Re: Fate of SF as World Slides Down Back Side of Hubbert's Curve?

On 1 Apr 2008 16:26:12 -0400, jdnicoll@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (James Nicoll) wrote:

>In article
<32fe60fd-c489-48ab-86b2-471bdbbb9acc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> <ErictheTolle@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>Well, that was the 1970s for you.  Think of the author overhearing a
>>husband-wife argument, withthe woman screaming "You don't want a
>>partner, you want a robot that has *** with you!" *lightbulb goes on
>>over author's head!*
>>
>>I think the movie fits in very well with the ***ual politics of the
>>decade- The accusation that men really wanted robots that would cook,
>>clean, and blow them as desired could easily have been uttered by any
>>number of radical feminists of the time.  Hell, it wouldn't be that
>>hard to find a fringe feminist now who says the same thing.

>	I note the existance of RealDolls: http://www.realdoll.com/

>[Probably not worksafe unless you work someplace like a **** studio or
>perhaps a brothel]

>	Not to mention Teddy Babes: http://www.teddy-babes.com/faq.html

>[Also probably not worksafe]

>[" It's also perfect for traveling and can fit into a reasonably sized 
>suitcase." Insert scene here involving a traveller, his teddy babe 
>and a TSA official]

>	I submit that if the target markets for either of those could
>order real robots, they would. 

I submit that the target markets for those consist almost entirely of
men who can't get wives even half as attractive as Katharine Ross (or
Nicole Kidman), and can't afford to hire even mid-range callgirls on 
a regular basis.

Stepford being populated by upper-class men who originally had beautiful
wives, I tend to agree with the original poster that one has to be at
least two standard deviations out along the nutcase feminist axis to 
find the plot credible after more than a moment's thought.  And even in
the 1970s, I think two-sigma-nutty feminists weren't numerous enough to
constitute a target audience for a major motion picture.

OTOH, people whose attention span won't cover more than a moment's thought
regarding a movie plot, were and still are.


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