Nigel
Thunderjet
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Post by Nigel on Nov 10, 2010 15:28:51 GMT
I've emailed my Hasbro suppliers to bring it to their attention. I will likely email Hasbro in my capacity as a retailer.
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 10, 2010 18:03:41 GMT
I'll drop Hasbro a line. I can't believe they would name a kids toy that. EDIT: Message to Hasbro: 'Hello. I am writing to you as you carry the 'Transformers' toy line. I understand that not all product released by your parent US company is released in the UK but nonetheless I feel I must draw your attention to this upcoming product in the 'Transformers' line: tfsource.com/products/view/product_id/1995/This is a listing on an online store for a Transformer called 'Spastic' in the 'Power Core Combiners' sub-line. This is a term which has sadly come to be used in an extremely derogatory and offensive manner towards people with disabilities and is extremely unsuitable for the name of a children's toy line. The charity, Capability Scotland, had to change it's name from 'The Spastic Society' due to the negative connotations the name came to have. As a worker with over 10 years of experience in the field working with people with multiple complex needs, I can assure you that the term 'spastic' is genuinely offensive and I urge you to re-name this product should you wish to sell it within the UK. I do hope you have found this e-mail informative and I look forward to your response. Yours Sincerely, Ralph Burns' -Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 10, 2010 18:58:52 GMT
A nice polite email there, well done.
Haven't had a response back yet.
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 10, 2010 20:43:07 GMT
Spastic is an incredibly offensive word.
I'm going to email them as well.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 10, 2010 22:20:01 GMT
All hail the Dinopope!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 6:49:21 GMT
As people have already pointed out it isn't an offensive word in the US so possibly the name will stick over there. It will however be certainly changed for its UK release. May I point you in the direction of the Nintendo game Mario Party 8. One of the minigames in there was called 'Spastic ...' followed by another non-offensive word but it was so derided by the UK press that when the game was released over in the UK the name was changed.
It is though sadly, the foul-mouthed youths that made the term so offensive in this country. As Ralph pointed out there was a charity called Capability Scotland that had to change its name from the Spastics Society due to the term being used as an insult. In England the Spastics Society charity shop was changed to SCOPE for the very same reason.
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Post by blueshift on Nov 11, 2010 7:11:13 GMT
As people have already pointed out it isn't an offensive word in the US so possibly the name will stick over there. It will however be certainly changed for its UK release. May I point you in the direction of the Nintendo game Mario Party 8. One of the minigames in there was called 'Spastic ...' followed by another non-offensive word but it was so derided by the UK press that when the game was released over in the UK the name was changed. A word slipping by in a text-heavy game I can understand. If it was called 'Mario's Spastic Party' even in the US, I could see a gigantic furure! It is though sadly, the foul-mouthed youths that made the term so offensive in this country. As is every bad word, to be honest though!
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Nigel
Thunderjet
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Post by Nigel on Nov 11, 2010 8:51:29 GMT
I can't help but think that if Hasbro UK take action it will be simply to not release that wave here, rather than rename it.
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Post by grahamthomson on Nov 11, 2010 9:14:51 GMT
When I was at school the term "spastic" was thrown around all the time. But since then, in my adult life, I haven't heard it once used outside its original meaning.
I am sure Hasbro sees itself as an American company foremost and, really, who knows how many other Transformers have names that are offensive to non American cultures.
Saying that, it's still a poor choice of name for a toy. Maybe they wanted to re-use "Spasma" and came up with this?
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 11, 2010 10:04:18 GMT
I never really understood the Spasma name until I saw that Mudflap bio the other week. I assume it's a contraction of "spaz" and plasma".
Even if Spastic is renamed or unreleased in the UK, he's likely to find his way over here at retail because there are specialist stores which source directly from the USA. It'll be interesting to see how they treat the toy.
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Post by grahamthomson on Nov 11, 2010 10:34:15 GMT
If Hasbro UK does release "Spastic"... the real test of sensitivity will be if UK retailers refuse to sell it.
I would refuse it. It's an entirely inappropriate name for a children's toy.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 11, 2010 10:38:53 GMT
Well, I've just sent Hasbro an email as a retailer, in which I said I wouldn't order it.
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Hero
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Post by Hero on Nov 11, 2010 10:54:21 GMT
First, Naked Lego Santas and now this... What's next? ===KEN
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 11:21:39 GMT
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 11, 2010 11:25:35 GMT
It's in this year's Advent calendar: Father Christmas in a shower.
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Hero
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Post by Hero on Nov 11, 2010 11:41:43 GMT
See the Lego thread. or HereI am sure 'Spastic' will be recalled. I hope its not too late. ===KEN
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 11, 2010 15:06:50 GMT
When I was at school the term "spastic" was thrown around all the time. But since then, in my adult life, I haven't heard it once used outside its original meaning. I have, and to me, due to the way I walk.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Nov 11, 2010 15:54:28 GMT
Giving it the benefit of the doubt, Spasma could originally have been a contraction of Space Plasma.
In G2 it was the norm for toys to have different names (and allegiances) in the US and UK for no apparent reason (Aquaspeeders/Stormtroopers, Rotor Force, Laser Rods), so they could easily do a name change for the UK only if need be.
Martin
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 11, 2010 16:51:47 GMT
Not just the UK - the Australians find it as offensive.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2010 17:08:48 GMT
Like Graham I heard the word in question many times whilst at school but haven't heard a single person utter it in my adult life. I think Internet slang has largely took over as the main offensive language used by kids these days and most of them won't even know the word even if they brought a toy named after it.
It's obvious it won't be released in the UK under that name but you do really have to wonder how many UK TF fans will want the US variant of the toy and will plague Ebay and a few international toy retailers for it.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 11, 2010 23:30:38 GMT
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Nov 12, 2010 9:09:19 GMT
Nice enlightened discussion from some of the mouth breathers.
Andy
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 12, 2010 10:26:47 GMT
You should see some of the comments on the American boards. Some people think it's a case of silly political correctness, others don't seem to be able to understand why it would be offensive. When one person tried to explain it by comparing it to calling a Transformer "Retard", somebody put up a dictionary definition of "retard" and said it would be a good name.
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Post by blueshift on Nov 12, 2010 10:41:41 GMT
Yes, some of the comments on boards have been pretty horrid. One person compared it to being told you're not allowed to wish people 'Merry Christmas' because of 'political correctness' or some such rubbish. And that it was perfectly acceptable because it is not a bad word in America and America is the only country that is important or something.
Mark (new zealand guy at AA) managed to shut most people up at the Allspark for a while with this zinger though:
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Post by legios on Nov 12, 2010 13:21:35 GMT
Well, I've just sent Hasbro an email as a retailer, in which I said I wouldn't order it. A good stance to take Nigel. I must admit that if they don't change the name I would rather see it not released over here at all. It just is not acceptable. I have heard the word a few times in my adult life, and always intending as a highly insulting and discriminatory term (in fact, in my experience it is one of the strongers slurs that people tend to deploy). Karl
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Hero
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Post by Hero on Nov 12, 2010 16:09:21 GMT
I've had an American pal elsewhere informing 'it's the 2nd most offensive word in the UK'. What is the 1st then? I am sure it won't be released here under that name, but have'nt American packaging variants been slipping through since Beast Wars? ===KEN
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2010 17:00:22 GMT
I still stand by the fact that if the toy is ever released over here there isn't a chance it will go by its American name. Hasbro could face massive problems in the UK if they did and they know they can't risk such things.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 12, 2010 20:35:08 GMT
I've had an American pal elsewhere informing 'it's the 2nd most offensive word in the UK'. What is the 1st then? The last word of the first line of Kevin Bl**dy Wilson's Santa Claus song. It begins with a C. The song is fab though I am sure it won't be released here under that name, but have'nt American packaging variants been slipping through since Beast Wars? ===KEN Yes
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Nov 13, 2010 13:25:03 GMT
I've had an American pal elsewhere informing 'it's the 2nd most offensive word in the UK'. What is the 1st then? The last word of the first line of Kevin Bl**dy Wilson's Santa Claus song. It begins with a C. It's actually a misquote from Wikipedia (see my link in an earlier post) which refers to a 2003 survey that placed it below "retard" as an offensive disability-related word. I've seen the same thing misquoted elsewhere.
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Post by Kingoji on Nov 13, 2010 14:37:34 GMT
I'm somewhat torn in my opinion over this. On the one hand, I completely understand how offensive the word can be over here, but on the other I feel that this particular word can only actually be offensive in the context in which it is used. It's true that here in the UK the vast majority of people will only think of the word slag as an insult, yet I absolutely *detest* that this means we can no longer have a Dinobot named Slag. And since Spasma was mentioned, I specifically remember laughing my arse off at that name when I was a kid exactly because it had the word "Spaz" in it, yet it never harmed anyone, never caused any offense, and was never ever remembered as being a horrific move on Hasbro's part. So let them call this new guy Spastic, and let's take these words back in some small way. If we become afraid to use these words under perfectly polite and civil situations, then how can we ever expect them to STOP being offensive? Now, if they'd named this guy "Spacker" then I'd be all for the rage! And I would DEFINITELY buy him as well, because that would be hilarious.
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