Does the Sexbot Encourage Rape?

Did that sexbot just say "Stop that"?

2010 is apparently not only the year of the tiger, but also the year of the sex robot. Created by a company called "True Companion" (after all, why make a connection with a real woman when you can have a true, computer-programmed companion), Roxxxy made her spreadeagled debut earlier this month. And while I think sex toys for one are generally rockin', my initial reaction to this was: "creeep-pey." Then it got worse.

True companionship might be priceless, but Roxxxy will cost $7000 or more, according to Digital Journal. Thus, the article suggests that, "Selling a few millions of these, we may perhaps emerge out of the present recession and into a world without climate change, without wars, without rape or other manners of sexual abuse." Okay, I'm sensing some tongue-in-cheek sarcasm here. Regardless, now that the point's been raised, I have some serious concerns about Roxxxy's relationship to rape and consent.

In Tana Ganeva's Alternet article on the unveiling, the fembot's response to being fingered by the presenter immediately jumped out at me: "Stop that. Oooooh!"

Did that sexbot just say no?

Maybe she was set on "Frigid Farah," one of her five distinct personalities. Ignoring the fact that "frigid" is a  often used as an insult toward women who just aren't that into you, I have two questions: If you've decided to make a sexbot, why would you design it to refuse consent? And what's the draw of a frigid sex toy?

But of course, Roxxxy -- whatever personality she was wearing at the time -- actually wanted it. Didn't you hear her moan? Didn't you notice her orgasm? (Yes, it's an important selling point that she orgasms at your touch.) She didn't really mean it when she said "no." She just needed a man to show her what she wanted.

Rape is about power and control. Roxxxy encourages that: she isn't merely a sex toy, she's a substitute human being that you own, giving you the right to do whatever you want to her. But that doesn't mean that she'll act as a stand-in for rapists. Instead, she promotes the common blame-the-victim defense that the woman wanted it -- that she said no, but she really meant yes -- sending completely the wrong message to men.

Even without this particular consent issue (seriously, what made programming her to stay "stop that" seem like a brilliant idea??), the essential nature of the sex robot makes me nervous because it dehumanizes women, which also has dangerous possibilities for sexual assault. Roxxxy can't really consent, or not consent, because she does only what she's programmed to do. The very fact of how well made and lifelike she is increases the threat.

Roxxxy's male counterpart, Rocky, is still in the pipeline. (Big surprise that they got the female model out first.) And while substituting a fake, computer programmed person for human contact seems kind of disturbing all around, the high rates of sexual assault and rape against women make Ms. Triple-X my biggest concern.

Photo credit: swanksalot