With Rumsfeld gone, will the U.S. military still be allowed to idolize The Transformers?

Zap2it.com has an interview with Peter Cullen, the voiceover actor most famous for somehow keeping a straight face since the 80s while intoning such unironic lines of dialogue as “Now all we need is a little energon and a lot of luck.” and “You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of sterner stuff!” in his characterization as the Transformers’ Autobot leader Optimus Prime. In the interview, Cullen holds forth on the grievously impermanent death of Optimus in the 1986 animated movie, as well as some of the significant emotional impact that his signature character has had…on members of the U.S. military.

“I’ve had [fans] who now are police officers give me their patches and Marines that have said, ‘I’ve modeled my life after [Optimus freaking Prime] and I’m very grateful for you and I’m a proud Marine.’ It’s breathtaking. I get a little lump in my stomach when I think about that. Marines – I don’t think there’s a greater group.”

Sorry, but I find that a little disturbing. Not as disturbing as, say, a U.S. National Guardsman who CHANGED HIS NAME TO “OPTIMUS PRIME”, perhaps, but still disturbing.

And I also wonder: why has there been such controversy over gays being in the military when this kind of thing goes unchecked? Personally, if I was sharing a foxhole with one gay Marine and one Marine who was still playing with his childhood playthings and had “modeled his life” after a toy robot who transforms into a tractor trailer truck – that’s the guy that I don’t trust to watch my back, because he has made a conscious decision to absolutely separate from reality.

I’m feeling a bit lost, adrift. Flummoxed. Say, how about we watch a video of Optimus Prime singing “Chocolate Salty Balls”?

I feel a bit better now, thanks.

Here are some links because I cannot bring myself to legitimize The Transformers movie by creating a navigational category for it on this site, even though you owe it to yourself to read everything I have to say about it. Really, you do.

• That thing you’re smelling is more Transformers movie cheese.
• A few choice words from the director of Children of Men.
• Transformers scribes will answer your questions! Apparently Jon Voight was unavailable.
• If Burbanked doesn’t stop Michael Bay from taking over the world, who will?
• The U.S. military is prepared to protect you against everything but bad movies.
• You Must Choose – Oliver Stone’s WTC trailer leads to a difficult choice.

(Peter Cullen picture via VXT)