real names. Sorry for the ignorance. Also I understand the joke now. I take it that SaiyaJedi is Julian

So it would seem.

Don't listen to him, TheGmGoken! I'm the real Julian!

Why, he's nothing more than an imposter!


OK, I've had my fun now...

[doomydoomydoom]

We have a topic about the American Fanbase so....I would't be shocked if we get an Irish or a Mexican fanbase topic. Also with how the website treats Youtube fans as separate fans or how certain fans are not even fans at all(Cause they only saw English dub), I see nothing wrong with me saying "The Special Needs Fanbase". I'm not separating them from others fans. I'm just talking about a certain group of people so to speak.

Yes, but saying "reaction to DB in America, in Ireland, in Mexico" is a very broad and valid question, and for instance if certain passionate fans had never asked "Gee what was the reaction to DB in Mexico I wonder?" we never would have heard of Zero y El Dragon Magico (too lazy to add proper accent marks...all that "ALT-ing" and pressing numbers...) which we managed to trace back to the Harmony Gold dub, which touched off a major project of sleuthing on the original failed attempt to dub etc. you get my point. However, asking "how do those of Irish-Mexican blended descent react to DB" would be a completely nonsensical question that serves no purpose other than to make the reader think the writer believes said people are a separate strand of humanity altogether (read: "he's prejudiced"), when in reality they just happen to be of Irish and Mexican lineage, same way another group of people could be French and English, or Dutch and insert country here. It's just a trait.

Anyway I'm not calling you "prejudiced" obviously. I just used those exaggerated examples to show what I thought, which was that this question was misguided. Not a big deal.

But I consider it the same with autistic kids, as far as traits go. Their disability is just a trait, it's an unfortunate trait, but I don't think they need a separate categorization as DB fans.

[Godo]

To be shocked about special needs students liking Dragonball is to have a preconceived thought that they aren't able to comprehend the story just because of that they are special needs students.

[theoriginalbilis]

This goes to all 3 series. Ok I hope the title don"t offend no one. In my school experience over the past 13 years(k-12) I notice the Special Needs people love Db. Everytime I walk to their section as the bathroom is there I hear them quoting Db. From Kid Goku to Freaking BoG. I was shocked to hear them speak Japanese only cause of Vegeta bingo song. They even say Bills like Beerus.

When I see them walk to class they say...well power up the Solar Flare. They know ALL the steps to the Muten Roshi kamehameha. Their clothes is style like Db as well. Very cool imo.

Anyone else see this before? I was in shocked honesty.

If all of this is indeed true, then I think it's great that they found something they really enjoy and share a common interest. A couple of special needs kids at my schools were into much of the same stuff (cartoons/anime, video games, etc...)

So it's nice that they have an escape or at least something they can share with each other and other students. Because let's face it, school can suck sometimes.

[TheGmGoken]

To be shocked about special needs students liking Dragonball is to have a preconceived thought that they aren't able to comprehend the story just because of that they are special needs students.

Normally I see special needs being treated as kids playing with dolls, baby toys, and watching baby shows. So yes I was shocked. Not cause they're special needs but how I'm used to seeing them.

[SSj_Rambo]

OK, I think that you should just accept that your perceptions and pre-conceived notions seem to be completely shrouded in unawareness and appear to be nearing ignorance, and just drop this whole thing. It just seems a lot like when you tried to drag homophobia into a Super Saiya-jin transformation. It's petty, unnecessary and poorly presented (not to mention unproductive to the direction of the community at-large). Just my sentiments, but they do seem to be shared.

[SilverPlaqueVII]

No offense though, but I have a Autism/ADHD spectrum throughout my life and my school career even I joined in this fanbase since.

[UpFromTheSkies]

One of my best friend's Girlfriend has a brother that's a special needs kid and he's like in his late 20's? but when the characters start powering up and yelling, he thinks he has too do it as well and he starts yelling really loud and acting like he's powering up It makes his sister soooooooooooo mad! but hey...he doesn't know any better and he seems to be experiencing Dragonball in a whole other way compared to us lol so I say right on man. I will admit it's hard not to laugh when it happens lol and it makes you feel like an asshole for laughing

I think everyone has secretly done this at some point... right?
.....
Right guys?
Guys..?

[dodge2461]

OK, I think that you should just accept that your perceptions and pre-conceived notions seem to be completely shrouded in unawareness and appear to be nearing ignorance, and just drop this whole thing. It just seems a lot like when you tried to drag homophobia into a Super Saiya-jin transformation. It's petty, unnecessary and poorly presented (not to mention unproductive to the direction of the community at-large). Just my sentiments, but they do seem to be shared.

Wait, what ?

[DragonBoxZTheMovies]

OK, I think that you should just accept that your perceptions and pre-conceived notions seem to be completely shrouded in unawareness and appear to be nearing ignorance, and just drop this whole thing. It just seems a lot like when you tried to drag homophobia into a Super Saiya-jin transformation. It's petty, unnecessary and poorly presented (not to mention unproductive to the direction of the community at-large). Just my sentiments, but they do seem to be shared.

Wait, what ?

I'm going to get hate for this but I hated it and thought it was the ugliest piece of shit I've ever seen. Yes this is true that I used to think this. I thought the hair was gay and promoting Gay Men(Sorry if this is offensive. I don't like Gay MEN..have nothing against lesbians. So you can see I'm 50% homophobic) with the whole standing up blonde with "Blue" eyes. Then I thought the show was for Gay men cause Goku shirt was getting more ripped by the second and Goku became HUGE. Yes this is true. Never-mind the fact I always thought Freeza was a boy and was naked which made it worst. Yes this is true. I'm ashamed at the fact I used to think this,

http://www.kanzenshuu.com/forum/viewtop ... =7&t=24609