Thirty years after The Transformers first aired, there are still many interesting and relevant things that could be said, I feel, about Starscream. Disappointingly, Nostalgia Chick manages not to say a single one of them in this 20 minute video about him, but instead rehashes the same, tired old comments I’ve been hearing from Starscream detractors for, oh, around three decades now. Clearly she's no fan of Starscream as a character, but even so, I would have expected a pop culture critic to have something more insightful to say than simply dismissing him as “Baby’s first Loki.” Whatever that means. Below is the response I posted on her website. I’m sharing it here in hope of encouraging a more thoughtful discussion about a character who has meant a lot to me for the majority of my adult life.
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Hi Nostalgia Chick,
I’ve loved Starscream since the year I graduated high school (which was in 1985, so I’m definitely not a “baby!”). I was a geeky kid, questioning her sexuality in a highly conservative, religious environment, and the kinship that I felt with Starscream played no small part in my finding the courage to come out. His ability to be just who he is without seeming to care what others think of him was inspiring, along with the fact that he is, I feel, an obviously queer-coded character, something which you also hinted at in your video.
You wondered why Starscream has a particular appeal for women and, since I am one, I’ll share a few thoughts. Of course I can only speak for myself, but identifying with Starscream has helped me learn to express anger, find the courage to stand up for myself, and has inspired me in pursuing my dreams and ambitions. These are aspects of Starscream that I can relate to *as* a female because (as we know), women who get angry, speak up for ourselves and go after what we want are uppity bitches who need to be put in our place. Starscream, too, is routinely put in his place for just those things. Additionally, I know of at least two female fans who, having been in violent relationships, identify with Starscream because of his physically and psychologically abusive relationship with Megatron.
You noted that there seem to be no real consequences for Starscream’s acts of rebellion, but I must respectfully disagree. On first glance it may appear that Megatron is unrealistically tolerant and “forgiving” of Starscream, but a closer look reveals, I would argue, the opposite. Megatron is frequently shown goading Starscream into rebelling and then punishing him for it and, in some cases, he’s shown lashing out at Starscream with little or no provocation. Examples can be found in the episodes Enter the Nightbird, Auto Berserk and Hoist Goes Hollywood. Add to this the obvious queer-coding of Starscream’s character (his “feminine” voice, his emotionalism, his vanity, and so on), and his role becomes reminiscent of the ”wife” in a violent, abusive marriage.
Starscream’s attempts to overthrow Megatron could therefore be read as a struggle for independence, self respect, and control over his life in a situation that, by definition, denies him all of the above.The fact that Starscream is typically viewed as being solely responsible for his situation mirrors our society’s tendency to blame the victims of domestic abuse rather than their abusers, which is, I feel, why Megatron’s role in their dynamic tends to get overlooked. It’s also worth noting that it’s not just Megatron who wants to put Starscream in his place, but also, it seems, the writers of the show. If a character is going to be crapped on by a bird, strangled by a giant snake, attacked by alligators or pinned beneath an enormous beach ball, we all know who that’s gonna be. There is a palpable vibe within the show that suggests that Starscream deserves all this humiliation, and that we should laugh whenever it happens.
Several important, if uncomfortable questions could be asked about Starscream’s portrayal in G1, such as why, for instance, a violently abusive, “gay” relationship was featured so centrally in a show intended for little boys? More importantly, what can we make of the fact that the show’s sympathies seem decidedly skewed in favor of the abuser, rather than his victim? These are questions that deserve to be asked, and it’s a shame that they so rarely are.
In any case, I am delighted that you chose to do a special on a character who has meant a lot to me over the past three decades. It’s lovely to see him get some much-deserved attention (if not appreciation) on your show. Depth is, I suppose, in the eye of the beholder where it comes to Starscream, as it is with so many topics in pop culture. I wish you well with your future videos, and will be interested to see how your show continues to develop.
