Were it up to Christopher, this episode would be titled “ALL HAIL, BENDER, SUPREME ROBOT OF ALL ROBOTS!!!” but Shawn wouldn’t go for that. So instead, this week…we’ll talk about more robots than just Bender.
(Shawn can bite Christopher’s shiny metal ass!!!)
We begin this episode talking about the first time we can remember seeing a robot — fictional or otherwise. Then it’s on to, “What’s the first thing that pops into you head when you think ‘robot?'”
But robots are much more than vehicles for stories. We discuss the best real-world robots…and the worst!
But face it: when people think robots, they think about the future. So we would be bad meatbags if we didn’t devote some time to how we’d love to see robots used in the future.
But robots aren’t always cool. We talk about the most upsetting development in robotics — real or fictional…and then we discuss the best robot in the realm of fiction.
(“ALL HAIL BENDER!!!”)
Oh yeah…and the crappiest robot in fiction or the real world. Poor sad, stupid robots we don’t like…
(Yes, there was something in the 80s far worse than Alf!)
The future is always a moment away, so we take some time to talk about what uses for robots in the future make us a bit uneasy…and then we talk about if we think we’ll see sentient robots in our lifetimes.
As always, we wrap it up looking forward with a glint of optimism in our eyes (Take that, Skynet!). We close out this episode with the best possible future of robotics.
(Oh yeah, Christopher totally forgot a couple other fave robots: Daft Punk!)
We’d love to hear what you meatbags think about our robotic overlords in the comments below. Remember: the machine is watching…and it does not take kindly to criticism!
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My fav bot. She’s fantastic. Hey-hey-hey.
http://youtu.be/rLy-AwdCOmI
I’m never sleeping again!
I agree about the sexbots. This story’s for you, Shawn: http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/i-am-happy-to-serve-you-a-flash-fiction-tale/
You hit the creepy button well in that story. Just the subtle things, like the guy sounding nice and slipping deeper and deeper into being an ass.
I used to follow an OK Cupid “Best Of” blog that shared some of the stranger profiles. It amazed me how many guys start off their profiles with, “I’ll treat you so well because I’m a nice guy…” and then a couple lines later: “I’m tired of money-grubbing bitches who won’t date me because I’m in my 40s, live at home, and work the fry pit at McDonalds!”
And it usually wraps up with, “So…if you’re not a gold-digging cunt who expects me to shower more than once a month…I’m the man for you, baby!” 🙂
The best part of those profiles: “Gold digging,” seems to mean any woman who works hard and expects someone to do the same. I’ve known guys who were just shy of the guy I just described who FUMED about women expecting a guy who makes money. In every case, it wasn’t someone wanting a guy to pay their way…more a thing of someone with a decade or two of working behind them and achieving a certain level of success and wanting someone similar.
So yes, you captured the creepy guy all-too-well.
And on a totally random note: I forgot to mention Maximillian, from The Black Hole. Scariest robot in my youth!
Thanks for the comments on my story, I’m glad it hit the creepy button. Happy Halloween! 🙂
This is the kind of person I fear.
He probably owns and wears the shit out of a trilby.