FYI: Gynoids, fembots, necrophilia and Blade Runner

[Bonobo]

It is important for men to stay fluent on the current discussions in Feminist circles and so when I read that Blade Runner is a sexist movie, I decided to try to find out why.

Here is what I found out and I make no judgment on the issue. I am merely reporting what is said about it.

Apparently there is a term "Gynoid" (meaning female android -sometimes the word "Fembot" is used). The Feminist issues relating to female robots (gynoid or fembot) is that it is itself sexist because if implies all sorts of ownership issues and that the female form can then be used for sexual gratification by the Patriarchy.

It is likened to necrophilia, which is of course a term for having sex with dead people.

So, please consider this an OP to share information so that next time someone mentions "synods", "fembots" or "necrophiliac Patriarchy", you will know what is being referred to.

My own opinion on the subject is that there is some truth to it. No doubt many men would like women who are there to fulfill their wishes and desires and what could do so better than a robot. "Necrophilia" is a bit of a stretch, I think. Perhaps that was tagged onto the concept in order to get a little more bang out of the shame factor.

[Major Nikon]

1. Seems to take 'sex object' to a literal level

Seems like more of a modern version of a blow-up doll and I'm not sure how it would be any more sexist than a vibrator and arguably less so. At least something like this has all the other body parts to go with it.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Yeah, somehow vibrators inevitably get glossed over in those "discussions", heh

Sort of a big buzzin' blind spot in the midst of all the "teh evilz menz jerst wernt to ferk rerberts!!!" hyperbole.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. Correct me if I'm wrong about Blade Runner (spoilers for a 30 year old film)

Isn't the big reveal of the film that the main (male) character is an android of some sort?

I'm always fascinated when a movie isn't just a movie. I guess some in certain circles are already spinning about "Her", which from what I gather, is about a man who falls in love with, essentially "Siri", an operating system who problematically has a female voice (and a very sexy one in my favorite, Scarlett Johansson, which I freely admit, WOULD force me to finally buy a smart phone). The movie is by "noted misogynist" (that's sarcasm, and full credit to the Jezebel commenter who said it) Spike Jonze.

[rrneck]

3. Sometimes high flown ideology is just perception management. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. Probably unavoidable, sadly.

I think there are 30% of the population, male and female, that have a profoundly difficult time relating to and connecting with the opposite sex. Their attitudes eventually become hardened until it becomes practically impossible.

I have no doubt that sex robots ARE threatening (competition?) to those who haven't yet given up on the idea of finding a life partner, but probably something of a relief for those who have.

[Major Nikon]

5. Here's what I found

It all appears to stem from this which really isn't saying that gynoid/fembot/whatever depictions are sexist. It's using that example as a metaphor to try to get the reader to transcend traditional notions of humanity to better understand the model of feminism she is promoting. So it seems to go a bit deeper and by deeper I mean it would probably be a good idea to smoke something before you read it. Critics of her work basically refer to it as pseudo-intellectualism and it's not hard to understand why.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. It sounds to me like it's continuing a proud tradition of over-analyzing shit into the ground

well past the point of absurdity.

Seems to me the central philosophical point of the Movie (and possibly, by extension, the PKD story it is based on, although if I read it it was a long time ago and I've forgotten the details) is the old idea that there is no difference between an "artificial" intelligence and an organic one; that robots or cyborgs or replicants could or will have 'souls' and humanity just like everyone else.

Turns out the Sean Young character is supposed to be a Replicant, and it's heavily implied that Deckard, the Harrison Ford Character, may also be one. Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer, saves Deckard's life near the end of the film and then proceeds to give one of the best death speeches in cinema history. The implication of the film is, our creations are as much us as we are.

I don't see how anyone could turn that around into a parable of men wanting to make sex-bots.

[opiate69]

7. Well.. you know... "bonerz!!!!" or something...

[Warren DeMontague]

9. It's such a great movie.

I'd like to analyze why we don't have the flying cars, yet. GOOD GOD MAN FORGET THE SEXBOTS WHERE ARE THE FLYING CARS

[Major Nikon]

10. Aerocar, certified in 1956

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerocar

This is my picture from 2 years ago when the Aerocar flew into the airshow at Oshkosh, WI

[Warren DeMontague]

14. Aw, come on.

You know that's not exactly the same thing.

[Major Nikon]

16. A car that flies in 1956?

Funny thing about the Aerocar. The reason the Aerocar failed was not because of aviation safety requirements but rather because of automobile safety requirements. The additional weight required to meet auto safety requirements soon after its aviation certification made the Aerocar unworkable as an airplane.

[opiate69]

11. Full disclosure time....

I've never seen it yet..

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Ooooh, get the Criterion Collection version.

I'm almost 100% certain there is one.

[opiate69]

15. Well... my birthday is coming up soon...

And, I do like P. K. D's works.. onto the wishlist it goes!

[MicaelS]

17. Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition.

http://www.amazon.com/Runner-Five-Disc-Ultimate-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B000R6PKP2/ref=sr_1_7?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1389033365&sr=1-7&keywords=blade+runner

Prices START at $369.

[opiate69]

18. Yeah... that's just a bit out of my price range!

[Hayabusa]

13. Get to Netflix now!

[Warren DeMontague]

19. It is common knowledge that the hidden subtext in "Lost In Space" was cannibalism, and tree-fucking

It's disgusting that our supposedly good progressive men on DU defend tree fucking and the like yes yes tsk quack

[Bonobo]

20. Gynoid rights in the Victorian Era