The Random Transformers Thoughts Thread

[GoktimusPrime]

I think it's good they're introducing the 'concept' to children and explaining it to them, as sadly it does need to be said. I feel like you may have blown this out of proportion, and that any repetition on the subject is needed at this stage. Now, if we were talking in 20 years time things would (hopefully) be very different, but we're not.

Never forget the true target audience of these shows. It's not us.

That's what perplexes me. Kids today know all about gender/orientation diversity. They are growing up in a time where marriage equality exists and LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness is taught in schools.

We don't need to wait 20 years in the future, it's already here.

Sounds like confirmation bias - you notice it because it, for whatever reason, stands out to you, but you aren't noticing all the other pronoun use (because that doesn't stand out to you). "Nobody ever points out that Twitch, Elita-1, Hashtag and Frenzy are female... we just know that they are" - except that it is being pointed out all the time - by the use of she and her. But because that's entirely commonplace for you, you don't even realise that you are being constantly reminded of it.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there for me. Nightshade's gender-neutral pronouns stand out more to me because the show takes the time to explicitly point it out instead of just using it naturally and allowing the audience to notice it organically. I would prefer the latter because that's how it works in real life. Every transgender and gender neutral person that I know doesn't go around telling people what their preferred pronouns are. We just know and recognise it as we would for anyone else. It just happens.

Why was the 80s cartoon like that? Because it was made for 8-year-old boys, and that's how 8-year-old boys (at least those enculturated in the west, especially the US) behave toward girls. I certainly recall being like that.

But Challenge of the Machine Men was not like that, and that was in the 80s too.

I understand that representation matters, which is why female Transformers also exist. It's just that having the show explicitly tell/remind the audience that Nightshade is gender neutral felt a bit too on the nose. There's a saying that we have in teaching, "show, don't tell." Children aren't idiots, and kids these days are very acutely aware of the LGBTIQ+ community.

FWIW I thought the scene where Nightshade connects with that non-binary human was pretty awesome amid an episode that explicitly dealt with bigotry. I also really liked how Robby's friend Stevie was shown changing the graffiti from "Transformers Go Home" to "Transformers Are Home." Having an episode that highlights prejudice is not a new thing, but I think this is the first time that I've seen a kids cartoon where a character who was bigoted changing his views and becoming an ally. Also, bear in mind that non-cis/binary characters in TFs isn't a new thing. Beast Wars Metals gave us the first same-sex couple in 1999, and IDW started giving us transgender Cybertronian characters 6 years ago.

^Shouldn't she be referred to as la capitana?

Allow me to make it Crystal City clear that I have zero issue with greater representation in Transformers canon. I just find that way that the EarthSpark show feels the need to explicitly tell the audience what Nightshade's preferred pronouns are to be a bit too on the nose. I would prefer for it to be just done more naturally is all.

Just my 2c. This is by NO means a criticism of the show or character.

P.S.: I do like how the show has also given the Decepticons a more diverse range of eye colours; they're not all red-eyed. Even Starscream sports blue eyes*! We've yet to see a red-eyed Autobot though, but here's hoping. I like how Twitch and Nightshade are the two Terrans who don't have blue-eyes.

(*except for his first appearance when he had red eyes... whoops ).