Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

http://www.youtube.com/user/waspshot23 · by **Wasp-shot23** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:51 am

I don't think that the US should stop using the word "spastic" in the sense they do, these colloquialisms of language are what divides and differentiates cultures to make them unique. I do however thunk that the UK should stop using "fags" (the word and the object)

News Credits: 3554 · by **Seibertron** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:52 am

Counterpunch wrote:
Seibertron wrote:Man both sides of this argument aren't doing a good job at being understanding.

Except me.

Correct. I should have phrased it as "some people on both sides ..." instead of the all-inclusive statement I made above. I edited my previous post to reflect this.

http://www.youtube.com/user/waspshot23 · by **Wasp-shot23** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:03 pm

Seibertron wrote:
Wasp-shot23 wrote:Again, the point is moot, but we're not gonna get a figure called "slag" anytime soon. If hasbro paid attention to that then why not "spastic", a word which has a meaning far more clear to children than "slag" does.

I didn't realize "slag" was an offensive term to anyone, other than possibly in the fictional Beast Wars universe.

It was my understanding that they lost the trademark to the word and that the rest was "urban legend" caused by fans.

Or I could be wrong: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&clie ... n&ct=title

"slag" in the UK is a term used through it's waste connotations to describe lowlife women or just any woman in a derogatory manner. E.g "how could you sleep with him, you slag!" it connotes that the woman is "dirty" or worthless. It is used in the same sense as whore.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:14 pm

Wasp-shot23 wrote:
Seibertron wrote:
Wasp-shot23 wrote:Again, the point is moot, but we're not gonna get a figure called "slag" anytime soon. If hasbro paid attention to that then why not "spastic", a word which has a meaning far more clear to children than "slag" does.

I didn't realize "slag" was an offensive term to anyone, other than possibly in the fictional Beast Wars universe.

It was my understanding that they lost the trademark to the word and that the rest was "urban legend" caused by fans.

Or I could be wrong: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&clie ... n&ct=title

"slag" in the UK is a term used through it's waste connotations to describe lowlife women or just any woman in a derogatory manner. E.g "how could you sleep with him, you slag!" it connotes that the woman is "dirty" or worthless. It is used in the same sense as whore.

And to see it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meMaeMAGEb4
Lots of swearing and well it's offensive

by **kjeevah** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:54 pm

Seibertron - there is no 'understanding' needed. It's simple enough, I assume I don't need to re-post the quotes from American disability rights groups explaining how offensive the term is in the US.

It is not an issue of trying to forcefully export culture and language.

And also for the record everyone can safely ignore wikipedia and it's usual fantastic accuracy of information.

'Fag' is just as offensive in the UK as in the US, and 'queer' 'homo' and 'poof' are certainly not in common use by anyone under the age of 60.

The word has multiple meanings though. **** also means a type of meatball. Not too long ago it also meant a bushel of wood, and to be 'fagged' meant tired, as an abbreviation of 'fatigued'.

That's what happens when you have a language like English that mangles together multiple foreign languages.. you get duplicates.

Just like I can't bear this Hasbro misconduct, I'd rather be eaten alive by a bear than buy their products.

Spastic is a very different case. It is a single word with a single meaning and origin, the only issue is wether or not people appreciate its origin or care about the offence it causes.. just like retard, nigger, or any other term that is similarly laden with historical negative connotations.

It's like me saying that when I just called you a nigger it wasn't in any way meant to be offensive to black people, I just meant it as a way of referring to you being an uneducated underclass criminal.

That would never EVER be acceptable, it's not 'a different meaning', it's exactly the same meaning but with a rose tinted ignorance of the origins of the stereotype you're peddling.

by **Windsweeper** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:02 pm

Given the alt mode, obvious homage colour scheme and link to the name Stunticon, why wasn't it called Dragstrip?

Or could Dragstrip be termed offensive to some?

I could perhaps understand why, yet strangely just as the American fans have grown up with the other name in a non offensive context, when I hear Dragstrip, I automatically think of the G1 Stunticon because I grew up with that name, also in a non offensive context. However in this day and age, I could understand some people taking offence to a name that combines 'drag' with 'strip', especially on a child's toy.

I know when I was a kid, I used to enjoy picking TF names out of the dictionary to see what they mean.

If however, Dragstrip were not deemed offensive, I'd love to see it used. Again, if anyone did feel offended, I would respect their feelings on the subject.

On a side note related to the mold, can anyone explain why Leadfoot keeps reminding me of G1 Sureshot? Am I the only one getting that vibe?

News Credits: 11 · by **kirbenvost** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:07 pm

What Seibertron's trying to say kjeevah, is that while North American fans need to understand the term is offensive in the UK, UK fans also need to understand that the North Americans had no idea because it's not the same thing over here, hence why we didn't understand the level of outrage. And both sides aren't getting it. That's what he means by 'both sides understanding'.

News Credits: 125 · by **Counterpunch** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:07 pm

kjeevah wrote:Seibertron - there is no 'understanding' needed. It's simple enough, I assume I don't need to re-post the quotes from American disability rights groups explaining how offensive the term is in the US.

It is not an issue of trying to forcefully export culture and language.

And also for the record 'fag' is just as offensive in the UK as in the US.

Hey, what the F' is with people in the UK trying to tell people in the US "how it is" in our country? No one is arguing that the word is offensive in the UK. Why is there so much contention that the word is offensive in the US.

It isn't.

Are we supposed to get pissy over the use of the word "lame" to describe things we don't like or find boring?

Are we supposed to get pissy over the use of the 'v' hand symbol for victory when in some countries it's as good as a middle finger?

Evolution of the term in the United States
In American slang, the term "spaz" is inoffensive, as most Americans consider it casual slang for clumsiness, sometimes associated with over excitement, excessive energy, or hyperactivity. Its usage has been documented as far back as the mid 1950s. In 1965, film critic Pauline Kael, explained to her readers, "The term that American teen-agers now use as the opposite of 'tough' is 'spaz'. A spaz is a person who is courteous to teachers, plans for a career..and believes in official values. A spaz is something like what adults still call a square." The New York Times columnist similarly explained to readers that spaz meant "You're strictly from 23-skidoo." Benjamin Zimmer, an Editor for the "American Dictionary" and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Research in Cognitive Sciences, writes that by the mid 1960s the American usage of the term spaz shifted from "its original sense of 'spastic or physically uncoordinated person' to something more like 'nerdy, weird or uncool person.'" By contrast, in a June 2005 newsletter for "American Dialect Society", Zimmer reports that the "earliest [written] occurrence of uncoordinated "spaz" (as opposed to uncool "spaz")?" is found in Elastik Band 's 1965 "undeniably tasteless garage-rock single" "Spazz".

Later in 1978, Steve Martin introduced a character Charles Knerlman, aka "Chaz the Spaz" on Saturday Night Live, in a skit with Bill Murray called "Nerds". Bill Murray later starred in the movie Meatballs which had a character named "Spaz." Both shows portrayed a spaz as a nerd or somebody uncool in a comic setting. Thus, while Blue Peter shaped the modern British understanding of the term, American viewers were being bombarded with a different image. In time, the term spaz, like its counterparts nerd and geek, lost its offensive nature and evolved into a term often used in self-deprecation.

The difference in understanding of the term between British and American audiences was highlighted by an incident with the golfer Tiger Woods; after losing the US Masters Tournament in 2006, he said, "I was so in control from tee to green, the best I've played for years... But as soon as I got on the green I was a spaz." His remarks were broadcast and drew no attention in America. But they were widely reported in England, where they caused offence and were condemned by a representative of Scope and Tanni Grey-Thompson, a prominent paralympian. On learning of the furore over his comments, Woods' representative promptly apologized.

Most Americans were surprised when they learned about the controversy. In fact, at least one American dictionary (Merriam Webster's) makes no reference to cerebral palsy in its definition or word origins. It simply defines "spaz" as a shortening of the word "spastic" and "one who is inept".

by **kjeevah** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:10 pm

well yes counterpunch, quoting wikipedia with its reknowned exellence of information is obvious way more relavant then the previous quotes, which I obviously need to repost.

This is NOT people in other countries telling you how it is in the US.

This is straight from the mouths of an AMERICAN disability rights group (ADAPT):

When people say 'you're such a spaz' they're talking about someone with cerebral palsy," says Nancy Salandra from Philadelphia ADAPT. "People use it all the time but they are wrong. It's part of the language now, like retard, but it doesn't make it right."

"I would think that anybody in the disability community would see it as offensive," says Babs Johnson of National ADAPT. "It would be looked upon as someone having a fit or seizure or something like that. Body movements that you're not able to control."

So it is Americans - not just Americans but people who work in the field in which the terms is offensive - telling you how it is in the US.

by **MINDVVIPE** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:12 pm

Counterpunch wrote:
kjeevah wrote:Seibertron - there is no 'understanding' needed. It's simple enough, I assume I don't need to re-post the quotes from American disability rights groups explaining how offensive the term is in the US.

It is not an issue of trying to forcefully export culture and language.

And also for the record 'fag' is just as offensive in the UK as in the US.

Hey, what the F' is with people in the UK trying to tell people in the US "how it is" in our country? No one is arguing that the word is offensive in the UK. Why is there so much contention that the word is offensive in the US.

It isn't.

Are we supposed to get pissy over the use of the word "lame" to describe things we don't like or find boring?

Are we supposed to get pissy over the use of the 'v' hand symbol for victory when in some countries it's as good as a middle finger?

Evolution of the term in the United States
In American slang, the term "spaz" is inoffensive, as most Americans consider it casual slang for clumsiness, sometimes associated with over excitement, excessive energy, or hyperactivity. Its usage has been documented as far back as the mid 1950s. In 1965, film critic Pauline Kael, explained to her readers, "The term that American teen-agers now use as the opposite of 'tough' is 'spaz'. A spaz is a person who is courteous to teachers, plans for a career..and believes in official values. A spaz is something like what adults still call a square." The New York Times columnist similarly explained to readers that spaz meant "You're strictly from 23-skidoo." Benjamin Zimmer, an Editor for the "American Dictionary" and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Research in Cognitive Sciences, writes that by the mid 1960s the American usage of the term spaz shifted from "its original sense of 'spastic or physically uncoordinated person' to something more like 'nerdy, weird or uncool person.'" By contrast, in a June 2005 newsletter for "American Dialect Society", Zimmer reports that the "earliest [written] occurrence of uncoordinated "spaz" (as opposed to uncool "spaz")?" is found in Elastik Band 's 1965 "undeniably tasteless garage-rock single" "Spazz".

Later in 1978, Steve Martin introduced a character Charles Knerlman, aka "Chaz the Spaz" on Saturday Night Live, in a skit with Bill Murray called "Nerds". Bill Murray later starred in the movie Meatballs which had a character named "Spaz." Both shows portrayed a spaz as a nerd or somebody uncool in a comic setting. Thus, while Blue Peter shaped the modern British understanding of the term, American viewers were being bombarded with a different image. In time, the term spaz, like its counterparts nerd and geek, lost its offensive nature and evolved into a term often used in self-deprecation.

The difference in understanding of the term between British and American audiences was highlighted by an incident with the golfer Tiger Woods; after losing the US Masters Tournament in 2006, he said, "I was so in control from tee to green, the best I've played for years... But as soon as I got on the green I was a spaz." His remarks were broadcast and drew no attention in America. But they were widely reported in England, where they caused offence and were condemned by a representative of Scope and Tanni Grey-Thompson, a prominent paralympian. On learning of the furore over his comments, Woods' representative promptly apologized.

Most Americans were surprised when they learned about the controversy. In fact, at least one American dictionary (Merriam Webster's) makes no reference to cerebral palsy in its definition or word origins. It simply defines "spaz" as a shortening of the word "spastic" and "one who is inept".

Being an American product, the UK should understand that difference and not be such whiney complainers about it. Its a sad day when this makes the news, "Oh no, my kid has Cerebral Palsy, so i won't buy this toy, THE KID DOESN'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT THE NAME, if he wants the cool race car robot, he wants it. When the toy is a waiting time bomb to be injested as poison like a matel toy, THEN its news worthy, god damn fruitcakes and your over-sensitivity.

News Credits: 125 · by **Counterpunch** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:18 pm

kjeevah wrote:well, yes, quoting wikipedia with its reknowned exellence of information is obvious way more relavant then the previous quotes, which I obviously need to repost.

This is NOT people in other countries telling you how it is in the US.

This is straight from the mouths of an AMERICAN disability rights group (ADAPT):

When people say 'you're such a spaz' they're talking about someone with cerebral palsy," says Nancy Salandra from Philadelphia ADAPT. "People use it all the time but they are wrong. It's part of the language now, like retard, but it doesn't make it right."

"I would think that anybody in the disability community would see it as offensive," says Babs Johnson of National ADAPT. "It would be looked upon as someone having a fit or seizure or something like that. Body movements that you're not able to control."

Far be it for me to argue with noted authority Babs Johnson...

But haha, you reference a group (that I've never even heard of and I work in government and deal with ADA and equal rights stuff) that's known for being a fringe group?

ADAPT is a grassroots United States disability rights organization with chapters in 30 states. It is known for being part of the militant wing of the disability rights movement due to its history of nonviolent direct action in order to bring attention to the lack of civil rights the disability community has. However, ADAPT also practices legislative policy advocacy, grassroots education and mobilization, and individual members may engage in legal advocacy, as in the case of individual ADAPT members suing the Chicago Transit Authority in the 1980s.

Also, I am entirely done discussing this matter with you.

You have an agenda and I need some coffee.

GGPO

http://www.youtube.com/user/waspshot23 · by **Wasp-shot23** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:20 pm

Just to reiterate to some peeps, he's not called drag strip because he's not meant to be drag strip, just look like him. Like bombshock wasn't onslaught, he's an homage.

by **kjeevah** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:21 pm

MINDVVIPE wrote:THE KID DOESN'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT THE NAME, if he wants the cool race car robot, he wants it. When the toy is a waiting time bomb to be injested as poison like a matel toy, THEN its news worthy, god damn fruitcakes and your over-sensitivity.

Just wait till your child turns out to be disabled and has their life made hell by people using terms like that, you'll soon change your mind.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:30 pm

God f**king damn it, why the blooming hell is anybody still freaking pissed over this?

They did a mistake, have stated that the f**king toy won't be released in the countries its name is a swear word the issue is over. They toy can't hurt anyone.

Also, yes it's a swear word outside of the US, get over it that your English develops differently than that of the rest of the world, it might not be offensive in your country but that doesn't man that we who only know it as a derogatory term should "get over it" or just except our use as being wrong.

Because it's not, just like your use isn't wrong ether.

The whole outcry over this was due tot he fact that Hasbro has made it clear that they are now a global player and no longer think US only, but also take the large non-US market into consideration. And try to not offend anyone, which is why we no longer have

Slag
Bombshell
Shrapnel
Or Erector

This combined with the fact they named this toy the way they did with intentions of selling it not only in the Us but also Europe and Australia just makes it odd that they did not look into the name longer to find out if it had a negative meaning elsewhere. But the issue is over, they saw their mistake and are not planning to release this thing outside of the US.

There is no longer a need to debate the "right" or "wrong" of it all.

Just see the humour in it, it's almost as hilarious as "Nexus Maximus". :lol:

by **kjeevah** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:42 pm

Dead Metal wrote:Just see the humour in it, it's almost as hilarious as "Nexus Maximus".

It's not a laughing matter any more than calling a toy nigger would be a laughing matter, although I agree on one thing - accidentally naming one after a sex toy was damn funny.

What was the issue with shrapnel? Surely that was just a case of someone else having the trademark?

EDIT

Yep had a quick check.. there are no issues with erector. bombshell and shrapnel were victims of trademark loss, slag was censored though because of it roughly meaning 'slut' in the UK.

News Credits: 8 · by **Megatron Wolf** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:21 pm

I kinda see why people are freaking out about this but i also see that people have to much time on their hands. This is a US figure so what ever the name is its taken from the US take on words not anywhere else on the planet. If some one not in the US doesnt like the name then tell hasbro to change it if happens to come to your shores. Names have been changed from region to region since TF began. I get people are pissed because hasbro didnt think on a global scale but last time i check they are mainly an american company. And come on its hasbro they screw up all the time. Plus im sure the name fits the character (the US meaning of the word that is). Now heres a hypothetical and im sorry if some one pointed this out already i didnt read all teh posts cause theres to damn many. Ok lets say there is a figure released overseas and its not going to see the light of day in america, its a transforming cigarette & its called fagimus Maximus. Now over here in the USA "fag" is a derogatory term but in other places its what they call a cigarette. Now since the figure is not going to be release in the US do people really have the right to bitch about the name? If a Japanese man dressed up as hitler for some party in japan does a jewish person in canada have the right to complain because he saw a picture on the internet? People just need to really chill out for once instead of playing all high and mighty politically correct all the time.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:25 pm

I vote Hasbro puts out a line of figs where they strictly use offensive and/or derogatory names...

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:39 pm

Seibertron wrote:Some people on both sides of this argument aren't doing a good job at being understanding to our cultural language differences.

As I already said, usage of the word "spastic" in the UK is comparable to usage of the word "fag" here in the States. "spastic", while it originated as a medical term, took on a different meaning here in the US which is more comparable to dork or geek, generally implying clumsiness or "bouncing off the walls" (perhaps hyperactivity) or even "overreacting".

The US people should acknowledge that it is an offensive word in the UK just as the UK people should acknowledge that the word means something different in our countries and shouldn't take offense to our cultural differences. It is an offensive word to the UK folks despite that it means something totally different here in the States, a company selling a product in the UK should be aware of this and sensitive to the local cultures either by having a character with a name that doesn't offend in other countries or by having the character named differently in other countries.

Do the UK people here feel that they should stop calling cigarettes "fags" because it's an offensive or politically incorrect term in the US?

I don't for two reasons:
1) 'having a fag' obviously refers to smoking and is different to calling someone a fag, which IS offensive over here
2) The word fag meaning cigarette dates back to 1888 but has origins going back as far as the 1400s! Fag or **** meaning gay dates back to 1914 in the US.

I think the word spastic should not be used by Americans in the way they use it because, as kjeevah else quoted earlier, American disabled people DO find it offensive:

kjeevah wrote:And for those of you who mistakenly believe that this is only a UK term, ADAPT is an american disability rights organisation:

When people say 'you're such a spaz' they're talking about someone with cerebral palsy," says Nancy Salandra from Philadelphia ADAPT. "People use it all the time but they are wrong. It's part of the language now, like retard, but it doesn't make it right."

"I would think that anybody in the disability community would see it as offensive," says Babs Johnson of National ADAPT. "It would be looked upon as someone having a fit or seizure or something like that. Body movements that you're not able to control."

Regardless of the Americans lack of knowledge of where the word comes from, calling someone a spastic is likening them to someone with a severe disability. As a medical term it dates back to 1753. Although in the UK is was used as an insult, calling someone a spastic in the US is STILL a misuse of a medical term that cerebral palsy victims find offensive.

Seibertron wrote:
Wasp-shot23 wrote:Again, the point is moot, but we're not gonna get a figure called "slag" anytime soon. If hasbro paid attention to that then why not "spastic", a word which has a meaning far more clear to children than "slag" does.

I didn't realize "slag" was an offensive term to anyone, other than possibly in the fictional Beast Wars universe.

In the UK a slag is a person with loose morals - a prostitute or promiscuous person. Again, it depends on how you use it. A slag heap is very different to calling someone a slag!

News Credits: 4 · by **craggy** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:57 pm

"cor blimey guv, 'asbro's legged it up the apples and pears and won't be giving us any of these bleedin' Trasformatrons. "

"aye, ken, jings crivens and help me boab, hud on a minnit tho, at least there's nae been a murrrrder."

"gawd'n'bennet, this is a right ol turn up for the books then innit?"

"sod this fir a game ae soljers, I'm off oot tae smoke a fag."

News Credits: 1 · by **T-Macksimus** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:15 pm

Don't know why I purposefully choose to jump into conversations like this. Running across a 12 lane freeway would be so much better for me, at least from a mental health aspect.
First off, being a Yank and all, (and a parent who has to try to look at both sides of the coin when making toy purchases) I do have to admit that, while I did get a bit of a barely amused chuckle out of the name when I found this set at retail, I still can't say as I find it appropriate. My oldest boy is 13 and despite my best efforts he is like most kids around that age range in the respect that he can be quitye the little insensitive a--hole when it comes to derogatory terms. He'll throw stuff out there without really thinking or without even knowing the meaning behind something...kinda like a lot of folks on this very website.
I know from first-hand experience that even a well intentioned compliment can go awry when terms a used differently between countries. You folks that say that people are being to overly-sensitive in some cases, you might want to consider for just one second that maybe you people are being to selfish and not sensitive or open-minded enough. Some of the stuff that folks think should just be ignored or blown off is, in fact, enough to get your ignorant ass shot and very dead if you are stupid enough to open your mouth in the place at the wrong time. :-?

Come to think of it, why don't you folks open your mouths in the wrong place and get educated the hard way. Please, by all means, prove Darwin right!
As for Hasbro, YES they screwed up. They should have researched harder. No, there is no arguing this. They have a responsibility no matter what anyone else's opinion might be over the use of the term in question, to research thoroughly in EVERY market in which a toy will be released to make sure they are covered against just such an incident. This is simple common sense given the very size and nature of the company. As a parent I am continually trying to correct and enlighten my children in the ways of not only grammatically but also societally correct terms and the said usage of these terms and it makes for one hell of an uphill battle when mass marketing is working against you.

by **PrimeGestalt** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:21 pm

I suppose if I can't get hold of the toy, I'll need to remove that team from my fanscript. I had a huge storyline planned out about that involving Oil Pan forcibly changing himself into a Commander...with a disastrous outcome!

http://www.youtube.com/user/waspshot23 · by **Wasp-shot23** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:22 pm

craggy wrote:"cor blimey guv, 'asbro's legged it up the apples and pears and won't be giving us any of these bleedin' Trasformatrons. "

"aye, ken, jings crivens and help me boab, hud on a minnit tho, at least there's nae been a murrrrder."

"gawd'n'bennet, this is a right ol turn up for the books then innit?"

"sod this fir a game ae soljers, I'm off oot tae smoke a fag."

lolololol!!!! I'm probably the only other person who understood all that!
"yer ol' cockerney sparrah! 'ow hintelligent of you."

News Credits: 8 · by **NuclearConvoy** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:40 pm

Wasp-shot23 wrote:
craggy wrote:"cor blimey guv, 'asbro's legged it up the apples and pears and won't be giving us any of these bleedin' Trasformatrons. "

"aye, ken, jings crivens and help me boab, hud on a minnit tho, at least there's nae been a murrrrder."

"gawd'n'bennet, this is a right ol turn up for the books then innit?"

"sod this fir a game ae soljers, I'm off oot tae smoke a fag."

lolololol!!!! I'm probably the only other person who understood all that!
"yer ol' cockerney sparrah! 'ow hintelligent of you."

Can't say I was 100%, but I got most of it downright.

by **Hal7300** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:13 pm

Wasp-shot23 wrote:
craggy wrote:"cor blimey guv, 'asbro's legged it up the apples and pears and won't be giving us any of these bleedin' Trasformatrons. "

"aye, ken, jings crivens and help me boab, hud on a minnit tho, at least there's nae been a murrrrder."

"gawd'n'bennet, this is a right ol turn up for the books then innit?"

"sod this fir a game ae soljers, I'm off oot tae smoke a fag."

lolololol!!!! I'm probably the only other person who understood all that!
"yer ol' cockerney sparrah! 'ow hintelligent of you."

I'm Irish, and i got the whole thing :lol:

And you've just given me an idea for a new TF - a Reliant Robin called Rodney!!

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 5:00 pm

Megatron Wolf wrote:This is a US figure so what ever the name is its taken from the US take on words not anywhere else on the planet. If some one not in the US doesnt like the name then tell hasbro to change it if happens to come to your shores. Names have been changed from region to region since TF began. I get people are pissed because hasbro didnt think on a global scale but last time i check they are mainly an american company.

Didn't you post this before? I'm sure someone posted the same argument in the early pages. Yeah, then I think someone said something like 'heaven forbid an English speaking company would check what a word means in England'.
Sure they're based in America but they have a global market. Has the term 'global village' passed you by? When something is announced in the US the rest of the world can know about it within a second. That is why this discussion has happened.

Megatron Wolf wrote:Plus im sure the name fits the character (the US meaning of the word that is).

Didn't you post this before? I'm sure someone posted the same argument in the early pages. Yeah, then I said something about it still being a reference to a disability and therefore offensive!

Megatron Wolf wrote:Ok lets say there is a figure released overseas and its not going to see the light of day in america, its a transforming cigarette & its called fagimus Maximus. Now over here in the USA "fag" is a derogatory term but in other places its what they call a cigarette. Now since the figure is not going to be release in the US do people really have the right to bitch about the name? If a Japanese man dressed up as hitler for some party in japan does a jewish person in canada have the right to complain because he saw a picture on the internet? People just need to really chill out for once instead of playing all high and mighty politically correct all the time.

- Fagimus Maximus may still be construed as a gay reference if it's a name of a character and would still be offensive over here.
- Who said Spastic would never be released outside of the UK? Thanks to the so-called GLOBAL VILLAGE we can import US figures with ease.
- A man dressing as Hitler in Japan for a private party is not the same as a Hitler referencing item going on sale.

Jimmy Drift wrote:
Wasp-shot23 wrote:
craggy wrote:"cor blimey guv, 'asbro's legged it up the apples and pears and won't be giving us any of these bleedin' Trasformatrons. "

"aye, ken, jings crivens and help me boab, hud on a minnit tho, at least there's nae been a murrrrder."

"gawd'n'bennet, this is a right ol turn up for the books then innit?"

"sod this fir a game ae soljers, I'm off oot tae smoke a fag."

lolololol!!!! I'm probably the only other person who understood all that!
"yer ol' cockerney sparrah! 'ow hintelligent of you."

I'm Irish, and i got the whole thing

And you've just given me an idea for a new TF - a Reliant Robin called Rodney!!

Great! Just please, DON'T put T.I.T. on the side!!!