November 28, 2010

Spooning with the robot pillow.


Funktionide Part II from eltopo on Vimeo.

Is it sad?
I mean... I'm not asking if the blob itself is sad. But is it sad that there is — if there is — a need for things like this?

26 comments:

traditionalguy said...

Help! I am not ready for this Brave New World that lets computers wizards replace men and women with non-gender droids without even noticing what has been taken away from them. That is the ultimate tragedy.

Ron Van Wegen said...

"Funktionide Part II from eltopo on Vimeo." What does that even mean?

Revenant said...

Unsurprisingly I disagree with t-guy. The brave new world looks sort of interesting.

Penny said...

Spooning with the "robot pillow"...while listening to... MUSIC!

Watch the same video again, and turn your sound off. See if it strikes you in quite the same way.

Call me old-fashioned, but I am currently more concerned about artificial music than I am about an artificial muscle pillow.

traditionalguy said...

Rev...Yes, it is interesting to see that substitute for a lover come alive, like a Dr Frankenstein's later interesting creations. But will it respect you in the morning?

Ann Althouse said...

I think it's very strange how little it takes to get the sense of humanity... to feel real empathy for that thing.

Meade said...

Make it so it sheds and you've almost got a Labrador Retriever.

traditionalguy said...

I suppose that humans are subconsciously empathy prone to a good purpose. The blob resembles a foetus struggling to be born and accepted. It only needs two eyes looking back at you.

chickelit said...

It's like a living, breathing uncooked loaf.

Penny said...

"Make it so it sheds and you've almost got a Labrador Retriever."

Heck, I've been known to "adopt" shredders,.... and a few woof dogs.

Only the woof dogs get to share my bed, however.;)

Wonder what they would think about this artificial muscle? Might they come to see it as part of their pack?

Joel C Anatoli said...

Its like one of those toys you buy for for your pet in the pet store.. except this one is for people lol

Skyler said...

Truly pathetic.

Reminds me of the Marine officer who told me he wanted to market some ultra life-like sex dolls to Marines and soldiers in Iraq several years ago. He said that a squad could all chip in to buy one and share.

I had always thought he was a pervert, that pretty much cinched that conclusion in my brain.

Likewise, anyone selling this is a bit odd. Anyone buying it has some real problems and should seek help.

Kirk Parker said...

It's a Japanese thang--you wouldn't understand.

Jason (the commenter) said...

But is it sad that there is — if there is — a need for things like this?

No one tell her about Realdolls.

Fred4Pres said...

Make it so it sheds and you've almost got a Labrador Retriever.

The Blob seems about as intelligent as a Golden Retriever.

john said...

They're here already! You're next!

TWM said...

That's just creepy . . .

Drew said...

I love how, near the end of the video when man and blob are locked in an embrace, the camera demurely pans away . . . and we fade to white.

So modest!

And now, dear viewer, let us draw a curtain on this scene . . .

jungatheart said...

Distressing. Terribly sad and manipulative. But it reminds me of a pretty good scifi short story I read a long time ago.

A man was marooned on a planet, but there was a mechanical, life-like woman he had as a companion. When, after years, he was finally rescued, there was not enough room/weight allowance on the transport for the automaton to leave with him. He was very torn up about leaving her and finally he shot her up with a weapon, yelling, 'you're not real!' and then boarded the transport.

pdug said...

I once had this dream where I was eating a giant marshmallow and when I woke up my pillow was gone!

WV:polerol

jungatheart said...

Oh, brother.

Fred Drinkwater said...

Oogh. Deeply creepy - I only got a third of the way through it. I got an intense alienation vibe from the whole thing, especially his furniture and his facial (lack of) expression.

Re: suggestion about eyes on that thing, where's Chip? Is he too busy?

Re: Labradors - so true, but I never got creeped out by a Lab. In fact, I venture to state that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get creeped out by a Lab.

WV: sabyint - that pillow is almost sabyint.

veni vidi vici said...

Hey Deborah, that was a Twilight Zone episode as well.


Watched this video without sound. What a totally queer vibe, and what the hell with the doof they got to act in it. You know he's gonna fuck the pillow once the fade-out is complete. This one's clearly for the mega-wankers out there. Gross.

Phil 314 said...

Drew and Veni Vida came to the same conclusions I came too

Thankfully both the cross fading still photos and the pan away at the end did not allow us the the rapidly accelerating thrusts of the man's pelvis.

el polacko said...

the music makes it seem a little creepier and sadder than it is. i already hug a pillow when i sleep..not sure if i would want the pillow to throb, but i'd be willing to give it a try..as long as it doesn't try to hog the bed! it could be very soothing a la those heartbeat thingies you can put in a baby's crib.

Methadras said...

Fucking Japs and their bizarre aspirations to ausage otaku everywhere.