Subject:
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Re: Are we doing the right thing?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sun, 2 Sep 2001 10:47:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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313 times
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In lugnet.build.mecha, David Weiler-Thiessen writes:
> Speaking for myself - I have tried to stay away from building mecha - for the
> very reasons that Bobby mentions. A mecha without a weapon built from LEGO is
> a pretty cool thing. Especially some of the larger models seen on Brickshelf
> in the last few months. However, the addition of weaponary goes totally
> against what I want to do with LEGO - and definitely don't want my son, who is
> three to be exposed to it. We enjoy looking at Brickshelf together, but we
> must avoid many submitters pics because as a rule we do not view mecha, even on
> the off chance that it is peaceful.
>
> Building mecha that are primarily destructive in nature, i.e. outfitted with
> weaponry, sends a very specific message - and I for one will not be a supporter
> of it.
>
> Dave
Wow, Dave, I'm very sad to hear this. I guess that you are also following
Stuart's advice and staying away from the violence inherent in most of Lego's
themes. I guess Mickey Mouse Lego must be very limiting, as there aren't many of
those creations on Brickshelf.
I am quite surious as to how you manage to shield your 3 year old from the daily
violence we are all subjected to. I, for one, am besieged on a daily basis by
news programs that lead off with stories of gunfire either locally or in the
Middle East. Both of these upset me, but I cope.
I suspect you don't allow your son to watch cartoons either, as they are the
most violent shows on television next to the nightly news. Can you name me a
Disney movie that didn't have violence in it? My wife can't, and she's a Disney
pre-school teacher and life-long Disney fan.
What I'm getting at is this: shielding your son from any aspect of society will
work, but only for so long. Learning to cope with violence is a far more
realistic way to show him Lego mecha. We (mecha builders) deal in fantasy and
science fiction. We do it in a responsible manner that is meant to educate
rather than offend.
I know that every one of us (mecha builders) look at building mecha as a way to
push our building skills to the next level. For myself, this just wasn't
possible in any other medium. Trains bore me. Town is nice architecturally, but
doesn't provide room for mobility. Space, castle, pirates have the same
limitations as town. Technic? How many more cars can I possibly build before it
gets old again. Then came mecha-the _____ stepchild of Lego creating. Lego won't
endorse it, yet it has the mobility of Technic with the creative elements of all
themes. Best of all, it allows me to explore different ways of building joints.
Sure, I could build mecha that only perform construction work, but what fun is
that? Mecha need variety. Mecha need a purpose. I don't think it's an accident
that .build.mecha seems to be exploding with posts on a daily basis where a year
ago, you would have been hard pressed to locate 15 builders total.
I apologize for getting off on a tangent (as I frequently do), but I get upset
when parents shield their kids from Lego then turn around and but them a Power
Ranger or some other silly violent toy.
-Dave Johann
LUGNET Member #524
Founding Member: LUGOLA
HardCore's Haven
http://members.home.net/legomecha/index.html
Beyond Bionicle: Lego Mecha Creations
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/legomechaforum
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Are we doing the right thing?
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| Speaking for myself - I have tried to stay away from building mecha - for the very reasons that Bobby mentions. A mecha without a weapon built from LEGO is a pretty cool thing. Especially some of the larger models seen on Brickshelf in the last few (...) (23 years ago, 31-Aug-01, to lugnet.build.mecha)
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