The Professor Princess Poll

[GoktimusPrime]

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I personally hate this character. Human characters should only exist in Transformers for two reasons (other than background mooks): either as an empathic device for the audience (e.g.: Sari, the Witwickies etc.) or as a complication for the protagonists (e.g.: villains, teen-Sari).

Human villains is nothing new to Transformers. We had our fair share in G1 such as the Robot Master, the Road Jammers, Lord Chumley, Circuit Breaker - the list goes on. On the whole, human villains tended to suck and haven't been popular with the fandom - except for Circuit Breaker. She just rocks. This isn't including human villains who've crossed over such as COBRA, Doctor Doom etc. Even other human agencies such as III, RAAT and Sector 7, the Doctor (yeah, he's not human but for the purposes of this discussion we'll lump him with humans) served as complications for the protagonists but without being actual villains. I'll call them "human complications" since they're not all villains.

But the human villains in Animated make all the G1 human complications look good. Some of them aren't even really complications - they don't provide a substantial hindrance for the protagonists. Some do - and are yet still stupidly lame in the process (e.g.: The Headmaster). But Professor Princess is not in this league... she is just utterly _useless_ as a meaningful plot device, serving as nothing more than a distracting waste of airtime - the very reason why fans loathe characters like Daniel Witwicky, Wheelie and Jar Jar Binks.

Then there's what G1 writer David Wise calls the "Balonium Factor" (or BS factor). It abounds in the Professor Princess character. First of all, how the hell did Penny Princess get a Ph.D? She barely seems to have the emotional maturity of a kindergartener. Powdered Sugar's origin isn't explained, but I suppose if she constructed her steed and weaponry then she's obviously quite a genius... yet obviously retarded. Maybe she's severely autistic... maybe a Savant! (that might explain her obsession with people saying "please").

Then there's her theme - the embodiment of several girls' toys such as My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, Popples, Sailormoon etc. rolled into one character, waging a war against violent boys toys. While there is a philosophical argument over the sexism in boys and girls toys, this character fails to really address it. I find this issue was better addressed in characters like Beachcomber (via his pacifism amidst the Transformers' war).

Overall I would not miss this character at _all_ if she were to never ever reappear in Transformers canon. Ever.

I did like how they did take the mickey out of her in the "SUV" episode with Nanosec's interaction with her - effectively the writers admitting that this _is_ a lame character (much like how Lucas gave Binks far smaller roles (and with fewer spoken lines) in Episodes II and III); or at least an admission that she's not a very popular character.

No more stupid villains... please. (-_-)

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My Little Transformers (My Little Pony vs. Transformers)

[liegeprime]

OKies you forgot a third reason for human characters in TF stories Gok.... hapless, fightless victims, Cannon fodder, Something to squish, maim, gore, incinerate, vaporize, exterminate, crush, eviscerate, KILL, KILL, KILL!!! hope that was clear enough...

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, that's what I meant by "background mooks."

[SMHFConvoy]

Geeze guys chillax...

She appeared in 2 episodes her role was quite small and in her first appearance Bulkhead crushed Powdered Sugar. She's cannon fodder. I think that she's probably a nod to the 80's toys for girls around at the time, Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony.

What I find most amusing is that despite the fact that Gok says the character is, "retarded" he still wants a back story. How did Prof Princess make her horse? Where did she get a Ph.D?

Admit it a small part of you likes the character

[kup]

Geeze guys chillax...

She appeared in 2 episodes her role was quite small and in her first appearance Bulkhead crushed Powdered Sugar. She's cannon fodder. I think that she's probably a nod to the 80's toys for girls around at the time, Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony.

What I find most amusing is that despite the fact that Gok says the character is, "retarded" he still wants a back story. How did Prof Princess make her horse? Where did she get a Ph.D?

Admit it a small part of you likes the character

Yeah one small appearance and another not so small. However this character is at such a level of suck that it just leaves you dumbfounded for the remainder of the episode.

It's like if you are watching...say Aliens...and right in the middle of the movie for no apparent reason everyone begins dancing and singing at the tune of Rick Rol for about 30 seconds then stop and go about as normal. Wouldn't that tiny amount of time ruin your enjoyment of the movie even if the rest was absolutely great?

[GoktimusPrime]

She appeared in 2 episodes her role was quite small and in her first appearance Bulkhead crushed Powdered Sugar. She's cannon fodder.

She also appeared in "Whatever Happened To Whatshisname", "Sound and Fury" and "SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy". Her appearance in "Sound and Fury" was thankfully brief but she had more prominent roles in "Whatever Happened To Whatshisname" and "SUV." (although her appearance in SUV was the least dislikable to me).

Still - you do have a point. She's not as re-occurring as the effing Headmaster. I'd love to shove a 3m barge pole right up his tailpipe kick him in the janglies.

I think that she's probably a nod to the 80's toys for girls around at the time, Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony.

No doubt's there... doesn't make her any less lame a character though.

What I find most amusing is that despite the fact that Gok says the character is, "retarded" he still wants a back story. How did Prof Princess make her horse? Where did she get a Ph.D?

I personally enjoy collecting knowledge on Transformers lore... I kinda have a reputation of being a walking TF encyclopaedia.

Admit it a small part of you likes the character

Maybe if she were 13 years older and appeared in KISS Pla--uh, I mean NO! I totally... don't... um... like her.

LOOK! A purple distraction! <flees>

[Demonac]

I don't see her as any worse than Robot Master, the Mechanic, Lord Chumley, Primacron, or a host of others I've done a better job of blocking from my mind.
And the above were major characters given heaps of (wasted) time to (not) develop.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

OKies you forgot a third reason for human characters in TF stories Gok.... hapless, fightless victims, Cannon fodder, Something to squish, maim, gore, incinerate, vaporize, exterminate, crush, eviscerate, KILL, KILL, KILL!!! hope that was clear enough...

You left out 'hostages' and 'slaves'.

[Paulbot]

She's a bit of fun, totally silly and easily forgetable.

I vote like.

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't see her as any worse than Robot Master, the Mechanic, Lord Chumley, Primacron, or a host of others I've done a better job of blocking from my mind.
And the above were major characters given heaps of (wasted) time to (not) develop.

As I said before, human (fleshling) villains have had a long and notorious history of suckage in TF history since G1. It was lame 25 years ago and it's still lame now... if not lamer. I just really hate the theme behind this character.