[PA Comic] Monday, July 14, 2014 - Winston Smith

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[PA Comic] Monday, July 14, 2014 - Winston Smith

Winston Smith

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2014/07/14

Read the full story here

CEOIII

....so what should Transformers be made of?

Diplominator

I will defend "unobtanium" with my dying breath. It serves a useful purpose and fulfills that purpose with aplomb.

"Transformium" gets no such deference.

Jam Warrior

CEOIII wrote: »

....so what should Transformers be made of?

Anything you like as it long it conforms to the EU Toy Safety Directive and US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Obviously.

Hirocon

In expanded Avatar lore, "unobtanium" was not the scientific name of the valuable mineral. It was a tongue-in-cheek slang nickname for the mineral which became common usage. In that context, the name is completely justifiable.

Undead Scottsman

The explanation of why they call it Transformium is actually pretty good. The bigass company that was gathering the metal focus-tested a name to trademark.

It has a shitty name because they're appealing to the lowest common denominator.

TAFKAP

Transformium was discovered by Josephine Transform. She has a museum in Kansas.

Wraith260

Tycho's face in the last panel... that is the look of a broken man.

Kagera

Is Energon still a think in the transformers lore?

Ryan A. Elliott

Undead Scottsman wrote: »

It has a shitty name because they're appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Just like Michael Bay's Transformers movies.

Quid

I don't understand why they need a "thing" to transform.

I pulled that shit off as a kid.

noxumbra

The Transformers cartoons were cool because they were about the Transformers. The movies are about whiny humans and every once in awhile a big robot gives them a pep talk.

Metal Jared

Hooray for Nineteen Eighty-Four references!

Creepo

Unobtainum is completely legit slang and has been used by engineers for decades now. No reason to booze up and riot about that.

Transforium is simply lazy... and we're talking Michael Bay here. It suits its purpose.

Gaslight

Undead Scottsman wrote: »

The explanation of why they call it Transformium is actually pretty good. The bigass company that was gathering the metal focus-tested a name to trademark.

It has a shitty name because they're appealing to the lowest common denominator.

A nod and a wink at the fact you're making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator ("Movies these days are nothing but sequels and remakes HAW HAW HAW SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?") does not excuse you making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator. It actually just makes it shittier.

Soul Sanctum

A man is just a man. No matter how correct his reasoning, how divine his purpose, how justified his will, he will be worn down by time and the eternal waves from the ocean of mediocrity that is humanity. To the point where he can no longer fight and must allow the world to be as it is.

Lucascraft

Can someone explain the title to me? I don't get the reference. Note: I haven't watched the 3rd or 4th Transformers movie.

Malyonsus

It's a reference to the main character of Nineteen Eighty-Four, who rebels against, but is eventually brainwashed to love, the state (Big Brother).

Neuroskeptic

I wonder. Maybe the true source of Jedi power is not Midichlorians, but rather a mysterious element, contained within Midichlorians. Called Jedium.

see317

Neuroskeptic wrote: »

I wonder. Maybe the true source of Jedi power is not Midichlorians, but rather a mysterious element, contained within Midichlorians. Called Jedium.

Well sure, but that's only the lightside. Dark side users just have a sithium imbalance.

Wait. No, Chrome, that's not a word. You're supposed to tell me I spelled sithium wrong because you recognize that it's not a word. Damnit Chrome.

OmegaDez

I wonder why "Transformium" is what makes people roll their eyes. I've been rolling my eyes non stop since 1984 at the mere notions of robots from out of space speaking english and naming themselves after random stupid things like mudflaps, ratchets and astro-trains.

Gaslight

OmegaDez wrote: »

I wonder why "Transformium" is what makes people roll their eyes. I've been rolling my eyes non stop since 1984 at the mere notions of robots from out of space speaking english and naming themselves after random stupid things like mudflaps, ratchets and astro-trains.

I'm sorry, was there not enough gritty, hard sci-fi realism in the 80's cartoon/toy line aimed at 7 year old boys?

"Transformium" makes people roll their eyes because it's lazily-conceived cruft unnecessarily added on to a well-liked legacy franchise.

YoungFrey

Gaslight wrote: »

OmegaDez wrote: »

I wonder why "Transformium" is what makes people roll their eyes. I've been rolling my eyes non stop since 1984 at the mere notions of robots from out of space speaking english and naming themselves after random stupid things like mudflaps, ratchets and astro-trains.

I'm sorry, was there not enough gritty scientific realism in the 80's cartoon/toy line aimed at 7 year old boys?

"Transformium" makes people roll their eyes because it's lazily-conceived cruft unnecessarily added on to a well-liked legacy franchise.

I'd expect none. My problem is that fans act like the dumb things they watched as kids were perfect but the modern differently dumb incarnations are atrocities. I enjoyed the hell out of The Transformers as a kid, but I'm going to recommend it to precisely zero people ever.

I'm also unfamiliar with the phrase "legacy franchise". What does it mean?

Nobody

Kagera wrote: »

Is Energon still a think in the transformers lore?

In the cartoons (and I'd presume comics). The Transformers Prime cartoon even included variations like dark Energon and synthetic Energon.

darren66

Just so we're clear:

Transformium bad.
Energon good.

?

I was bored and googled unobtanium, and apparently it's a real term.

PLA

I have not conceded that "energon" is good.

Tube

It seems like with a franchise like Tranformers any argument about relative goofiness is kind of academic.

cB557

If any of you have some image files of the borders of Spec Ops: The Line loading, screens, I do believe we may have a use for them here

Darkewolfe

Tube wrote: »

It seems like with a franchise like Tranformers any argument about relative goofiness is kind of academic.

I was going to say something similar. Go back and watch some Transformers cartoons. We're not talking about Shakespearean literature here. You might have legit beef with Michael Bay's treatment of the work in terms of overusing bad action scenes and having bad actors, but some plot contrivances to cover for the fact that we are dealing with a franchise about sentient trucks that turn into people seem necessary.

Donnicton

Gaslight wrote: »

Undead Scottsman wrote: »

The explanation of why they call it Transformium is actually pretty good. The bigass company that was gathering the metal focus-tested a name to trademark.

It has a shitty name because they're appealing to the lowest common denominator.

A nod and a wink at the fact you're making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator ("Movies these days are nothing but sequels and remakes HAW HAW HAW SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?") does not excuse you making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator. It actually just makes it shittier.

On the plus side, this sort of schlock is what makes for some of the best episodes of Half in the Bag.

Undead Scottsman

Gaslight wrote: »

Undead Scottsman wrote: »

The explanation of why they call it Transformium is actually pretty good. The bigass company that was gathering the metal focus-tested a name to trademark.

It has a shitty name because they're appealing to the lowest common denominator.

A nod and a wink at the fact you're making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator ("Movies these days are nothing but sequels and remakes HAW HAW HAW SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?") does not excuse you making a shitty movie that appeals to the lowest common denominator. It actually just makes it shittier.

Did you see the movie? It didn't come across as a nod and a wink about the movies. "Lowest common denominator" was my own interpretation. In the movie it's literally just "Transformium?" "We focused tested tested that name. And then trademarked it."

trip1eX

so spot on about all the talking going on with nothing being said. I wanted to cleverly say nothing while acknowledging how observant you were on this yapping without meaning trend stuff but couldn't come up with anything in 60 seconds.

Obstreperous

The unobtainium in Avatar was actually a reference to a hypothetical engineering concept (you should look it up-- it's pretty interesting).
I had read about it not long before I had seen the movie, so I found the reference very clever.

marsilies

Undead Scottsman wrote: »

Gaslight wrote: »

Did you see the movie? It didn't come across as a nod and a wink about the movies. "Lowest common denominator" was my own interpretation. In the movie it's literally just "Transformium?" "We [focused tested] that name. And then trademarked it."

It's the fact that they "focus tested" and "trademarked" the name that makes it tongue-in-cheek. If they had gone full serious they would've had a scientist say that he came up with the name themselves and be very proud about it, or maybe not comment on the name at all.

And this is coming from someone who disliked the first Bay Transformers enough that I haven't seen any of the sequels.

MrMiscreant

OmegaDez wrote: »

I've been rolling my eyes non stop since 1984 at the mere notions of robots from out of space speaking english and naming themselves after random stupid things like mudflaps, ratchets and astro-trains.

Man. Astro-train. If I ever become a male stripper, that is definitely going to be my stage name.

Unknown

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Reiska

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;

we shall never surrender"

Julzildo

@LucascraftLUCASCRAFT

**OLD BOOK SPOILER**

In George Orwell's 1984; the main character, Winston Smith, finds his spirit broken by Big Brother. A socio-political system which lets no one die an enemy/martyr.

After a hard-fought philosophical and physical battle, he is said to love Big Brother in the final sentence of the book.

edit : you know, it's like...I made you ask your question with my mind (no less). I was burning to call the reference out.