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[G1] Women and the 'Cons

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Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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Hello, everyone! I'm mostly a lurker on the TF newsgroups, but
occasionally something catches my attention on the groups that makes me
think, and I have to respond with a long-winded message. My apologies in
advance...<G>!
The other day I was reading through this group and I stumbled upon
a thread wherein someone (I'm sorry that I don't recall who it was; the
message has since evaporated from my reader) was discussing why we
female TF fans often seem to have a tendency to be 'Con fans. I've
noticed this tendency myself, and I've often wondered about it, but I've
never really sat down and THOUGHT about it. Until now, at least. Reading
that post made me really think about it (A scary thing, I'll admit!),
and it even prompted a discussion between my husband and I about
villains in general and their attraction for women. And I thought I'd
share my conclusions with everyone, see what y'all think. Feel free to
disagree, because I'm about to say some things that might tick off any
feminists out there... Be forwarned <G>!
I think there are many reasons why the 'Cons appeal to women. The
original person postulated that it might be because the 'Cons have some
more traditionally feminine physical and emotional characteristics. And
it's true that they do. But then, so do many of the Autobots, so I'm not
sure if I totally agree with that theory. And, in many more ways, the
'Cons are overwhelmingly, almost stereotypically, male. But I'll get to
that in a minute. Essentially, I think that there are two main reasons
why female TF fans tend to favor the 'Cons. Those reasons are rooted in
female psychology, in female "racial memory," if you will. Here we go:
It's long been noted that women have a marked tendency to be
attracted to men in positions of power, any kind of power--political,
economic, military, what have you. Power is such a strong attraction for
women (And here I go, ticking off the feminists!) because I think that
deep down, women really want to be taken care of. We don't really want
to HAVE to go out and fend for ourselves. We'd much rather do the
domestic thing, as much as we yell and scream about wanting sexual
equality. This desire for security is evolutionarily ingrained in us, I
think. In the distant past, after all, men were manly men. They went out
and basically killed things--each other for territory and animals for
food--while women stayed home, made sure everything ran smoothly on the
home front, and reared the next generation. It was an equitable division
of labor, and it worked well. That division of labor worked so well, in
fact, that it stayed in place (With modifications over the eons, of
course) until...the mid-60s, let's say. That's about 100,000 years of
"conditioning," folks. And what it boils down to is that, deep down in
some primitive part of our psyches, women are instinctively attracted to
men who they think can provide for them. And that would be a man in
power. We can't help it. As much as we whine and moan about sexual
equality, I have a sneaking suspicion that a good percentage of women
don't really want it. (I'm not saying EVERY woman, mind you. Just women
who, like me, are tired of extreme feminist rhetoric.)
Now apply this basic female need for powerful men to the TFs. I
don't know about anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned, when asked
which of the TF factions is more traditionally powerful, more
traditionally "male" in the sense of primitive maleness, I'd immediately
answer that it's the 'Cons. No question. Reasons? Here's but a few:
A) The 'Cons are the faction that starts things while the Autobots
are the faction that reacts to what the 'Cons do. As such, the 'Cons are
usually the driving force behind any TF story--TV, comic, fanfic, what
have you. They do their thing, and the 'Bots go, "Uh-oh!" and then they
go and stop them. Being the driving force behind anything is a powerful
thing, as far as I'm concerned. People who start things, whether for
good or for ill, are inherently powerful.
B) The 'Cons also fill a traditional "male" role: They're
hunter-gatherers, like primitive human males. They see something that
they need or want and they take it, by force if necessary. It's not
necessarily NICE, but it was (and, in some cultures, still is) what
hunter-gatherer men do. And it's a classic, powerful male role. The
'Bots, by contrast, usually bargain for what they want, a traditional
female role--just watch rabid female collectors (Including me, when I've
found some good TFs!) at a flea market, and you'll know what I mean!
It's different mindsets, you see. One's straight-forward and usually
violent, the other is not violent but sometimes decidedly sneaky.
C) There's that Megatron guy. A tyrant ruler par excellence who has
no equivalent on the 'Bot side of things. He's the ULTIMATE power
figure. And most of the rest of the 'Cons are either tyrants-in-training
or tyrant-wannabees. The 'Bots--while they have a definite leader,
obviously--are far more democratic than the 'Cons. Democracy is more
noble, but it doesn't pack the power wallop of tyranny. (No, I'm not
advocating tyranny, I'm just saying that a tyrant has a more powerful
"rep" than a democratic ruler. Ask yourself who you think has more power
in the sense of doing what he wants to do with his country: Bill
Clinton, who answers to a Senate and the entire population of the
country, or Saddam Hussein, who answers to no one but himself.)
D) Of the two factions, the 'Cons strike me as being more
structured as an organization, with a more definite command hierarchy
than the 'Bots. This gives them, as far as I'm concerned, another aura
or power because I tend to equate them with a military organization, and
any military is a symbol of might and power. The 'Bots, on the other
hand...Well, I STILL haven't quite figured out their hierarchy in 15
years of fandom! I mean, you know who the leader is, but can you tell me
who the second-in-command is, especially in the early, pre-movie
episodes? Is it Prowl? Ironhide? Jazz? Who knows?!
Anyway, all of these things--and probably many more that I can't
think of now--give me the impression that the 'Cons are the more "manly"
power figures of the two TF factions. You (or at least I <G>) get the
feeling that if they wanted to (and that's a big if!), they could take
care of you. And if you somehow got into their good graces, then not
much could hurt you. You'd be safe. That's a very powerful attraction
for that primitive cavewoman that lurks deep down in the soul of all
women (or at least in THIS woman!). Now, I hear you all saying, "Yeah,
but you'd be safe with the 'Bots, too!" Not necessarily! As I pointed
out before, the 'Cons are the ones who attack. The 'Bots fight valiantly
to defend themselves and others, but usually not on their own terms. As
far as I'm concerned, I'd be much safer happily ensconced in Decepticon
HQ than I'd be if I was huddled in terror with the 'Bots. How many times
has the Ark/Autobot City/wherever been under direct threat from the
'Cons? More times than I can count! How often has 'Con HQ been under
direct threat from anyone? Not very often! I'll take my chances with
the 'Cons, thanks <G>!
Now bear in mind that I'm not saying that the Autobots aren't at
all powerful. Indeed, some of them are very powerful in a virile,
primitive male way. Like Optimus Prime--hence his legion of female
admirers. And you can't top the sheer primitive, physical power of the
Dinobots! I'm just saying that, as a GROUP, the 'Cons are more uniformly
powerful, filling all of the (mostly unflattering) stereotypes of
masculine power. I'm also not talking about good and bad here. In a
discussion of power and its manifold attractions for women, it doesn't
really matter who's "good" and who's "bad."
It does for my next observation, however...
Because another female tendency is our "I can make anything or
anyone better if I really try" instinct. We can't help it. It's a woman
sorta thing. This makes us tend to gravitate toward the villains (or at
least the anti-heroes, the rebels) in any story. It's because women
subconsciously think, while watching a bad guy in action, "Gee, if I
could just get MY hands on him, I could make him a 'good' person." This
is why women tend to get tangled up in relationships with
self-destructive men. We think that if we love them enough, we can make
them "all better." (Of course, we usually can't, but that doesn't stop
us from THINKING that we can!) It's done ad nauseum on soap
operas--which are primarily aimed at women, of course. A male character
is introduced as a bad guy with a past and maybe he does some bad things
(Rape is a favorite), but then the character is slowly rehabilitated
with the love of a "good girl" and then--BANG!--suddenly he's a hero!
It's almost a classic female fantasy. We love the "bad" guys because we
think that, if we could get our hands on them, then we could "save" them
and turn them into fine, upstanding citizens.
Now, apply THAT to the 'Cons. Every last one of them, of course,
fills the bill as a bad, bad "man," with a dark, dark past. They are
"men" that women believe they could "help." Even without the lure of the
'Cons' power, that would be a powerful attractive force. Throw in their
traditional male power and that DOUBLES their attraction. Add in the
fact that many of the 'Cons are almost sympathetic characters, too,
"trapped" under the influence of a very, very bad man (At least, that's
how slobbering romatics like me will interpret them!), and that TRIPLES
their attraction. Woman magnets, the 'Cons are, I tell ya. Almost
irresistable, as far as I've seen. And THAT, I think, is why they have
legions of female fans. (Well, maybe "legions" is too strong of a word,
considering that we female TF fans are apparently few and far between,
but you know what I mean... <G>)
So, those are my thoughts on the subject. Now, assuming that
anyone's sat there long enough to read all this gobbledygook, y'all are
free to tell me how crazy I am...<G>!

Regards, Nightwind

AIR_W...@webtv.net

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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bullcrap i know about 4 or 5 women transfans who like the bots andi
prefer the cons alot more than the bots im a guy.i think megatron is
cool AND powerfull.Prime is light hearted and kind much like a female.

"Death comes to he who crosses me"-Dirge
"Five Faces of Darkness pt.1"

Mathew Sibley-"Owner of the worlds most stickerless Dirge"

Rajan Ragupathy

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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Kathleen Kirkland wrote:

<SNIP>

Or, to put it another way, nice guys finish last, especially when it
comes to getting the girls. :( (Story of my life, unfortunately.)

Best, Raptor

--


Those who master others have force
Those who master themselves have strength.
-Confucius

"Starscream!!!!" -Megatron, after being thrown into deep space by
Starscream in Transformers: The Movie

"In space, no-one can hear you scream, but we can all hear you
Starscream." -Transformers: The Movie, MST 3000 version.

Prime Saber

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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Nightwind (night...@webtv.net) wrote:

> Now, apply THAT to the 'Cons. Every last one of them, of course,
> fills the bill as a bad, bad "man," with a dark, dark past. They are
> "men" that women believe they could "help." Even without the lure of the
> 'Cons' power, that would be a powerful attractive force. Throw in their
> traditional male power and that DOUBLES their attraction. Add in the
> fact that many of the 'Cons are almost sympathetic characters, too,
> "trapped" under the influence of a very, very bad man (At least, that's
> how slobbering romatics like me will interpret them!), and that TRIPLES
> their attraction. Woman magnets, the 'Cons are, I tell ya. Almost
> irresistable, as far as I've seen. And THAT, I think, is why they have
> legions of female fans. (Well, maybe "legions" is too strong of a word,
> considering that we female TF fans are apparently few and far between,
> but you know what I mean... <G>)
> So, those are my thoughts on the subject. Now, assuming that
> anyone's sat there long enough to read all this gobbledygook, y'all are
> free to tell me how crazy I am...<G>!

No, you aren't crazy. I share many of the same reasons for my own
fascination with the Decepticons/Destrons/Predacons. ^_^; I like them
primarily by their characters, but I admire their deviousness and wouldn't
want them to reform, because that would take away some of their appeal. ^_^

Tony Li, the Prime Saber

Index page to the Japanese and Beast Wars Transformers, including
pictures, videos, and my own models of Galvatron and God Ginrai --
http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/manwood/484/TF/TF.html

Beautiful

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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Nightwind AKA Kathleen Kirkland wrote:
[snip excellent essay]

> So, those are my thoughts on the subject. Now, assuming that
> anyone's sat there long enough to read all this gobbledygook,
> y'all are free to tell me how crazy I am...<G>!

Well, after reading all the gobbledygook, all I have to say is
that was great gobbledygook. It was so good, IMO, that I
actually saved and stored it in my Transformers Writing folder
(along with all my crazy theories). Thanks!

Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson x x
Canada's Number 1 Predators Fan +++

"There's nothing better than good gobbledygook!"

Zobovor

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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This is another post which I felt bad about snipping because it raises so many
interesting points. I do it only for space...

Kathleen Kirkland wrote, in part:

> I think there are many reasons why the 'Cons appeal to women. The
>original person postulated that it might be because the 'Cons have some
>more traditionally feminine physical and emotional characteristics.

Erm, Starscream has been called a femme now and again, but what other
characteristics are we talking about, here? Megatron's "labor hips"? :)

> It's long been noted that women have a marked tendency to be
>attracted to men in positions of power, any kind of power--political,
>economic, military, what have you. Power is such a strong attraction for
>women (And here I go, ticking off the feminists!) because I think that
>deep down, women really want to be taken care of. We don't really want
>to HAVE to go out and fend for ourselves. >

I'm glad a female wrote this post. This theory has percolated in the back of
my mind for a while now, but I would never have posted it for fear of being
branded a sexist...

> Now apply this basic female need for powerful men to the TFs. I
>don't know about anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned, when asked
>which of the TF factions is more traditionally powerful, more
>traditionally "male" in the sense of primitive maleness, I'd immediately
>answer that it's the 'Cons. No question.

I think all those gals who lust after Optimus Prime would beg to differ with
you. :)

> A) The 'Cons are the faction that starts things while the Autobots
>are the faction that reacts to what the 'Cons do. As such, the 'Cons are
>usually the driving force behind any TF story--TV, comic, fanfic, what
>have you. They do their thing, and the 'Bots go, "Uh-oh!"

Do they say it in a Teletubbies voice? :)

> B) The 'Cons also fill a traditional "male" role: They're
>hunter-gatherers, like primitive human males. They see something that
>they need or want and they take it, by force if necessary. It's not
>necessarily NICE, but it was (and, in some cultures, still is) what
>hunter-gatherer men do. And it's a classic, powerful male role.

Interesting. Does that mean that women are more likely to favor the Dinobots,
because they're more Decepticon-like?

>'Bots, by contrast, usually bargain for what they want, a traditional
>female role--just watch rabid female collectors (Including me, when I've
>found some good TFs!) at a flea market, and you'll know what I mean!
>It's different mindsets, you see. One's straight-forward and usually
>violent, the other is not violent but sometimes decidedly sneaky.

I keep thinking about Blackarachnia and how she fits closer with the
"Decepticon/male" stereotype. Does that make her a tomboy? :)

>The 'Bots, on the other
>hand...Well, I STILL haven't quite figured out their hierarchy in 15
>years of fandom! I mean, you know who the leader is, but can you tell me
>who the second-in-command is, especially in the early, pre-movie
>episodes? Is it Prowl? Ironhide? Jazz? Who knows?!

I think it was Ironhide. Jazz was more like Prime's co-ordinator, and Prowl...
well, people tend to remember (and like) comic-book Prowl, but the fact is he
was never a major player in the cartoon. (Huffer did try to take command in
one episode, simply by virtue of being... a truck!)

>The 'Bots fight valiantly
>to defend themselves and others, but usually not on their own terms. As
>far as I'm concerned, I'd be much safer happily ensconced in Decepticon
>HQ than I'd be if I was huddled in terror with the 'Bots. How many times
>has the Ark/Autobot City/wherever been under direct threat from the
>'Cons? More times than I can count! How often has 'Con HQ been under
>direct threat from anyone? Not very often! I'll take my chances with
>the 'Cons, thanks <G>!

I certainly don't equate being with the Decepticons with security! I think
Nightbird, Starscream, Octane, and Blitzwing would agree with me. :)

> Now bear in mind that I'm not saying that the Autobots aren't at
>all powerful. Indeed, some of them are very powerful in a virile,
>primitive male way. Like Optimus Prime--hence his legion of female
>admirers. And you can't top the sheer primitive, physical power of the
>Dinobots!

Well, I guess that answers my question! (Note to self: Read entire post
before replying...)

> Because another female tendency is our "I can make anything or
>anyone better if I really try" instinct. We can't help it. It's a woman
>sorta thing.

Ah, my wife is good at this. Even when I just want to gripe to let something
off my chest, she comes up with half a dozen ways of fixing it. Nice to know
that's part of the programming package. :)

This makes us tend to gravitate toward the villains (or at
>least the anti-heroes, the rebels) in any story. It's because women
>subconsciously think, while watching a bad guy in action, "Gee, if I
>could just get MY hands on him, I could make him a 'good' person." This
>is why women tend to get tangled up in relationships with
>self-destructive men. We think that if we love them enough, we can make
>them "all better." (Of course, we usually can't, but that doesn't stop
>us from THINKING that we can!)

So does that mean once you transform Megatron into a law-abiding robot, he's
suddenly no longer as attractive? Or is it the *act* of reforming him--even if
you never succeed--therein lies the appeal?

> It's done ad nauseum on soap
>operas--which are primarily aimed at women, of course. A male character
>is introduced as a bad guy with a past and maybe he does some bad things
>(Rape is a favorite), but then the character is slowly rehabilitated
>with the love of a "good girl" and then--BANG!--suddenly he's a hero!
>It's almost a classic female fantasy.

I can't say I understand the reasoning behind this--I guess my brain isn't
wired right--but I've seen enough examples of this to validate your theory.

> Now, apply THAT to the 'Cons. Every last one of them, of course,
>fills the bill as a bad, bad "man," with a dark, dark past. They are
>"men" that women believe they could "help."

Hmm, I wonder what that says about male fans who identify more with the
Decepticons than they do with the Autobots...

> So, those are my thoughts on the subject. Now, assuming that
>anyone's sat there long enough to read all this gobbledygook, y'all are
>free to tell me how crazy I am...<G>!

No comments here. <G>

Seriously, thanks for a thought-provoking post, and don't go back to lurker
status for too long! :)


Dave Edwards
Zobovor the Alien Space Dog
Zobovor's Multi-Faceted Transformers Site!
http://members.aol.com/zobovor/index.html

Cecilia

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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Kathleen Kirkland skrev i meddelandet
<18914-370D...@newsd-281.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...

[snip-Cons' appeal to females]

I've actually wondered myself why I always find myself
drawn to the Cons', being the bad-guys 'n all.
But no more! :)
Yep, what you wrote made sense.
I knew there had to be some psychological reason behind
the Cons' popularity among females.

('Course, we have Dinobot. But..he's powerful, ran around
doing what he wanted and was a Pred originally. No wuss, no!)

Windchaser/Cecilia-has a cavewoman inside that likes the color red,
judging by the Tfs she..lets not go there. ^.^ (Bad cavewoman!)
---------------
"If beauty was a crime I would be in for life"------Windchaser
Email: windc...@swipnet.se
WWW: http://home.swipnet.se/windchaser
TfCode:G++ FR+ FW+ M #118 D++ AD++ N++ W++ B++ OQP BC+ CN++ OM P210

Darzonique

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Apr 9, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/9/99
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In article <18914-370D...@newsd-281.iap.bryant.webtv.net>, Kathleen
Kirkland <night...@webtv.net> writes:

> So, those are my thoughts on the subject. Now, assuming that
>anyone's sat there long enough to read all this gobbledygook, y'all are
>free to tell me how crazy I am...<G>!

::shrugs.:: I'm not female, and I like them because their personalities see so
much more variety than the Bots. But as to the correctness of your theory, I
couldn't tell you. The logic sounds good.
::Glances at Air Walker's post:: Shutup Airwalker.
-Darzoni
The one true blue dude.
Flames sent will be promptly deleted, thank you.

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Bear with me here, folks, I've just figured out the mechanics of this
copy and paste thingy...(Yes, computer geek, I am not <G>!). Hope I did
this right...

Raptor wrote:

"Or, to put it another way, nice guys finish last, especially when it
comes to getting the girls. :( (Story of my life, unfortunately.)"

Oh, not necessarily! My ramblings were about what the cave-dwelling part
of a woman's psyche wants, not what a modern, civilized woman would
ultimately choose. Me, personally...I'd choose my homely, shy,
sensitive, intelligent, and hopelessly romantic husband over a
loud-mouthed, arrogant tyrant any day of the week. In real life, that
is. In a fantasy life...well, that's a different story... <G>!
But don't tell him I said that...<G>!

Regards, Nightwind

GERBOVAZ

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Actually, I've never thought about it.
The Decepticons are much more popular with me because of their power, but not
because of some old instinct. I like the power of doing what you want, not
letting anything, body or rule getting in the way of what you want.
Physically, I find just about any pure robot (no organic infusion whatsoever)
handsome. They look like a handful if I could take hold of one.
As for the "make him into a good guy" thing, that has NEVER been this female's
dream. What I dream of is taking those bad boys and having them swear loyalty
to me and then use them to their best and gloriest while minimizing casualties
to them. I think being lord commander of the Decepticon Army would be very
romantic. Yes, Megatron's power is something attractive to me and I am jealous
of it.
I'm most assurdly glad most Transformers are male. Couldn't look at females
with the same awe and 'other feelings'. Females just aren't as strong and
inspiring, even as robots.


Backsight

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Yup, definitely like this snipping business...Why didn't I discover this
sooner...<G>?

Anyway, Windchaser wrote:

"I've actually wondered myself why I always find myself drawn to the
Cons', being the bad-guys 'n all. But no more! :)
Yep, what you wrote made sense.
I knew there had to be some psychological reason behind the Cons'
popularity among females."

Ain't it great how psychology can be twisted around to explain
anything...<G>? If I wanted to, I could twist everything around and
write a convoluted essay on why the 'Bots should appeal to women...<G>!
This is why I was originally a psych major back in my college years,
before I switched to English/secondary ed...It's so fascinating. (To me,
at least!) But, anyway, I think what I wrote is closer to the truth, at
least as far as I'm concerned. And you, too, I guess...<G>! Good to know
I'm not the only female that feels this way...<G>! Maybe I should take a
poll of all the female TF fans lurking out there, see how many of 'em
are 'Con fans and how many of 'em are 'Bot fans...

"Windchaser/Cecilia-has a cavewoman inside that likes the color red,
judging by the Tfs she..lets not go there. ^.^ (Bad cavewoman!)"

Hey, MY cavewoman likes red, too! And white! And blue! And I ain't
talkin' Optimus Prime here <G>! And you've got "wind" in your handle,
too...Are you sure we're not the same person??? Has one of my multiple
personalities escaped again...<G>? Hate it when that happens...

Regards, Nightwind
A psycho with a thing for psychology...Scary, isn't it <G>???
---------------

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Hey, I'm liking this cutting and pasting thang...<G>!

Master Zobovor wrote:

"This is another post which I felt bad about snipping because it raises
so many interesting points."

Why, thank you <G>! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks about
crazy stuff like this...<G>!



"Erm, Starscream has been called a femme now and again, but what other
characteristics are we talking about, here? Megatron's "labor hips"? :)"

Actually, it was the orginal person's idea, not mine. I believe
something was mentioned about Starscream, of course. And about Soundwave
being a maternal figure with his cassette "children". And the 'Cons
physical shapes being more...er, hourglass <G>. ("Labor hips," indeed!
Maybe that's another reason why I identify with them...<G>!) Then again,
I would point out that a majority of the "Bots have...er, rounded chests
<G>. I'm thinking Jazz, Prowl, Bluestreak, etc...

"I'm glad a female wrote this post. This theory has percolated in the
back of my mind for a while now, but I would never have posted it for
fear of being branded a sexist..."

<Nightwind climbs up onto her well-worn soapbox.> You know, that's what
I really hate about feminism and political correctness and all of the
hoopla about sexual harrassment. It makes people, especially men, afraid
to speak their minds, for fear that they might offend someone! And so it
limits intelligent discussion and debate. Well, I'm not afraid to speak
MY mind...
I can only imagine what would have happened if a guy had said what
I'd said. It would have been viewed as heinous and the poor guy would
have gotten a load of backlash, would be seen as attacking women even if
his points made sense. But then, women can call men pigs in public and
joke about them all the time, and it's perfectly OK. It's an unfair
double standard and I hate it.
As far as I'm concerned, men are not sexist pigs if they happen to
admire a woman's physical attributes (Hell, I love it when I get
whistles from construction guys! And I whistle back!). And men are not
sexist pigs if they happen to have the opinion that women shouldn't do
certain things just because they're women... I think there ARE
certainthings that men can do better than women and that there are
certain things that women can do better than men. I just wish sometimes
that women would stop trying to be equal with or, worse, the same as men
and concentrate instead on just being women! We ARE different. One sex
is not "BETTER" than the other; they're just DIFFERENT! They're meant
to do different things. That division of labor again--There's a reason
why evolution favored it so much: Because it WORKED! Until the feminists
had to go and muck around with it, that is...
<Ahem!> OK, I'll get off that soapbox now. Sorry about that...<G>!


"Do they say it in a Teletubbies voice? :)"

Yeah, Tinky-Winky's <G>! He IS that gay one, correct <G>? I swear, Jerry
Falwell is the world's biggest idiot...(There I go, offending the
religious right. Think there's a group that I HAVEN'T offended yet in
this post <G>?) Seriously, I had put a...er, stronger word in there, but
I wasn't quite sure of this group's policy on profanity and I was
spending so much time creating my "words of wisdom" (HAH!) that I didn't
want to chance it getting bounced back to me for saying a naughty
word...<G>! Hence, the inoffensive "Uh-oh!"


"Does that mean that women are more likely to favor the Dinobots,
because they're more Decepticon-like?"

Well, that's probably why I like them. I won't speak for everyone else
(for once!). Well, there's that and the fact that I've been fascinated
by dinosaurs since I was a wee lass...

"I keep thinking about Blackarachnia and how she fits closer with the
"Decepticon/male" stereotype. Does that make her a tomboy?"

Um, I don't know <G>. I only just started (FINALLY!) to watch "Beast
Wars" about two weeks ago. And I've gotta admit that I'm still at the
head-scratching stage...<G>! I sit there and I go, "Eh? What? What the
heck was THAT all about?" I need to see the first few episodes, I think.
Anybody got them on tape and can maybe duplicate them for me <hopeful
G>? I'm liking what I'm seeing, but I just don't completely UNDERSTAND
what I'm seeing, you know what I mean?

"I think it was Ironhide. Jazz was more like Prime's co-ordinator, and
Prowl... well, people tend to remember (and like) comic-book Prowl, but
the fact is he was never a major player in the cartoon. (Huffer did try
to take command in one episode, simply by virtue of being... a truck!)"

Hey, I think it was Ironhide, too! Then again, that could be because I
really LIKE Ironhide <G>! He's a cowboy. Women like cowboys. Or at least
I like cowboys! I could see Ironhide in a Stetson, smoking a Marlboro,
and calling every woman in sight a "little darlin'" with that cute drawl
of his...<G>! As for Prowl...You're right, he's not in the cartoon a lot
(And the cartoon is what I'm most familiar with), but I like him,
anyway. Not a real charismatic (Or "crasimatic" <G>) guy, though, is he
<G>? Nah, for charisma, you need Jazz. I could see Jazz kicking back in
a club, wailing on a sax... OK, here's the perfect second-in-command for
the 'Bots. You take Ironhide's cowboy toughness (and that cute drawl
<G>), sprinkle in Prowl's logical calm, and add a heapin' helpin' of
Jazz's plain old coolness and--BANG! (Yes I do watch Emeril, thanks
<G>!)--instant #2 man...<G>!

"I certainly don't equate being with the Decepticons with security! I
think Nightbird, Starscream, Octane, and Blitzwing would agree with me.
:)"

Ah, but see, those guys weren't on Megatron's or Galvatron's good side
(Well, except maybe Nightbird, but she made the mistake of getting
Screamer riled up. Or at least Meg used her to get Screamer riled
up...). See, ya gotta get in good with Meg (But don't tick off
Screamer!) and THEN you're in like Flynn. Safe as a bug in a rug...<G>!

"Well, I guess that answers my question! (Note to self: Read entire post
before replying...)"

Always a good policy <G>! But it's strange...We were thinking alike. Do
you have any idea how scared you should be <G>?

"Ah, my wife is good at this. Even when I just want to gripe to let
something off my chest, she comes up with half a dozen ways of fixing
it. Nice to know that's part of the programming package. :)"

Hey, another married TF fan!! Tell me, what does YOUR spouse think of
your obsession? I get the eye-rolling treatment all the time, especially
at flea markets when I've just zeroed in on someone with TFs... As for
your wife solving all your problems for you...you're right! Part of the
programming <G>! Annoying, isn't it? It's kind of like how not putting
the toilet seat down is part of a man's programming. That's annoying for
women. See, it all evens out in the end...<G>!

"So does that mean once you transform Megatron into a law-abiding robot,
he's suddenly no longer as attractive? Or is it the *act* of reforming
him--even if you never succeed--therein lies the appeal?"

Hmmm...now that is a very good question! Off the top of my head, I'd say
that it's the process of reforming him that's the interesting part. The
idea of taking a bad man and slowly making him into a caring
person...Yeah, that's it. In soaps--when I used to watch them--it always
seemed that once the bad man was all nice and reformed, then that was
the beginning of the end for the character. The (mostly female) viewers
lost interest, and the character would be written out. So it would seem
that the process is the thing... Then again, after I think about this
for a week, like I did with the original issue, I might have a different
opinion <G>! If you see another 3000 page post from me next week,
you'll know who caused it...<G>!

"I can't say I understand the reasoning behind this--I guess my brain
isn't wired right--but I've seen enough examples of this to validate
your theory."

Well, I can't say that I understand it, either. It's just the way that
things are. One of those great mysteries of life. Just like this great
mystery: What color would a Smurf turn if you strangled one? Think
about THAT for a while...<G>!


"Seriously, thanks for a thought-provoking post, and don't go back to
lurker status for too long! :)"

Ohhhh, I wish I could devote more time to this stuff, 'cuz it's so much
fun <G>! Unfortunately, I have a life. I'm a teacher, a high school
English/creative writing teacher. As such, in the months that school is
in session, I don't have a lot of spare time between teaching, lesson
planning, grading, etc. And then, of course, I've got a LONG drive to
and from work...This week, there's no school, so I've had some time to
mess around with the newsgroups. Usually I don't. I've got time to read
them, but posting takes me a while because I tend to blabber. (I know,
you couldn't tell <G>!)
This group, however, is a pretty manageable size (I can't keep up
with ATT, I'm afraid!). So now that I've found it, I might be able to be
more of a regular (Don't groan like that <G>!) Talk to ya later, I hope!

Regards, Nightwind
Who needs to come up with a flashier sig...<G>!

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Darzonique wrote:

"::shrugs.:: I'm not female, and I like them because their personalities
see so much more variety than the Bots."

You mean to tell me that I actually sounded logical??? Wow, that's a
first...<G>! And far be it from me to tackle the question of the 'Cons
attraction for guys. I couldn't begin to guess because I'm not, nor have
I ever been, a guy. I'll leave that to all you guys out there. You tell
me. Why DO guys like the 'Cons <G>? Is it because they're so...forceful?
Do they reflect what a guy would like to be, deep down? Is it because
their violence calls to the primitive male hunter-gatherer in all of
you? What is it? Seriously! I'm curious...

BTW, I agree that the 'Cons have more diverse and far more vivid
personalities than most of the 'Bots. They're not particularly NICE
personalities, but they are vivid! And I wouldn't have them any other
way <G>!

Regards, Nightwind
Whose WebTV is playing some seriously funky music right now. And I don't
mean that in a good way...

Nightwind

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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In article <370E305C.9...@hotmail.com>, Prime Saber

<Prime...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> No, you aren't crazy. I share many of the same reasons for my own
> fascination with the Decepticons/Destrons/Predacons. ^_^; I like them
> primarily by their characters, but I admire their deviousness and wouldn't
> want them to reform, because that would take away some of their appeal.^_^

Nah, I wouldn't want them to reform, either, as much
as my instincts as a female yell at me to "help" them, as I said <G>. If they
were reformed, they wouldn't be my...er, "loveable" 'Cons anymore...<G>! And
I'm glad you don't think I'm crazy. So far, most people don't...Which tells
me that y'all are as crazy as I am...<G>! Look out, folks, you're encouraging
me <G>!

Regards, Nightwind

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own

Nightwind

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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In article <370E0E3A...@nbnet.nb.ca>, Beautiful <cjc...@nbnet.nb.ca>
wrote:

> Well, after reading all the gobbledygook, all I have to say is
> that was great gobbledygook. It was so good, IMO, that I
> actually saved and stored it in my Transformers Writing folder
> (along with all my crazy theories). Thanks!
>
> Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson x x
> Canada's Number 1 Predators Fan +++
>
> "There's nothing better than good gobbledygook!"
>

Well, geez...<blush>. All I can say is...THANK YOU, sweetie <G>! 'Tis good to
know that my "words of wisdom" (HAH!) are stored somewhere for posterity...
And you have crazy theories, too, eh? Are they TF theories? Crazier than
mine? If they are, you should be concerned...<G>! Anyway, there's plenty more
where this one came from... Crazy theories are always a-brewing away in me
noggin. So stay tuned...<G>! And I'd love to read one or two of yours!

Nightwind

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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In article <26211-370D...@newsd-101.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
You know what's weird? Not all of the replies to my little post showed up on
WebTV's reader...Including yours! And you're another WebTVer...Weird. Anyway,
I decided to take a peek via Dejanews...Good thing, or you might have thought
I was ignoring you... ANYWAY! All that aside...You bring up a good point.
And perhaps I should have addressed the issue of the 'Bots appreal to
females, but I thought my rambling had gone on long enough...<G>! As I said
to someone else (Can't remember who; senility is a terrible thing.), I guess
I would say that the 'Cons appeal to the primitive instincts of women while
the 'Bots appeal to the more civilized instincts of women. There ARE some
'Bots, like I said, who have the same sort of primitive appeal that the 'Bots
have. Like Optimus Prime and the Dinobots, as I said. Brawn would be another.
Ironhide, too, because, as I also said elsewhere, he's a cowboy. Probably
others that I can't think of off the top of my head. However, the 'Bots have
another powerful lure on their side. That's intelligence, another powerful
attractant. The 'Bots are a virtual brain trust in comparison to the 'Cons. I
mean, they've got Perceptor, Wheeljack, Prowl, Grapple, etc--all of them
scientists and cerebral thinking "men". And OP himself is no slouch in the
brain department, which gives HIM a double attraction. So I guess if you're
a female 'Con fan, then you're more in touch with your primitive side. And if
you're a female 'Bot fan then you're more of a modern woman. Gee, what does
that say about me...<G>?

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 10, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/10/99
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Backsight wrote:

"Actually, I've never thought about it.
The Decepticons are much more popular with me because of their power,
but not because of some old instinct. I like the power of doing what you
want, not letting anything, body or rule getting in the way of what you
want."

Ahhhh, an opposing point of view, finally <G>! Hmmm...Not that I would
presume to know the inner workings of your mind from just one post, but
it sounds to me as if, for you, the 'Cons are what you'd like to
be--forceful, powerful. An interesting thought. I suppose that for
women, who through history have often been forced into positions of no
power, having power yourself might be a strong attractant, too. It
doesn't work for me, because that's not what I want, personally, but I
can see your point... No theory is universally applicable, after all.

"As for the "make him into a good guy" thing, that has NEVER been this
female's dream. What I dream of is taking those bad boys and having them
swear loyalty to me and then use them to their best and gloriest while
minimizing casualties to them."

A bit of a control freak, are we <G>? I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Really.
I am. I can see the attraction, I suppose, but again, it's not my dream.
And if you were living your dream, and then you got your way, you'd
better watch you back--Megatron might have a problem with you <G>!

"Yes, Megatron's power is something attractive to me and I am jealous of
it."

You'd fit right in in Decepticon HQ <G>! Like I said, they're a bunch of
tyrants-in-training <G>! Just watch out for those who might be jealous
of YOU...<G>!

"Couldn't look at females with the same awe and 'other feelings'.
Females just aren't as strong and inspiring, even as robots."

Ohhhh, I dunno about that...Depends on how they're written. Granted the
"official" female TFs we've seen (Precious few of them!) haven't been
overwhelmingly strong, physically. That doesn't mean that they couldn't
be, though. I've created one or two (hundred!) female characters,
including my namesake, of course, and I've seen scores of them here in
cyberspace. Mine, granted, are not physically strong, but they ARE
mentally strong in intelligence and conviction, which I believe are no
less important than physical strength. But I've seen some other female
characters out there who could give the guys a run for their money,
physically...Then again, these are fanfic characters we're talking
about, not "kosher, blessed-by-whoever-now-owns-the-TFs" characters.
Anyway, I see your point. My viewpoint's just a little different, that's
all...
                                                     
                       Regards, Nightwind

Mystic Spiral

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Apr 11, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/11/99
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Very interesting post...
I'm male... and I have always liked the Decepticons, I guess I just
figured that females had the same reasons...
It's because they're evil!!! They are the underdog... We want them to
win because they never do..
That is my reasoning, anyone else (male or female) agree?

I'm not argueing, just posting to an interesting issue.

(mystic spiral)
(the almighty)

Lia Brown

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Apr 11, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/11/99
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I didn't receive the original post, so I'm going to go thru it via
Zobovor's. Sorry :)

Zobovor <zob...@aol.com> wrote:

>Kathleen Kirkland wrote, in part:

>> It's long been noted that women have a marked tendency to be


>>attracted to men in positions of power, any kind of power--political,
>>economic, military, what have you. Power is such a strong attraction for
>>women (And here I go, ticking off the feminists!) because I think that
>>deep down, women really want to be taken care of. We don't really want
>>to HAVE to go out and fend for ourselves. >

>I'm glad a female wrote this post. This theory has percolated in the back of
>my mind for a while now, but I would never have posted it for fear of being
>branded a sexist...

While I agree that women are often attracted to men in power (if
you're a big fan of the economic/biological theories on attraction,
it's mainly to ensure a good position for yourself and your offspring,
etc), but quite frankly I think the idea that women don't want to go
out and fend for themselves is bull.

Power is valued in the structure of our society, and thus it's
attractive to acquire/wield it. Pure and simple.

>> Now apply this basic female need for powerful men to the TFs. I
>>don't know about anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned, when asked
>>which of the TF factions is more traditionally powerful, more
>>traditionally "male" in the sense of primitive maleness, I'd immediately
>>answer that it's the 'Cons. No question.

>I think all those gals who lust after Optimus Prime would beg to differ with
>you. :)

People lust after OP?!?

>> B) The 'Cons also fill a traditional "male" role: They're
>>hunter-gatherers, like primitive human males. They see something that
>>they need or want and they take it, by force if necessary. It's not
>>necessarily NICE, but it was (and, in some cultures, still is) what
>>hunter-gatherer men do. And it's a classic, powerful male role.

Ummm...hunter-gatherer societies (which actually should be the other
way around, as gathering counts for much more of the food acquisition)
have the work done by BOTH sexes. Men don't do all of it while the
women sit around and raise kids...men hunt while women gather. And as
I said above, far more of the food is acquired through gathering,
which means that women have a more necessary role. And when game gets
poor, the group must survive on the food gathered by the women.

>>'Bots, by contrast, usually bargain for what they want, a traditional
>>female role--just watch rabid female collectors (Including me, when I've
>>found some good TFs!) at a flea market, and you'll know what I mean!
>>It's different mindsets, you see. One's straight-forward and usually
>>violent, the other is not violent but sometimes decidedly sneaky.

I am female, and I can't bargain to save my life. It's more of a
cultural than a biological-sex thing, anyway.

>>The 'Bots, on the other
>>hand...Well, I STILL haven't quite figured out their hierarchy in 15
>>years of fandom! I mean, you know who the leader is, but can you tell me
>>who the second-in-command is, especially in the early, pre-movie
>>episodes? Is it Prowl? Ironhide? Jazz? Who knows?!

>I think it was Ironhide. Jazz was more like Prime's co-ordinator, and Prowl...


>well, people tend to remember (and like) comic-book Prowl, but the fact is he
>was never a major player in the cartoon. (Huffer did try to take command in
>one episode, simply by virtue of being... a truck!)

Ironhide seemed to be OP's right-hand man to me, and while Prowl
appeared to be the second-in-command, in reality he wasn't. Just not
chrasamatic ;) enough to hold the spot, while Ironhide was. I agree
with what Zobovor says about Jazz, though.

>This makes us tend to gravitate toward the villains (or at
>>least the anti-heroes, the rebels) in any story. It's because women
>>subconsciously think, while watching a bad guy in action, "Gee, if I
>>could just get MY hands on him, I could make him a 'good' person." This
>>is why women tend to get tangled up in relationships with
>>self-destructive men. We think that if we love them enough, we can make
>>them "all better." (Of course, we usually can't, but that doesn't stop
>>us from THINKING that we can!)

>So does that mean once you transform Megatron into a law-abiding robot, he's


>suddenly no longer as attractive? Or is it the *act* of reforming him--even if
>you never succeed--therein lies the appeal?

I'm generally a big fan of villains, and I'll admit that there is some
secret (or not so secret) appeal in bettering a bad guy. Personally,
I'd never radically change him, because that would mean destroying
everything he is---personality, behaviour, sense of self---but I'd
like to nudge him towards nobility and smooth some of the rougher
edges. Just get rid of some of the absolute worst traits (he's prone
to killing? Try to get him to stop that, but let him go on the odd
destructive rampage now and then ;) ), and let him keep the rest.

>> Now, apply THAT to the 'Cons. Every last one of them, of course,
>>fills the bill as a bad, bad "man," with a dark, dark past. They are
>>"men" that women believe they could "help."

>Hmm, I wonder what that says about male fans who identify more with the


>Decepticons than they do with the Autobots...

They perhaps like the power as well. This society is hierarchal, and
we value standings and resources---not surprising that a person (male
or female) would desire such a position for themselves.

Lia

"I'm aiming for bronze cuz it looks like gold but is a lot easier to get."
Lia Brown, Mad Praetor and Grand High Duchess of the Procrastinators
ro...@golden.net "Societas ad Pyrem conservandum"
This .sig brought to you by the coalition to keep Pyro alive.
It's Freedom Force! http://tatooine.fortunecity.com/bear/353/ffcentral.html

Kathleen Kirkland

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Apr 11, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/11/99
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Mystic Spiral wrote:

"I'm male... and I have always liked the Decepticons, I guess I just
figured that females had the same reasons... It's because they're
evil!!! They are the underdog... We want them to win because they never
do."

Ahhhh, but y'see...I don't think the 'Cons are evil, really <G>! In
fact, I think very few things in this universe are TRULY "evil." ...But
let's not open that can of worms, shall we <G>? (Then again, I've got an
essay that I wrote about 10 or so years ago about that very topic--my
view of the 'Cons--that has never been read by eyes other than my own...
It's practically BEGGING to be posted...but for the moment, I'll
refrain...<G>!)
But I WILL agree that the "rooting for the underdog thing" is a
valid argument, a valid reason why people like the 'Cons. It's a reason
that bridges the gender gap, for sure. Just once, I'd like to see them
win. I guess it COULD be argued that they won in the movie, sort of,
but...I tend to ignore the movie, I'm afraid. Aside from one or two of
the "new" characters that I really like, the movie in general really,
REALLY pisses me off! (Don't get me started; you'll regret it <G>!).
Anyway, I'd like to see the 'Cons win, of course. Then again, if they
REALLY won the whole enchilada, it would be the end of the mythos, would
it not <G>? So maybe I shouldn't say that <G>!

Regards, Nightwind

Robert Powers

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Apr 11, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/11/99
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On 9 Apr 1999 03:18:23 GMT, Kathleen Kirkland <night...@webtv.net> wrote:
>message has since evaporated from my reader) was discussing why we
>female TF fans often seem to have a tendency to be 'Con fans. I've

Should I refrain from making any sexist, blanketing, stereotyping
statements using the words "women" and "evil incarnate" here?

Yeah, I probably should. :]

Nice little essay, by the way.
--
Robert Powers of the Ever-Changing .sig
repo...@shell.faradic.net
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/6754 [Architecture & misc.]
http://members.tripod.com/repowers/ [Transformers]______
| As usual, is NOT BITTER!! |
|_______________________________________________________|

Bobbi Carothers

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Apr 12, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/12/99
to
Whooooaaaahhhh, boy. <taking deep breaths... calming down...>

In article <18271-370E...@newsd-284.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
Kathleen Kirkland <night...@webtv.net> wrote:

<snip rather thought-provoking essay>

In case anyone cares, this line of theorizing (that women prefer men who
are powerful) is known as "sociobiology," and although can be compelling
on the first view, is rather dubious from an academic standpoint for two
reasons. First, the reasoning is retrospective. Basically, there is
some data that the sociobio folks could spin an interesting story around,
which neglects alternative explanations. Second, (beware... here comes
the feminist rant) these theories are, by and large, spun by men in the
field. These are the same theories that, because of differential parental
investment (females can only have so many kids in a lifetime, but males are
unlimited in how many they can father) it's advantageous for women to be
choosy about mates and for men to, uh, "fertilize" as much as possible,
therefore creating "reasons" for the sexual restriction of women... I
could go on, but I'll stop there.

> Master Zobovor wrote:
>
> "I'm glad a female wrote this post. This theory has percolated in the
> back of my mind for a while now, but I would never have posted it for
> fear of being branded a sexist..."
>

> <Nightwind climbs up onto her well-worn soapbox.>

<snip>

> But then, women can call men pigs in public and
> joke about them all the time, and it's perfectly OK. It's an unfair
> double standard and I hate it.

On that much, I agree with you.

> is not "BETTER" than the other; they're just DIFFERENT! They're meant
> to do different things.

Hrmm... In some physical tasks, sure. I can refer you to a crudload of
data that says men and women do pretty much do equally well on mental
stuff, though.

> That division of labor again--There's a reason
> why evolution favored it so much: Because it WORKED! Until the feminists
> had to go and muck around with it, that is...

More like, until capitolist society decided that the work men did was
worthy of getting paid and the work that women did wasn't. Look at the
jobs that are typically held by women and those typically held by men,
compare the salaries, and *then* tell me feminists should be to blame for
women's economic discontent.

Seriously though, it'd be interesting to take this up on a more-or-less
scientific level, just to satisfy my curiosity. I'd be willing to take
an e-mail poll - all I'd need is your gender and which side you generally
prefer, and we can see if there really is anything to this women-con
thing. People seem to think that the women around here are more likely
to be Decepticon fans than men, but my hunch is that it's something along
the lines of an illusory correlation, or maybe that the women who are
posting aren't quite representative of those who are lurking, too.

So, I'm up for some data collection if anyone's up for participating.

-Bobbi... did I just propose a research project on rttm? I really *am* a
geek...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't make mistakes. I prefer to call them "learning experiences."
Gee, have I learned a lot.

Zobovor

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Apr 12, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/12/99
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Bobbi Carothers wrote:

>Seriously though, it'd be interesting to take this up on a more-or-less
>scientific level, just to satisfy my curiosity. I'd be willing to take
>an e-mail poll - all I'd need is your gender and which side you generally
>prefer, and we can see if there really is anything to this women-con
>thing. People seem to think that the women around here are more likely
>to be Decepticon fans than men, but my hunch is that it's something along
>the lines of an illusory correlation, or maybe that the women who are
>posting aren't quite representative of those who are lurking, too.
>
>So, I'm up for some data collection if anyone's up for participating.

For the record, I'm primarily a Decepticon fan.

Zobovor, who is suddenly sensing a disturbing trend, considering he also likes
the shows on Lifetime and owns exactly one Mulan doll. :)

Nightwind

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Apr 12, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/12/99
to

Boy, I wish this post had come through on the WebTV reader...DejaNews is OK,
but apparently I mess things up when I reply through it, giving the
moderators all kinds of fits...Well, here goes...In article

[Moderator's comment. Actually at this point it is Deja News which is ]
[seriously MAULING your lines. I've tried to fix it for this post ]
[ --- Vulcana ]


<7eqerd$jue$1-...@cougar.golden.net >, ro...@golden.net wrote:
> > While I agree that women are often attracted to men in power (if
> you're a big fan of the economic/biological theories on attraction,
> it's mainly to ensure a good position for yourself and your offspring,
> etc), but quite frankly I think the idea that women don't want to go
> out and fend for themselves is bull.

See, I don't know about that for me, personally. And I do know a few
other women of my age (mid-thirties) and older who feel the same way, so I'm
not the only one...Maybe it's because we were raised by children of the
30s/40s/early 50s, when that old "man works, woman tends the hearth" ethic
was still firmly in place, for the most part. Then again, many of my female
students, who are high-school age, agree with me on this issue, too... But,
like I said, not every female is going to feel the way that I do (But then,
you didn't get the whole post, so you probably didn't see that...)

> > "Power is valued in the structure of our society, and thus it's
> attractive to acquire/wield it. Pure and simple."
>

Yup, which is why women often seek out
(or at least fantasize!) about powerful men. Why they would want to acquire
such power for themselves...I don't know. I don't have that urge, I'm
afraid...

>"Ummm...hunter-gatherer societies (which actually should be the other
> way around, as gathering counts for much more of the food acquisition)
> have the work done by BOTH sexes. Men don't do all of it while the
> women sit around and raise kids...men hunt while women gather. And as
> I said above, far more of the food is acquired through gathering,
> which means that women have a more necessary role. And when game gets
> poor, the group must survive on the food gathered by the women."
>

You're right, I suppose. Anthropol

Regards, Nightwind

"Resistance is NOT futile."
--Hugh the Borg, telling Picard to shove off.

Mlle d'Artagnan

unread,
Apr 12, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/12/99
to

In article <19990411205146.2...@ng42.aol.com>,

Zobovor <zob...@aol.com> wrote:
> Bobbi Carothers wrote:
>
> >Seriously though, it'd be interesting to take this up on a more-or-less
> >scientific level, just to satisfy my curiosity. I'd be willing to take
> >an e-mail poll - all I'd need is your gender and which side you generally
> >prefer, and we can see if there really is anything to this women-con
> >thing. People seem to think that the women around here are more likely
> >to be Decepticon fans than men, but my hunch is that it's something along
> >the lines of an illusory correlation, or maybe that the women who are
> >posting aren't quite representative of those who are lurking, too.
> >
> >So, I'm up for some data collection if anyone's up for participating.


I do! After all, I'm not dead, I'm only lurking!
BTW, I think that the general idea that female transfan prefer decepticons, be
it true or not, it's because -let's face it- female decepticon fans are more
vocal in their support than female autobot-fans. I still have to find the
"Raksha" of the autobot faction.

So, in behalf of your investigation, I'm female, I'm a rabid autobot fan and
this is the second year in a row that my name appears under the "Naked Lust"
category at the Trannies. *should hide under my desk but what the heck*

>
> Zobovor, who is suddenly sensing a disturbing trend, considering he also likes
> the shows on Lifetime and owns exactly one Mulan doll. :)

Being from another country, I don't know which are the shows on Lifetime...
But what's the problem with the Mulan dolll? What? What? WHAT?


Misbehave,
Marijose
(who owns a bean bag Mushu and a plush Mushu-Crikee set)

toybarons

unread,
Apr 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/15/99
to

My own personal thoughts here.

Firstly.. wow! Very thought provoking post. I also lurk and don't usually
post. Till now.

I agree with much of what you said. I know in my own experience, I have one
slag of a Maxy.
He provides well for us and I maintain his world. He loves my Pred spark. We
are bonded.

Now even after 15 years, there is still a certain appeal to Preds and Cons.
Yes, the power is a definite asset. You get and take what you want. The
world is at your heal.

Then your likely to ask, "Why did this Pred wed a Maxy?"
Because for all the power and glory...a Pred will turn on you as quick as
the tide. There is no loyality.
Love is OK till it gets in the way or you are eplaced by another.

A Maxy, however, loves through time and his bond is everlasting. A Pred will
leave you at the first sign of trouble to fend for yourself, because Preds
value self preservation.
A Maxi or a 'Bot, will stand by you to face the storm and will be there when
the sun rises.

To be real here...Nice guys and gals don't always get passed by. Cause in
reality, any woman who picks something like a real life Pred or Con gets
what she deserves. Those are the same woman who wind up calling Dr Laura
saying their guy cheated on them or left them for some younger honey when
they don't met the guy's standards of sexual appeal.

The "nice" guys and gals can be agressive and can provide just as well as
any Pred or Con.
They can give you security and love and they are there when you need them.
Most of all, Maxys and Bots will always stand by you and are there.

This is only my opinion.
Mistress Raven


Kathleen Kirkland <night...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:18914-370D...@newsd-281.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
|

| Regards, Nightwind

toybarons

unread,
Apr 15, 1999, 3:00:00 AM4/15/99
to

I beg to differ about the part that femme bots aren't awe-inspiring.
Blackarachnia is very cool. More so in her pre-TM2 body than her current
one.

Femme bots are meant to be beautiful and deadly.
They are not meant to be big and powerful like the guys.
There is extreme power in the femme form.

As a femme bot...I am awesome and ever so deadly.
Even though I seldom terminate a Bot.
Cause when you take one of the "Bots down, it's far more effective to leave
them within
an inch of their spark. If you terminate them, it's game over.
However, leaving them functional let's them remember how close I took them
to oblivion.

Mistress Raven


GERBOVAZ <gerb...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990409205501.2...@ng104.aol.com...


|
| Actually, I've never thought about it.
| The Decepticons are much more popular with me because of their power, but
not
| because of some old instinct. I like the power of doing what you want,
not
| letting anything, body or rule getting in the way of what you want.

| Physically, I find just about any pure robot (no organic infusion
whatsoever)
| handsome. They look like a handful if I could take hold of one.

| As for the "make him into a good guy" thing, that has NEVER been this
female's
| dream. What I dream of is taking those bad boys and having them swear
loyalty
| to me and then use them to their best and gloriest while minimizing
casualties

| to them. I think being lord commander of the Decepticon Army would be
very

| romantic. Yes, Megatron's power is something attractive to me and I am
jealous
| of it.
| I'm most assurdly glad most Transformers are male. Couldn't look at


females
| with the same awe and 'other feelings'. Females just aren't as strong and
| inspiring, even as robots.
|
|

| Backsight

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