TW: Rape
Sex robot company (we’ll leave the discussion on what sex robots tells us about society for another day) True Companion have recently advertised a new feature of their ‘Roxxxy TrueCompanion’ bot; a ‘Frigid Farrah’ personality which allows the user to simulate rape. Yes, you read that correctly.
There are a lot of things that make me angry, but when my entire body goes hot and my blood feels like it’s fizzing into a volcano of rage, I know I’ve hit on something particularly special.
With a simple settings switch, when you touch the robot “in a private area, more than likely, she will not be too appreciative of your advance.” Unlike her ‘Wild Wendy’ or ‘S&M Susan’ counterparts, the ‘Frigid Farrah’ personality of the robot is described by the company as “reserved and shy”.
What.
WHAT?
This is what can only be described as peak toxic masculinity. This is a product that I could never, ever imagine a woman creating a demand for. This product is clearly pandering to the idea that ‘men can’t help it’, and enforcing the idea that they have no choice in the matter – it’s programmed into them to get sex any way they can. Aside from how sickeningly insulting this is to the male psyche, this is an incredibly dangerous ideology to support, and adds to a culture where rape is somehow excusable as something the perpetrators have little to no control over.
“If you’re having the urge to rape someone, you should not be having your needs catered for.”
By developing a robot like this, the company is allowing men to essential ‘play’ at sexual assault, and facilitating their desire to rape. These are desires that should absolutely not be indulged, on any level, or normalised to the point where you can purchase the experience. If you’re having the urge to rape someone, you should not be having your needs catered for.
One argument for this ‘rape setting’ would perhaps be claim that this sex robot setting will prevent men from raping real women… but chances are, if you’re desire to rape someone is so strong that you’ll shell out for artificial intelligence, sooner or later it’s not going to be a good enough substitute for the real thing. It also ignores the fact that it’s really f*cking easy not to rape someone. If someone feels that they are so overcome with the need to force themselves on another person, they should stay the hell away from other human beings. To suggest that they can’t do this is to say that the effort of staying out of people’s way and seeking help isn’t worth it for the sake of others’ safety.
“How many women have been pressured into performing sexual acts they are uncomfortable with by being called ‘frigid’?”
And forget the actual robot for a second, if you can scrub it from your mind with whatever the mental equivalent of wire wool is. The language used by True Companion in their marketing could be used as a prime case study for rape culture. The personality setting that allows a user to simulate rape is called ‘Frigid Farrah’. Frigid. How many women have been pressured into performing sexual acts they are uncomfortable with by being called that word? How many times has ‘frigid’ been used as an insult to women who won’t sleep with a man (only to be turned around and called ‘slut’ when she does)?
Naming this ‘rape setting’ as ‘frigid’ just enforces the idea that ‘frigid’ women are still available for you engage in intercourse with. That if a woman is ‘shy’ you’re still welcome to force yourself upon her. Women who are raped are not ‘frigid’. They are not ‘reserved’ for resisting advances, nor are they ‘shy’ when they tell you to stop. They are exercising control over their own damn body, and if you don’t respect that then frankly you can go and jump in the sea.
It is frankly astounding, even within the world of people who manufacture sex robots, that the concept, building and marketing of this product has continued to the point where it’s actually available for people to buy. In 2017, someone is putting money behind the creation of a robotic woman that you can configure to simulate rape.
Rape is not sex. I cannot say this enough. Rape. Is. Not. Sex. By adding a ‘rape setting’ to a sex robot, it ceases to be a sex robot. What you’ve got there is a rape robot. Congratulations, you flaming piece of human garbage.
