[bq="Daneasaur"] Only to be met with things such as "It's gonna happen!" and "because I said so!" and "I don't have to talk to you" and in general, being ignored. It got to the point I started to blacklist the tag of winged spike because most people who made art of it had no capability for discussion and did nothing but sperg out about it.[/bq]
I remember catching flack just for saying "I like him better without wings" on a winged Spike pic a few months back. It's surprising how obsessive & defensive some fans get from that, considering how most bronies used to hate (and some still hate) Twilight getting wings.
I never understood why it's ok for Spike, but not Twilight. (Which honestly hasn't really changed her much either debatably.)
As for Spike being a "punching bag," I see the other mane 6 also being prone to cartoonish slapstick too quite often. Twilight especially got it just as bad as Spike in Season 1 & 2.
Though, Twi', and the CMC seem to get it ali'l less now ever sense their "ascension" episodes. So maybe the same coud happen for Spike.