I’ll just get right down to it. There’s a big issue in the Tokusatsu fandom and it isn’t toy prices.
Category Archives: Rants/Raves
To Be or Not To Be…Professional
So, I’m pretty sure you all know about Saban Brands and Lionsgate entering a feature film deal for a re-imagined Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. It seems, so have a few of our esteemed Ranger Veterans. This is a fantastic thing! The fact that our favorite Rangers are talking about it gives us hope! Unfortunately, some of them tend to ruin it for the rest of us.
Just this morning (Today is May 7, 2014), Jason David Frank took it upon himself to claim responsibility for Saban Brands acting on the idea of a movie in the first place, as quoted: “So it’s official. I gave Saban the idea lol. Let’s see who they offer back haha. Email lion gates show then the JDF love. Push the green or white. They might reboot with new people who knows lol. JDF” Followed by screenshots of the contact information of the representatives from both Saban Brands and Lionsgate. Names. Emails. Phone numbers. Stating as follows: “Here you all team Lion gates numbers and emails haha. What’s PR with some OG cast members. And where is my green ranger series? Haha I’ve pushed for this but a reboot with new people lol. Oh well. I’ll still promote my brand. Sucks to someone else in my spandex haha. Saban and lion gates band together !!! It’s official. There goes the self made fan movie MMPR fan film. JDF”
So, not only does Mr. Frank condone flooding professional businesswomen’s emails with petty entitlement, he also bags on someone else’s work. “Sucks to someone else in my spandex haha.”? First of all, it’s not spandex. Secondly, it’s not yours. It belongs to the company, sir.
Not only that, but Jason Faunt started doing it, too. Come on, man. You, too? Really?
What happened to being professional about things? Power Rangers has never once been about the Rangers themselves, but the deeds they do and the message they convey. This is supposed to be a re-imagining, focusing on teenagers. JDF isn’t a teenager. Jason Faunt isn’t a teenager. A new vision calls for new blood. This could very well be someone’s J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. A little bit of fan pandering while also opening up an entirely new realm of possibilities. You can’t do that while holding onto old ideals and old actors.
Power Rangers is ever-changing. Are we really giving the property its due as fans if we can’t even entertain the possibility of new ideas and new renditions? Are we really respecting Julie from Lionsgate and Kelsey from Saban Brands if we simply bombard them with emails and phone calls telling them that we want old actors to come back and play teenagers, which they clearly aren’t? NO. WE ARE NOT.
Respect the franchise. Respect the people behind it. If we can’t do that, then there’s no reason for us to expect the companies to listen to anything we have to say, because it makes us no better than spoiled children. Saban Brands and Lionsgate are doing what they do best: Business. If you want to be able to correspond with professionals, then you have to be willing to act in a professional manner.
That’s all I have to say about that.
Go Go Mega Heartbreak!
In the smoke and rubble of it all, I’ve looked back on everything that’s happened in the past day (Today being the morning of March 29th). I have to take out the time to say that in hindsight, I am very, very disappointed and heartbroken over recent events and the things that were said. I’m rather perturbed that a single person. A SINGLE PERSON. Can turn the entire community into a heaping pile of crap.
As I’ve said many times, I used to look up to Tommy as a kid because I thought he was the most amazing guy ever. When I came into the fandom, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Then, I came across the Tommy Fandom. To see those fans be so ugly to people who didn’t share their mindset, and to see that JDF didn’t do anything about it, that broke my heart. Now you can’t tell me “Well, maybe he didn’t see it”, because he boasts that he reads EVERY. SINGLE. COMMENT.
If you don’t stop it, you’re condoning it. Simple as that. If JDF’s going to allow his fans to be ugly to other people, if JDF’s going to call people haters, then I’m done. It breaks my heart to see what he’s become. It breaks my heart to see what his fans have become.
I officially feel disenfranchised. You want to call me butthurt? Sure, go right ahead. A line was crossed. It’s not even about Morphin’ Madness anymore, because the treatment that I’ve witnessed of fans? That comes from within, folks. That’s all you.
The Trouble With Tommy (Season Tsu!)
So I’ve been (fully) actively part of the Power Rangers fandom for almost a year now (See what I did there? Article throwback. lol). Since the time I posted the first “Trouble With Tommy” article, many things have transpired. Jason David Frank going to more and more conventions, more vocal on Twitter, Facebook, and, of course, Instagram is definitely among the front runners. With that increased exposure comes a few slip-ups here and there, of course. It happens to the best of us (“Why the Hell Are You in the Power Rangers Tag?”, anyone?). The thing is that with great fan base volume comes great responsibility.
Anyway, we should get on to the meat and potatoes of this entire post.
Remember in my first “The Trouble With Tommy” how I talked about those hypothetical situations of “If such-and-such Ranger faced So-and-So Ranger, who would win?” Well, they’re not so hypothetical anymore! With the introduction of the Morphin’ Madness contest, fans can vote for their favorite Power Rangers in a head-to-head bracket style tournament! The thing is, let’s just say that the “Madness” part isn’t too far off from the truth.
As of typing this post, we are currently in the third of four rounds. Jason David Frank has caught wind of the contest and has started urging his fans to vote for the Tommy Rangers that are currently still in the running, which are MMPR Green, MMPR White, and Dino Thunder Black. No big deal. Just an actor rallying his fans all in good fun, right? Apparently not, once he was notified that he was losing:
First of all, I think we all can tell that this contest isn’t rigged. First sign of poor sportsmanship is the implementation of excuses. Second, just because there are a number of us who don’t vote for any form of Tommy, it doesn’t give anyone the right to call us “haters”. Tommy isn’t the only Ranger in the franchise’s existence. Calling him “the best” is purely subjective, as you can ask five people and there will be at least three different opinions on the character.
Speaking of fans, I actually am reminded of a small paragraph I wrote in the last Tommy article:
“You also have the fans who argue inconsolably amongst themselves about which Tommy power is the greatest. This can often turn senseless, as it traditionally becomes a male reproductive organ-waving contest as to who has the better powers, why one power shouldn’t exist over another, and; at some point or another, the blatant attack of one’s intelligence for not agreeing.”
The only difference being that instead of internal altercations within the “Tommy Fandom” subsect, this attitude has been aimed outward towards others. If we’re meant to call each other friend, or fellow fan, we can’t have things like this. This is why we can’t have nice things, folks. Things like this:
(Eddie Gallardo is a fantastic person, by the way. And to insinuate otherwise is just low.)
Look, folks, if you call campaign posters cheating the system, then what do you call this?
Let’s not have the pot call the kettle black here, guys. This was all supposed to be in good fun, and it was taken WAY out of hand. I personally don’t take kindly to being called a “hater” for not voting for Tommy in any way, shape, or form. I don’t like being told that I can “vote the way I want” and then be the target of incessant whining because things aren’t going your way.
I’ve said this before and I will say it until my face turns blue: Tommy isn’t the only Ranger in the franchise. If you love Tommy and/or Jason David Frank and the earth he walks on, so be it. Don’t come down on others for thinking otherwise and do NOT use Morphin’ Madness as a vehicle for your self-imposed religion.
Voting is a symbol of democracy. Democracy is a symbol of FREEDOM. You know, that thing that allows us to do as we please within a certain realm of reason? Which means if we want to rally votes, we can. But when we start getting things like this:
Then we start getting off the beaten path a bit. I’m all for rallying votes. That’s called campaigning. And you know what we’re campaigning for? FUN. We are campaigning for fun. Stuff like this? That’s called bribery. You want to wave a finger at the fandom for “cheating the system”? Might want to have a look at this.
Look, folks. I looked up to Tommy when I was growing up. Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers first aired while I was in Kindergarten. I was on the Green Ranger hype train for a long time. But, when I start seeing things like this. Such dirty talk from a person who I once looked up to, it breaks my heart, guys. To be called a hater for not voting a certain way, being shamed for not idolizing someone? That’s not how this fandom works. We’re supposed to respect and accept each other despite our differences. Not clique up and point fingers when things don’t go our way.
Tommy Fandom, if that’s the game you want to play, if you want to claim yourselves as your own country, so be it. But it’s definitely not a game the rest of us are going to play. The ship carrying the Power Rangers fandom’s tolerance for you has sailed, and with it, the tolerance for the JDF/Tommy hype train.
In closing, the “Trouble With Tommy”? Intolerance. The inability to accept another’s opinion unconditionally without resorting to shaming or disrespect. If we as a community are going to endure, that needs to change.
Petitions and Their Effects (Or Lack Thereof) – A Ranger Rant
I’ve decided to temporarily dust off The Monkie Grid’s inaugural segment, Ranger Rants, for a topic that has me feeling especially ranty.
This topic is petitions. Petitions, Facebook pages having to do with petitions, and the poopstorm that follows them.
The target of my ramblings today? Bandai America, We Want a SIXTH Ranger For Power Rangers Go-Buster.
Really, guys? Really? I can’t even begin to nitpick at this. Oh wait, yes I can.
Let’s start with how many times “We want” is used, NOT including the page’s title. Three times in a paragraph. A poorly written paragraph. Actually, it’s not even a paragraph as it technically doesn’t meet the three sentence minimum. As many times as you use it just in the about section, you already sound like a bunch of entitled brats.
On top of this, the page also states that they want Extra Rangers. WITH NEW COLORS on top of that! Really now? I can’t even.
Why call it Power Rangers Go-Buster? The show hasn’t even been revealed, let alone have an official title. Are you also trying to shove this title down the throats of those who you’re trying to make demands of? I don’t get it.
Oh, guess what? They even have a PETITION to go along with it!
The typos in this are absolutely mind-boggling. When you want to put this stuff together, I suggest that you get someone to proofread your work before you allow it to go live. This is absolutely horrendous. The text size changes. The different colors. The incorrect spelling. WHAT IS THIS?! This isn’t elementary school, where folks just go, “Aww, that’s cute. We’re just going to put this over on the refrigerator. Right here.” I really can’t take this seriously.
Look, folks. If you want to create a self-sustaining, respectable, well-rounded petition and/or petition Facebook, you really need to go about it from a different angle. Correct your spelling errors, ditch the multiple text colors and font sizes, and make it less self-reflective. “We want” has to go. I can understand using it once in order to establish the fact that it covers your wants, but it doesn’t need to be covered in the entire document. Once those things are covered, I’m pretty sure you’ll be on your way to a better presentation.
If you want to check out these pages, or even support them, you can check them out at:
Entitlement Can Lead to an Angry Soul
Every so often, I see a number of people who get offended when something within either the Power Rangers or Super Sentai properties doesn’t happen the way they want it to go.
“There aren’t enough women.”
“I want the Bandai Japan toys.”
“We deserve to have every Ranger come back for Super Megaforce.”
You know what? If you want it so bad, get a job. Put in that little two-sentence resume of your’s to Bandai. Or Saban. Or Toei. Then, if you happen to score a position worth listening to, maybe, just maybe, you might be able to submit some sort of opinion that may be taken into consideration, after meeting after subsequent meeting covering such a topic has passed.
You see, it’s not all about you, dear entitled one. It’s not all about your wants. Not your needs! Your wants. Because everyone except for you seems to grasp the concept that wants and needs are two separate things. If you’re old enough to complain about these so-called discrepancies within the property on the internet, you’re more than likely outside of the target demographic. You know, the audience that these shows are geared toward? You know, children?
The reason why Bandai America’s toys are smaller is because they aim toward a younger audience than Bandai Japan does. There’s also the matter of the fact that American children react to toys and do things with them differently than those in Japan. So that morpher or power weapon doesn’t fit in your hand? It’s likely because you’re too old.
Age has always been a factor. It’s never the best thing to point out, but it’s there. Maybe that’s why folks get so butthurt about hearing that their favorite Ranger wasn’t coming back for Super Megaforce. It’s not the 90’s anymore. Things change. People move on. Make businesses and whatnot. Not everyone’s going to be able to, or want to, drop what they’re doing just to relive the glory days.
“But Monkie, they have to do it! For the fans!”
No, my dear mislead patron, they don’t have to do anything. For most of the actors, their contracts have long expired, and therefore are not obligated to do anything. As for the fans, why do you think they spend so much time out of the year going to conventions? Not for their own health, I wouldn’t think. These people love their fans as if they were their own children. The way some of us act, it’s a wonder they even still interact with us. But they do. You know why? Because we’re their fans, and they love us.
Before I get going a little too far, I’ll simply close with this: Before you go off on a tangent about how being a fan makes you entitled to make demands for change or additions, keep in mind who’s getting paid to do what and who isn’t. You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
The Trouble With Tommy
So I’ve been (semi) actively part of the Power Rangers fandom for quite a little bit now. One thing I’ve noticed is that a majority of the general fanbase has this huge, indiscernible love for Tommy, in one incarnation or another, but mostly for the Green Ranger. This, in and of itself, is absolutely no problem. Everyone’s allowed their favorite Ranger, character, actor, villain, what say you. The problem lies within the…extremists, so to speak.
First, we have the “Let’s shove Tommy everywhere he shouldn’t be” scenario. We’ve all seen it. Somebody does one of those “Who would win? Such-and-such or So-and-so?” posts, let’s say…Quantum Ranger or Shadow Ranger. Starts going rather well, starting out. Simple debate, on-topic. Suddenly, “THE GREEN RANGER WILL WIN, BECAUSE REASONS.” This single post subsequently starts a downward spiral of chaos and off-topic ramblings that ultimately end in no one wanting to post anything at all.
If the topic has nothing to do with Tommy, in any of his incarnations, leave him out of it. It’s as simple as that. If folks want the Green Ranger, or White Ranger, or Red Zeo Ranger, or whatever; involved in the discussion, they would specifically be mentioned by name. Or moreover, the topic would be open to any Ranger.
It doesn’t stop there, though.
You also have the fans who argue inconsolably amongst themselves about which Tommy power is the greatest. This can often turn senseless, as it traditionally becomes a male reproductive organ-waving contest as to who has the better powers, why one power shouldn’t exist over another, and; at some point or another, the blatant attack of one’s intelligence for not agreeing.
Over time, I’ve realized that the Power Rangers and Super Sentai fandom can be incredibly boorish. Willing to make arguments at the drop of a hat, often times without proper education on either the topic, or their own standpoint. With patience and understanding, as well as dialing back the Tommy-related fan-rage, we can have civil debates without resorting to senseless caps-lock induced violence.
In essence, most, if not all of us, love Tommy in some way, shape, or form. That doesn’t mean that he needs to be everywhere we turn, folks.
When Is a Fan Not a Fan?
I’m a fairly easygoing guy, in all honesty. I get along with almost anybody. If our views happen to differ, I normally tend to find out why the other party takes such a standpoint. Pretty cut-and-dry, I’d think.
Unfortunately, there are some who don’t share such an open-minded view on things.
I’ve recently come across a number of issues within the Power Rangers/Super Sentai fandom that trouble me to absolutely no end. One of the biggest culprits being the lack of tolerance for those who don’t partake in the viewing of either Power Rangers or Super Sentai. Certain people tend to care for one or the other, instead of both. Unfortunately, this doesn’t sit well with a certain number of people.
This has gotten so terrible to the point that someone has even gone far enough to start a petition, in an attempt to get Saban Brands to cease production of Super Megaforce, because it “is using our beloved Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger as a toy commercial for the twentieth anniversary that rightfully belongs to the original Japanese Super Sentai Series which is an iconic artform in Japan.”[1] The problem with this is this: Not only does it disrespect those who find Power Rangers rather entertaining and enjoyable, but it also disrespects those who enjoy Super Sentai, as it causes a ruckus, disrupting their enjoyment.
“But Monkie,” you may ask, “we should respect other peoples’ opinions.” In any typical situation, I would say that I agree. But, when someone blatantly makes an attempt (in any capacity) to take away something that others enjoy, respect goes right out the window. You can’t respect someone for trying to take from others. It just doesn’t work that way.
Alas, I’ve gone on for far too long. My point is this: Don’t bust each others’ balls just because you think Power Rangers is “ruining” Super Sentai. First off, Power Rangers and Super Sentai should be treated as separate entities. Second, you can’t ruin what’s already run its course. If you don’t like Power Rangers, don’t watch it. Go watch Super Sentai. If you don’t like Super Sentai, go watch Power Rangers. No need to try to take away the others’ fun just because you don’t like it.
Keep strong, and may The Power protect you.
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[1] – Change.org – Petition|Saban Brands: Stop Power Rangers Super Megaforce from being aired
The Monkie Grid 