Starscream Thoughts
Starscream is, without a doubt, the single factor that converted me from a somewhat interested casual TF viewer into a huge fan of the show.
Yes - Starscream.
Starscream the arrogant warrior, the opportunist, the loudmouth, the coward, the villain, and all the other insulting labels that have been hurled at him over the years.
Why? Well, it's hard to pin it down to any one thing, but I've attempted to assemble some reasonably lucid thoughts on this page. They are grouped under the subject headings listed below. You can read them in any order: just click on the subject heading of your choice.
One' heroes are an intensely personal thing. Because of this, my thoughts are also personal. Please feel free to email me with your own comments: I would love to hear what you have to say about him.
So, what's so great about him anyway?
Our own
dark side: or,
Starscream as an antidote to hypocrisy
So, what's so great about him?
Well, there are a few angles I could take on this, but I think that they all essentially boil down to one thing - Starscream has courage. Courage? Yes - as ironic as that might sound.
It is true that Starscream doesn't display the type of behaviour that earned Ultra "let me throw myself on top of this bomb for you" Magnus his own, oft-repeated TV blurb. Starscream has never been known for his self-sacrificing tendencies. In fact, rather than deliberately putting himself in life-threatening situations, Starscream generally beats a decidedly swift retreat in the face of danger. He seems to take the maxim about "turning and running away, living to fight another day" rather literally.
But I'm talking about a different kind of courage. Macho heroics bore me: I'm much more impressed by Starscream's spirit of determination. Nothing stops this guy! No setback discourages him. At least, not for long.
Starscream died trying to achieve his goal of leading the Decepticons, and on his return as a ghost, he showed the same single-minded determination in pursuing his new goal of aquiring a new body. How many of us really love life that much? How many of us have that kind of faith in ourselves?
By contrast, to further the Ultra Magnus comparison, Magnus seems so persistent in seeking out opportunities to sacrifice himself that for a while I was wondering if he might be suicidal. It is interesting - and telling - that self-destructive behaviour is held up as "heroism" on the show, while Starscream is cast as the lowest sort of villain. While Starscream's motivations are not precisely noble, I think that of the two characters, he may (in some ways) be the better role model.
Another interesting aspect of Starscream's courage is his willingness to think critically and to challenge authority. For those readers who may sneer at this idea, I ask you: when was the last time that you stood up to your boss? When was the last time that you dared to voice a critical opinion about the way that she or he does things? And, does your boss carry a laser cannon large enough for your head to fit into the barrel? I rest my case. ;-)
Like the Decepticons, our own society is hierarchically organized. Those at the top make the decisions, and the rest of us live with the consequences of those decisions. Also like the Decepticons, we place a great deal of emphasis on the supposed virtue of obedience. From the moment of birth, we are taught to look to authority for guidance: to parents, teachers, religious leaders, laws, police, the political state, and ultimately, to an authoritarian God.
Our institutions are geared towards producing compliant workers or soldiers who will unquestioningly labour, even die, to uphold the reigning status quo. As a consequence, independent or critical thought is discouraged - even to the point of suppressing information that might induce such thought. (Check out Noam Chomsky's video series "Manufacturing Consent" for a fascinating analysis of how this happens in the news media, or rent the movie "Wag the Dog" for a satirical - though chilling - exploration of some related ideas.)
Starscream has always displayed critical thinking by challenging Megatron's autocratic decision-making. True, it seems that sometimes he did this just to annoy Megatron. On the other hand, this may be the precise reason that Megatron kept him around - because his criticisms forced Megatron to think his decisions through. Wise leaders recognize the value of that rare subordinate who is courageous enough to be more than a compliant "yes man."
Naturally, I'm not suggesting that we should all go out and try to assassinate our bosses, as Starscream did. Still, interpreted a bit less literally, I think the message in all this might be: Think for yourself. Question authority - be critical and analytical. Don't believe something just because it's on TV, or just because it's in the paper, or just because an "expert" says it's true. Find out what's really going on, and make up your own mind about it.
Starscream and our own dark side
I've heard TF fans decry Starscream as arrogant, ruthless and
selfish, and at the risk of sounding heretical, I would agree
that he can be interpreted that way. These are the traits that
ostensibly make him a "villain," because they are qualities
that our society frowns upon - at least in public. Nevertheless,
our society reserves it richest rewards for those who possess
these attributes.
Think about it. What are the defining characteristics of the ideal capitalist? Of the most successful corporations? You guessed it: the relentless, single-minded pursuit of profit; the willingness to sacrifice "externalities" such as other human beings and the environment in order to fatten up the bottom line; the selfishness of CEOs who pay themselves multi-million dollar salaries while millions of human beings starve; and last but far from least, the arrogance of concocting an ideology that conveniently justifies it all.
So, while Starscream demonstrates some incredibly admirable qualities, he also reflects back to us the dark underbelly of our own society. We can condemn him from the safety of our living rooms, yet how often do we turn our attention to what's really happening around us? Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to judge. Corporations commit acts on a daily basis which I think might make even Starscream blush (if he were capable of doing so!)
The TF narrative ultimately punishes Starscream when he is killed by Galvatron. At first glance, it appears that this comes about because he is, as some have said, selfish, arrogant, and ruthless. Some might say that he was destroyed because he is "evil." I think that he actually functioned as a sort of scapegoat, like many of the so-called villains in our cultural stories. Our villains represent our own dark side. When we punish them, we are, in a way, atoning for the sins of our own society.
At the same time, it's interesting to note that Megatron showed just as much arrogance, selfishness and ruthlessness as Starscream, but was *he* punished? Not a chance: he was given a whole new body, new powers, and a new lease on life. This raises still another speculation. Perhaps Starscream wasn't killed simply because of his dark side. It is possible that he was killed for his heroic qualities- his ambition, his determination, his faith in himself, his lust for life. Perhaps he was punished for trying to rise above his station.
If this is true, the message is rather obvious. Don't dream too big, kiddies, or you'll get blown to pieces. Go home and be obedient workers, brave little Autobot soldiers - and good little consumers by buying the new line of toys that we're bringing out now that we've killed off ninety percent of the show's original characters. (See where capitalism fits into all this?)
Like the trickster gods of numerous mythologies, Starscream generally uses his wits to get what he wants. Even at times when brute force is required, such as the time that he came to the conclusion that he would need his very own army to defeat Megatron, he displayed creative thinking by stealing the disembodied personality chips of a group of convicted felons and giving them new bodies, thus creating the Combaticons.
Even when simply following order, he carries out his task with a certain characteristic style. Remember the time that he was sent to steal the human-created robotic ninja, Nightbird? Who can forget the way he had the Decep jets cut around the edge of the arena's roof, then lift it away as if they were opening up a can of tuna?
In his ghostly appearances, Starscream becomes the ultimate trickster, moving from body to body with the ease that one might move from room to room. He becomes a shape-shifter in the truest sense, adopting the identities of those he possesses and fooling just about everyone.
Starscream is a trickster one other way, because just when you think you've got him all figured out, he throws in a curve ball. Think of his reaction when Skyfire was discovered frozen in a block of ice. His concern for Skyfire was both obvious and genuine, so much so that Megatron himself was taken aback. Later, Starscream's violent reaction to Skyfire's change of allegiance seems very much like the anger that any of us might feel when betrayed by a close friend.
Also consider Starscream's words when he appears in ghostly form and taps Octane on the shoulder: "It's your old friend - Starscream." Were Starscream and Octane friends at one time? The show never explains, but we can speculate that perhaps they were.
Fleeting though these moments are, they offer an intriguing glimpse of another, unsuspected side of Starscream: perhaps a side that he keeps deliberately hidden. We can only guess, but it would seem that there is a great deal more to him "than meets the eye," as the saying goes.
The Transformers universe comes complete with its own pre-packaged set of heroes - quite literally. Just read the side of the box: if you have a hero on your hands, it will actually say "heroic Autobot."
What could be easier, or more efficient? Neither the viewer nor the writer need waste valuable time on the messy and complicated business of developing the characters. No need to be concerned about a character's background, motivation, strengths, flaws, or personal quirks.
Even more conveniently, there is no longer any need to grapple with such elusive questions as what heroism actually is - or conversely, what evil actually is, since the counterpart of the "heroic" Autobot is the "evil" Decepticon. The main thing is to show giant robots bashing each other, and thanks to the colour-coded insignia and the helpfully labelled boxes, the audience is never confused about who to root for.
OK - perhaps I exaggerate. I guess that all those not-so-subtle cues telling me who to look up to have made me cranky.
So... to answer that vital question that the show has always left unanswered - what IS a hero? Heroes have got to be more than just the insignia they wear. Surely they must be defined by something more meaningful than some words printed on the side of a box.
I would venture that a hero is simply someone who inspires you. Someone who you admire, and someone who gives you courage in the face of life's difficulties. I think that our heroes are a very special, very personal reflection of who we are as individuals. I'm proud to have Starscream as one of mine.