Bad Press is a The Transformers fanfic by Koi Lungfish.
While trawling the internet for information about power sources, Soundwave has discovered some very concerning texts regarding the Decepticons and presented his findings to Megatron. These texts are highly confusing and unflattering; within them, poor grammar and spelling reign supreme, highly moralistic (and wholly invented) Decepticons roam free, and Starscream is considerably more pathetic than he actually is. The writings have a collective name: fan fiction.
Naturally, the next logical course of action is to show the fanfics to Starscream in hopes he can figure out why the humans are writing all this nonsense.
It can be read here
.
Bad Press contains the following tropes:
- Adaptational Heroism: In several of the fanfics Soundwave finds, Starscream is portrayed as a heroic Autobot. The actual Starscream, who is firmly an evil Decepticon and was experimenting on a human before Megatron asked him to look at the fanfiction, is less than pleased about being depicted as a member of the opposing faction.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: When discussing beliefs the Decepticons have in fanfiction that they don't in real life, Megatron lists off nobility, honor, compassion, mercy, and paperwork.
- Brick Joke: The first questionable element in the fanfiction that Starscream comments on are "...lubricated ...rubber ...balls ...?" At the end, Megatron asks him if he'd ever consider using lubricated rubber balls in a situation implied to be sexual in nature.
- Continuity Nod: When Starscream complains about the various fanfics Soundwave found that depict the Decepticons as humans, Megatron says that it isn't any worse than being turned into a tree. In "Sea Change", Rumble was tricked into using the episode's Phlebotinum to turn into a tree.
- Existential Horror: Starscream proposes that the reason humans write fanfiction about Depecticons that places them in human-like scenarios is because on some instinctual level humanity understands that the Decepticons are far more powerful than they could ever be, and it terrifies them. In the grand scheme of things, there's very little stopping said Decepticons from bringing their full incomprehensible strength down upon the Earth; humans attempt to humanize them through writing in an effort to assuage their own fears, despite having no way of knowing what the Decepticons are actually capable of.Megatron: So this is not a coordinated attack on our collective dignities?
Starscream: (...) It's nothing more than the frantic scrabblings of vermin who know but cannot admit that their time is over. - Flanderization: Starscream is incensed to discover that his portrayal in various fanfics about the Decepticons either exaggerates a few of his traits into being his entire personality, or just has him acting in ways he never would."Starscream snapped at (Megatron), ruffled to see himself stretched out across reams of bad prose, twisted into unrecognisable beings."
- Head-Tiltingly Kinky: The majority of the fanfics Megatron and Starscream read are heavily implied to be explicit in nature. What happens in said fanfiction goes unseen aside from the pair's baffled reactions to some of the more outlandish elements.Starscream: ... oil there? ... Optimus Prime? I would never-
- Kill It with Ice: Starscream gets startled by Megatron yelling at him and accidentally drops the human he was experimenting on into a vat of liquid nitrogen, flash-freezing the test subject.
- Noodle Implements: Starscream and Megatron comment on the presence of several objects and people in the fanfiction they read, with the implication that they're being used for intimate activities. These include lubricated rubber balls, Starscream's thrusters, and Optimus Prime... though not all in the same fanfic.
- Oh, Crap, There Are Fanfics of Us!: Starscream and Megatron read fanfics about themselves and the Decepticons that Soundwave found online. They are not amused about the quality and contents of the writing (most of it is either poorly-written, smut, or poorly-written smut) and eventually start trying to figure out why humans would write fanfiction about them. The explanation they settle on is humans bringing the Decepticons down to their own level via writing in a futile attempt to lessen the Existential Horror induced by the total superiority of the Decepticons to humanity.
- Robosexual: One fanfic that Decepticons Starscream and Megatron read involves the latter "bonding (him)self with a human". The actual Megatron is so offended by the idea, he says he wouldn't do such a thing until after the universe goes through heat-death.
- Rule 63: Several of the fanfics referenced in the story depict gender-flipped versions of Starscream. The actual Starscream is highly displeased about the matter, though it's unclear if he's more offended by their being female or the fact they're also consistently portrayed as Autobots.
- That Makes Me Feel Angry: Starscream angrily demands to know who's writing bad fanfiction about him, commenting "I need to express my displeasure with high explosives!"
