Super Toys Last All Summer Long1: Technosexuality and the Queer Body

Nandita Roy ! " ## Roll Num$er " %& Queer Studies

Brian 'ilson Aldiss( Supertoys Last All Summer Long and Other Stories of Future Time )St* +artin,s !ri--in( %..1/*

#ntroduction AS0R )alt*sex*-etish*ro$ots/ is a legendary discussion group on the 1e$ 1hich( -or the -irst time( $rought together people -rom all o2er the glo$e 1ho ac3no1ledge themsel2es to $e technosexual* AS0R has no1 $ecome a synonym -or technosexuality* To ha2e sex( or to -antasise sexual encounters 1ith a non4human " an android( a gynoid or e2en latex dolls " -alls under the um$rella term o- technosexuality*

Science -iction is gradually $eing trans-ormed into reality* 0rom the early androids oscience -iction( 1e ha2e Roxxxy and 1ill soon ha2e Roc3y* Sex ro$ots( or sex$ots( are not 5ust physical ro$ots a2aila$le in the mar3et to $e made into super expensi2e sex toys* 6ne can also choose to chat 1ith a sex$ot according to ones pre-erences* This trend ocy$er sexuality( 1hich ranges -rom sex chat 1ith a $ot to purchasing a ro$ot companion( is a rapidly de2eloping area 1here todays -iction is tomorro1s reality* This rapid proli-eration o- technosexuality can $e read as a -orm o- 7ueer sexuality that challenges sexual normati2ity( and in some cases( rein-orces it*

Science -iction has al1ays told us a$out a time 1hen humans 1ill $e ha2ing sex 1ith ro$ots* Also -ed into our imagination has $een an apocalyptic 1orld2ie1 1here ro$ots re$el against human $eings and $ecome the pro2er$ial 0ran3ensteins monster to $ring a$out the end o- the human race )Terminator, Universal Soldier/* #n -ilms( ro$ot lo2e has( more o-ten than not( $een presented as a pro$lematic that does not ha2e a positi2e resolution* The ro$ot4human relationship seldom gets materialised into marriage )1hich is( o- course( one o- the most pre-erred conclusions $ecause o- its heteronormati2e

nature/* 6n the contrary( in most cases( it either ends 1ith the ro$ot de2eloping human emotions )-or example( in mo2ies li3e 2046 or i!entennial "an/ or 1ith the arti-icial intelligence dri2en $eing re$elling and trans-orming into the 2illain -igure )li3e S8T9 in Universal Soldier #art 2/*

This $rie- and inade7uate summarisation o- the most common tropes in popular science -iction -ilms that deal 1ith arti-icial intelligence is important -or us in order to understand the cultural -raming o- technosexuality* 'hat 1as earlier a 3ind o- pro5ected -antasy is $eing trans-ormed into reality in todays 1orld*

Id rather be a Cyborg than a Goddess Haraway and Cyborg Theory

:onna 9ara1ay( in 1;;1( re2olutionised the 1ay 1e loo3ed at cy$orgs* She 1rites ocy$org -eminism as a truly emancipated -orm o- politics $ecause cy$orgs do not depend on plots o- origin theory%( and are -ree -rom the de2elopment o- 0reudian psychosexual stages* 9arra1ay de-ines cy$orgs as <a cy$ernetic organism( a hy$rid o- machine and organism( a creature o- social reality as 1ell as a creature o- -iction= >* 9ara1ays cy$orgs are truly independent o- cultural and psychosexual $aggage* They are independent entities that( according to 9arra1ay( caricature the masculinist reproducti2e dream?*

:onna 9arra1ay( p*% <The cy$org s3ips the step o- original unity( o- identi-ication 1ith nature in the 'estern sense* This is its illegitimate promise that might lead to su$2ersion o- its teleology as star 1ars= in A @y$org +ani-esto in Simians, $y%orgs and &omen' The (einvention of )ature )Ne1 Aor3: Routledge( 1;;1/* > :onna 9arra1ay( p*% in A @y$org +ani-esto in Simians, $y%orgs and &omen' The (einvention of )ature )Ne1 Aor3: Routledge( 1;;1/* ? :onna 9arra1ay( p*> in A @y$org +ani-esto in Simians, $y%orgs and &omen' The (einvention of )ature )Ne1 Aor3: Routledge( 1;;1/*

9o1e2er( in contemporary 1orld( can 1e $e sure i- the masculinist reproducti2e dream is caricatured or rein-orcedB A case in point is the Canuary %.1. launch o- Roxxxy( the sex ro$ot( or the gynoid* Roxxxy( 1ith her synthetic s3in and arti-icial intelligence( is $uilt to cater to the speci-ic needs o- the consumers* She has -our personas( ranging -rom 0rigid 0arrah to SD+ SusanE* Roxxxy is a great leap -rom in-lata$le sex dolls 1hich date $ac3 to 1;th @entury 0rance( 1here the dame de 2oyage -irst made its appearance F* Roxxxy does not -all into the category o- a cy$org as 9arra1ay de-ines it( $ut she might $e the precursor to a generation o- cy$orgs i- nanotechnology indeed ma3es human4ro$ot reproduction possi$le* 9o1( then( are 1e to address the emergence o- the cy$orgB Roxxxy is the ultimate realisation o- the masculine -antasy o- creation* As lato tells us( in the !ree3 society( homosexual lo2e $et1een t1o men 1as seen as intellectual lo2e 1hich 1as -ar more superior to heterosexual coupling* #n Symposium( lato also tal3s a$out creati2e reproduction as $eing superior to $iological reproduction( $ecause it is a surer 1ay o- ensuring immortality* The creation o- ro$ots li3e Roxxxy( the per-ect( customisa$le companion to cater to indi2idual pre-erences( is in a certain sense a mingling o- $iological and intellectual creation* 'e no1 concei2e o- the $ody as a cultural text( $ut texts do not ha2e a $iology* #n ro$ots li3e Roxxxy( the $ody is at once a cultural site since it replicates stereotypes( and a text( in the sense o- an intellectual creation*
E

:illo1( @lay )Canuary 11( %.1./* GA @ustomiHa$le( Anatomically @orrect Ro$otic !irl-riend 'ith +ultiple ersonalitiesG* #opular S!ien!e )Ne1 Aor3/* Last accessed on &th No2em$er( %.1.*

<#n this connection 1e may re-er to -ornicatory acts e--ected 1ith arti-icial imitations o- the human $ody( or o- indi2idual parts o- that $ody* There exist true Iaucansons in this pro2ince o- pornographic technology( cle2er mechanics 1ho( -rom ru$$er and other plastic materials( prepare entire male or -emale $odies( 1hich( as hommes or dames de voyage( su$2erse -ornicatory purposes* +ore especially are the genital organs represented in a manner true to nature* 82en the secretion o- Bartholin,s glans is imitated( $y means o- a Gpneumatic tu$eG -illed 1ith oil* Similarly( $y means o- a -luid and suita$le apparatus( the e5aculation o- semen is imitated* Such arti-icial human $eings are actually o--ered -or sale in the catalog ocertain manu-acturers o- G arisian Ru$$er Articles*G p*1F in Anthony 0erguson The Se* +oll' A ,istory
)+c0arland( %.1./*

The $ody o- Roxxxy( 1hich 1e are loo3ing at as a type( or an example( is indeed a 7ueer $ody* #- 1e are to loo3 at the 7ueer as a category that $rea3s traditional constructs o1hat is considered to $e the norm( then the $ody o- the ro$ot is 7ueer since it $rea3s the most esta$lished and -a2ourite norm o- patriarchy( that o- the natural* The natural $ody type( that o- the healthy heterosexual( is a $ody type 1hich the state in2ested in J* But it is interesting to note that 1ith the ad2ancement o- technology( $iopolitics is no longer the same* The state is gradually sho1ing more and more interest in more sustaina$le $ody types( suita$le -or a range o- acti2ities -rom ma3ing sand1iches to -ighting a 1ar* Roxxxys $ody is the -irst o- many more to come* Bodies li3e that o- Roxxxy challenge $inaries o- the naturalKunnatural( li2ingKdead and su$5ectKo$5ect* By $eing mimetic o- the natural $ody type o- a 1oman( Roxxxys $ody parodies the construction o- the natural $ody* +oreo2er( ho1 -ar are 1e to consider arti-icial intelligence as $eing li2ing( i- 1e thin3 o- it as li2ing at allB Roxxxy poses a pro$lem to cy$org -eminism* 6n one hand( it is a su$2ersi2e( 7ueer $ody( 1hich can $e read as a re2olutionary $rea3 in the norm* 9o1e2er( on the other hand( Roxxxy plays too dangerously 1ith cultural stereotypes -or us to $e com-orta$le 1ith it* The choice $et1een the cy$org and the !oddess is increasingly $ecoming no choice at all* #- Roxxxy is a precursor to cy$orgs( or i- 1e consider her to $e a cy$org hersel-( she is modelled on the imagined sex goddess* Roxxxy can cater to male -antasies -rom rape )0rigid 0arrah 3eeps saying No 1hen she is touched/ to domination )SD+ Susan is programmed to 1rite explicit emails to her companion as a dominatrix/* Though Roxxxy 7ueers the heterosexual( sheKit also

+ichel 0oucault( ,istory of Se*uality*

$ecomes the ultimate em$odiment( literally( o- o$5ecti-ication and -etishising o- the -emale $ody* Talk About Roxxxy Perform ng Gender n a Paradox !al "#a!e

The company 1ho ha2e created Roxxxy( True@ompanion( encourage the users to interact 1ith other users and share their experiences* By $uilding an interacti2e -orum( True@ompanion can 3eep a 1atch on 1hat the $uyers 1ant( and constantly help upgrade Roxxxys so-t1are* Roxxxy comes 1ith 1ireless connecti2ity to the True@ompanion -orum and so-t1are de2elopment site so that she can automatically update hersel-* This opens up a paradoxical space& -or Roxxxy( 1ho $ecomes liminally positioned at the meeting point o- the pri2ate and the pu$lic* The pri2ate sexual act $ecomes a pu$lic sexual act in the -orum* According to Rose( the 1oman occupies $oth the insider and the outsider position in the paradoxical space( and this uni7ue spatial positioning ma3es her realise a su$2ersi2e potential* Shao1en and Ce--rey BardHell loo3 at 1omen T1eeting a$out using 9itachi+agic( a sex toy as a potentially paradoxical space ;* Roxxxys occupying the paradoxical space su$2erts social and sexual norms( 1ith the 7ueer $ody othe gynoid updating hersel- in cy$erspace and posting emails to her companion* 'ithin this paradoxical space( Roxxxy not only su$2erts social and sexual norms( $ut also puts up a per-ormance o- gender* 0eminist geographers( 1ho loo3 upon the $ody as a cultural location( loo3 at per-ormati2ity o- gender as $eing one o- the 1ays in 1hich 7ueer identities are esta$lished in heterosexual spaces* Roxxxys articulated s3eleton and synthetic s3in are not the only things that ma3e it a gynoid* 9er arti-icial intelligence is
&

!illian Rose( Feminism and -eography' The Limits of -eographi!al .no/ledge )+inneapolis: Lni2ersity o- +innesota ress( 1;;>/* ; Shao1en BardHell and Ce--rey BardHell( +apping Techno4Sexuality through 0eminist !eography: #nscription( er-ormati2ity( and aradoxical Space*

programmed to respond to touch and speech li3e a 1oman* Roxxxy is made to per-orm gender $y her ma3ers* #n her appearance and her responses( she mimics stereotypes* But this mimicry is also a -orm o- ridiculing the normati2e and ma3ing 1ay -or 1hat is considered to $e the per2erse*

$%e Came & rst' (r' )a t ng for Ro!ky

9arra1ay says that 1e are all colonised $y origin myths 1.* But since cy$orgs are illegitimate o--springs o- military or social -athers( the -ather -igure $ecomes irrele2ant( there$y ma3ing creation myths o$solete* @y$orgs( according to 9arra1ay( pro2ide the scope -or a ne1 historiography and a ne1 posthumanist 1orld2ie1 1here they deconstruct $inaries and not trace the stages o- psychosexual de2elopment to -orm gender identities* 9o1e2er( this 1orld2ie1 has the potential to $e trans-ormed into a technological dystopia* The closely documented de2elopment and regular upgradation oa gynoid li3e Roxxxy ma3es us sceptical* The -ormation o- Roxxxys sexual identity is a result o- collecti2e inputs and suggestions( has the creator as a 2ery prominent -igure( rather than 9arra1ays imagined a$sent -ather* 9o1e2er( as 1e tal3 a$out Roxxxy( a sex android is $eing discussed and de2eloped( $eing readied -or a launch* This android( Roc3y( is $eing mar3eted as a sex companion -or 1omen* Li3e Roxxxy( the cultural $ody o- Roc3y is also going to $e $ased on stereotypes* Li3e Roxxxy( it is going to su$2ert heterosexual normati2ity( and yet rein-orce the normati2e in many 1ays* But the catch is that 1hate2er Roc3y 1ill $e( is going to $e li0e Roxxxy in many 1ays* #t might $e $etter
1.

:onna 9arra1ay( p*%% in A @y$org +ani-esto in Simians, $y%orgs and &omen' The (einvention of )ature )Ne1 Aor3: Routledge( 1;;1/*

than Roxxxy( $ut it 1ill surely not $e the -irst sex ro$ot( i- $eing the -irst sex ro$ot is any achie2ement* This is in yet another 1ay that the emergence o- Roxxxy su$2erts natural heterosexual tropes and opens up a 7ueer space( a 7ueer origin and a 7ueer sexuality* Con!lus on Ce--rey @ohen 1rites that the $ody is not human and neither is it inha$ited $y an identity or sexuality that is uni7ue to or e2en contained -ully 1ithin the Mesh* 11 This understanding o- the $ody is important to the construction o- the 7ueer technosexual $ody* This $ody( as exempli-ied in the $ody o- Roxxxy( challenges anthroponormati2ity and su$2erts heterosexuality -rom 1ithin a hea2ily heterosexualised atmosphere* 9o1e2er( despite ma3ing real the ideas o- a cy$org 1ho su$2erts norms( the 7ueer $ody o- Roxxxy $ecomes a pro$lematic site 1hich also rein-orces norms in another sense* #t is a paradoxical $ody not 5ust in the context o- -eminist geography( $ut also 1ith respect to $eing a pro$lematic ideological site* Are 1e going to gi2e rights to this ne1( 7ueer $ody( or are 1e to tell oursel2es that androids ne2er dream o- electric sheepB

Bi$liography 1* @ohen( Ce--rey( "edieval 1dentity "a!hines, Lni2ersity o- +innesota ress( +inneapolis and London( %..>*
11

Ce--rey @ohen( p*?1 in "edieval 1dentity "a!hines )+inneapolis and London: Lni2ersity o- +innesota ress( %..>/*

%*

>*

?* E* F* J* &*

:illo1( @lay )Canuary 11( %.1./* GA @ustomiHa$le( Anatomically @orrect Ro$otic !irl-riend 'ith +ultiple ersonalitiesG* #opular S!ien!e )Ne1 Aor3/* Last accessed on &th No2em$er( %.1.* 0erguson( Anthony( The Se* +oll' A ,istory, +c0arland( %.1.* !i--ney( Noreen and 9ird( +yra )ed*/( 2ueering the )on3,uman, Ashgate u$lishing Limited( 8ngland( %..&* 9arra1ay( :onna( $y%orgs and &omen' The (einvention of )ature( Routledge( Ne1 Aor3 1;;1* Rose( !illian( Feminism and -eography' The Limits of -eographi!al .no/ledge, Lni2ersity o- +innesota ress( +inneapolis( 1;;>* Shao1en BardHell and Ce--rey BardHell( +apping Techno4Sexuality through 0eminist !eography: #nscription( er-ormati2ity( and aradoxical Space 'ilson( Brian( Supertoys Last All Summer Long and Other Stories of Future Time( St* +artin,s !ri--in( %..1*