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lb:bionicle [2025-05-04 19:40:18] – ↷ Links adapted because of a move operation 217.113.194.114lb:bionicle [2025-08-11 08:10:10] (current) – [Speculah & Analysis] ninjasr
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 ===== Speculah & Analysis ===== ===== Speculah & Analysis =====
 +==== Matoran Language ====
 +A guy online, going by outofgloom, produced resources for a ‘Matoric’ language which I got pretty into. You can find the resources [[https://outofgloom.tumblr.com/matoran-language|here]]. Though I'll note that, since 2023, there have been no further updates, which suggests the project is over.
  
 +I actually kinda liked what he produced, so I'll (at some point) create an article dedicated to it. But, for now, I'm only noting it here.
 ==== The Maori Situation ==== ==== The Maori Situation ====
  
-This used to be a bit longer, but I realized it didn't have to be.\\  ‘The Maori Situation’ refers to the event where the Maori sued LEGO over the use of names and whatnot from their culture/mythology. LEGO and the Maori, I believe, settled out of court and the result was that LEGO had to change the names of several characters...and change ‘Tohunga’ to ‘Matoran’.\\  Now, Bionicle fans are quick to side with the Maori (I wonder why...) so I'm going to be a contrarian because I think the Maori were in the wrong. Don't worry, I'll explain my thinking.\\  First, let me get out of the way that I think the Maori had the //right// to //complain// to LEGO about it. I mean, for example, the specific word ‘Tohunga’ is culturally/spiritually important to the Maori in particular. Though, what they and most fans apparently don't know...the word was actually being used //correctly// during that first year of Bionicle. I digress.\\  The reason I think the Maori were in the wrong is because they went and sued LEGO over it, which I don't consider an appropriate response. Now, the settlement with the names being changed is an okay compromise to the situation, but I don't think a lawsuit was necessary to get that far. It's not like anything we say about it now really changes what happened though.\\  I'll re-iterate and elaborate on my ‘right to complain’ thing. It's entirely understandable to me that they'd get miffed about it...but consider a few other things. First of all...this happens to other cultures all the time. Take the Disney film //Hercules//. The Greeks reportedly did //not //like that film at all...and then consider all the feminist Greek retellings. I'd argue that these are much worse than Bionicle, because Bionicle is //incredibly// disconnected from the source material. They are flesh robots on a giant man-shaped spaceship.\\  Also, I get it...when I heard ‘Baba Yaga’ translated as ‘boogeyman’ in //John Wick//, I rolled my eyes. Like, yeah, you have an obligation to adapt these things correctly when you're using them. Though, again, what's interesting about the Bionicle situation is that they //did// actually seem to do just that, which is another reason I find the Maori reaction to have been too extreme. They could have also used Bionicle as a method of promoting their own culture and mythology...but they didn't.\\  I do get it's the //enlightened position// to always take the side of the minority...but let's actually think about the context, yeah?+This used to be a bit longer, but I realized it didn't have to be. 
 + 
 +‘The Maori Situation’ refers to the event where the Maori sued LEGO over the use of names and whatnot from their culture/mythology. LEGO and the Maori, I believe, settled out of court and the result was that LEGO had to change the names of several characters...and change ‘Tohunga’ to ‘Matoran’. 
 + 
 +Now, Bionicle fans are quick to side with the Maori (I wonder why...) so I'm going to be a contrarian because I think the Maori were in the wrong. Don't worry, I'll explain my thinking. 
 + 
 +First, let me get out of the way that I think the Maori had the //right// to //complain// to LEGO about it. I mean, for example, the specific word ‘Tohunga’ is culturally/spiritually important to the Maori in particular. Though, what they and most fans apparently don't know...the word was actually being used //correctly// during that first year of Bionicle. I digress.\\  The reason I think the Maori were in the wrong is because they went and sued LEGO over it, which I don't consider an appropriate response. Now, the settlement with the names being changed is an okay compromise to the situation, but I don't think a lawsuit was necessary to get that far. It's not like anything we say about it now really changes what happened though. 
 + 
 +I'll re-iterate and elaborate on my ‘right to complain’ thing. It's entirely understandable to me that they'd get miffed about it...but consider a few other things. First of all...this happens to other cultures all the time. Take the Disney film //Hercules//. The Greeks reportedly did //not //like that film at all...and then consider all the feminist Greek retellings. I'd argue that these are much worse than Bionicle, because Bionicle is //incredibly// disconnected from the source material. They are flesh robots on a giant man-shaped spaceship. 
 + 
 +Also, I get it...when I heard ‘Baba Yaga’ translated as ‘boogeyman’ in //John Wick//, I rolled my eyes. Like, yeah, you have an obligation to adapt these things correctly when you're using them. Though, again, what's interesting about the Bionicle situation is that they //did// actually seem to do just that, which is another reason I find the Maori reaction to have been too extreme. They could have also used Bionicle as a method of promoting their own culture and mythology...but they didn't.\\  I do get it's the //enlightened position// to always take the side of the minority...but let's actually think about the context, yeah?
  
 ===== Trivilinks ===== ===== Trivilinks =====
lb/bionicle.1746387618.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025-05-04 19:40:18 by 217.113.194.114

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