Representations of women and cyborgs

Cyborgs- half human/ half machine.

A cyborg is like binary opposition because its both human and robot (two opposite things).

Blade runner- SCOTT

• her skin is sliver (robotic) however her figure is identical to female.
• she's got autonomy but is also automaton. 

Autonomy- having control over your own life.

Automaton- something/ someone with no control over themselves (a robot for example).

representation of things that don't exist.

ideologies are related to beliefs- shown through representation. 

Representation- a producer shows something again- people, groups, society and their values and ideologies.

Producers goal is to manipulate the audience into believing something or feeling a certain way about something. (cultivates an ideology into the audience's minds).

What roles do women/ synths adopt in "Humans"?

• Maid/ housewife (domestic roles)/ butler/ care giver- they're all slaves as they don't get paid.
• Stereotypically attractive.
• Humans and robots play the role of a mother (Anita takes role of motherhood).
• Sex worker.
• O.D (the robot boy) plays the role of George's friend and "son"- more sentimental and different role to sex worker/ maid.
• Professional female role (Laura is a lawyer).
• Rebellious teenage daughter.

The brothel scene/ closing montage

• Representation of gender- maternal (shown through the long shot of Anita holding Sophie and kissing her forehead).
• Anita kidnaps the child- binary opposition from being maternal. 
• Binary opposition between Anita and Laura- Laura gives Sophie her toy giraffe when she sleeps but when Anita kidnaps Sophie, she drops the giraffe.
• Slow zoom at Nisca's face, especially her eyes- to make audience feel uncomfortable to understand that Nisca feels pain.
• Male that has sex with Nisca seems blunt, cold and controlling- makes audience sympathise with Nisca. He looks like a stereotypical dominant male who likes using sex workers.
• Patriarchal nature shown in Laura's husband as he doesn't listen to Laura when she tells him how uncomfortable she feels having Anita. He says something like, "the synth stays", as if she has no say.
•  In the final scene, Nisca is getting raped because she can't consent so sh does what the male tells her to do.
• Sex robots cultivate the idea that rape and sexual assault aren't bad for those who like using sex robots- used to make the audience upset as the scene is anti-rape.
• Anita is sexualised and objectified. Sophie ays "i hops she's pretty"- an expectation that the synth is a woman as she says "she." She's treated like a doll- Anita's physical attractiveness is aspirational for Sophie.

Madonna/ Whore Complex:

• "Madonna" refers to the virgin Mary- binary opposition with the word "whore.

• Sigmund Freud developed a theory to explain men's anxiety towards women's sexuality, suggesting that men define women into one of two categories: the Madonna (women he admires and respects) and the whore (women he is attracted to and therefore disrespects). 

• Anita is seen as a Madonna as she is dressed in a non-sexualised dress and acts unprovocative. She is unable to reproduce.

Polysemic- media product with many different meanings

• Anita is often referred to as an "it" by laura 

What is Humanity?

• Globalisation is made because of technology, how we are half human and half machine. Technology is being used to define people 
• Our towns and cities, the way in which we learn and the way we define ourselves which is all made possible through the use of technology 
• One day Humans are going to die
• Talk
• Humans want fulfilment 
• We understand each other
• Humans feel empathy
• To be inquisitive is to be human
• Education to make ourselves better 
• we are ingenious 
• Love

How does this refer to Humans?

• Binary oppositions
• Anita is objectified and sexualised.
• Referred to as "stupid machine" by women in the family as they are jealous of her due to her looks, her role in the house
• If we feel bad for Anita when she's shot then surely that makes her Human? makes the audience question humanity 

Gender Performativity: 

Judith Butler - theories of gender performativity (feminist theorist)

- Identity is a performance

- We conduct it through a series of expressions

- The way we walk, dress, talk

- There is no gender identity behind these expressions of gender

- Gender performativity is not a singular act, but a repetition and a ritual. It is outlined and reinforced through dominant patriarchal ideologies 

Why is it controversial?

- Christians may disagree as they believe in set  genders - Adam and Eve

bell hooks - Feminist theory

- Make assumptions about women

- Argues that feminism is a struggle to end patriarchal oppression and the ideology of domination, and that the position of the underrepresented is by class, race as well as gender

- "women in lower class and poor groups, particularly those who are non-white, would not have defined women's liberation as women gaining social equality with men since they are continually reminded in their everyday lives that all women do not share a social status" 

What examples are patriarchal dominant hegemonic codes in Humans?

- Anita is a women and Joe is in control of her, her primary user

- Father decides to buy the synth and used her to help around the house assuming men are lazy and incapable of doing work and need a women to do the work 

- The Father refuses to take Anita back when Laura asks so he's putting his foot down

Laura feels like she needs to do the housework as its "her job" so its like she is joining in 

- The man in the brothel doesn't view the synth as not being a human being but is it that she's a synth or a woman 

- The first ever synth was made by David Elster - initially to replace his wife

- The salesman is male

- The majority of the ethnic actors are synths ("servants") 

- The attitudes of the males, particularly towards Niska in the brothel

 

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