This is why you don't go on tumblr.

 

Well, no, you acted like you didn't recognize the term, so I thought I'd... Help out.

 

I know all about the "Feminazi's" on tumblr, I know that there is a good amount of women who believe men are disgusting pigs and that women should be higher up on the food chain.

But I also know that it is a terrible stereotype to generalize the whole of tumblr as such. I know plenty of feminists who go on tumblr regularly that believe in equality over superiority over men.

 

and...The controversy cometh!

 

Big thumbs up to Scott not holding back and being all nice in her criticism of Furman's BS due to him being a fellow IDW worker and comic writer. Sometimes a person needs a cold, hard "what you did stunk" reality check from their peers.

Personally, I'm still hoping they'll retcon out "Arcee" at some point. Furman completely ruined Arcee and there's just no redeeming that mess of a character he created. Just erase that shit. Just have the real Arcee show up and destroy Jhiaxus's sad excuse for a knockoff. Cheesy? Yeah, but problem easily solved and disposed of.

Honestly though, when it comes to the fembots, I'm in the camp that says "Just them just...be there". We didn't need a deep, scientific explanation when Elita-1 and her crew were introduced in the G1 cartoon to enjoy it. We didn't need that for the existance of Blackarachnia and Air Razor in Beast Wars and Strika in BM to enjoy those shows. Nor did we need that for Animated Elita-1/Blackarachnia and Arcee to love Animated. Didn't need a deep, scientific explanation for the Arcee Trio in ROTF, or Prime Arcee and Airachnid either for that matter.

So then why do people INSIST that the comics go against the grain and do what no other TF media before it ever bothered or even needed to do in order to continue enjoying it? I say just relax and let it rock. As long as the story itself is good, then what it does matter?

 

Well, yeah, but Smog's on this site, and he's high above us intellectually. So, there are always outliers.

 

No, no, don't just drop them in and say that a race without sexual reproduction still has 2 different genders. That doesn't make sense. What you do is you avoid the issue by ACTUALLY making them agender. Make all the "male" characters less obviously male, give some of them ambiguous curves and Prime Starscream lanky bodies with heels, and some are like Stika and Bulkhead, but none have genders. I would be much more interested in a series that made the Transformers completely androgynous.

 

I'm of the camp that Furman's origin, while having an unfortunate implication, was a really solid idea of a person being forcibly changed into something they're not and having to struggle with that change and what it means to them. It was a great idea in concept, and as far as science fiction goes, a rather novel one.

As for Windblade, I think the "leftist agenda" concern is the fact that is a popular thing these days for creators of mainstream media to use stories as a way to giving out ham-fisted and overly anvilicious political/social commentaries, often at the expense of the story itself. I personally do not think it will happen here, but I can understand the concern.

And I agree with this: Have Windblade show up, give a brief, concise explanation about the gender thing, and then move on with the story. There's absolutely no need to dwell on the issue or pour over every last detail of it. It should not be the focus of her character, nor the focus of the story. Because really, in the context of the story, as quoted above, her being female really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. It's not going to disrupt or upheave the continuity.

Seriously, this fixation on gender is why I'm glad the Covenant was so to-the-point on the issue. It briefly explained the reason, and moved right along with the story. No need to focus on it. As far as the writer goes, I've heard mixed things, but it sounds like she's serious about making a good story, and to me that's what matters.

 

SShh, don't say his name... he could be lurking around any corner.

 

Again, being badass is not a character trait. I mean, it is for flat, boring characters (Prime Arcee, and many of the Bay robots), but not for real characters.

So, I came back after a short rest. How's everyone doing? What's up?

 

Really simple solution that comics have used for years. Arcee Spotlight never happened, ignore it. Like when you are in a professional situation and someone shits their pants and everyone in the room knows someone shit their pants but no one says a thing. Just like that, ignore it and eventually the smell will go away like it never even happened.

 

...I respectfully disagree on badass being a bad character trait, or a trait for "flat, boring characters".

And not much, the argument on gender continues to cycle around.

 

I am sure that there are a whole host of non-middle class white male straight Transformers fans who think that the Arcee being an abomination is fucking stupid and are glad for what Mairghread Scott is doing with Windblade.

God forbid those of us who are middle class straight white males identify with the other thousand Transformer characters instead.

 

I really don't see how you could possibly retcon the Arcee origin with both her and Jhiaxus as such prominent characters in the current story. Not to mention her origin really doesn't need a retcon what with Ms. Scott's ideas for Windblade so really all retconning would do is create a massive plothole that really doesn't need making.

 

These people obviously haven't of pop culture's most prominent female character: Samus Aran.

On the whole cybertronian gender argument, and this has been said before, "Gender is of the mind. Sex is of the body."

 

Here's the problem with this argument. All fictional media is used to give social/political commentary. Ever read The Epic of Gilgamesh (one of the first known stories)? Shakespear? 12 angry Men?watch It's a Wonderful LIfe? Read Spider Man? X-Men? That is what fiction is for. I think too many here are just used to 'their' story/side being told. Their is no 'these days', that's the way it has always been. There concern is unfounded. Perhaps they should spend less time conjuring up potential 'leftist conspiracies' and should reflect more on why they have issues and maybe just maybe grow a little bit.

 

If its the ONLY character trait, it is bad (Or just ass   ), is what I mean.

Like I would not call...Alice from Resident Evil an interesting character. What does she do during all those movies? Run around and shoot stuff and make lines. Nor is Batman if he's being written by one of his fanboys.

Prime Arcee, as an example, never interested me cause she was badass, strong, independent, and loss partners. Whoopie. Make me care about you.

Heck, a good writer can make any character interesting. A lack of emotion is interesting (Raven from Teen Titans, the T-100 from Terminator, Nagato from Haruhi Suzimiya). Being simply the 'good guy' can be interesting. Superman, Captain America, and the Iron Giant all come to mind).

Being badass doesn't make one interesting. It makes what they do, interesting, but they as a character is not.

I mean, I love the Bay movies, but even I can admit that characters like Sideswipe, Dino, and the Dreads had no personality besides look badass or do badass things. Which they did do good at.

Prime Arcee did badass things and was an independent cause....

I don't want to say it, but I can't help but think it was because they were compensating for having only one fembot. So they made her super tough and a loner and shit. To me, she was a rather dull character. Maybe, out of Team Prime, the dullest.

I loved Bulkhead's gentle giant thing. BB was mute (kinda). Ratchet was my second favorite. Optimus had his good moments thanks tosome half decent voice acting and script. Wheeljack....uh...I didn't see as much of. Smokescreen was the young recruit. Ultra Magnus was the grumpy, old general guy.

Arcee was badass and woman.

She was basically that chick from the Underworld movies.

 

Smog is never wrong. He can only be right in the opposite direction.

 

I have no idea who you guys are talking about. Smog?

This guy?

 

Yes.