Caught the new Transformers movie this past week...twice. I was never a fan of the cartoon but was well aware in 1986 of the popularity of Optimus Prime and his Autobot companions. I was busy transforming from preteen adolecent to teenager. Walking into the lobby of the theater I caught a glimpse of the nostalgia of the generation that missed the Star Wars craze in the late 1970's & early 80's. A dude dressed as Optimus Prime in a giant cardboard box and a Prime mask stood there greeting people. I admired his devotion to his cartoon hero by saying, "Cool costume, love it" to which he replied in an electronic voice "thank you".
I was hitting my favorite blogs this week and ran across an interesting article by James Harleman found on The Resurgence site about Optimus Prime and his impact on the fatherless. Check it out:
I had a sermon to preach about Optimus Prime some day. For better or worse, WIRED magazine beat me to it. Pointing out that while geeks have Batmen and Star Trek toys in their cubicles, even the jocks have Transformers decorating their workspaces, WIRED writer Scott Brown explores the reasons why in the July print edition.
"…in 1986, the original Prime did something that distinguished him from most other cartoon heroes. He died. He died for freedom, for righteousness". Brown goes on to assert that American culture – American males – are looking forward to the July 4th release of the "live-action" Transformers movie for "more than galvanic summer thrills or simple nostalgia. They're looking for redemption, as men."
While Brown forgets to mention Optimus did resurrect from the dead to "light our darkest hour" in 1987, missing the exclamation point on his Semi-Christophany, he strikes a narrative chord that is unmistakable. Bouncing between comparing Prime to a father and "Our Father..." the WIRED writer demonstrates how this hydraulic hero became a surrogate object for kids to respect, mimic, and yes – even worship:
"Prime practically parented the latchkey kids of the mid-‘80s. He was our Allfather at a time when flesh-and-blood role models were increasingly few and far between". Read the rest here . . .
By the way...the movie rocked!
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