Thanks mom and dad, for making me the socially retarded woman I am today.
I remember reading Robots of Dawn (in addition to many other books by Isaac Asimov, who's a mutha effin' sci fi badass...ummm as badass as you can be given the subject) and although i didn't get very much of the sexual references at the time, I do remember a key element in the book is that on whatever planet (Aurora?), humans don't actually interface with each other. They're total germophobes. You can see each other through holographic-type phone systems so it seems like you're there when you're not. And some chicks just bone their robots (Daneel i believe was one of them), since they're man-like anyway (nice! I approve). Funny that Isaac Asimov didn't think to reference Purell hand sanitizer anywhere in his books, i'm sure he thought of it before the stuff was actually invented.
I also recall the hero of the book actually getting to physically bone one of the chicks in the book, and the whole sex scene was written out like he was taking her on some sort of trip. Flying or something. I don't know, I didn't get it then, and I'm certainly not creative enough to figure it out now. If someone can make sex seem like I'm sitting on a beach in Hawaii drinking out of a coconut (without my husband losing his wedding ring in the ocean in Waikiki lol), let me know.
What I do remember is thinking how odd that any sexual contact was electronic, through holographic images or with robots. And now...that's what society is turning towards. Maybe because I still have that Vh1 “Sex the Revolution” series in my brain, but we are a society that has to fear herpes, AIDs, baby mama drama...and we also have immediate access to all things sex thanks to the web and Passion Parties (Marlene, wtf is the name of that jelly-ish thing with a hole in it that you guys got me for my bridal shower? For the life of me, i can't remember what it's called but it seems like now would be time for a good shout out to that doodad!).
Very much like in Isaac Asimov's worlds, you can have aseptic sex virtually with anyone in the world as long as you have a method of communication, some sort of camera device, and your own little robot (that runs on two AA batteries lol).
Much like how Stephen King was ahead of this time with The Running Man (link to that blog entry here, effing best movie ever! Second to Clueless), Isaac Asimov was also well ahead of his time and totally foresaw the future of sex.
Yay to nerds.
4 comments:
I don't think you're right at all about society moving towards the absence of sexual content. If anything we're moving towards having it more open. Sure there's the random STD fear/baby mama terror that creeps into one's head but that doesn't mean we're moving towards all living a life of celibacy. I think in 2008, the average number of partners one has had is significantly higher than in 1980; a time pre-HIV.
One issue you touched on is the pussification of society in general. Afraid of germs? Come on. Get over it. Today, a children's playground looks more like a hospital setting then a playground. Remember as kids we had no protection except the occasional railing. Now kids can't even climb the equipment without some sort of soft padding strategically placed in case they fell. Helmets for riding bikes? We had no helmets. It all boils down to the weakening of a society. Men are no longer men and leaders are no longer strong.
Sabina, did you ever read "The Running Man" or did you just watch the movie? If you haven't read the book, I think you'd love it (since you like the movie so much).
GiGi? Is that what your referring to?
I know which robots I'd like to bone - Daneel who sounds the most heavenly looker this side of the galaxy! And Giskard (yes, really! I'm sure I'd find a way somehow; he looks so lovable somehow) I'm sore that I was born a 1000 years too soon - lucky old Elijah Baley!
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