How can Tommy be female? Power Rangers

[happyninja42]

Now, no this is not what you think looking at the subject line. To those that don't know, there is a bit of a rumor on the net about Tommy being played by a woman in the next PR movie. No clue how credible that theory is, but it's definitely making the rounds.

I don't care if the character is female at all, and apparently neither does the original actor for the Green Ranger. I stand by my statement of pick the right actor for the role, and to hell with any other concerns. No, what I'm puzzled by, is how they will make the name Tommy be a girl's name.

I get that it might just be some kind of tomboy nickname for her, but usually nicknames have some connection to the actual name of the person...and I'll be fucked if I can think of a female-ish name that could be turned into Tommy as a term of endearment or nickname, at least in the English language as used in the US.

Can anyone think of one? I mean I guess they can just go the "Boy Named Sue" route, and have her say "My parents wanted a son, they got me, but they decided to keep the name" or something like that, and...ok well, whatever. But I'd like to think they'd be a bit more clever than that, and actually use some name that might make sense to turn into Tommy.

Though, now that I think about it, I guess they could go the route of "Everyone teased me for being a tomboy, and even started calling me Tommy as a joke" route, but, in the new movie:

Spoiler

A teacher actually says the characters name, which would imply it's a real name, on official documentation. Which I doubt they'd have them listed as a childhood insult name on their official records."

So yeah, thoughts? Ideas? Perhaps names from other countries/cultures that might explain the idea that Tommy Oliver might be female and how that name would play out in some logical way?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Tammy. Done.

 

[King Billi]

Assuming Tommy is short for Thomas then they could just use Thomasina or Tamsin the feminine forms of that name.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd like to think they'd be a bit more clever than that

... the fucking Power Rangers?

 

[Zontar]

It's not a rumour, it's just another character who has become victim of the "white males cannot exist in media, so they all need to change" types who are a cancer that after Ghostbusters will likely not be listened to by anyone putting up their money on these projects.

There's no chance of it happening.

 

[Saelune]

I care about respecting source material. And Power Rangers was always "Yay, Diversity!". But Im already checked out cause of this first one and their glitter suits, so...whatever.

 

[Hawki]

There's a precedent. It's why characters like Elliot Reed (Scrubs) and Ryan Stone (Gravity) exist, where their parents giving them male names ties in with their characterization.

That said, on principle, I'm not fond of the idea of a female Tommy. That's not to sale I'm against a female ranger who takes on the leadership mantle* (which technically has occurred, even though it's never been the red ranger** outside Lauren from Samurai, and even she was only a temporary leader), but at this point, I don't think you can change it. Different personalities aside, this is still a team based on the Mighty Morphin Rangers, and they've at least kept their colours and genders up to this point, so changing Tommy feels out of place. Not to mention that I can't imagine it going down well with the fanbase - people ship Tommy and Kimberly to this day, the green ranger remains iconic within the fanbase, etc.

*Did Tommy actually have a leader position as the green ranger? I know he more or less became the de facto leader as the white ranger, but IIRC, as the green ranger, he was always that guy that came in from time to time, due to the limited footage available, coupled with the in-universe explanation of limited powers.

**Okay, you could count the A Squad in SPD, but that barely counts.

 

[Parasondox]

Tomi. There we go. She's now female. What's the big deal here?

 

[Redryhno]

*Did Tommy actually have a leader position as the green ranger? I know he more or less became the de facto leader as the white ranger, but IIRC, as the green ranger, he was always that guy that came in from time to time, due to the limited footage available, coupled with the in-universe explanation of limited powers.

**Okay, you could count the A Squad in SPD, but that barely counts.

Nah, he was a major antagonist during his stint as the Green Ranger, basically the most iconic during the early parts of the shows, both PR itself and the Tokusatsu it takes the fight footage from. I think they spent like half a season on him kicking the shit out of the rest of the team both in and out of the suits essentially. I don't think he was ever "good" as the Green Ranger, but it's been like fifteen years since I watched it.

Tomi. There we go. She's now female. What's the big deal here?

Being lore-friendly? I mean, what do you gain by playing with the power of 63 here? Like, make up a new character, don't be a lazy shit-fer-brains and bank on name recognition alone. It's part of why the new Ghostbusters was so reviled and uninteresting for so many long-time fans of the franchise.

 

[twistedmic]

She has a non-English name (Japanese, Native American, etc.) that sounds close to Tommy or she goes by Tommy because so many people absolutely butcher her birth name.

 

[Parasondox]

*Did Tommy actually have a leader position as the green ranger? I know he more or less became the de facto leader as the white ranger, but IIRC, as the green ranger, he was always that guy that came in from time to time, due to the limited footage available, coupled with the in-universe explanation of limited powers.

**Okay, you could count the A Squad in SPD, but that barely counts.

Nah, he was a major antagonist during his stint as the Green Ranger, basically the most iconic during the early parts of the shows, both PR itself and the Tokusatsu it takes the fight footage from. I think they spent like half a season on him kicking the shit out of the rest of the team both in and out of the suits essentially. I don't think he was ever "good" as the Green Ranger, but it's been like fifteen years since I watched it.

Tomi. There we go. She's now female. What's the big deal here?

Being lore-friendly? I mean, what do you gain by playing with the power of 63 here? Like, make up a new character, don't be a lazy shit-fer-brains and bank on name recognition alone. It's part of why the new Ghostbusters was so reviled and uninteresting for so many long-time fans of the franchise.

You know Power Rangers have always... nevermind. I can't get into explaining Power Rangers.

 

[Hawki]

Nah, he was a major antagonist during his stint as the Green Ranger, basically the most iconic during the early parts of the shows, both PR itself and the Tokusatsu it takes the fight footage from. I think they spent like half a season on him kicking the shit out of the rest of the team both in and out of the suits essentially. I don't think he was ever "good" as the Green Ranger, but it's been like fifteen years since I watched it.

He became part of the team after a 5 episode run where he was the antagonist. I meant after that, whether he took on the de facto leadership role, or whether it remained with Jason.

 

[Zontar]

That said, on principle, I'm not fond of the idea of a female Tommy. That's not to sale I'm against a female ranger who takes on the leadership mantle* (which technically has occurred, even though it's never been the red ranger** outside Lauren from Samurai, and even she was only a temporary leader), but at this point, I don't think you can change it. Different personalities aside, this is still a team based on the Mighty Morphin Rangers, and they've at least kept their colours and genders up to this point, so changing Tommy feels out of place. Not to mention that I can't imagine it going down well with the fanbase - people ship Tommy and Kimberly to this day, the green ranger remains iconic within the fanbase, etc.

It should also be remembered that Tommy is the biggest character in the franchise. He was a main for 5 seasons, longer then any of the cast, before later being brought back as the main for a 6th season a decade later.

If there's one character you're not going to change, it's him. The movie looks like it'll underperform, which is fine by me because it sucked and I doubt any sequel will recover from that.

 

[happyninja42]

She has a non-English name (Japanese, Native American, etc.) that sounds close to Tommy or she goes by Tommy because so many people absolutely butcher her birth name.

See that's what I was thinking, but I don't know any other nationality naming conventions well enough to see how it would be stretched into Tommy. Though I was talking to my wife about it perhaps being something exactly like that. Like Tomi (which someone above mentioned), but it not being pronounced right. I've known a few people who just learned to accept that people in school could never pronounce their name.

It's not a rumour, it's just another character who has become victim of the "white males cannot exist in media, so they all need to change" types who are a cancer that after Ghostbusters will likely not be listened to by anyone putting up their money on these projects.

There's no chance of it happening.

....ah, ok, this post has now made me understand what people say about you on these forums.

 

[Zontar]

....ah, ok, this post has now made me understand what people say about you on these forums.

What, the fact I don't pretend this 'rumour' is anything other then more SJWs demanding changes to things they don't even consume (and we have the numbers to prove it) to the determent of the people who do (and again the numbers prove they leave) who want another character to have a pointless sex change for literally no justifiable reason against the wishes of the inbuilt fan base and given what we saw in the movie pretty much against what the movie has set up for the potential sequel as well?

Look, you can only see people who don't consume the media you do demand it be changed to accommodate them, pushing you out because the low quality trash that results isn't worth your money, and then those people turn around and don't even consume it themselves for so long before your response to such people is to tell them to go back to the hole they came from and to stop ruining the things you like.

At least anime isn't likely to cater to these people given they make no secret of the fact they only care about what makes money, and those who spend money on their products are not these people, and even 100% pandering to them will never change that fact.

 

[Charli]

Usually by losing a Y chromosome. Idk...

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

....ah, ok, this post has now made me understand what people say about you on these forums.

What, the fact I don't pretend this 'rumour' is anything other then more SJWs demanding changes to things they don't even consume (and we have the numbers to prove it) to the determent of the people who do (and again the numbers prove they leave) who want another character to have a pointless sex change for literally no justifiable reason against the wishes of the inbuilt fan base and given what we saw in the movie pretty much against what the movie has set up for the potential sequel as well?

Look, you can only see people who don't consume the media you do demand it be changed to accommodate them, pushing you out because the low quality trash that results isn't worth your money, and then those people turn around and don't even consume it themselves for so long before your response to such people is to tell them to go back to the hole they came from and to stop ruining the things you like.

At least anime isn't likely to cater to these people given they make no secret of the fact they only care about what makes money, and those who spend money on their products are not these people, and even 100% pandering to them will never change that fact.

You know, I like you. Pass the bleach for yet another round with this bullshit, but I think I've come up with the perfect way to handle this. If they're going to force this change down the fans' throats, why don't they cast Tomi Lahren as the Green Ranger? On the one side, it'll be "yay diversity," but then all the SJWs will scream bloody murder for casting someone who happens to be politically to the right of their hero Stalin. They won't know what to do and just go home to cry into their Little Red Books. It'll be the political equivalent of the YouTube copyright deadlock.

 

[Zontar]

....ah, ok, this post has now made me understand what people say about you on these forums.

What, the fact I don't pretend this 'rumour' is anything other then more SJWs demanding changes to things they don't even consume (and we have the numbers to prove it) to the determent of the people who do (and again the numbers prove they leave) who want another character to have a pointless sex change for literally no justifiable reason against the wishes of the inbuilt fan base and given what we saw in the movie pretty much against what the movie has set up for the potential sequel as well?

Look, you can only see people who don't consume the media you do demand it be changed to accommodate them, pushing you out because the low quality trash that results isn't worth your money, and then those people turn around and don't even consume it themselves for so long before your response to such people is to tell them to go back to the hole they came from and to stop ruining the things you like.

At least anime isn't likely to cater to these people given they make no secret of the fact they only care about what makes money, and those who spend money on their products are not these people, and even 100% pandering to them will never change that fact.

You know, I like you. Pass the bleach for yet another round with this bullshit, but I think I've come up with the perfect way to handle this. If they're going to force this change down the fans' throats, why don't they cast Tomi Lahren as the Green Ranger? On the one side, it'll be "yay diversity," but then all the SJWs will scream bloody murder for casting someone who happens to be politically to the right of their hero Stalin. They won't know what to do and just go home to cry into their Little Red Books. It'll be the political equivalent of the YouTube copyright deadlock.

That would be cool to see but let's be honest, given how they where never going to show up in the first place they'd probably applaud for 5 minutes on their glorified blog posts that are hipster online news outlets before forgetting the thing even exists. Next month no one's even going to remember GitS or Power Rangers (2017) anyway, and the only reason Ghostbusters (2016) is even remembered is because of the controversy that stemmed from Sony doubling down on it all instead of trying to cut its losses.

When the controversy itself is more memorable then the product, well let's just say I await the day the pandering returns to the niche with almost no overlap with nerd culture that it used to have before nerd culture became popular. It's already killed comics, it did a number on video games, and television continues its downward spiral. Thank god the international market is even less forgiving then the US domestic one for this type of crap, otherwise that would likely have taken more damage before producers accepted that it would kill their companies to try pandering to this small group which is a good hundred times as vocal as it is active in the actual market.

 

[Hawki]

Okay Zontar, I agree with you that it's a bad move to change Tommy's gender, but:

What, the fact I don't pretend this 'rumour' is anything other then more SJWs demanding changes to things they don't even consume (and we have the numbers to prove it)

Source needed. Every post I saw on this was reacting to the suggestion, not putting forward the suggestion. As far as I can tell, the idea came from the filmmakers themselves.

to the determent of the people who do (and again the numbers prove they leave)

Again, source needed. Because the only hard numbers I've found on other content accused of "pandering" was Inquisition, by which point just short of 50% of its players were female, a significant rise from past BioWare games.

Look, you can only see people who don't consume the media you do demand it be changed to accommodate them, pushing you out because the low quality trash that results isn't worth your money, and then those people turn around and don't even consume it themselves for so long before your response to such people is to tell them to go back to the hole they came from and to stop ruining the things you like.

Okay, what? I don't know what boards you've been on, but from experience, fans who consume the media they're...well, fans of, are the most demanding of developers. The ME3 debacle, with the absurd "take back Mass Effect" movement is one of the most well known examples of fan entitlement, but it's not the only one. And that's not to say that fans shouldn't be listened to at all, but your premise rests on the idea that the most vocal of individuals towards a piece of media are the ones that are never involved in said media.

And, look, there would be cases where that isn't true, such as the call to boycott The Force Awakens because it had a female protagonist, but these movements are usually on the fringe, and have rarely had any observable impact.

Next month no one's even going to remember GitS or Power Rangers (2017) anyway, and the only reason Ghostbusters (2016) is even remembered is because of the controversy that stemmed from Sony doubling down on it all instead of trying to cut its losses.

I know this is hyperbole, but the whole "no-one is going to remember x" argument always comes up when people show that they do remember it. Avatar is the most common example I can think of.

And personally I remember Ghostbusters 2016 far more than the controversy. The controversy was one of those moments when the Internet decided to collectively shit itself, the movie itself was actually pretty decent. Similarly forgotten was SQWs trying to claim that the film was anti-men.

It's already killed comics,

Citation needed.

I've seen this claim come up that diversity somehow killed Marvel Comics. I've likewise seen the counter-claim that it was due to poor business practices (e.g. a large amount of crossovers). In the scope of personal experience, what initially killed comics for me were that prices were ranging from $10-15 ASD for a comic that once cost about $5 ASD, so I couldn't justify getting them at that price. Not when it's much cheaper and easier to get them online or, in some cases, hardcovers (since I like having physical books when possible. I can't think of a single comic series I've consumed directly that's suffered from the perceived slights you mentioned. If anything, comics seem to be in a better place than they were previously, because it's much easier to get access to them.

it did a number on video games,

Citation badly needed.

and television continues its downward spiral.

News to me.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Eh, I didn't really care about the characters in the TV show. Eight to ten-year old me just wanted to see gloriously cheesy fight scenes and explosions. The only characters I gave a crap about were Kimberly (not for entirely wholesome reasons...what can I say, puberty hit me early) and the comic relief characters (Bulk and Skull and, as the show progressed, Rita and Zed).

So yeah, make the White Ranger male, female, trans, otherkin, attack helicopter, etc. Call her Tammy, Tommi, Toni, Jyn Erso, whatever. Doesn't matter to me.