The Energon Pub

This conversation has gotten too heated over some silly stuff. Some guy even took a shot a me because I spelled "retarded" wrong in my original post. Like if Im supposed to be some kind of honor student just because I collect Transformers. Im grew up in the streets of Miami so I got a hood mentality. I just tell it like it is. I mean no disrespect to anyone but I feel no need to humor the politically correct.

Here in Miami, the word "retarded" means stupid. The "N-Word" is often used among whites and hispanics to describe the male gender in general. The term "wife beater" refers to a white sleeveless undershirt. And even though I havent heard the word "spaz" since the Garbage Pail Kids trading cards in the mid 1980's, It meant "geek" or "nerd" in the height of the words popularity.

But my point is: no matter what the word means or what it means in regional slang, it's just a word. When you grow up in a city where violence is common, theres not a word in the dictionary that will offend you. I once had a gun pointed to my head in a robbery and I managed to keep my cool. So how am I gonna get offended by a word ????????????

No disrespect to anyone on this forum, but lighten up guys. Stop fighting over a toys name...

Guys, I skimmed through many comments on here and many had good points. But to me the most disturbing thing is modern hypersensitivity to these sorts of things.

So, I'd like to make three points.

1. Even the most innocent of words can be used to inflict the most grievous of emotional harm.
2. It's unreasonable to think that anyone, no matter how much research they do, could know every possible thing that could go wrong.
3. How a person reacts to what someone else says or does is up to that person--not the someone else saying or doing it.

In any case, all words have many meanings. The same four letters, D-I-C-K, can spell a nickname for Richard (nonoffensive), an insult (offensive), a body part (crude, but not necessarily offensive), a police officer (as in Dick Tracy, older usage, but occasionally appearing in modern contexts), and in German, to mean "thick." There's no way to avoid that, and there's no way to predict how someone you don't know will react to anything you say or what a given set of sounds or letters will mean to them.

As some pointed out, we're living in a global community. But communication is a two-way street. To say a speaker must take pains to always please his audience is not realistic. Both parties have a responsibility to work through misunderstandings. No one can read minds or know everything, and it's just not fair to treat them as if they should be able to. (I know from decades of watching loved ones overreact to things that it never did them or anyone else any good.)

It's perfectly reasonable to be furious at a truly malicious insult, though even then you need to ask yourself what the best way to respond is--sometimes it's not to respond at all. But to be up in arms about an innocent mistake is just plain silly. Hasbro said they're sorry. Now it's time to forgive them and move on.

Rated X wrote:This conversation has gotten too heated over some silly stuff. Some guy even took a shot a me because I spelled "retarded" wrong in my original post. Like if Im supposed to be some kind of honor student just because I collect Transformers. Im grew up in the streets of Miami so I got a hood mentality. I just tell it like it is. I mean no disrespect to anyone but I feel no need to humor the politically correct.

Here in Miami, the word "retarded" means stupid. The "N-Word" is often used among whites and hispanics to discribe the male gender in general. The term "wife beater" refers to a white sleeveless undershirt. And even though I havent heard the word "spaz" singe the Garbage Pail Kids trading cards in the mid 1980's, It meant "geek" or "nerd" in the height of the slangs popularity.

But my point is: no matter what the word means or what it means in regional slang, it's just a word. When you grow up in a city where violence is common, theres not a word in the dictionary that will offend you. I once had a gun pointed to my head in a robbery and I managed to keep my cool. So how am I gonna get offended by a word ????????????

No disrespect to anyone on this forum, but lighten up guys. Stop fighting over a toys name...

Finally you guys start speaking up, haha. Pretty stupid how your made fun of saying "retarted" and then a bunch of others just outright say the N word, haha. Theres so much worse stuff out there, if the kid is gonna be offended by a toy name due to his own illness, he's got a loooonnnggg road ahead, you might as well work at helping him get over pointless little things and learn to enjoy life regardless. Its the dwelling on problems that holds us all back from just learning to chill out. Again, spastic is still nowhere near any of the other words you guys used, good examples would be about LaCrosse (but thats a car company, they kinda need to not come off sounding like a basement dwelling nerd with no date)

I heard the UK version is going to be called Dill Dough...I am offend because I don't like pickles or bread.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Speaking of words you never thought were offencive, gyp is evidently a slurr against gypsies and not just old slang that has a ring to it.

I don't use that word either, but that's because where I grew up they're known as thieving-bullying-prostitute-ring-running-murdering-dog-beating-actually I won't finish the name because after that it gets offensive.

Burn wrote:

Mykltron wrote: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!

A slag heap sounds like a fun party.

I was thinking that too, but decided to keep my dirty mind to myself!

Kibble wrote:I heard the UK version is going to be called Dill Dough...I am offend because I don't like pickles or bread.

Genius!

What i find funniest though is how the 'war of words' reported in the paper didn't actually start until this thread started. The comments in the thread reporting the toy release were just saying 'oh man that's stupid'. I probably wouldn't have waded into this argument if those first two responses hadn't been so 'shut the hell up and let the spastics grow up and deal with it'. That was what got me riled. It's been fun looking into the origin of words but the conv. is going around and around now.

Wait... does that mean that I started this whole argument?

Sorry.

Er... someone else would have started this if I hadn't... right?

I'm amazed at how much debate this has sparked over word meanings and context. It doesn't matter if you don't find the word offensive or understand why, you only need to understand that to some people it is. Someone stating a word is offensive should not be told to suck it up. And on the other side should someone use a term that has no meaning to them but is deemed offensive, they need to be informed of this fact but in a non-attacking way. That way they can stop, and if they don't by all means tear them a new one. But with this issue we have to face facts; in today's world of high sensitivity (well assumed) in the realm of political correctness, it is literally impossible for any global company to do go on without offending someone. Well, impossible due to the bottom line. Research costs money, and so it is quite often skipped when the issue is not obvious. For example, Hasbro US did not see a problem with the word spastic in their country of origin the US, so they did not bother checking to see if it was offensive anywhere else, in order to ovoid costs. This, while unfortunate, is the business world at work. The best outcome possible was the retraction of the character's name. So while we wish companies like hasbro would do the research to avoid these situations, it is rarely going to happen. And with a language like english, where every word can mean so many things in one country, and twenty more in another country, there is a lot of research to pay for. To be honest, and this is just me, a lot of european cursing happens to use words that have no impact on me. So i have no problem using them, but in the company of someone from europe it can be beyond insulting. Another example is that here I take off my shoes at the door to keep my floor clean. That's it, no further meaning. In japan, it's a custom and sign of respect. Let's drop this debate on why a word is offensive, and accept that it just is.
So be disappointed in Hasbro for dropping the ball, but be thankful they did anything about it at all 'cause money talks, and don't be surprised if it happens again (which I hope it doesn't). As for transformers fans around the world if you really want to be mad at hasbro for something they could have avoided but didn't, let's tear them new one for all the name trademarks they were too lazy to renew!
p.s. and one more time...please I beg of anyone who feels the need to dismiss this issue out of hand, when someone is offended by something stop telling them to get over it, it makes us look bad seriously.

p.p.s. also if someone mentions that a word has no offensive meaning to them, don't attack them for that. Just because someone doesn't find spaz or retard offensive doesn't mean they are stupid or insensitive, it simply means that where they are from it is the norm. Be mad if they use it on you, but otherwise leave it be. We can't force our own meanings for words on others. Thank you

Mykltron wrote:Er... someone else would have started this if I hadn't... right?

Yep. If the subject matter of a thread offends someone enough (And it clearly has) crap hits the fan at relativistic speeds.
I think bringing "relativity" into this particular topic counts as a pun. I will go sleep in a bed made of shame now.

This reminds me of the whole "Where the B***dy Hell Are You?" ad campaign to get Brits to holiday down here in Australia. That was met with an unbelievable level of controversy in the UK, where b***dy is offensive...especially considering b***dy is Aussie slang and is so commonly used here. A cuss in the UK, an average, everyday word here...sheesh, I just thought - maybe a lot of words are offensive in the UK! I mean, as far as I know people in the States turn a blind-eye to b***dy as well...words derived from 'spasm' are used in Australia...so maybe it's mainly the UK that takes offense to a lot of these words. I for one wouldn't take offense to someone calling me a spaz if I'm currently behaving hyperactive. Sticks and stones, etc.

By the way, I censored b***dy so I wouldn't offend any British people. If need be I'll replace it with 'haemoglobiny'.

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

This doesn't really affect me at all. I have a mental disorder and I don't see this as offensive. I actually take more offense at Optimus Prime being called the Tooth Fairy! Everybody knows that the Tooth Fairy looks more like Dwayne Johnson!

Dead Metal wrote:

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

I think we're on to something here.

Fansproject, are you listening?

I'm going to fabricate a bi-sexual sex toy and call it the 'Transformer'

Just to teach all of you a lesson

Thankfully not bought any of these 'OMG what a Bore Combiners.'

PrimeGestalt wrote:This reminds me of the whole "Where the B***dy Hell Are You?" ad campaign to get Brits to holiday down here in Australia. That was met with an unbelievable level of controversy in the UK, where b***dy is offensive...especially considering b***dy is Aussie slang and is so commonly used here. A cuss in the UK, an average, everyday word here...sheesh, I just thought - maybe a lot of words are offensive in the UK! I mean, as far as I know people in the States turn a blind-eye to b***dy as well...words derived from 'spasm' are used in Australia...so maybe it's mainly the UK that takes offense to a lot of these words. I for one wouldn't take offense to someone calling me a spaz if I'm currently behaving hyperactive. Sticks and stones, etc.

By the way, I censored b***dy so I wouldn't offend any British people. If need be I'll replace it with 'haemoglobiny'.

SIR, I AM OFFENDED BY YOUR BLATANT USE OF THE WORD 'THE'. DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THIS WORD IS ONE OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE WORDS IN ENGLAND? AND 'HERE' IS ALMOST AS BAD!
Actually, I hadn't heard of this campaign and I'm very surprised to hear it. 'Bloody' really isn't a serious word anywhere I've lived. Maybe one wouldn't use it in front of the maiden aunt but still, wow!

Dead Metal wrote:

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

Awesome! How about making Del a headmaster with Damian is his head?

Bl**dy ??? LMAO !!!

Sir William Regal (of WWE) uses the word on TV all the time here. And he plays one of the most refined British characters in the WWE. But even he has a sense of humor. And what about Mr. Bean and Benny Hill ??? I love those guys !!!

What has this thread come too ??? Whats next ??? Tea and crumpets ??? Policemen using "billie-clubs" with no guns ??? This thread is becoming a laughing stock. I personally find it hilarious (no offense to anyone) But I know the site owners like to keep the conversation serious and I respect that.

Maybe they should close the thread...

PrimeGestalt wrote:This doesn't really affect me at all. I have a mental disorder and I don't see this as offensive. I actually take more offense at Optimus Prime being called the Tooth Fairy! Everybody knows that the Tooth Fairy looks more like Dwayne Johnson!

that was ironhide not optimus...
It's weird how these things link up, the toothe fairy is mentioned in transformers, dwayne Johnson plays the tooth fairy and now he plays a transformer!

Wasp-shot23 wrote:

PrimeGestalt wrote:This doesn't really affect me at all. I have a mental disorder and I don't see this as offensive. I actually take more offense at Optimus Prime being called the Tooth Fairy! Everybody knows that the Tooth Fairy looks more like Dwayne Johnson!

that was ironhide not optimus...
It's weird how these things link up, the toothe fairy is mentioned in transformers, dwayne Johnson plays the tooth fairy and now he plays a transformer!

Rated X wrote:Bl**dy ??? LMAO !!!

Sir William Regal (of WWE) uses the word on TV all the time here. And he plays one of the most refined British characters in the WWE. But even he has a sense of humor. And what about Mr. Bean and Benny Hill ??? I love those guys !!!

What has this thread come too ??? Whats next ??? Tea and crumpets ??? Policemen using "billie-clubs" with no guns ??? This thread is becoming a laughing stock. I personally find it hilarious (no offense to anyone) But I know the site owners like to keep the conversation serious and I respect that.

Maybe they should close the thread...

Mykltron wrote:

PrimeGestalt wrote:This reminds me of the whole "Where the B***dy Hell Are You?" ad campaign to get Brits to holiday down here in Australia. That was met with an unbelievable level of controversy in the UK, where b***dy is offensive...especially considering b***dy is Aussie slang and is so commonly used here. A cuss in the UK, an average, everyday word here...sheesh, I just thought - maybe a lot of words are offensive in the UK! I mean, as far as I know people in the States turn a blind-eye to b***dy as well...words derived from 'spasm' are used in Australia...so maybe it's mainly the UK that takes offense to a lot of these words. I for one wouldn't take offense to someone calling me a spaz if I'm currently behaving hyperactive. Sticks and stones, etc.

By the way, I censored b***dy so I wouldn't offend any British people. If need be I'll replace it with 'haemoglobiny'.

SIR, I AM OFFENDED BY YOUR BLATANT USE OF THE WORD 'THE'. DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THIS WORD IS ONE OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE WORDS IN ENGLAND? AND 'HERE' IS ALMOST AS BAD!
Actually, I hadn't heard of this campaign and I'm very surprised to hear it. 'Bloody' really isn't a serious word anywhere I've lived. Maybe one wouldn't use it in front of the maiden aunt but still, wow!

Dead Metal wrote:

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

Awesome! How about making Del a headmaster with Damian is his head?

Zeds wrote:Thankfully not bought any of these 'OMG what a Bore Combiners.'

MINDVVIPE wrote:I'm going to fabricate a bi-sexual sex toy and call it the 'Transformer'

Just to teach all of you a lesson

Jimmy Drift wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

I think we're on to something here.

Fansproject, are you listening?

PrimeGestalt wrote:This doesn't really affect me at all. I have a mental disorder and I don't see this as offensive. I actually take more offense at Optimus Prime being called the Tooth Fairy! Everybody knows that the Tooth Fairy looks more like Dwayne Johnson!

Dead Metal wrote:

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!!

With a Headmaster called Del and a Targetmaster called Trigga!

Since like...you know, nothing on the past two pages has really been on topic, it appears this thread has run its course.

We're done for that reason, not because of the content or anything else.

Name_Violation wrote:huh, turns out my cats name in an insult... (my cat is named spaz, and nick named spaztic)

seriously people, quit bein up tight. it was a misunderstanding, hasbro admitted it was "their bad", whats next? the fact the toys come in colors offends the color blind?

quit being so sensitive people.

Amen mate. The word does mean clumsy so why not call him that Clusmyformer.

Why does this thread keep getting locked and unlocked?

Kibble wrote:Why does this thread keep getting locked and unlocked?

Good question. Maybe the mods aren't agreeing on whether it should stay locked or not? Or maybe there's something wrong with the Mod Control Panel? Or, most likely, dark wizards have taken over the server.

Shadowman wrote:

Kibble wrote:Why does this thread keep getting locked and unlocked?

Good question. Maybe the mods aren't agreeing on whether it should stay locked or not? Or maybe there's something wrong with the Mod Control Panel? Or, most likely, dark wizards have taken over the server.

The topic got out of control during the past couple of days. Let's keep the conversation on topic and be respectful to our fellow Transformers fans. There's a way to have this conversation without being rude to other fans and without bringing up other sensitive issues that may be even more offensive to other fans -- regardless if we agree with how offensive a word or phrase is regardless of where we live.

blimey, this has gotten big enough to hit big UK papers... its in page 42 of today's Sun: "spastic robot toy is banned" is the headline.
i thought i'd point it out, but it doesn't say anything we haven't already heard.
it does however say "scrapping the UK launch will be a big blow to hasbro as it was expected to be one of 2011's big sellers" i find that hard to believe to be honest. after all its only a PCC and do they forget that 2011 also houses the dotm movie line?

Wasp-shot23 wrote:blimey, this has gotten big enough to hit big UK papers... its in page 42 of today's Sun: "spastic robot toy is banned" is the headline.
i thought i'd point it out, but it doesn't say anything we haven't already heard.
it does however say "scrapping the UK launch will be a big blow to hasbro as it was expected to be one of 2011's big sellers" i find that hard to believe to be honest. after all its only a PCC and do they forget that 2011 also houses the dotm movie line?

Yeah, well, The Sun is not known for it's journalistic greatness! That toy was probably never going to reach our shores anyway.

Mykltron wrote:

Wasp-shot23 wrote:blimey, this has gotten big enough to hit big UK papers... its in page 42 of today's Sun: "spastic robot toy is banned" is the headline.
i thought i'd point it out, but it doesn't say anything we haven't already heard.
it does however say "scrapping the UK launch will be a big blow to hasbro as it was expected to be one of 2011's big sellers" i find that hard to believe to be honest. after all its only a PCC and do they forget that 2011 also houses the dotm movie line?

Yeah, well, The Sun is not known for it's journalistic greatness! That toy was probably never going to reach our shores anyway.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... &ATTR=News

The article definitely sounds a little sensational.

Looking at the comments left on the Sun website Im glad that some people feel the way I do. Gave a similar comment(like the ones Ive left here) on a Facebook group Im a part of and got ripped to shreads. Some people are just way too senstive now days. Learn to grow a thick skin I say I did.