There are all sorts of references - overt and subtle - in canon to TF sexuality, the distinctions between male and female and the necessity for both. Some people see it, others choose not to see it. In the end it's the individual's call as to how they interpret what they see. :)

 

Completely a guess here, but I think many of those people who argue against the existence of TF sexuality, or claim that there is no need for female TFs, do so because they can conceive of sexuality only in the most base form (namely the in-out bit), not realising/considering that there can be many other aspects to it, and many other ways of sexual reproduction that don't include the in-out.

 

I think the TF equivalent of sexual reproduction is comparable to how Pacific salmon reproduce. Salmon don't have physical sex, they don't make physical contact in order to reproduce: the female digs a hole in the riverbed with her tail and deposits the eggs there, then the male deposits his milt onto the eggs, then the female covers the now-fertilised eggs up with riverbed, then the couple goes off and dies. In my view, TFs reproduce sexually in a way similar to this: the male and female (see note below) TFs combine their sparks either internally (one transferring his or her bit of spark into the other) and then downloading from the 'pregnant' one into the newly-built body, or externally (both drop a bit of spark into a container, where the sparkbits combine into a new spark and that is transferred into the new body - in essence, in vitro). The internal method might possibly be pleasurable for both parties involved, considering it is an exchange/combining of the energies of both...

 

Note: above I said a male and a female. This is the ideal, since the differences in characteristics between a male and a female spark ensure that when combined into a new spark, the new spark will be properly balanced and stable. But, two male sparks or two female sparks can be combined too, but with the resulting new sparks being unstable and/or defective in some manner - witness the Dinobots, children of two males: Wheeljack and Ratchet.

 

This is just my view of the question. You don't have to agree if you don't like it. :)

Except for the Wheeljack & Ratchet part of it...this used to be my view of TF Reproduction for many years.And hearing someone else say it makes sound even a tad bit better...hehe...

 

To me, I always took the G1 Cartoon version of the Dinobots as that they had extra components on the Ark and used the Lasercores/Sparks that were left around on the Ark to make the Dinobots. Personally I prefer the Dinobots from the Comics Continuity more so that the Cartoon Continuity...but I digress.

 

I like your view on it, since it used to be mine, and in all actually I still think it's a cool/good idea. To me there are 4 ways of reproduction for TF's.

 

 

1.) Two Sparks coming together to Form one new Spark.

 

2.) Creation through Vector Sigma. As seen with the Aerialbots and Stunticons.

 

3.) Creation via the Matrix. This was only used in the Comics, but I always felt in the Cartoon it helped bridge the gaps where new Characters just appeared.

 

4.) Removing the Lasercore/Spark and placing it within a new body with new programming, granting a partially new being, having the essence of the old TF but with new Personality Components making them partially new.

 

 

If you follow the First one of those then Females make perfect sense. If you follow the rest then it becomes more of a choice to be Feminine or Masculine.

Don't really think it matters if they MUST have TF fembots. Personally I could care less. But sure add some variety, so long as it isn't there just to appeal to fanboy lust.

no.

 

why you ask? becuase theyre robots.

theyre SUPPOSED to be androgenous...!

no.

 

why you ask? becuase theyre robots.

theyre SUPPOSED to be androgenous...!

SUPPOSED to?

 

How do you know? Ever been one?

 

But, that's irrelevant, for it has been established in canon that they are not androgynous, so wishful thinking either way is not relevant.

so.. what youre saying is even lifeless objects and machine can have genders?

 

is your PC a girl? or gay?

so.. what youre saying is even lifeless objects and machine can have genders?

 

is your PC a girl? or gay?

My PC isn't...but that doesn't mean that a sentient machine couldn't choose to emulate or take on a gender role. I think the point is that we couldn't know because we haven't encountered a machine that is anywhere near as advanced as a TF would be and we probably won't for a loooooooooooooooong time.

Splendic is correct there.

 

As for inanimate objects, jaxom, ever seen quarter-inch cables, or a wall socket and plug? Clear male/female distinction there...

Funny how this went from a discussion about the need for female robots to one on rebot sexuality.

 

Anywho, I'm going to say...yeah, female TFs are pretty much necessary in that TFs are supposed to be sentient, living beings from another planet. I think the fact that they're giant robots that turn into vehicles doesn't make things any clearer. Add into the fact that someone somewhere is trying to imagine hot sweaty robot boot-knockin' and not seeing it really throws a wrench into the plan. However, the biggest obstacle in this thought pattern is how the female TFs are portrayed. By and large, most of them are potential hostage/target bait. If they were on-par with their male counterparts (like Rogue or Storm in X-Men), then chances are this discussion would be different.

Cybertron

 

:note

It's a Mans world

But it ain't nothin'

Without a woman

:note

thankfully Transformers and sexuallity... well, just don't work.

...

Well, indeed there was this one episode of the cartoon in which Optimus puts his jackplug into Elita's jack (AC/DC: "She's got the jack, jack, jack. She's got the jack") :tfevil

 

(Of course, that was because she was seriously injured and since Alpha Trion had modified them both around the saem time, there was some energy-similarity by which Prime could restore her...doesn't that make them "family"...brother-sister love relations in TF...man, that cartoon was groundbreaking.)

 

 

I once read an interview with either Bob Forward or Larry Ditillio. One of the questions was what made BA female or why there were females in TF. The reply was something along the lines of: it's part of the personality. If a protoform awakens with more male personality traits then they are a male. If, however, the protoform awakens with female personailty traits then the TF is a female. Basically, there's no need for such a TF to have a feminine body shape, like we've seen in BM and Armada...