Goki's Rantage Engine: Transformers becoming mainstream

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Hey Goki, can we get a photo of you in max TF gear mode?

On-topic: Like Goki I used to dislike the way Tfs were going more mainstream on the basis that mainstreaming things often tends to spoil them IMO. Then we got Michael Bay, and as a Decepticon fan it pretty much sucked, though happily we did get more good toys out of it than I was expecting and happier still a lot of those are being redecoed for Travestyformers 2.
The way I cynically look at it nowadays, the more mainstream exposure TFs get the more TF merchandise there'll be released, and so the more cool stuff there should be out there amongst the crap (i.e. those sweet little 3-image holographic candy tins VS. Mighty Muggs).
So...As long as they keep looking after us fans with Classics, Masterpiece etc. mainstream away I say. Let the children have their Ultimate Bumblebees, just let my Wreck-Gar go!

EDIT - I go about as far as having a Decepticon logo shirt on fairly frequent wardrobe rotation myself.

[jacksplatt11]

I didn't catch that "I was holding Bumblebee as I walked around" bit. Sorry to say it but I think 99.9% of people would not engage in conversation with a grown man walking around a shopping centre with a Transformer backpack and Transformer toy in his hand. I'd say more but I don't want to offend.

Preeeeeeeeeeety much summed it up right there

[Oilspill]

I'm glad TFs are slightly more mainstream at the moment. Means more publicity, which should mean increased sales which means Hasbro has more money to spend making more TFs for us

But yeah, in fairness, other people wearing TF merchandise does not mean they're a fan. I met a dude at the Sydney Mardi Gras this year and he had a sweet Megatron shirt on but he wasn't really into Transformers. He just liked the shirt.

I, myself, only have one TF shirt (and it was a Somewhat Secret Santa gift). Oh, and some Decepticon cuff links which admittedly I did wear to the last wedding I went to

[GoktimusPrime]

Some people may buy a shirt for it's design, colour or comfort. If you wear a polo shirt, that doesn't make you a golf fan does it? I own a Star Wars shirt but that doesn't mean i want to marry George Lucas.

If you're already wearing a TF shirt I think it's different. For example, two years ago I was wearing a London Underground T-shirt which was a gift from my brother who lives in London. I've never been to London and I don't have deep knowledge about it. One of my work colleagues saw me wearing this shirt and she immediately started doing an impersonation of the platform announcements on London train stations. She'd previously lived/worked in London's east end. So I smiled at her and and gave her a wave. I'm not a Londonphile like her, I have no intention of ever being one really. But I acknowledged her enthusiasm for what my shirt represented.

And that's all I would expect from a person wearing a Transformers shirt - if I address them, just reply with some kind of acknowledgement. Hell, just make eye contact!!

And because someone doesn't respond to you in public doesn't make them a jerk. I don't reply to every stranger that talks to me. Just try not to take the fob offs personally.

Oh I never said he was a jerk and I'm not personally offended. I felt that he wasn't being necessarily rude per se... just unfriendly?

If the shoe was on the other foot - as it was in the London Underground shirt example - I would have made acknowledgement.

Hey Goki, can we get a photo of you in max TF gear mode?

My "max" TF gear mode would actually be walking around in public wearing a Transformers costume, which I've done. Twice. And both times I copped abuse. Mind you, my costumes look silly. If you want to see pics of me in my regular "TF civvies" then just look at any pics of me at any fan meet. That's pretty much how I dress almost all the time (except at work, although I do wear TF belts, a TF hat and use a TF pencil case with TF stationery and I carry my TF backpack - and I've drawn TF logos on my markbook ). The backpack is new though, I've yet to bring that to a TF meet, but it looks like this:



There's good and bad things about Transformers becoming mainstream, no doubt's there. And my rant is not at all about demanding that anyone wearing TF shirts has to be a TF fan, but rather, if you're going to wear the TF brand then at least show some acknowledgement when a real fan comes along and addresses you. Even a basic nod or smile then just keep walking. That's all.

P.S.: I just had a year 9 class where a student showed me a G1 Transformers pencil case that he found at the Reject Shop over the weekend! I'm gonna check it out and see if I can find one! It had Dreamwave art of Sideswipe, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. Apparently it comes with lollies. It also has an Autobot logo magnet attached to the pencil case and the Bumblebee picture on the pencil case is also mildly magnetic (it kinda works )

[shokwave2]

if you're going to wear the TF brand then at least show some acknowledgement when a real fan comes along and addresses you.

Didn't know there were certain laws for certain clothes. Go for a walk into the city and tell everyone you pass that they have a cool shirt, no matter what they are wearing. See how many people acknowledge you and how many ignore you or tell you where to go. I bet the latter outweighs the former. What happens when TF becomes totally mainstream and every 2nd person is wearing a TF shirt because they look cool?

[Lord_Zed]

Didn't know there were certain laws for certain clothes. Go for a walk into the city and tell everyone you pass that they have a cool shirt, no matter what they are wearing. See how many people acknowledge you and how many ignore you or tell you where to go. I bet the latter outweighs the former. What happens when TF becomes totally mainstream and every 2nd person is wearing a TF shirt because they look cool?

Then everyone wanting to be different will wear underground Machine Men shirts.

[Bartrim]

P.S.: Another sign that TFs is becoming mainstream - I saw this on NineMSN on Friday:

Gok I think it's a pretty obvious fact that the live action movie franchise is mainstream.

[MV75]

Yep, time to turn the engine off and take away the keys.

I'll give you the keys to this engine back in 2012/13 a year or two after a projected date of 2011 for the 3rd movie for you to rant about on where this mainstream vanished to and why everyone is into my little pony after its live action movie.

[i_amtrunks]

Yep, time to turn the engine off and take away the keys.

I'll give you the keys to this engine back in 2012/13 a year or two after a projected date of 2011 for the 3rd movie for you to rant about on where this mainstream vanished to and why everyone is into my little pony after its live action movie.

not to mention the anticipation for the upcoming Live action Care Bears Movie...

I'm seeing cars with the movie style faction symbols on them everywhere, it's almost a "cool" thing to have a vague knowledge of transformers. (by vague I mean you know Autobots are good, Decepticons are bad, and a half dozen Transformers names).

Face it Gok, transformers are "cool" now, so all the "cool" people will be showing off how "cool" they are, yet all these "cool" people are the ones most likely to fob you off if you approach them.

[GoktimusPrime]

I received a PM from a member who doesn't wish to publicly participate on this thread, but I'd like to share what s/he said to me with the rest of you as I think it's quite poignant.

I remember that when I was in high school and draw TFs some kids would ridicule me for being "childish". And the other day when I was thinking about how "cool" many people think TFs are now, I thought "Amazing and interesting" but at the same time, for reasons I cannot quite pinpoint, I also felt somewhat uneasy about it.

It seems that history has a lot of movements and sub-cultures that are initially seen as "uncool" / "weird" but then later becomes mainstream. It's hard to say if Transformers is one of them, but I think it's certainly big enough to be considered a sub-culture, and as for myself, I've always wondered why some people thought it was childish to be a fan of it, because to me, there was never anything kiddy or uncool about it (but that's just me).

I too have personally never felt bad for liking Transformers, but I also had experiences of other kids having a problem and feeling the need to pick on me because they saw Transformers as something childish/foolish. In fact, even when Transformers first came out in 1984, other kids were picking on me and saying things like, "they're for kids." Like hello? We are kids! I unfortunately went to a primary school where a lot of the kids were wannabe try-hard adolescents. In years 7 and 8 the bullying increased and got worse. I put the iron-on Autobot badge (from STARS) on this jacket that I wore to school which made me a bigger target for school bullies. So I took many lumps in the name of Transformers.

But I wonder how many of those people who looked down on Transformers and those of us who like Transformers as being "uncool" - and were even willing to ridicule and bully others for liking it - now see Transformers as being "cool"/acceptable just because it's becoming more popular now.

P.S.: In the meantime, I await the live-action movie for The CORPS!