Transformers

My youngest son is obsessed with Transformers.  He loves Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee and hates the evil Decipticons.  He picked out Transformers underwear.  He asks for Transformers fruit snacks.

But he's never seen a single Transformers anything.  Not the movies.  Not an old cartoon.  Not a new cartoon.  Nothing.

Still, he loves them.  I don't understand why there should be such a draw when he's never seen a Transformers show.

This is some of the feedback he's given me lately about me not letting him watch the first Transformers movie, which we own:

"I hate this house."
"I wish WE [the kids] were allowed to watch the movie and YOU [the parents] weren't."
"I hate you."

This is apparently a huge issue for Tank.

Yesterday he was on a long drive with Rob and they listened to the entire Transformers score.  Not the soundtrack with lame songs including words, but the instrumental pieces.  You know, reason #2 to watch the movie (follows, of course, reason #1, which is Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime voice; and is followed in turn by reason #3, which is robots fighting robots.  There are no more reasons).  Tank was super into it.  While listening to one song he said, "This one sounds sad," and it was Bumblebee Captured.  Another one was Optimus vs. Megatron.  Near the end he said, "Ooh, it sounds like Optimus just won."  Perceptive.

Today, while telling me about the songs, he said, "Mom, you know which one is the best?"  Trying to guess his favorite song, I said, "Umm, Arrival to Earth?"  He looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Noooo, the best TRANSFORMER."  I giggled.  "Oh!  That's Optimus."  He nodded sagely.

All of this is to say 2 things:
1 - I don't feel bad not letting my 5-year-old son watch Transformers.
2 - I've decided to let my 5-year-old son watch Transformers.

I mean, really, what are my objections?
It's violent.  Our kids have watched all 3 Lord of the Rings movies.  Check on violence.
It's a little racy.  Umm, he's 5.  Is he even going to really notice?  That engine scene passes quickly, and movie #1 keeps it pretty veiled.  (But that's a HELL NO for movie #2, for sure.  We don't own that one for a reason.  Actually many reasons, but mainly that it was just a sucky movie.)

So tonight we're going to have a special mom-dad-Tank date night and watch Transformers.  (The other kids are with Grandma and Grandpa.  They've also never seen Transformers.  Actually, I take that back.  I think their uncle let them watch it with him.  They weren't impressed with the movie.)  Don't be concerned for my eternal welfare.  I promise that if I'm going to Hell, it's for many, many other reasons.

On a related note, these days Tank is also really into chomping ice.