Talk:Tracks (G1)

What's the source of this Tracks quote? --M Sipher 20:21, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Heck if I know. A google search brought up nothing, so I've removed it until we can source it. --ItsWalky 20:29, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Heh. -Derik 20:37, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Direct to eBay exclusive?

That's a joke, based on the rarity of Alt. Tracks. 202.7.183.131 04:34, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

What about a Gay Transformers Catagory? There's probably enough to warrent one, Shockfleet, BWII Starscream, BB etc. etc. X-BoB58 19:47, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

But Tracks isn't gay...I mean, TFs don't have sex anyway. Maybe my bio notes of his massive powers and handsome styling were unclear...*confused* Autobus Prime 20:04, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

Categorically, NO! There is no official basis for "gay" Transformers, and the topic is beyond the appropriate purpose of this Wiki.--G.B. Blackrock 21:04, 8 May 2006 (UTC) (P.S. The reference to Raul doesn't belong in the main bio, either. It belongs in the "Animated Continuity" section.)

Point conceded. I blame a.t.t. for warping my mind... --Autobus Prime 21:24, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

Frankly I think all the of innuendo in that bio should be removed. --KilMichaelMcC 22:12, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

Aw. I'm a *huge* fan of it. And it's technically not breaking any rules... --ItsWalky 22:34, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

The problem I have is that "gay Tracks" is a fandom construct. I am certainly guilty of using the concept to make jokes, but the character doesn't actually ever demonstrate romantic interest in other male characters. A page full innuendo to that effect stikes me as misleading. But, that's just my opinion. --KilMichaelMcC 22:40, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

See, the entry is no more gay than Tracks is. He's never said to be, but he sure acts like it. In that way, this write-up is completely accurate. --ItsWalky 23:52, 8 May 2006 (UTC)

I'm not too concerned about what's there. If it's not clearly a fan-construct, I'll not raise a huge fuss. But it is indeed full of innuendo that may not be appropriate. For example:

"well-endowed with a sleek, muscular, and tastefully decorated..."

"He is able to launch two flaming incendiary missiles from long and durable launcher tubes."

"embracing his enemies in darkness, unaware of the Autobot until he strikes from behind, and leaves them moaning on the cold ground!"

"Tracks can also fly like a butterfly by deploying his secret, hidden wings from their protective closet."

You get the idea. Technically accurate, but purposedly written in such a way as to play up the "gayness" of it all. I don't think it's cool.--G.B. Blackrock 00:02, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

I am confused by this statement: "He's never said to be, but he sure acts like it. In that way, this write-up is completely accurate." I don't understand how it's accurate to say that Tracks acts like he's gay. Here, as before, I am defining gay as demonstrating a romantic interest in characters that share his gender. Tracks doesn't do that. Hell, I think there's a better case to be made that Red Alert and Sandstorm are gay than Tracks is, depending on how one interprets their feelings for Inferno and Octane, respectively. --KilMichaelMcC 02:16, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

You're quite right, of course;in fact, since Tracksy can't get along with his buddies, he has even less opportunity to show any kind of affection for them than Optimus Prime, and nobody every accused Prime of towing dual trailers. I also know very well that Tracks' voice actor (I'm not good with their names) was trying to portray him as an Ivy League snob. The trouble is that this conspires with his Bud-given personality to rather comic effect, and lends him a certain poncy air...and that was what I was trying to portray in the bio. I think.--Autobus Prime 12:31, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

As a gay Transformers fan, I have to say the whole intro/bio thing bothers me. It was funny for the first line or so, and then it became like an episode of "Are You Being Served" - tired, unnecessary, distracting from the actual information, and makes me want to stab you in the eye with Convoy's smokestacks. You managed to fill several paragraphs with gay innuendo loosely anchored by actual facts about the character - congratulations. Now how about writing it properly? It is a) unwarranted, since Tracks has already been established as 'not gay', and even if he was, b) it invokes unfair stereotypes, such as predatory sexual behaviour. So you're perpetuating two myths; one about Tracks and one about gays. Why not keep that whole blue Bluestreak figure myth thing going while you're at it? I don't see you putting lines into every "straight", "male" Transformer's bio about wanting to "something" their "something" with Arcee. Bottom line: grow up; if you want to be taken seriously as a Transformers resource, act like it.59.167.133.165 16:57, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

I was going to ask who decided it was a good idea to hijack Tracks' page and transform- oh I'm sorry, convert it into a walking pack of sex innuendos, but I see this is actually an ongoing debate, as old as the Wiki itself. If I may throw in my two cents' worth, it was funny the first time, in a 'Dafuq did I just read' sort of way, but seeing it every time I go on the page has become a little annoying. It feels like the jokes are getting in the way of the information a little, and the way some of it reads is plain stupid. I think if I hadn't previously read the 'proper' version of his write-up, I would be super confused, and even as it is, the article implies that he's some sort of sex maniac who likes making inappropriate jokes. Just my two cents! Poteto-Man (talk) 21:22, 13 January 2016 (EST)

I struggle to see how this is an "ongoing" argument when nothing has posted on this talk page for four years.-Foffy the Sheep (talk) 22:06, 13 January 2016 (EST)

Gay jokes

I don't have a problem with allusions to Tracks' fan-constructed homosexuality, but I think that the number of references in the bio has reached and surpassed the saturation point. Also, the fact that this Transformers Wiki is so easily found in a google search recommends that any gay jokes be kept to a tasteful minimum. We have to remember that Transformers is a toy line aimed primarily at children, and as such, the potential audience must be considered. As it stands, there are 14 references and double entendres in the 4 paragraphs that make up the largest part of the bio. This is a serious issue. (Kizudarake on the Allspark)

I'm not sure how any kid who doesn't or shouldn't know what this stuff means would even realize it's innuendo in the first place. Innuendo only works if you're already in on the joke. What five-year-old who doesn't understand that "shaft" is a euphemism for "penis" is going to stumble across this page and realize, "Oh, hey, this article is about gay sex!" This is not a serious issue. Certainly not on a wiki with Kiss Players of all things included. --ItsWalky 06:25, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

But the "Mommy, what's this word mean?" effect can cause some serious problems, and complaints.(Kizudarake from The Allspark)

I'll say. Like why isn't the kid's online activity being monitored more closely? At any rate, the proper way to go about this, after having your changes reverted like 30 times, and being told 30 times to cut it out, is clearly not to do it again just now as we're having this discussion. How many times do you have to be told? Take a vacation! --ItsWalky 06:41, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. It's not the Wiki's job to account for lazy parenting. Awa64 06:43, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm really not understanding your comment that "this is a serious issue". The innuendo will go over the head of anybody that doesn't already know that gay people exist. If a parent gets upset that their child read something that acknowledges the existence of gay people, then that's too bad. It's to the kid's benefit and the parent is a moron. If you are worried about the effect these jokes will have, you are welcome to disavow your involvement with this Wiki, which is easy because, you know, you have no involvement at all with this Wiki anyway except for having a weird issue with one particular article. The article's not going to change and it's not your problem. --Steve-o 18:50, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I think what it comes down to is how the TF Wiki wants to be taken. If it wants to be taken seriously, the Tracks article needs to be re-written to a more "professional" standard. However as is the Wiki is largely humorous, and as such the Tracks article is mostly fine, although some of the jokes are stupid. The downside is that it somewhat compromises the integrity of the Wiki. --Debbie Downer

AFAIK, we do have a syste of review for such jokes- and the standard we use is- 'if the jokes get in the way of delivering the information, they have to go.' But hand-in-hand with that we have 'please don't make this joyless.' Have you seen Wheelie's entry? That is beautiful. -Derik 08:45, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

"Professional"? You mean like Wikipedia? Absurdly solemn, extraordinarily opinionated despite a facade of gormless neutrality, unreliable on anything remotely political, and totally boring? We definitely want to keep our distance from that. Part of our mission here is to poke holes in the more inflatable fans, and the humor is quite useful for that, and the other part is to be the Hitchhiker's Guide To Transformers. We don't want to be the Encyclopedia Galactica. (N.B. I mean no disrespect to the great idea behind Wikipedia, but too many of their editors are only interested in grinding their personal axes. It's great for a lot of stuff, but unfortunately fails utterly at anything in the field of sociology, or as I said, anything political. But their 'neutrality' has very little to do with the accuracy or lack thereof of each article. Give me humor with accuracy over solemn half-truths any day.) --Autobus Prime 13:29, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

And our info goes into more detail, anyway, compared to the regular TF wikipedia. I mean we talk about toys. TOYS! Alot of people act as though toys hardly matter in Transformers. --FFN 13:50, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Re: joyless, I suggest you examine who is actually getting the joy; whether you are just entertaining yourself, or the visitors themselves are actually being delighted and amused by it, because I think you might be giggling your rear-end assembly off in a room full of crickets chirping. If the former, I recommend you find better ways of getting your various jollies. BTW, "taken seriously" in terms of readers believing the stuff posted here, not "Mr Boring". You can be be an authorative source without being dull and uninteresting. But with crap like this, why would we believe anything posted in this wiki? You're obviously just putting up whatever junk you feel like. The opposite of "absurdly solemn" doesn't need to be "pointlessly juvenile". You've already accomplished integration of some clever writing style in many articles, as well as funny captions to pictures. Then there's this. Be clever, don't be a joke. It's a real turnoff.59.167.133.165 17:10, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Totally entertaining myself, of course. A would-be joker must be prepared to be the only one to laugh, sometimes. True enough that there are other alternatives to absurd solemnity, but I don't think the TF-Wiki approach is pointlessly juvenile. I prefer to think of it as slyly sophomoric. Besides, even Shakespeare had his share of cheap jokes and lowbrow humor. And besides besides that, I really think that we all respect viewpoints more if we know who is expressing them, regretable as this feeling may be in its lack of objectivity. (Besides x3 that, this particular article seems to amuse one or two people, which I can't really understand, since it's a straightforward presentation of his tech spec bio. Oh well.) --Autobus Prime 17:51, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Political correctness sucks. Thanks alot, America. --FFN 23:13, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Political correctness nothing. How about even-handed accuracy? G1 Ironhide's clearly Southern. Why isn't he characterised as out there drinking from a jug with XXXX on it, and beating up on Chromia? If Tracks had been established as gay, I would not have a problem with a couple of jokes or references, since there are jokes and references about just about all the characters. But a) once again, he's not, and we know that{{fact}}, but it seems that you're prepared to perpetuate a myth (and, frankly, look stupid, like you didn't actually know that he wasn't) for the purposes of a cheap laugh, and b) if he was, is that all you can come up with to write about him? Several paragraphs about him being gay. Devastator's entire introduction isn't that long. (G1) Optimus Prime's introduction isn't that long. Ultimately the reason this article is such a problem is that it is uncharacteristic of the site. it doesn't fit in because you don't go on and on and on for paragraphs about every character's most obvious characteristic. You've singled out the 'gay' one. Where's the phallus jokes about Perceptor? Where are the racial analogies directed at the Predacons or the Constructicons? They're the same color you know, and they stick together. Literally. Come on, I dare you. I'm totally disappointed, not even a single thing about the location of the G1 Megatron toy's trigger in bot mode. And BTW, I did say that I found it funny for the first line or so, but after that it was just completely pointless and unnecessary. We get it, you think he's gay, geez, move on with your life. You know what they say - if you obsess about it, you probably are one. (And that comes from one.) I'm not asking for special treatment here, just that you give Tracks the same rights, consideration and respect you would give any other character - however little that may be. (You're not the only one who can play the analogy). Okay, great, now you made me go on and on....59.167.133.165 17:21, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Oy gewahlt, 59.167.133.165 (Too long, imma call you Leader-1). First of all, Leader-1, nobody wrote paragraphs about Tracks being gay. Tracks is, in fact, not gay. He is a robot, with no evidence of sexuality at all, and a fairly antisocial robot at that. However, as I said way up there, his personality as given in the Universe profile, coupled with his cartoon voice, and a bunch of amusing coincidences, have led to harmless little jokes like this. Nobody actually thinks he's homosexual. This article tries to emulate the Tracks we know by being a straightforward recitation of his bio notes, with a bunch of unfortunate and, dare we say, mildly amusing double-entendres. You, Leader-1, do admit you found it funny for the first line. Well, some of us don't just want a short, sly joke, and that seems to include most people who read this. Now, as for fairness, I don't think anybody escapes the Deadly Snarkage around here. I suggest clicking "Random Page" a bunch of times and reading some more of the bios. All right, Leader-1? Can we all be friends, and can we less-dignified groundlings continue to have our fun?--Autobus Prime 17:33, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm sorry 59.167.133.165, I must be missing something... you say Tracks isn't gay and we know that... how?

Was there some Japanese re-release that listed his function as muffler-diver? Did he have a girlfriend? (Not that that's necessarily a disquaifier, as the West Coast Avengers' Living Lightning prooves...)

Or are you one of those gaycists who insists that any character without a sexuality established to the contrary is straight?

I am not necessarily arguing that Tracks is gay, but the tone of your arguments is really bothering me. You begin with the slurs against southerners that don't match Ironhide's exhibited behavior, and then object to the jokes that are based on Tracks exhibited behavior. So provide a source. What are you basing your Tracks-is-straight statements on? -Derik 19:07, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, yeah, just what I expected outta you. I think I was right the first time about the word "juvenile". You actually don't see how anyone could have an issue with the sheer volume in this article, do you? That's just the kind of person who should work as an editor.59.167.133.165 17:43, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

just what I expected outta you? That's pretty fucking rude 59.167.133.165, coming from an anonymous poster. So was it 'what you expected' to be asked to cite some sources and form an actual counter-argument beyond 'I don't like it'? And what do you mean 'should work as an editor'? This is a wiki. We're all editors jackass. I'm a lowest-rank registered user (And one that spends much of his time baiting the admins to boot.) You seem to believe that when a bunch of people disagree with you it's because they're a cabal of close-knit friends acting as a group to quash all other opinions.

Stop to consider, just for a moment, that it's possible that the reason large numbers of people are disagreeing with you is because... they actually do disagree with you.

You want the article changed? So change it. It's a stub! The entire fiction section is 3 sentences! Rewrite the entire article whole-cloth as a nice, serious comprehensive history of the character! We mess with stubs because it's fun and inconsequential-- they're just stubs after all! We don't play around with comprehensive model-articles, because it reduces their level of uninformativeness.

Or maybe you just don't want to document Tracks' major appearances because they involve him hanging aroung with a guy who, a dance club and being the victim of a hate-crime by Grimlock in his full-on incorrigible football-hooligan mode. (Which probably was a black-humored gay joke-- Furman once made a reference to Carmen Curlers's after all, he's not clueless.) Which is it, and have you stopped beating your wife?

Maybe the reason I'm stubbornly disagreeing with you (beyond my normal contrariness) is because you're demanding that others alter the article to meet your way of thinking instead of altering and improving it yourself to better serve everyone's purpose. -Derik 23:02, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

As a gay knee-jerk liberal (and overeducated jampot) I would like to volunteer that I find the Tracks article funny.

And frankly, I'm offended by 59.167.133.165's attempts to remove all references to homosexuality from the wiki. Clearly he is a gay-racist and a deaf discriminator. I will sue him. -Derik 00:14, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

The one valid point Leader-1 might have here is that the predatory stuff was a bit much. Of course, it was also rather funny, but after some thought I cooked up a substitute that isn't too bland. Of course if we don't let any group get offended we are going to have to take out pretty much half this Wiki, blandify everything else, and delete every reference to Kiss Players.  :) To Leader-1 the bold IP address, I would like to say that I am rather more amused than offended, especially by your implication that Southerners are all drunks who beat their wives.

Derik: I hardly think it is reasonable to get pissed at Mr. IP Address for not attempting to edit the article himself, as he probably assumed -- quite correctly -- that any edit that removed the gay jokes would be instantly reverted. I'd say attempting to discuss the matter first on the talk page was actually the correct course of action.

Anyway, Autobus Prime took out the line about Tracks "striking forcefully from behind" when he his enemies are "unaware," and then Dark T Zeratul put it back in. I'm going to take it back out again, and hope it stays out, as after all the joke is supposed to be that Tracks is gay, not that he's a rapist. --KilMichaelMcC 07:32, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, gay jokes are one thing, rape ones are another altogether. I'm not overly fond of all the gay jokes here (some of them simply because they're not exactly fresh), but even with the innuendo, the actual facts of each sentence are clear. I don't think that this should be a super-dry po-faced encyclopaedia, but I think the most important is that a reader does learn what she or he didn't know about the subject afore. I think this article manages that. --Ratbat 10:26, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Red Euro version

The latest edit [1] claims that Tracks was released a second time (in blue) in Europe "due to poor sales". Is there any actual evidence for that? It sounds like fan supposition. --Steve-o 15:09, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a question suited for Maz more than anyone else.--MCRG 08:34, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

I put in a reference to the relevant article by Maz. - Ducktimus 04:59, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Blue Euro Tracks: Image 1, image 2, image 3. Tracks is the only G1 toy other than Optimus Prime who I was able to find evidence for both an "MB" and a "Hasbro" release in Europe. Add to that the fact that blue Tracks is the only Autobot Car in Euro-Hasbro packaging to use 1985 back-of-the-box art rather than the 1986 mural used by the other Euro-Hasbrobots from 1986, it would seem that he was the first one to go into production.--Nevermore 21:52, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Adding to the mystery is the fact that Tracks was released in the US with a 1984 back-of-the-box mural, despite being a 1985 release. DEBUNKED--Nevermore 21:56, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know who just added that last line, but it's damn near perfect.--MCRG 08:34, 7 February 2007 (UTC) --M Sipher 20:21, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes/No

Foppish yes,gay no.Not exactly butch though,that's for sure. As for the sex issue,why would mechanoids need to have genders,since their Quintesson masters don't show any overtly sexual characteristics either.ChoHIlqoq 01:41, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

And yet they do, since Female Transformers exist. --ItsWalky 21:21, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

So he's metrosexual. 70.59.197.234 21:06, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

unofficial, more G1 transformation?

is it worth noting that RTS Tracks' back kibble can be folded up with the clip-on weapons extended out to resemble his G1 version more closely? Cliffjumper prime 19:29, 29 January 2011 (EST)

Can we get rid of the pointless gay jokes in the intro?

Please? There's really no reason to have it be like that anymore - those jokes may have been funny back in 2006, but they just come off as "ha ha effeminate = gay = funny" in 2016. It's puerile and stupid. Most of the rest of the article, as far as I saw, seems fine; even the gay jokes in the captions and such aren't really denigrating in that "ha ha gays funny" way the intro is. It's just the intro that's irksome. Jeddostotle7 (talk) 20:49, 19 July 2016 (EDT)

Agreed with the sentiment, though I still think some of the sexual innuendo is funny. I've gone ahead and tried to preserve most of it, while getting rid of the "haha gay" stuff. Can't say I'm really that great on picking up all the slang for that though. Was anything missed? --Ascendron (talk) 23:19, 19 July 2016 (EDT)

Honestly, it probably needs a full-scale re-write. Without the overt jokes, the language just reads as strange. - Chris McFeely (talk) 06:52, 20 July 2016 (EDT)

There are still a bunch of gay jokes, it looks like some had their punchlines removed but the setups remain, which is just awkward and conspicuous. We can't go both ways in this article, if we're going to play it straight we've got to go all-in. --Thylacine 2000 (talk) 08:05, 20 July 2016 (EDT)

I hate you for those puns.

That said, yeah, I vote full rewrite. --Riptide (talk) 08:13, 20 July 2016 (EDT)

I tried really hard to hide it. Let's pray it works. --Thylacine 2000 (talk) 08:23, 20 July 2016 (EDT)

Honestly, I didn't expect a change of this scale in this short of a time since I mentioned it. Looking at the new intro courtesy of Thylacine, it gets rid of the pointless gay jokes and makes fun of how full of himself he is, and does it pretty well. It might not be perfect, but it's much better than before. Bang-up job. Jeddostotle7 (talk) 03:03, 22 July 2016 (EDT)