Should there have been more femmes in Transformers?

Dreamscreamer · Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:53 pm

I put this topic in this area since I'm referring to any and all of the Transformers series' in general, not just Beast Wars.

Okay so, first of all, I am aware that Transformers started off being more aimed toward boys, at least I think that is what I heard. So feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

And I know there are a fair number of female Transformers characters, such as listed here: http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/List ... ansformers But overall they don't see to get quite as much attention or screentime as the mechs do.

So what do you guys think? Do you think that things could have been better if there were more femmes--or if the femmes that were there appeared more frequently?

Night-Hunter · Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:59 pm

Yes there should be, females can be warriors to not just guys. Girls can kick just as much ass as guys can.

SkyxDB · Unread post by **SkyxDB** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 11:01 pm

Heck, yeah I think the females need more screentime. Heck, I think some female characters would probably get more love from fans if they all got a chance to get some good character development. Personaly I think it would have been awesome if Elita-1 and her team had appeared in more than one episode of G1.

NaitoKage · Unread post by **NaitoKage** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 11:35 pm

More females in transformers? I suppose that depends on the perspective. If we go from the ol' lore of transformers.. then no. They're genderless robots that were designed to kill Unicron by the poorest excuse for a light god ever. They were designed to only reproduce through budding a certain amount of times and then just die out. But happened to continue living and advancing far beyond their intentions.

Females being created in the comics with the reason of "Appeasing" the angry feminists on earth too stupid that they would apply genderization to a toaster or car.

Why was it wrote this way? The original writer stated because it was a boys toy line and hasbro said they'd never bother making a female robot since that'd be like boys playing with barbie dolls.

For tv they just added them for the heck of it really.

For a fandom prospective they love this idea because it adds more "human quality's" to machines, anthropomorphism, self projection, or even sexualization.

From a scientific prospective.. the Autobots shouldn't even exist, they should act more like Decepticons taking over planets in a war like manner, not using humanoid robot modes and have no emotions or communicate vocally. Why? Because war like races are more likely to evolve technology to a ability where they could go to other points in space. Humanoid form isn't that great of a form either, and because vocal communication is useless in space or planets without a gas to vibrate sound waves for that sort of sensory.

So at the end of the day I propose this question to you ladies, besides your interests in such things why do you believe that a intelligent toaster or lawnmower should be referred to as male or female when it reproduces A sexually as a fragment to a god that doesn't care for it seeing it just as an ant to perform the queens wishes and comes from space?

starshadow · Unread post by **starshadow** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 11:44 pm

4 words. "YES THERE SHOULD BE!!"

artemis-lady-warrior · Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:28 am

Boys playing with Barbie dolls? COME ON! There are females characters in GI Joe and THAT was made exclusively for boys. There are BOY barbie dolls and female Bionicles so don't use that as an excuse for why fembots are pointless.

Oh course robots are genderless but that does not mean they can't have two forms to choose from. Why do warring robots have to be all MALE? Girls aren't wimps you know. They're only portrayed that way in those stupid fairy tales.

to the question..Yes I totally think there should have been more females. I mean why do all the new characters always have to be guys? Girls are just as awesome as guy bots.
I still think Nightbird should have been in Transformers Animated.

Darkshadow14 · Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:01 am

I think so, yeah.

Lady Venom · Unread post by **Lady Venom** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:27 am

NaitoKage wrote:More females in transformers? I suppose that depends on the perspective. If we go from the ol' lore of transformers.. then no. They're genderless robots that were designed to kill Unicron by the poorest excuse for a light god ever. They were designed to only reproduce through budding a certain amount of times and then just die out. But happened to continue living and advancing far beyond their intentions.

Females being created in the comics with the reason of "Appeasing" the angry feminists on earth too stupid that they would apply genderization to a toaster or car.

Why was it wrote this way? The original writer stated because it was a boys toy line and hasbro said they'd never bother making a female robot since that'd be like boys playing with barbie dolls.

For tv they just added them for the heck of it really.

For a fandom prospective they love this idea because it adds more "human quality's" to machines, anthropomorphism, self projection, or even sexualization.

From a scientific prospective.. the Autobots shouldn't even exist, they should act more like Decepticons taking over planets in a war like manner, not using humanoid robot modes and have no emotions or communicate vocally. Why? Because war like races are more likely to evolve technology to a ability where they could go to other points in space. Humanoid form isn't that great of a form either, and because vocal communication is useless in space or planets without a gas to vibrate sound waves for that sort of sensory.

So at the end of the day I propose this question to you ladies, besides your interests in such things why do you believe that a intelligent toaster or lawnmower should be referred to as male or female when it reproduces A sexually as a fragment to a god that doesn't care for it seeing it just as an ant to perform the queens wishes and comes from space?

Wonderfully said, and I agree. I admit that if they're going to be putting gender's on a machine, like they did later on in the series, then yes, it should be an equal ratio. But otherwise, no, because they're suppose to be, and should be, genderless.

artemis-lady-warrior · Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:29 am

If that is so why is a femme frame so bad? Does genderless HAVE to mean manly looking? That doesn't make the least bit of sense.

NaitoKage · Unread post by **NaitoKage** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:30 am

Well for one, nobody has stated "females are wimps" heck, IDW Arcee (who is technically transexual what with jhaxus's idea of adding genderization to a genderless race) is probably one of the scariest female robots ever made.

Its just at the end of the day, it shouldn't matter what they look like, if anything they should probably all look like Shockwave or Skylynx as they're more gender neutral.

SkyxDB · Unread post by **SkyxDB** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:01 pm

Boys playing with Barbie dolls? COME ON! There are females characters in GI Joe and THAT was made exclusively for boys. There are BOY barbie dolls and female Bionicles so don't use that as an excuse for why fembots are pointless.

Oh course robots are genderless but that does not mean they can't have two forms to choose from. Why do warring robots have to be all MALE? Girls aren't wimps you know. They're only portrayed that way in those stupid fairy tales.

to the question..Yes I totally think there should have been more females. I mean why do all the new characters always have to be guys? Girls are just as awesome as guy bots.
I still think Nightbird should have been in Transformers Animated.

I agree with you completely LW.

Granted robots are supposed to genderless, but I don't see what's wrong with having female transformers. Ever since I saw female bots in Beast Wars as kid, I never questioned the idea.

Also keep in mind, that even though Transformers are robots, they have thier own personalites, thought, and feeling, and in my oppion, that what's making them interesting.

Does anyone think Transformers would be as interesting, if they were just emotionless war machines with no personalities. In my opinion giving them personalities makes them more entertaining to watch and easier to relate too.

That and also another reason I've heard for adding the fembots were to get more girls into series. Granted there are girls who got into it before female characters were even intorduced. But still, is having a least a little femininity such a bad thing?

Joshin Yasha · Unread post by **Joshin Yasha** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:13 pm

You know, Wayward had a good essay on this at one point, if some of you are interested enough you should ask her or look it up.

My take on female transformers is that the concept of gender in the machine originates from the human concept of machines. There's male and female parts to all machines (anything that has a prong is male, and then the receiver for said prong is female). Therefore, there must be some quality that female Transformers have that would designate them as needing a special pronoun, if you will.

For example, I write female Decepticons/Predacons as being depositories for mass energy/information storing. Therefore, if they link to one or more male consorts, then they can transmit the flow of energy between the two (like if they are on the battlefield and need more energon, they can siphon off of another that way). Or, in the case of information, they also bond special teams closer by being able to link all members of the team to themselves and act as an intelligence hub (almost like a shared mind of a gestalt, but without the merging of bodies).

Female Autobots/Maximals, in my point of view, share the same purpose, but it's more for off the battlefield than in (hence, more delicate framework for their body structures).

So, in a way, you get female robots who are the equivalent to dancers (Elita-1, her crew, Airazor, Blackarachnia, etc...) that are for off-battle purposes, and then you get warrior cast who are more butch in appearance (Stryka, if you will, or my OC Misery) because they need to be able to take damage when in the middle of a fight.

Don't ask me about Screamer-female clone. I chalk her up to the animation style lol

Lady Venom · Unread post by **Lady Venom** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:38 pm

Who says personality and emotions are gender based? Who says they can't have emotions and feelings and a personality and still retain a lack of gender?

artemis-lady-warrior · Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:42 pm

So I guess Rosie from the Jetsons is pointless as well because she's a robot and shouldn't have a gender.

SkyxDB · Unread post by **SkyxDB** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:45 pm

Who says personality and emotions are gender based? Who says they can't have emotions and feelings and a personality and still retain a lack of gender?

Touche