Shia LaBeouf Explains Why Megan Fox Wasn't Cut Out For the Transformers Franchise in 5 Questionable Quotes

And now, an exercise in interview hole digging by Transformers: Dark of the Moon star Shia LaBeouf. While speaking with the Los Angeles Times recently, the actor tried his best to explain why Megan Fox didn't fit in on Michael Bay's set. What resulted was an uncomfortable feature with no less than three quotes from LaBeouf, that, like Michael Bay's directing style, could be construed as offensive and sexist. Take it away, Shia...

Quote #1: "Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment [stuff] that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women."

Takeway: LaBeouf is obviously not very comfortable talking about feminism (especially the lack thereof in Michael Bay productions) and sadly still associates the doctrine with defunct 90s girl groups.

Quote #2: "Mike films women in a way that appeals to a 16-year-old sexuality. It's summer. It's Michael's style. And I think [Fox] never got comfortable with it. This is a girl who was taken from complete obscurity and placed in a sex-driven role in front of the whole world and told she was the sexiest woman in America. And she had a hard time accepting it."

Takeaway: Even though Megan Fox is like the hottest woman in America, she also has a brain and complex emotions and did not like that Michael Bay was objectifying her.

Quote #3: "When Mike would ask her to do specific things, there was no time for fluffy talk. We're on the run. And the one thing Mike lacks is tact. There's no time for [LaBeouf assumes a gentle voice] 'I would like you to just arch your back 70 degrees.'"

Takeaway: God forbid Michael Bay politely request that his star sexily straddles a motorcycle instead of grunting back arch angles at her.

Quote #4: "Rosie [Huntington-Whiteley] comes with this Victoria's Secret background, and she's comfortable with it, so she can get down with Mike's way of working and it makes the whole set vibe very different."

Takeaway: Rosie [Huntington-Whitely] and Michael Bay are back arch simpaticos.

Quote #5: "It's a different female energy than [Sam] experienced with [Fox's character] Mikaela, who was a very cold biker chick. [Sam's new love interest, played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley] is more of a maternal, loving type. Sam wants a domestic, eggs-in-the-morning kind of a thing."

Takeaway: Shame on you, Sam Witwicky.

· CMegan Fox's absence changed 'Transformers' vibe, says Shia LaBeouf [Los Angeles Times]



Comments

  • The WInchester says:

    Rosie may be hot in lingerie, but why, in every still or clip from the movie, does she look like she smelled the worst passing of gas ever?

  • Colander says:

    Shia is trying to explain that!

  • T.King says:

    This is possibly the stupidest article I've read in a long while, taking quotes from a series of questions LaBeouf probably had no real idea how to handle and then sliding in some narky interpretation 0f those answers in an attempt at what? Humour? Good ol' fashioned spite? I don't get the reasoning for this.
    Bay is a misogynistic tyrant on set, nothing new there. But Fox objecting to be objectified? Bullshit, she made a career (sort of) out of it.

  • orlando says:

    I find it hard to think Fox wouldn't want to be objectified or for Bay to make her look ridiculously hot. But if what Labeouf is saying that she got tired of it is true, then AWESOME for her and shame on for criticising "that kind of vibe."

  • KevyB says:

    This is just dumb. LeBeouf is caught between a former co-star he seems to like, and a director he's still working for. Plus, he can't trash a movie and its director before it even premieres. The problem here is that Megan Fox made a deal with The Devil and then, once it looked like she was getting what she wanted from The Devil - fame - she decided she didn't want to continue her side of the deal. Yes, Bay wouldn't know how to portray a realistic woman if forced to by gunpoint, but that's not the point. It's HIS movie and he gets to do whatever he wants to it. If you sign on, then do what you're getting paid for! It's not like, "OMG, I didn't realize he was such a sexist before I signed on!" Pretending she's the victim here is just as sexist.

  • Patrick says:

    Let's not forget the main topic here. Bay is a horrible, horrible director trying to distract us from the fact, using explosions. I suspect that, as years go, future releases will see dialogue fade away, leaving only one giant (and lengthy) detonation.
    Oh 'Bay, which franchise will you ruin next?

  • casting couch says:

    Megan was all thumbs.

  • JonDoe says:

    This is such a PATHETIC article rife with PC (politically correct) posturing and snide comments that clearly side with Fox the LOSER bimbo. Bay RULES and is much more important to the world than some bitchy idiot who shot herself in the foot and will continue his amazing career of making jaw-dropping action epics while Fox and the smartass who wrote this article are long forgotten.

  • Shane says:

    Well, I will admit my jaw dropped several times during Transformers 2. I may have been having a seizure, however.

  • Patrick says:

    The only jaw dropping action i've had watching transformers, was about how one man could take such a globally established franchise, and fail so hard.
    How hard was it to copy and paste such a familiar script?
    Bay would claim it impossible, no doubt.
    I bet a Jaws movie made by Bay wouldn't include a shark. Waterworld would be in the desert. Star Wars, would be about Angelina Jolie vs Jennifer Aniston.
    What's next, polar bears guarding the fortress of solitude?

  • Jason L says:

    The second you said "BAY ROOLZ!" is the second you became the biggest loser in the room. It's also the moment you declared yourself connoisseur of crap.

  • Jea says:

    That's such a lie, it's either because of the comment she made about Michael Bay or because she looks so skinny now, it doesn't even look like it was the same girl in the first Transformers and she's got more work done to her face. Michael Bay said he doesn't like using skinny girls in his movies.

  • gerome says:

    Where did this Shia LaBeouf come from. He can't act. He sucks in every movie, and gets the biggest movie roles going. I can't stand the guy. She is the one that should not be in these movies. And as for Transformers--did no one see that it is a direct ripoff from Independence Day? It is the same story. The lopngest intro in any movie was attributed to ID, and I can see it in Transformers. Take a look at all the comparable scenes, and even dialogue. And the second movie was absolute garbage. Nothing but special effects and no story. Come on folks.

  • Hollyfeld says:

    @Jondoe
    If you're going to play hall monitor then at least bring something better than "..Bay RULES and is much more important to the world.." You might as well have posted it in all caps.
    Or, maybe just don't fucking bother.

  • Clifton says:

    What an awful article. Shia LeBeouf has to work with Michael Bay and he doesn't want to offend him or Fox. He handled the whole thing very politely, and then Julie Miller comes along and tries to make him appear like a sexist asshole through the use of what she believes to be witty and clever analysis. The only person who comes across as an asshole is you Julie Miller.
    (It should be noted that the Transformers franchise is the bane of quality cinema, I have no love for Shia LeBeouf or Megan Fox, and I have even less for Michael Bay. It just annoys me when someone acts like a dick for no good reason.)

  • Morgo says:

    you also kind of come across like an asshole, clifton.

  • Cronniss says:

    I, in fact, did have a seizure during the second film due to one of the battle scenes (due to the "blur effect" that they used in the movement of the Transformers)!

  • bob says:

    So, uh she became famous by flouting sex appeal and now thinks she too big to still have to do it? Good for her. Got her fired from a huge movie and a huge paycheck. Way to go. She has no acting talent and is only there for the sex appeal. She doesn't want to do it she will become a nobody. End of discussion.

  • bob says:

    Hmm, lets see. Shia labeouf can act and is becoming one of the biggest stars in hollywood. You might not like him but there are more people who do than don't and pay to see him. The producers know this and thats why he gets the big movies roles. As for transformers ripping off independence day uh where have you been. Transformers have been around for a long time. Way before independence day was even a thought. So independence day ripped off transformers if anything although you really can't compare them as one has robots and the other has flesh and blood aliens. Did you even watch the movies? You are wrong on every count and you know it. You just don't like the movie and shia and want to find any faults you can. Bottom line all the movies make alot of money so they must be good.

  • Anon says:

    No, Clifton is more right than Julie Miller. She almost had a point but struggled too hard to find one, lost it, and 'sadly', simply made catty remarks as some kind of supposedly sophisticate put-down. Julie thinks Bay should have suggested sexily straddling a motorcycle, Shia makes an over-the-top mathematically correct objective rendition that Julie takes as his suggestion, when Bay probably just said 'get your @ss in the air'. Tyrant on the set... some people take it to heart, some are more gracious. Shia gets interviewed to philosophize on Fox/Bay, and caters to it... Miller snarkily assassinates from oh-so-righteous indignant sarcasm to sell an article. Media, media, promotion.

  • Bob Hope says:

    "Even though Megan Fox is like the hottest woman in America, she also has a brain"
    I stopped reading after this. Brain. Ha.

  • will says:

    Julia Miller, your comments on Shia's quotes are just as sexist as he is. We all agree that Bay is an ass-clown. Do you want Shia to ruin his career like Megan did by speaking the truth?

  • eric says:

    It sucks megan didn't do the movie but she didn't mind topless in jennifers body.so bikini wear bugged her? Nice to see a celeb turn down multi millions for a moral stand though