Transformers: How Toy Marketing Shaped the Identity of a Generation.
What did you play with as a kid?
How did what you played with reflect your personality?
What story-lines or mythologies dominated your play?
What do you make of the idea of “the myth that entered history?”
6 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I agree with you, people enjoy mythology and legend because there are great truths behind them. I think that in many ways mythology manifests itself in your personalities just because as children we are learning the boundries of this world. Lets face it, this world sucks. Thats why we look to movies, stories for truths in our lives and I think that is why our culture has been formed by movies.
Oh by the way, when I was younger I had a variety of toys. But there wasn't one thing I stuck too. Lego while watching a movie was my favorite thing to do.
I've migrated the orginal comments from the old Bridge Talk blog over here to it's new home. That's why they all have the same time and date and why they are missing the author links for those left by other bloggers.
I think toys that we really love as kids, especially heros have a deeper meaning for us that we can't express as kids, or even adults, sometimes. That's why the mythology is so important. There's a story that gives meaning, voice to something deeper within. Like what it means for us to see true goodness, loyalty and courage in these characters and toys.
When I was growing up, I lived in a small town where I could wander all over with my sister, brother and cousins. Our "toys" were usually part of our environment and our games were making forts, mud pies, playing "king of the castle" on the playground, pretending our bikes were horses and my personal favorite, re-enacting scenes from the movie Annie. In all of these games I liked to be part of the adventurous story we made up of rescuing someone or ourselves from an unjust situation. Yah, even as a kid I fought the social injustice man!
I liked watching cartoons like Transformers, Hercules, Smurfs, Fraggle Rock, but I think it was the interaction I had with my environment that I remember most fondly.
As for myth entering into history, yah, I think that's the most creative way for a creative Being to show us the true story of how our deepest desires for a world of peace, justice and also adventure are real; they are also His deepest desires.
So I guess the toys and stories that were part of our childhood could be preparing us to enter into this very real story of our world and our lives.
The toys I played with as a kid were mostly of the K-Tel and Milton-Bradley variety. That included "Rock-em Sock-em" robots (which led to interest in boxing: Ali vs. Frazier, Hearns vs. Sugar Ray Leonard etc); "Battleship" was also a favorite (didn't lead to WW3 `sheesh` 'that's good eh?!); Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Risk. Old school board games mostly.
I think the merch and marketing was separate from the games and movies. With Spielberg's "Transformers", no clearer bridge has been made (?) in my opinion, between the merchandise sales aimed at kids and the product itself. In combining the two, I think Spielberg makes an implied point that 'the way kids play' leads to the way they behave as adults. He might be right!
I also think that "Transformers" goes over the line, logically, to think that technology is our salvation from dire circumstances. I have also wondered why we aren't more critical of technology and its role in our lives before we accept it as a means to displace the way things have been done in the past.
Notwithstanding, I went to see the movies 'Transformers' on July 4th and enjoyed it to some degree. (Kinda wished Spielberg would put the military in a better light than he has in his movies - he might be a closet Commie! - can we get a comment from him?
6 comments:
I agree with you, people enjoy mythology and legend because there are great truths behind them. I think that in many ways mythology manifests itself in your personalities just because as children we are learning the boundries of this world. Lets face it, this world sucks. Thats why we look to movies, stories for truths in our lives and I think that is why our culture has been formed by movies.
Oh by the way, when I was younger I had a variety of toys. But there wasn't one thing I stuck too. Lego while watching a movie was my favorite thing to do.
Transformers: The Movie Rules
Sincerly
Skullkid Productions
As kids, we play with toys to figure out who we are.
As adults, we make and watch movies for the same reason.
I've migrated the orginal comments from the old Bridge Talk blog over here to it's new home. That's why they all have the same time and date and why they are missing the author links for those left by other bloggers.
I think toys that we really love as kids, especially heros have a deeper meaning for us that we can't express as kids, or even adults, sometimes. That's why the mythology is so important. There's a story that gives meaning, voice to something deeper within. Like what it means for us to see true goodness, loyalty and courage in these characters and toys.
When I was growing up, I lived in a small town where I could wander all over with my sister, brother and cousins. Our "toys" were usually part of our environment and our games were making forts, mud pies, playing "king of the castle" on the playground, pretending our bikes were horses and my personal favorite, re-enacting scenes from the movie Annie. In all of these games I liked to be part of the adventurous story we made up of rescuing someone or ourselves from an unjust situation. Yah, even as a kid I fought the social injustice man!
I liked watching cartoons like Transformers, Hercules, Smurfs, Fraggle Rock, but I think it was the interaction I had with my environment that I remember most fondly.
As for myth entering into history, yah, I think that's the most creative way for a creative Being to show us the true story of how our deepest desires for a world of peace, justice and also adventure are real; they are also His deepest desires.
So I guess the toys and stories that were part of our childhood could be preparing us to enter into this very real story of our world and our lives.
And I believe the good guy wins in the end!
The toys I played with as a kid were mostly of the K-Tel and Milton-Bradley variety. That included "Rock-em Sock-em" robots (which led to interest in boxing: Ali vs. Frazier, Hearns vs. Sugar Ray Leonard etc); "Battleship" was also a favorite (didn't lead to WW3 `sheesh` 'that's good eh?!); Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Risk. Old school board games mostly.
I think the merch and marketing was separate from the games and movies. With Spielberg's "Transformers", no clearer bridge has been made (?) in my opinion, between the merchandise sales aimed at kids and the product itself. In combining the two, I think Spielberg makes an implied point that 'the way kids play' leads to the way they behave as adults. He might be right!
I also think that "Transformers" goes over the line, logically, to think that technology is our salvation from dire circumstances. I have also wondered why we aren't more critical of technology and its role in our lives before we accept it as a means to displace the way things have been done in the past.
Notwithstanding, I went to see the movies 'Transformers' on July 4th and enjoyed it to some degree. (Kinda wished Spielberg would put the military in a better light than he has in his movies - he might be a closet Commie! - can we get a comment from him?
; )
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