Is Transformers Racist? The Discussion Continues:

Since the outrage of the Transformers 2 character's known as Skids and Mudflap (also known as the term Sambots) has only intensified since the film broke box office records last week, and friend and I have been verbally jousting on whether this can be construed as racist or not. 

Below is the transcript of our facebook conversation in which Crash makes an interesting cameo. Feel free to voice your opinion. Does Transformers 2 take it too far? Or are people being too sensitive?

Naysay: 

"So I saw transformers not racist at all. I think the problem is that people still look at themselves as these stereotypical characters. I didnt find it racist probably because I dont see those characters emulating me."

Denzel: 

"It's not that we see ourselves in these characters because I sure as hell don't. It's that other people see us in these characters and they depict us as such in the media. My perspective on black people isn't going to be changed by Skids and Mudflap, but what about those from other countries who associate characteristics such as not reading with being black, or black youth who are too young to understand this is not who they're suppose to be. You know well enough that some black people go out of their way to confirm stereotypes. This is why they think black people can't be doctors. Cause the world tells them they're suppose to be Skids and Mudflap. This is akin to white supremacists or KKK saying all blacks are unintelligent thugs except for instead its coming from Michael Bay and Transformers."

Naysay:

"And the twins did have a very important part to the movie. If being comic relief in a film isnt important enough, because it is, those two destroyed Devastator mostly by themselves, well they made him weaker. Also protecting Sam along with Bumble Bee. Watch it first!"

Denzel:

"Comic relief is important but not important enough to constitute a character's entire existence. I'll give it to you that I haven't seen the film and am making judgments based on other people's reactions. When the DVD is released I'll be better able to validate my views because I refuse to pay 8+ dollars for a movie ticket just to expound upon how delusional you are. That is already a given."

Naysay: 

"In general you will hate the 2nd movie. It has way more plot holes than the 1 you noticed in the first one. But also, there's a character named Wheelie, with three teeth, dumb, I associated him as the hillbilly robot. Since when is a movie racist becuase they act upon stereotypes. If that's the case Crash is a racist movie. Is it different because one is comedy and one is drama? Is that fair enough to call a movie racist?"

Denzel: 

"I don't think Crash is racist because it presents stereotypical characters with layers. Larenz Tate and Chris Bridges aren't just thieves. They're actually somewhat intelligent, thought-provoking, are capable of realizing the faults of their behavior, and religious. True racist stereotypes are one dimensional. They say you can only be this and nothing else."

FALLOUT FROM FIRST TRANSFORMERS:

Naysay: 

"QUIT BEING SENSITIVE! If you watch the old cartoons Jazz was voiced by Scatman Crothers. One of the originators of "cool". He spoke with an "ethnic" style. Showing more diversity. So Hasboro didnt have to hear from other black people "how come there arent any black autobots?" "Why they all gotta be white?" Just like barbie, and care bears, and GI Joe and every other thing black adults scrutinized to ruin the youth of children. Besides half you niggas say "Whats crackin lil bitches" on a daily basis. So quite being sensitive. Jar Jar was different."

Denzel: 

"My problem wasn't with Jazz being "black". My problem was Jazz being "black" and having stereotypical black characteristics a.k.a. being flashy, breakdancing, and destroying the car. From what I hear, Transformers 2 is taking it to a whole different level."

TRANSFORMERS 2 RACISM CONTROVERSY

I never really thought the first Transformers was racist, until a kid in my public speaking classes dedicated his whole speech to it. Then I was enlightened. The character of Jazz was a racist caricature and killing him only perpetuated the Hollywood tradition of killing the blacks first. {Previous Transformers Post}

But anytime I spoke on the matter, I was criticized for being sensitive and looking too far into it. They're robots and robots can't be black no matter how much jive they talk. 

Well do I feel vindicated now. Here is an Associated Press article discussing how two new characters in Transformers 2 do just about the same thing. They're names are Skid and Mudflap. They constantly brawl and bicker, rap,use street slang, wear gold teeth, and admit to not being able to read. The characters aren't integral to the story and are only there for comic relief, which is further insulting. 

When asked Michael Bay claimed they never had any real direction in the characters and only went that route because the voice actors were headed there. But Reno Wilson who voiced Mudflap said he was told the alien robots learned about human culture through the internet.

"It's an alien who uploaded information from the Internet and put together the conglomeration and formed this cadence, way of speaking and body language that was accumulated over X amount of years of information and that's what came out."

Thus the reasoning is the alien twins learned from the internet that this is how black people talk and are thus imitating that. How does that not sound offensive?

I appreciate a good summer blockbuster just as much as everyone (maybe not to the fanatical degree as everyone) but when I see my race, or any race, being characterized in a way akin to the Minstrel days, and then covered up under the lame excuse that they're robots, I get upset. This is still perpetuating the problem of negative racial stereotypes in Hollywood films and it's even worse because the average viewer won't be critical enough to see it. 

I'm interested in what other people think? Is this racism? I adamantly believe it is but has everyone else been convinced? Am I really alone in this?

TWO YOUTUBE PERSPECTIVES:

SPILL.COM ARTICLE ON THE ISSUE