Fembots

Post Reply New Topic

So I was watching the Anita Sarkeesian video about fembots and how they are the ultimate misogynistic fantasy. We actually had a class vaguely about this in college (mostly an overview on cyberbodies). An interesting topic, for sure, and I can definitely see her argument.

However, I argue that even if the concept of the fembot spawned from initial desires to control women, so what? As long as the robots don't have actual self awareness/personhood and as long as real women aren't being used against their will, it's only as exploitative as using a toaster (or in this case, a very elaborate sex toy).

To me, attacking someone's fantasy of controlling an artificial woman is as useful and as productive as attacking someone's fantasy of murdering someone. It's nothing more than a thought crime (and don't pretend you've never thought of killing someone).

I guess my question is how is a fembot any worse than any other piece of technology? How does the invention of a robot affect actual women? Besides maybe taking work from sex workers, I don't see what the big deal is.

I have got nothing against the idea of bots, anyway what sex, I only want them marked propperly, so that people know if someone is a bot or a human. I think we all dont want to be mistaken as a robot. ^^

I'll throw in three arguments contra:

1. The more realistic a fembot is to a real woman, the easier it would likely be for the "user" of such a fembot to transfer any sadomasochistic fantasies onto real women, abusing, hurting or raping them.

2. If fembots eventually did have sufficient cognition to be regarding as truly living organisms in their own right and consequently end up with rights, I could foresee a real can of worms opening up. Fembots demonstrating on the streets demanding freedom from "slavery".

3. Didn't you see the public information film on Futurama warning against the use of fembots? It will be the end of the human race I tell you... nobody will want real women any more and no more babies will be born!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKBJxZf-Dgs[/youtube]

The Stepford Wives have their own website now.

From their FAQ:

So who needs fembots?

I think the invention of fembots would actually be a posiitive step forward in terms of human evolution.

Frankly, anyone who would prefer to have a relationship with a subservient robot than an actual conscious human being should really not be reproducing.

I'd actually very much prefer it if such people spent their energies getting it on with pieces of machinery. Its got to be better than them having real relationships with real human beings and, as a consequence, passing their idiotic genes on.

The overall result will be a human population that cares more and thinks more.

It would create jobs - manufacturing, mechanical repairs....
more chiropractors... (No, nothing could possibly go wrong go wrong go wrong).

I think people who end up so dysfunctional that they'd prefer a piece of technology to another member of their species are made, not born that way.

1. I see this argument a lot and I see it as nothing more than a slippery slope argument. After all, we have violent games and thus far, gamers are not all a bunch of homicidal maniacs. I argue that the idea of a fembot might actually reduce someone's tendency to transfer their sadomasochistic urges onto human beings. i mean, it's more convenient to just beat the s**t out of something that is designed to take your beatings and that you have right there than to plan something like that on a human.

2. I did point our that as long as they did not have personhood/self awareness then I would be cool with it. I mean, making sex bots that actually have emotions kind of defeats the purpose of having one in the first place.

3. Haha, well we're a little overpopulated anyway.

Foxfield, I can see how this could be used as a form of eugenics but I agree with Puddingmouse - I don't think genetics is the main problem with folk like that. Also, personally, I think that the concept of a fembot is just a very complex dildo. Just because you use a sex toy, it doesn't make you a creep and in the future, we'll probably be exploiting robot slaves all the time anyway, haha

I like the ones in Austin Powers; International Man of Mystery.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAuam8iiH3Q[/youtube]

I fail to see the difference between this and any other sex toy.

It wouldn't distress you that those desires existed in the first place?

What about when they start making models that look like 5 year old girls instead of grown women?

'cuz you know that comes next.

That doesnt come next, that is sadly always been going. Out of this view I think it would be an advantage, because at least goddamn kiddie-video industry, wouldnt need real little children "actors" anymore for their pervert videos.