The Energon Pub

Urban Dictionary has an entry- Starscream Syndrome
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=starscream+syndrome

Any comments?

Starscream is the treacherous Decepticon from the 1985 cartoon series known as Transformers.

1984.

I'm just trying to understand how has Starscream managed to gather many, many fangirls "almost to the point of absurdity."

I get it: in part we all like Starscream, but what makes the girls like him?

Red 50 wrote:I'm just trying to understand how has Starscream managed to gather many, many fangirls "almost to the point of absurdity."

I get it: in part we all like Starscream, but what makes the girls like him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl30aEahlIU&list=SPWdTF5FulcwfswhVib5TonoEtAdxexUYB&index=24

It's basically the same exact thing as this... I think.

Red 50 wrote:I'm just trying to understand how has Starscream managed to gather many, many fangirls "almost to the point of absurdity."

I get it: in part we all like Starscream, but what makes the girls like him?

To be honest, I'm quite disturbed by how much these girls like an animated robot.

Perhaps a good dose of sunshine is in order?

I don't know, and I not sure did I wont to understand it.

Red 50 wrote:I'm just trying to understand how has Starscream managed to gather many, many fangirls "almost to the point of absurdity."

I get it: in part we all like Starscream, but what makes the girls like him?

How is it that different from any boy liking any character?

There has been, finally and fortunately, a rise in vocal, visible female fans and a wider awareness of their existence in recent years (though the industry still stumbles over that issue), and maybe that's why the perception is that it's only women who really enjoy a well-written and, most of all, well acted character: as male fans we're only just 'noticing' another side of the fandom, and the people behind the scenes.

(On that point, take a look at two recent pieces we reported, both involving Mairghread Scott: Interview and HerUniverse.)

Personally, I adored Prime Starscream and Steve Blum's portrayal of him. I don't write fanfiction, I don't draw and I don't use Tumblr at all or other social media to fangasm as much, so my 'enjoyment visibility' is limited. Others, not just women, don't, and we see much much more of it.

We are all our fangirls anyway? I mean when I joined we had an army, they even had their own thread, like 90% of them adored Starscream. Where have they gone? I miss them.


And I'm over this whole "oh look, fangirls love Starscream" thing, it's something you notice when you first enter the online fandom and then accept as normal.

Va'al wrote:There has been, finally and fortunately, a rise in vocal, visible female fans and a wider awareness of their existence in recent years (though the industry still stumbles over that issue), and maybe that's why the perception is that it's only women who really enjoy a well-written and, most of all, well acted character: as male fans we're only just 'noticing' another side of the fandom, and the people behind the scenes.

We're not talking about a well-written, well-acted character. We're talking about Starscream.

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:There has been, finally and fortunately, a rise in vocal, visible female fans and a wider awareness of their existence in recent years (though the industry still stumbles over that issue), and maybe that's why the perception is that it's only women who really enjoy a well-written and, most of all, well acted character: as male fans we're only just 'noticing' another side of the fandom, and the people behind the scenes.

We're not talking about a well-written, well-acted character. We're talking about Starscream.

Who is a well-written, well-acted character. Your point?

Va'al wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:There has been, finally and fortunately, a rise in vocal, visible female fans and a wider awareness of their existence in recent years (though the industry still stumbles over that issue), and maybe that's why the perception is that it's only women who really enjoy a well-written and, most of all, well acted character: as male fans we're only just 'noticing' another side of the fandom, and the people behind the scenes.

We're not talking about a well-written, well-acted character. We're talking about Starscream.

Who is a well-written, well-acted character. Your point?

Only if you've never actually watched an episode before. He's got an annoyingly, notoriously screechy voice and his character is entirely static. At no point does he ever develop or learn from his mistakes. While his character is well defined, it isn't a particularly good one. He remains a whiny man-who-would-be-king who constantly believes himself superior, and yet when he fails to repeat it, he immediately grovels and begs forgiveness.

Incidentally, "well-written characters" didn't start showing up until Beast Wars. That's the result of having such a swollen cast, there's no room in the house for anyone to start growing.

Sly pretty much summed it up when he posted this:



Just swap out Loki for Starscream and Tom Hiddeston for... whichever Screamer VA the fangirls feel like fangirling over on whichever day.

Though, I can't help but feel that Armada Strscream had a hand in garnering most of these fangirls more than or in addition to G1 Starscream.

Shadowman wrote:Incidentally, "well-written characters" didn't start showing up until Beast Wars.

Several Marvel G1 characters, especially Ratchet, would disagree with you.

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:There has been, finally and fortunately, a rise in vocal, visible female fans and a wider awareness of their existence in recent years (though the industry still stumbles over that issue), and maybe that's why the perception is that it's only women who really enjoy a well-written and, most of all, well acted character: as male fans we're only just 'noticing' another side of the fandom, and the people behind the scenes.

We're not talking about a well-written, well-acted character. We're talking about Starscream.

Who is a well-written, well-acted character. Your point?

Only if you've never actually watched an episode before. He's got an annoyingly, notoriously screechy voice and his character is entirely static. At no point does he ever develop or learn from his mistakes. While his character is well defined, it isn't a particularly good one. He remains a whiny man-who-would-be-king who constantly believes himself superior, and yet when he fails to repeat it, he immediately grovels and begs forgiveness.

Incidentally, "well-written characters" didn't start showing up until Beast Wars. That's the result of having such a swollen cast, there's no room in the house for anyone to start growing.

Hm. I suppose I was thinking of all the contemporary interations of the character, such as the RID comics or the Prime TV series.

Va'al wrote:Hm. I suppose I was thinking of all the contemporary interations of the character, such as the RID comics or the Prime TV series.

Except Starscream fangirls existed long before that, even before Armada. Back when we only knew Starscream as the screeching whiny loser.

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:Hm. I suppose I was thinking of all the contemporary interations of the character, such as the RID comics or the Prime TV series.

Except Starscream fangirls existed long before that, even before Armada. Back when we only knew Starscream as the screeching whiny loser.

I gotta wonder if the Japanese dub of the G1 cartoon had much hand in this, since that version's Starscream didn't have a screeching whiny voice but instead had a more "Bishounen" voice that some female fans might consider "sexy" sounding.

Sabrblade wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Va'al wrote:Hm. I suppose I was thinking of all the contemporary interations of the character, such as the RID comics or the Prime TV series.

Except Starscream fangirls existed long before that, even before Armada. Back when we only knew Starscream as the screeching whiny loser.

I gotta wonder if the Japanese dub of the G1 cartoon had much hand in this, since that version's Starscream didn't have a screeching whiny voice but instead had a more "Bishounen" voice that some female fans might consider "sexy" sounding.

Yes totally, the Japanese dub is totally why Western fan girls love Starscream so much.

I remember one stating that Starscream was pretty hansom for a giant metal robot, make of that what you will. And I had someone confess to me (who took me for a fellow fan girl at the time) that she thought Starscream and Jazz were sexy and, made her ... yea you get the picture.

It's likely a combination of him being attractive while also being a failure, so they feel like he is under appreciated and deserves better, and better would in this case be the fan girl.

Dead Metal wrote:Yes totally, the Japanese dub is totally why Western fan girls love Starscream so much.

I was referring to the Japanese fangirls since they were always more vocal back then than the Western ones.

Sabrblade wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:Yes totally, the Japanese dub is totally why Western fan girls love Starscream so much.

I was referring to the Japanese fangirls since they were always more vocal back then than the Western ones.

You should have been more specific then.

Dead Metal wrote:We are all our fangirls anyway? I mean when I joined we had an army, they even had their own thread, like 90% of them adored Starscream. Where have they gone? I miss them.


And I'm over this whole "oh look, fangirls love Starscream" thing, it's something you notice when you first enter the online fandom and then accept as normal.

I'm here! And a Starscream Fangirl, at least when I was a kid. I think part of it was that he was....eeeesh I hate to use the word 'sassy' because it's been overused lately. But he was that guy who would always get beaten down, and then get right back up again, and yeah it's dumb of him not to actually learn, but it's sort of appealing. Plus he really seemed to enjoy being 'ebil' in a way Megatron and the other Decepticons didn't. He's fun. *shrug*. Yeah, that's all I got. I can't explain it, either.

CC, Also, his deco is kind of pretty

Guys...the "why" is irrelevant.

TF fangirls like Starscream? Take it to the bank and get down with some fly honeys.

Counterpunch wrote:Guys...the "why" is irrelevant.

TF fangirls like Starscream? Take it to the bank and get down with some fly honeys.

Because using an annoying '80s cartoon character is a surefire way to get laid. How long has it been since you've been on the dating circuit, exactly?

Shadowman wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Guys...the "why" is irrelevant.

TF fangirls like Starscream? Take it to the bank and get down with some fly honeys.

Because using an annoying '80s cartoon character is a surefire way to get laid. How long has it been since you've been on the dating circuit, exactly?

Shameful.

I'm talking about making honest connections with people based on their interests and you just default to sex. Tsk Tsk. That's the sort of thing that will leave you in the "dating circuit", which I have to assume is some sort of reference to the movie "Short Circuit."

(Great film btw)

The best advice you can get on dating comes from happily attached people. They unlocked the mystery! You should really take more of my advice on things.

Counterpunch wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Guys...the "why" is irrelevant.

TF fangirls like Starscream? Take it to the bank and get down with some fly honeys.

Because using an annoying '80s cartoon character is a surefire way to get laid. How long has it been since you've been on the dating circuit, exactly?

Shameful.

I'm talking about making honest connections with people based on their interests and you just default to sex. Tsk Tsk.

And these connections can be made by assuming the woman in question is obsessed with an annoying character from an '80s cartoon...

Counterpunch wrote:You should really take more of my advice on things.

Shadowman wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

Shadowman wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:Guys...the "why" is irrelevant.

TF fangirls like Starscream? Take it to the bank and get down with some fly honeys.

Because using an annoying '80s cartoon character is a surefire way to get laid. How long has it been since you've been on the dating circuit, exactly?

Shameful.

I'm talking about making honest connections with people based on their interests and you just default to sex. Tsk Tsk.

And these connections can be made by assuming the woman in question is obsessed with an annoying character from an '80s cartoon...

Counterpunch wrote:You should really take more of my advice on things.

You can call me senpai, I don't mind.

cybercat wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:We are all our fangirls anyway? I mean when I joined we had an army, they even had their own thread, like 90% of them adored Starscream. Where have they gone? I miss them.


And I'm over this whole "oh look, fangirls love Starscream" thing, it's something you notice when you first enter the online fandom and then accept as normal.

I'm here! And a Starscream Fangirl, at least when I was a kid. I think part of it was that he was....eeeesh I hate to use the word 'sassy' because it's been overused lately. But he was that guy who would always get beaten down, and then get right back up again, and yeah it's dumb of him not to actually learn, but it's sort of appealing. Plus he really seemed to enjoy being 'ebil' in a way Megatron and the other Decepticons didn't. He's fun. *shrug*. Yeah, that's all I got. I can't explain it, either.

CC, Also, his deco is kind of pretty

Cybercat, you're alive!