One thing that upsets me about the character Benny in the Lego movie

This post is about Benny, a character featured in lego movies and in Lego sets. (My opinion only...)

There has been such good effort and results by Lego to improve inclusitivity of minifigs...i.e. people who use wheelchairs.  When a "window licking" Mixel was introduced, it was stopped due to being offensive and they apologized which I think was admirable.

The thing that I don't like about Benny is the premise of oxygen deprivation when his helmet cracked affecting his brain.  I understand the concept that helmets would crack in the 70s and 80s. As a result,  Benny demonstrates behavior that is presented as "funny". My complaint is that I dont think it's a funny story line. Benny represents medical symptoms (whether congenital or acquired) that are real disabilities that people can have after an anoxic brain injury.  Cerebral palsy/stroke result from lack of oxygen but we don't make light of that as being funny.

People with head injury and anoxia can cause people to perseverate i.e. repeating phrases or words i.e."spaceship spaceship spaceship" as well as causing people to focus on 1 task constantly.  What really drives me nuts is the exaggerated faces used on Benny.  People with head injuries can have increased tone causing facial distortion and inability to isolate movement.  Tongue control can be affected with deviation/decreased control.  I know the faded space lego is due to being older, but isnt he capable of switching shirts.  Or does his brain injury affect his ability to care about what he looks like?  

Another problem caused by anoxia is muscle hyperactivity called tone abnormality.  Abnormal tone can cause unusual posturing as a lack of body sense and control...is that why Benny is always upside down in multiple picture?

When blue minifigs first came out in the 80's, I loved that they were in the most awesome sets.  There was similarly between minifigs and it was up to kids to make a storyline and create personalities their imagination

In all fairness, I dont think there was intentional effort to make fun of Benny's character/disability.  I might just be reading too much into this. After all,  Benny is capable of  building and fixing complex spaceships.  I just think the premise of Benny having a lack of oxygen leading to deficits is insulting (i.e. children with cerebral palsy or first responders/military vets that have been shot or sustained injuries blown up by IEDs.).  All of this is just my opinion, but it just bothers me!! 

The space hangar

 I love the idea of space hangars.

  I'd love to make one but didn't know where to find inspiration and while I was looking I came across gundam models...

I dont care for the mechas that go with these hangars but love the gray hangars!  Heres some lego versions

From an artist on flickr..Benjamin Cheh Ming Hann ...multiple photos are present and I highly recommend viewing all the photos present!

I want to make a hangar type moc to either repair or make models 928, 926 and 918. Yet another idea I want to make "soneday" when time stops and I have endless hours!!!  I wouldn't be surprised if the legos just jump out and put themselves together.

Red rover red rover, send me the coolest pics of Lego right over

I don't know why, but I love the idea of space rovers during across terrain of planets or space bases

What could be more fun than cruising across the moon!!!  So I have compiled my favorite space rovers; how do these people create these???

From moc pages above...Stephen Niehoff.

Below from mocotagon

I love the detailed railing on the back trailer

Above: l love the detailed radar dish, the use of metal detectors to be vertical windshield lateral supports 

Also like the bigger wheels in classic space colors

Above from the brothers brick, Peter Reid and Ed Diment

I like the use of blue in the rover above...also making circle of trailer via pieces combined with wheel parts..from flickr, 2cereberus

The above pics are genius from the Lego Awesome ideas book

About the Author

Daniel Lipkowitz is a senior writer and story developer at the LEGO Group. His writing has appeared in LEGO Club Magazine as well as LEGO Master Builder Academy, and his characters and storylines regularly appear in new LEGO themes and animated LEGO films. He is the author of The LEGO Ideas Book, LEGO Awesome ideas, and Lego Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life.

---

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ DK Children; Illustrated edition (September 1, 2015)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1465437886
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1465437884
• Pages 16-17

Surface buggy above by avuylsteke...nice compact vehicle

Below...nice use of clips to enhance the radar dish, also use of long antenna piece guarding the rocket on sides

Source...Micah G on Flickr, 462 mobile rocket

 

I love the tiled finish, no studs creates a sleek look!

From Harris Bricks "a-83 exploration base", on Flickr

Above: Source in picture above, great idea to stack green radars to simulate barrels or transformers for electricity 

Below: ncs rover from captain moebius on flickr.  From Pinterest

Above, always like the trans green windshields!

Source in the pic above

I like the green windshields and the yellow black stripes like on the galaxy explorer.  Also love the detail of the trailer.

Above 2 rovers from thelegocarblog.com, 2018/01/15 a space classic

Source in pic above, from Flickr, always liked the blue spacemen.  I like the inverted style of windshield 

Source for pic above is listed in the picture

Source for pic above is in the picture

Source 

Image above from pinterest and shopstore website, flikr:guidomartinbrandis

Above From the brothers brick, page 113 lego space page

 

Close up of photo on flickr.com from great western brick show 2016, paperballparks photos ..Jason Briscoe also in other sites

From Pinterst originally on flikr.com

This picture is so good, I even like green in this neo classic space rover

Source above is from Flickr,  nnenn  photo stream

I like the load in the trailer and whoever's thought of putting a bar oval piece in the front

Above pic from Flikr "seen at the skaerbaek fan weekend 11" created by Joeseph Briscoe and on Priovit70 on flikr

Again love the black and yellow stripes above on the tank in pic above

2 Pics above

From the legocarblog, classic space hangar

From flickr 462 mobile rocket Micah G

It is amazing the talent in these pics..what I aspire to.

As a side note, I discovered this book online when looking for sources

May be a good read from pics on cover!

If this set had been released i dont know how but i would have gone broke

 A neoclassic proposed idea:

These ideas for an individual or separate sets are the best idea and creation I think I've seen on the lego ideas page.  The pics were also on Flickr and Pinterest!

I do not even have words to say how awesome these models are, I felt my heart rate go up when I thought legi was going to review them.  The colors, greebling, detailing, feeling of the original are just unreal.

I seriously don't know how but I would have gotten multiple of these sets if they had been made.  How do people do this, geez!!  Its got to be a difference in brain structure, as this is just amazing.  Shame on people not voting this in!!!

Unreal...I think these are perfect

Cool trucks...Lego and non-Lego

Im turning my back on being a Lego purist...

Ok, between real life, prior lego sets and knockoff lego sets, I have picked my favorite trucks that I'd love to build.  All the army/military sets could be in a battle/take on a group of 6950 mobile rocket launchers!!!

Ok so here are my favorite truck ideas

So I've looked at lego knockoffs..I feel so dirty but I do like the styles of the military type trucks!  But I'd take a classic space set any day over a non lego brand!!!