Mechanised Monstrosity

Mechanised Monstrosity

By

Sanjana Jain

With the growth of technology, it is now becoming possible to extend body and bodily functions, in an attempt that one may be able to control his or her environment better. But this also implies a possible displacement of the material body by a range of possible machine-human fusions, and other embodied forms(Featherstone and Burrows 1995, 2). The fantasies revolving around these bodies have existed for a long time and have manifested themselves in various depictions in pop culture, some popular icons being seen in films like Blade Runner (1982), Terminator series (1984,1991) Robocop series(1987,1990) and more. This essay will draw on cyborgs and their representation as post-human forms and how the female

But, just the way there is a difference in the monstrosity of a male monster and its female counterpart there will be a different reading of the monstrosity of a female cyborg vis-a-vis a male cyborg. While the male cyborg is generally portrayed as being “strong, powerful and aggressive”, he is not sexualised that often, while the contrary seems to apply for female cyborgs that are shown as “hypersexual, dangerous and disruptive”(Shaw-Garlock n.d.). While Donna J. Haraway’s cyborgs live in a “post-gendered world”, where gender distinctions are fluid(Haraway 2000, 51-52), Mary Anne Doanne points out that “When technology intersects with the body in the realm of representation, the question of sexual difference is inevitably involved”(Doanne 2000, 110) and it can be noted how the female cyborg has been portrayed as a form fulfilling masculine techno-fetishes or conversely as sexual monstrosities.(Shaw-Garlock

These Gynoids have been instilled with the ‘ghosts’ (akin to souls) of young girls for greater saleability. With blue eyes, yet porcelain Asian features and straight black hair, coupled with a body that looks like that of a pre-pubescent girl, these dolls epitomise the techno-fetish (Endo 2012, 513) of the ‘Lolicon’ (or ‘rorikon’ in Japanese) genre(Clement 2011,