I must say it was a ballsy move from the creators to introduce their first non-binary character: Nightshade. For me, I have…mixed feelings about it.

First off, I fully support LGBT characters to appear in animation to fully validate the community…as long as it isn’t preachy about it. This series, however, outright declares what their pronouns are for the audience to know. It was done very briefly…until Nightshade declares their pronouns every time they meet with someone new. I was frankly annoyed by that because it feels like it’s trying to needlessly remind us the character is non-binary. WE GET IT.

Furthermore, in the season finale, Nightshade saves a woman from getting mugged in an alleyway in Philadelphia, lands on a rooftop, and introduces themselves. Once Nightshade noticed the non-binary pins the woman (who goes by she/they) had on her purse, they both proceeded to talk about how their life experience is beautiful, and Nightshade instantly accepts the NB term without question. I personally don’t have an issue with it, but it is kinda jarring they took the adequate time to write all this down in the script.

What do you guys think? Do you all think they are actively manipulating children to embrace something at a young age? Because a lot of fans have issues with this and are calling it woke and political.

I really like this character, but I do wish they were subtle about it and not so blatantly preachy about it.

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You make a solid argument, buddy

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Im not watching Earthspark, i don't watch that much standard TV any more or have Paramount +, but to chip in i don't mind shows informing kids about topics like this if their either subtle and smart about it or can work it in without derailing a plot or scene for it

Nightshade declares their pronouns every time they meet with someone new.

Should be pointed out that real people, whose pronouns may not be clear, do this as well, as elsewise it can lead to wrong pronoun use, which is far more damaging.

I can't watch Earthspark, no Paramount+ here, but honestly good on them for that bit of Truth In Television.

I personally do not care for this show one bit. the animation didnt sell me, especially Optimus's non battle mask face. Megatron being a good guy upset me cause that is something that I do want... but not at the beginning of a new series. Id want to see it be built up to him becoming a good guy. The Non Binary thing though... killed the show for me... I REALLY do not give a crap about LGBT stuff despite me being trans cause it is forced into EVERYTHING nowadays and I am so sick of it. Their alien robots locked in a never ending war between both sides. Transformers fans are here for the giant robots beating the shit out of each other, not... pronoun talk...

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What do you guys think? Do you all think they are actively manipulating children to embrace something at a young age? Because a lot of fans have issues with this and are calling it woke and political.

In the same way MLP manipulates children to embrace friendship, probably.

There is this thing called learning, where when there is a situation/scenario/circumstance/etc that is outside the norm experience one has to be taught and shown how to deal with it. Repetition is often used. How many people meet a non-binary person in real life? Is it common knowledge to a younger audience what is the proper way to talk to them and treat them and what is the difference? Or certifying their validity among a cultural wave that tries to portray them as "sickness?"

I'd also really like to know what those "fans" think there is an issue with "teaching children to embrace something at a young age." Embrace what? That other people are different and doesn't make them monsters or to be kind? Which is the thing they object to?

Was that episode where Mr. Rogers talked to a black guy and had him sit with him in the pool like equals manipulation too?

P.S. Transformers has a history, in fanfiction especially, where gender is a choice. Due to them being robots, and the whole male-female robots is just something they—in most continuities—saw from organics and emulate.

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Hmmm, that makes sense.

Thank you both for your insightful thoughts! Because I’ve seen a review on YouTube that hated Earthspark simply because of THAT particular scene with Nightshade. If you want, I can share a link to it. If not, that’s fine.

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To say nothing of subjecting the IDW version of G1!Arcee to the First Two Laws Of Gender-Bending.

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Oh, yeah, I forgot about that one!

For those not in the no, in IDW the CybertronianTransformers don't bother with female genders in the current 'age' (though some of their colonies do). Arcee is extremely old in that continuity, coming from a time when genders among Transformers still existed, and was "forged" male, though she never felt comfortable in that in retrospect. She was a trans-transformer—though not the only one.

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If you want to, mate, sure, share the link. I really wanna see what the guy says about the rest, because as you can see it is very weird to complain about gender stuff in Transformers as if it is something new.

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Alright, here it is.

Watch out because he gives a huge rant in the latter half of the video, so…..brace yourself.

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Okay, so the guy's kind of an idiot. Or at least trying to hide his personal hangups in the whole "I'm just reviewing," and "think of the children!" schtick. Which, I personally at least, don't quite respect. It's cool if you don't understand or get why some stuff is the way it is (I can't wrap my head around how you can feel not your gender, but I can't wrap my head around feeling depressed all the time either, so why act as if I should tell others whether what they feel is valid, true, or not?), but don't try to pretend it's for the kids you worry about.

To paraphrase someone else, "kids have to practice school alerts hiding from someone wanting to kill them on a monthly basis, they can deal with a robot having different pronouns that don't come from having a pee-pee."

He whines that Optimus is bad cause he doesn't keep his battlemask on even though he did the same on Prime a lot, confuses characterization and character progression with sympathetic characters, character consistency (and progression) with "they know how to fight," and is calling manipulation the act of integrating a lesson in a show when he himself speaks about how the show keeps showing the kids learning lessons—not to mention that he rages how showing how to respect someone's gender is confusing and damaging a child (supposedly) but he's got no issues at all or anger about fighting and violence or showing characters not sticking with the lessons they learned. As if the supposed easily-confused child he talks about would be able to decrypt that but not "a robot prefers to be called otherwise."

I mean, it's a mediocre attempt to hide that whole "uwu, they talked about gender and ruined transformers rant" in a thin veil of 'review' that talks in the most vague (and not well thought out) terms, so, uh... I don't know, let's send the guy some cheese to go with his whine?

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Funny thing, she hated the guy that gave her gender-affirming surgery and a few other things.
FOR giving her those things.

Hence why I see it as the Second Law Of Gender-Bending in action that she comes to accept what she's become.

I mean, I thought it was just as valid when it seemed like a forced Gender Bender turned Arcee into a trans male, but I have no issue with it coming out that she knew what she really was and could finally accept it about herself.

I don't even have to watch the video Clown linked to know the guy's a true-woke Elephant.
DeSantis is pulling similar shit down south and I'm already mad about that.

Speaking of which, can I say what a breath of fresh air it is for you to be acting like this? Flashbacks to the Lion Star Incident and all that, and considering how it nearly ruined something good between me and another... Yeah.

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Funny thing, she hated the guy that gave her gender-affirming surgery and a few other things.
FOR giving her those things.

If I remember correctly the guy was Jhiaxus, right? Big asshole. I think it was translated as he didn't care at all about trauma/aftercare and all that, so then Arcee was left with no clue and feeling used. Not that she wasn't fucked up a bit already, IIRC.

I don't even have to watch the video Clown linked to know the guy's a true-woke Elephant.
DeSantis is pulling similar shit down south and I'm already mad about that.

It's pretty much the same stupid rhetoric. "Kids will get confused and get gender dysphoria," and all that, as if that's how it suddenly works and they're the ones protecting your kids.

Speaking of which, can I say what a breath of fresh air it is for you to be acting like this? Flashbacks to the Lion Star Incident and all that, and considering how it nearly ruined something good between me and another... Yeah.

I'm not trying to be an asshole, I swear. I mean, I know that I am a bit, but I'm really not trying to enhance it. I very much... lack patience with certain behaviors. And then I get into it looking like an asshole. It's a problem, I know.