The Energon Pub

How can anyone compare a 1984 children's cartoon that was half assed, to a 2007-2014 live action movie franchise that should have those silly things written out by now?

I am never going to tell anyone I like these movies or that I think these comedic insults to giant waring robots are okay.

MR Optimus Prime wrote:How can anyone compare a 1984 children's cartoon that was half assed, to a 2007-2014 live action movie franchise that should have those silly things written out by now?

I am never going to tell anyone I like these movies or that I think these comedic insults to giant waring robots are okay.

It's not silly. Transformers are allowed to have facial hair. Get over it. It's not that big of a deal.

MR Optimus Prime wrote:

RhA wrote:...for what should he take responsibility, precisely?

How about CONSTANTLY making Transformers look like jokes? I don't care how much money this series makes, there is absolutely no reason for leg humping, gold teeth slang talking, testicals, canes, and or facial hair.

In 1984, Alpha Trion's and Wreck Gar's hair were three pieces and sort of complimented them. Those were cartoons for kids, not a multi-billion movie series. It was still silly to have hair on them back then. This does not translate well onto these movie figures, it is plain ridiculous. One more way to poke fun at them and make them look hideous from this team.

There is absolutely no reason for a Transformers franchise as a whole for Hasbro beyond money making and absolutely no reason for me personally to follow it beyond entertainment. Robots entertain me and humping entertains me. Robothumping is entertainment to the fullest extent of entertainment to me. This is my personal taste. Your post reads like Michael Bay should take responsibilty for your own personal taste. Which is batcrap crazy to ask of anyone but yourself.

MR Optimus Prime wrote:I am never going to tell anyone I like these movies or that I think these comedic insults to giant waring robots are okay.

Then don't.

An argument about robot facial hair? (I know, way late)



Too fun. I don't remember too much angst over Leadfoot's beard, or Topspin's braids. Probably because those were also just fun.

A children's toy brand being silly and goofy on a mainstream level? The horror!

I have so much love and respect for Transformers but that doesn’t translate into sacred reverence, especially from other people. Transformers have been cartoons (for children; (side note: it is awesome that we can enjoy them too)) for thirty years now and still going. Having a movie and making millions of dollars doesn’t elevate it into high art or religion or whatever (now that I think about it, those things are joked about, laughed at/with, and mocked as well, so why not be able to laugh at yourself and not take yourself too seriously). GI Joe, Smurfs, Shrek, SpongeBob all have movies and make millions of dollars. That doesn't elevate them into a sacred realm. I’m not saying you have to love or even like the movies, but changing things and putting certain things into the movie isn’t disrespectful to you, the franchise, or individual fictional characters. The movies are there own creations and do not cater to the 80s or any other Transformer entity.

It is great that many of you respect the franchise this much. But, if being creative or silly was a part of Transformers then, then why must it be gone now. I have argued in other forums that there was a very low standard for things in the 80s and things are different now, but having higher standards doesn’t get rid of comedic silliness.

Michael Bay answers to the producers, the movie studio, and Hasbro, and that is it. He is doing what his “bosses” want. Sure they use low brow crass humor. It appeals to a large audience. The movies are geared for as many people as possible and crass humor makes some of those people happy.

Cats, dogs, seals, etc, all have whiskers. Lions have whiskers and manes, bugs have antennae. Whiskers and antennae are basically sensory arrays. Transformers are life forms who have traveled the stars. Whirl has a head and an eye while most others have full faces. Unicron has facial hair. Whether they genetically have these features or chose them for aesthetic reasons Transformers could have facial hair. There has always been great diversity in Transformers and other life forms. As can be seen by the different universes, there is no true account of Transformers and they are still experimenting and re-writing the “history” of Transformers. You can have an opinion and preferences but different mediums of fiction can try and explore different ideas. So, it is not blasphemy or disrespectful to have facial hair on Transformers.

Sabrblade wrote:A children's toy brand being silly and goofy on a mainstream level? The horror!

Shh! Keep it down! You can't just go around and inject logic into a topic like this! That's like...dividing by zero and stuff, you just don't do it.

Egads, man! Have you any idea what you've done?! I can already feel the universe folding in on itself.

Autobot032 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:A children's toy brand being silly and goofy on a mainstream level? The horror!

Shh! Keep it down! You can't just go around and inject logic into a topic like this! That's like...dividing by zero and stuff, you just don't do it.

Egads, man! Have you any idea what you've done?! I can already feel the universe folding in on itself.

Adult collectors complaining about childrens' toys having features that appeal to kids is like Bronies complaining that My Little Pony doesn't have mature storylines. YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED MARKET!!!

Transformers are not "giant warring robots". They're transforming toys for kids. The story behind Transformers is a silly story made up as a way to market the toys to kids, it is not meant to be serious fiction for adults.