El “Niño” Rodríguez tiene una larga carrera en la
historieta, el diseño gráfico y la animación. Con sus trabajos participó
en festivales y muestras prestigiosas, como Pictoplasma o Onedotzero Buenos Aires. Como historietista, durante los ochenta pasó por Fierro (también está en la nueva etapa con La Familia Bolchevique), SexHumor, Creepy, El Tajo y otras. Ya en los noventa, llevó adelante durante cinco años una página mensual de historieta llamada Visite Nuevo México en la revista Tres Puntos. De esta experiencia surgieron los personajes que llevó a la última apuesta importante en materia de diarios nacionales: Crítica de la Argentina.
Con su aspecto retro cincuentoso, el Niño Rodriguez satiriza a la
izquierda en la familia bolchevique. Tiene algunas cosas que sacan una
sonrisa. Y reirse de la izquierda hoy en dia es casi tan fácil como
reírse de la burguesía... vamos!!! Que Trotsky seguro reía de vez en
cuando!!
Carlos Trillo (1 de mayo de 1943 – 7 de mayo de 2011) fue un reconocido guionista de
historietas y escritor de Argentina, acá les traigo un pequeño índice de
las historietas guionadas por él que existen en el blog HowtoArsenioLupin.
Quienes han trabajado con usted la definen como excéntrica.
¿De verdad? No creo que lo sea. Como mucho, soy un poco rarita. Si soy
excéntrica, será solo porque detecto con facilidad el lado absurdo de la
vida.
También la llaman nostálgica.
Puede ser. Me siento nostálgica de los momentos en que no tenía
preocupaciones, como mi infancia. No fui la niña más feliz del mundo,
pero tuve una libertad que echo de menos. Desaparece cuando te das
cuenta de que eres mortal.
¿Que su abuelo fuera propietario de los estudios Pathé, un auténtico imperio del cine europeo, no la ayudó en sus inicios?
No creo que tuviera una gran influencia ni que me abriera muchas
puertas. Decidí dedicarme a esto porque mis padres frecuentaban a
artistas, así que siempre lo vi como una posibilidad.
¿Genera su estricta educación protestante un sentimiento de culpa respecto a la fama y el lujo?
Algo de eso hay. Mi madre me vestía con ropa de segunda mano, así que
los privilegios me parecen un poco obscenos. Pero no puedo negar que me
encanta la moda. Los disfruto mucho, tal vez porque mi infancia fue lo
contrario.
Se ha descrito como tímida.
Es que lo soy, extremadamente. Siempre me pongo roja. A veces hasta me
quedo paralizada y no puedo ni hablar. Pero las palabras tampoco sirven
para mucho, ¿no?
No es pudorosa ante la cámara. Se ha desnudado repetidamente desde el inicio de su carrera.
Me incomoda mucho. Cuando era un poco más joven me daba bastante igual
[uno de sus primeros trabajos fue un anuncio para American Apparel con
los pechos descubiertos]. Pero mi parte preferida de mi cuerpo son mis
ojeras. Ellas me definen. Informan sobre mi melancolía.
¿Es cierto que tiene una máxima de Nietzsche?
Sí: «Conviértete en lo que eres». Yo, de mayor, quiero ser feliz. Y eso
que no creo demasiado en la felicidad, aunque debo decir que ahora
mismo me gusta mi vida.
La famosa actriz Keira Knightley posa en el próximo número de la revista Interview Magazine en
'topless'. Unas fotos en blanco y negro donde se ve a la delgadísima
actriz con el torso al descubierto, mirando fijamente al frente de forma
sensual y con el cabello mojado.
Una polémica en la que se ha visto involucrada a lo
largo de su carrera fue la del aumento digital de sus pechos con fines
comerciales.
Prefiero pensar que fue en mis inicios profesionales y que es el precio
que hay que pagar. Mírame: ¿acaso crees que puedo tener las curvas con
las que aparecía en el cartel de El Rey Arturo? En este
trabajo, muchas personas influyen en tu imagen, y yo lo acepto, porque
es parte del oficio. Lo que no estoy dispuesta a consentir, por ejemplo,
es que alguien me diga que soy menos mujer que otra porque tengo menos
pecho.
Poco después de cumplir los 17 años de edad la actriz británica
abandona sus estudios para centrarse en su carrera cinematográfica. La
carencia de estudios universitarios lleva a la actriz a leer y estudiar
fuera de su actividad profesional hoy en día, a pesar de su dislexia, que padece desde sus 6 años. En una entrevista en la revista británica Tatler la actriz realiza una declaración diciendo:
"Soy, completamente, una inculta. No ir a la universidad me ha dado
una fuerza increíble (para aprender cosas), pues eso te deja un ligero
resentimiento."
"Vieja: no me recibí de médico, pero me hicieron una estatua en Buenos Aires!", la frase en broma de Manu Ginóbili en su cuenta de Twitter fue el camino que el bahiense eligió para contar el homenaje que el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires le brindó.
Una
estatua de Manu Ginóbili ya se encuentra en el Paseo de la Gloria, en
costanera sur, junto con otros deportistas que hicieron grande a la
Argentina.
Este nuevo atractivo se extenderá desde la avenida Tristán Achával Rodríguez y Azucena Villaflor hasta la calle Viamonte. Además de la escultura de "Manu", se incluirán las obras de
Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, Roberto de Vicenzo, Luciana Aymar,
Lionel Messi, Pascual Pérez, Hugo Porta, Diego Maradona y Juan Manuel
Fangio.
Las estatuas estarán a cargo del artista Carlos Benavídez, escultor realista, reconocido por sus numerosos trabajos para coleccionistas.
Mientras el Gobierno porteño lanzó el Paseo de la Gloria con la
estatua de Emanuel "Manu" Ginóbili, hoy TyC Sports anunció que retirará
para su reparación las figuras de Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi y Gabriel
Batistuta que instaló en Plaza Francia porque fueron vandalizadas por
quinta vez en menos de tres meses.
Las estatuas de Messi, Maradona
y Batistuta fueron inaguradas el 5 de junio en la plaza Intendente
Torcuato de Alvear, conocida como Francia, en Recoleta. Las puso TyC
Sports para celebrar su 20° aniversario homenajeando a los tres máximos
referentes que tuvo la Selección Argentina de Fútbol. Pero hoy, la
empresa las removerá para repararlas, porque volvieron a ser dañadas
intencionalmente. La figura de Maradona sufrió la rotura de la nariz y
otras partes de su cara; a la de Messi le cortaron los dedos índices que
caracterizan su festejo de gol, y la de Batistuta tiene golpes y
roturas en el rostro.
El vandalismo también se ensaña con las estatuas que coloca el
Gobierno porteño para homenajear a otros personajes populares, como
ocurrió con las de Alberto Olmedo y Javier Portales en la avenida
Corrientes. Aún así, el Ejecutivo hoy lanzó un nuevo recorrido con más
de estas figuras. Se trata del "Paseo de la Gloria", en la Costanera
Sur, cuya primera estatua es la de Emanuel "Manu" Ginóbili.
En el
Paseo, que está ubicado en la avenida Tristán Achával Rodríguez y
Rosario Vera Peñaloza, también pondrán a la leona Luciana Aymar, los
tenistas Guillermo Vilas y Gabriela Sabatini, el golfista Roberto de
Vicenzo, el boxeador Pascual Pérez, el automovilista Juan Manuel Fangio,
el rugbier Hugo Porta y los futbolistas Lionel Messi y Diego Maradona.
"Este paseo forma parte de la preparación para los Juegos Olímpicos de
la Juventud 2018", explicó la vicejefa de Gobierno, María Eugenia Vidal,
en la inauguración.
Ginóbili también participó en la presentación
de su estatua, realizada por el artista Carlos Benavídez. "Esta
iniciativa me impactó y me atrajo el hecho de que en este Paseo vayamos a
estar diez de los más importantes deportistas de la historia de nuestro
país. Me parece no sólo una idea muy linda, sino que es un honor muy
grande ser parte de esto, al lado de nombres como Diego o Messi y tantos
otros", sostuvo el basquetbolista.
Bonus: Ginóbili sobre una posible estatua a Tim Duncan
Argentina tuvo un comienzo soñado en el Mundial: 98-75 sobre Puerto Rico para sumar su primer triunfo en Sevilla. Scola fue el máximo goleador con 20 puntos, brilló Nocioni con su energía y Safar aportó desde el banco. El domingo toca Croacia.
Ni el más optimista hubiera imaginado un debut así para la
Argentina en el Mundial de España. Ni el mismísimo Luis Scola, uno de
los pocos que había manifestado entusiasmo a pesar de la negativa
preparación. Pero pasó. Una vez más, el equipo hizo el click tan famoso y
redondeó una actuación brillante para aplastar a Puerto Rico por 98 a
75 y sumar su primer triunfo en Sevilla. Este domingo, desde las 8.30
chocará con Croacia, por la segunda fecha del Grupo B.
El equipo argentino arrancó decidido a revertir su imagen respecto
del último amistoso preparatorio y con una buena combinación de energía y
efectividad de Andrés Nocioni y Walter Herrmann sacó rápidas ventajas
(diez puntos en el primer cuarto para Chapu, siete para el alero de
Flamengo). Fue un lavado de cara necesario: los jugadores necesitaban un
empujoncito para ganar confianza.
A partir de esa diferencia, el
seleccionado intentó bajar el ritmo y administrar la energía. Pero no
lo logró. Y la reacción de los boricuas llegó por decantación. José Juan
Barea ingresó con puntos (diez al final del PT) y Renaldo Balkman
comenzó a influir en la pintura (ni rastros de su lesión). Parecía que
se venía la noche. Hasta que entró Selem Safar y, con su absoluta
desfachatez, rompió los esquemas.
El flamante escolta de Obras
marcó 12 puntos en un ratito (4-6 de cancha) e impregnó de frescura la
ofensiva argentina. Ni siquiera la tercera falta de Pablo Prigioni
empañó el buen cierre al descanso (45-38). Porque para ese pasaje, los
veteranos y los jóvenes del plantel ya había ganado en confianza. Al fin
y al cabo, evidentemente, era lo que necesitaban: recuperar autoestima.
Las
buenas sensaciones se concretaron en el inicio del tercer cuarto, acaso
el mejor rato del equipo desde el comienzo de la preparación. Con
defensa, variantes ofensivas, compromiso colectivo e ideas claras, sacó
una máxima de 21 (46-67 a 1’32’’), que promediando el último chico se
estiraría a 25 (75-52 a 7’10’’) y más tarde a 29 (55-84 a 5’20’’).
Puerto Rico quedó ridiculizado. Al extremo tal que el DT Paco Olmos
resignó a Balkman y ya no volvió a utilizarlo.
Sin exagerar:
deben haber sido uno de los mejores momentos de este segundo ciclo de
Lamas, al menos desde Londres 2012 para acá. Los últimos minutos
estarían de más. O no tanto: le servirían a los muchos argentinos
presentes en el estadio para cantar. Y desahogarse después de tanta
ansiedad. Como para redondear un debut soñado.
Nocioni aportó toda su energía desde el comienzo y lideró al equipo argentino en el triunfo sobre Puerto Rico. "Cuando los partidos van en serio me pongo las pilas", dijo Chapu, que metió 18 puntos y tomó 11 rebotes.
Si bien el trabajo de conjunto fue notable y no eximiría a ninguno
de los jugadores de una calificación alta, entre tantas buenas
producciones elegimos a Andrés Nocioni para ponerlo un escalón más
arriba, especialmente por la energía positiva que transmitió desde el
primer rebote, la primera anotación, en el comienzo de un partido ya
convertido en un clásico, ante Puerto Rico, en donde ambos seleccionados
se jugaban buena parte del futuro para la clasificación.
Las
estadísticas individuales son excelentes: 18 puntos, con 7-13 de cancha
(3-8 triples), y 11 rebotes. Dominó el tablero defensivo, especialmente
cuando había que marcar terreno, en el comienzo del choque, con una
furia controlada. "Es que cuando los partidos van en serio me pongo las
pilas", apunta. Defendió a rivales más fuertes y altos. Pero está
acostumbrado, en la liga española jugó todo el año de alla pivote. Con
Walter Herrmann entraron y salieron de la zona pintada para hacerse
espacios.
"El primer triunfo es muy importante. Nosotros somos
un equipo que compite, serio en el trabajo, nos tienen que tener
confianza, sabemos jugar. Se defendió mejor que en la preparación, nos
pasamos más la pelota en ataque y los triples de Safar abrieron la
cancha y todos tuvimos más espacios", explicó Chapu. En cuanto al choque
por la segunda fecha, ante Croacia, el santafesino dijo que "es una
pena que la organización no contemple más horas de descanso entre un
partido y otro. También lo que digo vale para Croacia, que está en una
situación parecida".
Ginóbili, a horas del debut de Argentina en el Mundial, expresó que "es un año de incertidumbre por las ausencias" pero tiene confianza. En la Costanera Sur inauguraron el Paseo de las Glorias con su estatua.
Manu Ginóbili vive la previa del Mundial como si estuviese dentro
del plantel de la Selección y con las mismas expectativas que los 12 que
viajaron a España para representar al país. "Es un año de incertidumbre
por las ausencias de Carlos (Delfino) y mía, ya que jugamos en la misma
posición y nos deja un poco desprotegidos. Pero confío en mis
compañeros, en su preparación, en su profesionalismo y en su conducta.
Cuando llegue el momento, van a jugar bien", expresó el escolta, a horas
del debut de la Selección frente a Puerto Rico, en la inauguración del
Paseo de las Glorias con su estatua, un evento organizado por la Ciudad
de Buenos Aires.
Igualmente, Manu cree que las bajas son
sensibles y, por este motivo, no tienen que haber tantas pretensiones.
"Obviamente, si pensamos en ganarle a España y a Estados Unidos, que hoy
por hoy son mejores que nosotros, va a ser complicado. Hay que ajustar
expectativas. Quedar entre los primeros ocho no sería un fracaso", opinó
el jugador de San Antonio Spurs. Pero, más allá de eso, el bahiense ve
que "en el grupo hay muchas chances de hacer un gran papel" debido a que
"una vez que se sale a la cancha, en un campeonato así, saca todo de
adentro".
Un día después del décimo aniversario de la medalla de oro conseguida
en Atenas, Ginóbili recordó ese momento ante la consulta de Olé y
aseguró que es muy complicado que vuelva a suceder: "Es muy difícil que
haya otra Generación Dorada. Eso depende de cómo la tomás. Si pensamos
en que nos pueda dejar bien parados es muy posible, pero de ahí a que
gane un oro olímpico es difícil. Sería muy raro que se dé. Ni a España
ni a Lituania se les dio".
Sobre su vuelta a la Selección, señaló
que le "gustaría" estar en un torneo más. Pero también que "hay algo
real que es que estoy al borde del retiro". Sin embargo, no hay que
perder las esperanzas: "No tengo la decisión tomada pero no me quiero
hacer la ilusiones a mí mismo ni a nadie porque es posible que no juegue
al basquet en general. Desde hace unos años tomo al deporte año a
año".
Por último, se mostró sorprendido por lo bien que quedó la
escultura realizada por Carlos Benavídez, en el marco de la inauguración
del Paseo de las Glorias, en en el que se pondrán estatuas de los diez
deportistas más importantes del país. Entre risas y en forma de broma,
al verla, expresó: "Ya me están retirando antes porque ya me hicieron de
piedra". Luego, contó que es la primera que le hacen, que "es un gran
honor" y que observarse a sí mismo es "impactante".
Grupo B / Primera fecha
Argentina 98:
Pablo Prigioni 9, Facundo Campazzo 8, Walter Herrmann 12, Andrés
Nocioni 18 y Luis Scola 20 (FI); Marcos Mata (x) 2, Leo Gutiérrez 3,
Marcos Delia 8 y Selem Safar 18. DT: Julio Lamas.
Puerto Rico 75:
David Huertas 5, Carlos Arroyo 6, Alex Franklin 2, Renaldo Balkman 10 y
Ricky Sánchez 6 (FI); Ramón Clemente 2, José Barea 24, Angel Vassallo
9, Carlos Rivera 5, Jorge Bryan Díaz 0, Alexander Galindo 0 y Daniel
Santiago 0. DT: Paco Olmos.
Parciales: 27-19, 45-38 y 69-49.
Arbitros: Lamonica (ITA), Aylen (AUS) y Belosevic (SRB). Estadio: Pabellón San Pablo (Sevilla).
In the 2008 movie "Lars and the Real Girl" Ryan Gosling plays a man who
introduces a life sized doll as his girlfriend and takes her everywhere,
eventually gaining the town's acceptance.
A year before that movie put so-called "real dolls" on the periphery, the BBC produced a documentary called "Guys and Dolls." It chronicles the industry and the men who buy them. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube.
A California company called Realdoll began making realistic,
lifesized dolls back in 1996. Since then, they've sold thousands of them
for upwards of $10,000 each.
The men interviewed in the documentary talk about how the dolls
influence their lives. While they sometimes feel isolated from real
life, they say the companionship they feel with the dolls is worth it.
Davecat met his future wife, Sidore Kuroneko at a goth club in 2000,
so the story goes. The less romantic but perhaps more true version is
that he saved up for a year and a half to buy her online. She cost about
$6,000.
Sidore is a RealDoll, manufactured by Abyss Creations in the shape of
a human woman. She is covered in artificial skin made of silicone, so
she’s soft. These high-end, anatomically correct—even equipped with fake
tongues—love dolls (or capital-D Dolls) are ostensibly made for sex.
But 40-year-old Davecat (a nickname acquired from videogames that he now
prefers to go by) and others who call themselves iDollators see their
dolls as life partners, not sex toys. Davecat and Sidore (or, as he
sometimes calls her, Shi-chan) obviously aren’t legally married,
but they do have matching wedding bands that say “Synthetik [sic] love
lasts forever,” and he says they’re considering some sort of ceremony
for their 15th anniversary.
Davecat considers himself an activist for synthetic love, and the
rights of synthetic humans, such as Shi-chan. He’s active online, with
an iDollator blog, “Shouting to hear the echoes,” that he updates
regularly, and has appeared on TLC’s show My Strange Addiction, as well as in a BBC documentary called Guys and Dolls.
According to the backstory of Davecat’s relationships, his Doll
mistress (and Sidore’s girlfriend), Elena Vostrikova, saw Davecat and
Sidore in Guys and Dolls and moved from Russia to be with them.
Davecat purchased Elena, or Lenka, in 2012, and the three of them now
share a one-bedroom apartment in southeastern Michigan.
When and why did you purchase your first Doll? Were you thinking of companionship at the time, or was it just for sex?
I bought Shi-chan back in 2000. Admittedly, my reasons for purchasing
her were 70 percent sex, 30 percent companionship. I've always been
attracted to artificial women such as mannequins, and especially
Gynoids, which are robots made in the likeness of human females. In late
1998 one of my best friends, showed me the RealDoll website, as she
knew I was keen on artificial women. I thought they were gorgeous
creations, and having one would not only dispel loneliness, but be
excellent for sex as well. And I was right!
When did you start feeling like Sidore was not just a sex toy but someone/something you were in a relationship with?
It actually didn't take me too long to regard Shi-chan as a synthetic
person, and not simply a thing; it occurred pretty much when I opened
her crate for the first time. I was immediately stunned by her lifelike
beauty, and after I mentally collected myself, extracted her from her
crate, and sat her down on the couch, I just held her in my arms for a
while. It felt so right and natural, if you'll pardon the pun. It seemed
perfectly normal for me to treat something that resembles an organic
woman the same way I'd treat an actual organic woman.
There was never a moment when Shi-chan—or any Doll, for that matter—was merely an object to me.
Part
of the (sexual) appeal of synthetics is how much they look like their
organic counterparts. If you have a robot shaped like a refrigerator,
that won't have as much draw as a robot in the shape of a human; people
will be more willing to interact with the human-shaped one. Further
still, if that humanoid robot has artificial skin and sounds like a
human, most people dealing with it are more than likely to even have a
moment where they forget it's a robot. With Sidore, her draw was
instantaneous. There was never a moment when Shi-chan—or any Doll, for
that matter—was merely an object to me.
Have you always been interested in dolls, and if so, was it always in a sexual way?
I've always been fascinated by the idea of artificial people,
specifically artificial women. Before I knew Dolls existed, I'd long
identified as being a technosexual, even before I knew there was a word
for it. A technosexual is someone who is attracted to robots. Like any
subculture, there's many shades within the term. Some technosexuals
prefer their organic partners to dress as robots; others are attracted
to robots who don't necessarily have a humanoid appearance, such as
R2-D2. My preference is for humanoid robots that are covered in
artificial flesh, so they look organic upon first glance; both
Geminoid-F and the Actroid series of Gynoids by Hiroshi Ishiguro are excellent examples.
Obviously, I’m sexually attracted to synthetic humans, such as
Gynoids and Dolls, but the much larger part of their appeal is that
they're humans, but they don't possess any of the unpleasant qualities
that organic, flesh and blood humans have. A synthetic will never lie to
you, cheat on you, criticize you, or be otherwise disagreeable. It’s
rare enough to find organics who don't have something going on with
them, and being able to make a partner of one is rarer still.
In your episode of My Strange Addiction, you talk
about how you're perfectly aware she's a doll, and you're not trying to
pretend she's a person. Yet you consider yourself married to Sidore, a
marriage/relationship being something that is inherently two-sided. How
do you reconcile those two things in your head at once?
Both Sidore and Elena have two backstories. One in which Sidore is
the daughter of a Japanese father and an English mother, and was born in
Japan and raised in Manchester, England. Elena's is similar; she grew
up in Vladivostok, Russia. The other backstory they have is that they're
Dolls. Self-aware Dolls, but Dolls nonetheless. In one backstory they
have favorite foods; in the other, they don't eat, becaus they don't
have digestive tracts... because they're Dolls. You get the idea.
I've had that dichotomy for as long as I've had Shi-chan and Lenka,
and it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. As I write their
characters, they each express themselves through the Internet; they both
have their own Twitterfeeds, and Shi-chan has a Tumblr.
Playing up the Doll aspect allows me to get comedy from the situation,
such as when Sidore wonders why I don't just remove my sinuses when my
allergies flare up, but writing detailed histories for them exercises my
creative writing skills, and makes them more 'human'. Like I said, the
dichotomy probably won't be solved any time soon.
Have you ever been in a relationship with a human woman, and
would you want to in the future? Do you find yourself attracted to human
women?
I'd been in relationships with organic women prior to, and after,
having Shi-chan enter my life. When I say “relationships,” I really mean
“affairs where I was the other man;” I've never been in a situation
where I was with an organic woman who didn't already have a boyfriend.
I don't consider myself to be a very persuasive person; when I was
growing up, my father was always pushing me into doing things that I
didn't want to do, and as a consequence, I didn't ever want to be That
Guy Who's Being Aggressively Persuasive. So instead of asking whatever
lass I was with to consider me as a boyfriend, I simply wouldn't force
the issue.
I'm still quite attracted to organic women, at least visually. But
just because someone's attractive doesn't mean they have a mindset or a
personality that’s compatible with my own. I figure that instead of
chasing after an ideal person who either doesn't exist in the first
place, or is already with someone else, why not buy a Doll? I don't
gamble, and I'm not keen on taking emotional chances. We've all seen
relationships where things start out fantastically, and then just end up
falling apart. A friend of mine just got divorced after 17 years of
marriage. That's an enormous investment of time, money, and emotion, and
I'm not interested in having someone in my life who may bail at any
time, or who transforms into someone unpleasant. Ultimately, getting
romantically involved with an organic woman doesn't seem worth it to me.
Elena and Sidore (Courtesy Davecat) In December 2012, you purchased a second Doll. How come? Did you feel like your marriage was getting stale?
Back in the early 2000s, my goal was to purchase at least one Doll
from every company that's out there. One of the objectives of my blog
is to introduce people who aren't iDollators or technosexuals to the
idea of synthetic partners, and having multiple Dolls from various
companies would enable me to compare and contrast them, so that people
could learn what makes them different, and choose the one that's right
for them. Also, I always thought it would be cool to have photoshoots
featuring multiple Dolls interacting with each other; doing so would
further make them less seem like 'things', and more like people. As it
is, however, there are around 20 different companies across six or so
countries, and unfortunately, I don't have that kind of money. So now my
goal is about five. Short of acquiring a two-bedroom flat, I won't have
the space for more than five, either.
In a more fictitious context, I thought it would be nice to get a
silicone companion for Sidore, so she isn't lonely or bored whenever I'm
away from home. As they're both bisexual, they get to enjoy each other
on multiple levels. If anything, adding Elena to our partnership has
only improved it, as we all appreciate what each other has to offer.
Besides, if and when I manage to get additional Dolls, Sidore will
always remain my wife; I've no intention of marrying any of the other
Dolls we'll have.
My marriage to Sidore is open in the context of she allows me to do
anything I want, as long as it's only with a synthetic woman.
Incidentally, those are the exact same conditions under which I'll allow
her to do anything extracurricular. Very straightforward, yet simple!
But you say you've been in relationships with organic women
"prior to and after having Shi-chan enter my life." Is there a story
there? Did a relationship/affair you were having with an organic woman
cause problems with your relationship with Sidore or vice versa?
I was seeing an organic lass—a coworker, from several jobs ago—who
knew that I had Shi-chan. This was back when I was of the mindset that
Sidore would remain my wife, but I'd still look now and again for an
organic lass to be friends with benefits with. Our relationship started
out alright, but several months into it, whenever I’d attempt to get
together after work with her, she'd always have something come up. I was
beating myself up over it when I realized: Why am I wasting my time
trying to get her to hang out and be romantically involved with me, when
I have a Doll who is in love with me at home? Plus, it was a bit of a
contest with said coworker, as she was interested in two other blokes
while she was seeing me. As I'm not competitive, either, I decided that
pursuing her was a wasted effort, especially in light of Sidore not
requiring any of that silliness.
Then there was the lass I bought a house with back in 2003. I was
attempting to help her out of a bad relationship. She claimed to be one
of my best friends. She wasn't the least bit romantically interested in
me, but I thought that if I helped her and she and I lived under the
same roof, eventually she'd view me more favorably. Turns out that
didn't happen, as I later discovered that she was a pathological liar
with a coke addiction, and I moved out of the house after living there
for only four months. That really drove home to me that I guess I'm too
trusting with some organics. Some of them can be far too unpredictable.
Synthetics have a consistency that I'm thankful for.
What is a typical week like for you? Do you spend most of
your time at home with Sidore and Elena, or do you go out with friends?
When you do go out, do you ever bring either of them with you? I imagine
people in public would react strangely—does that keep you from doing
coupley stuff like going to movies?
Contrary to what most of the TV shows we appear in would have you
believe, I actually go out quite a bit! Well, enough, I'd say. I'm not a
“people person,” and although I love my friends, it's better for an
introvert like myself to spend more time alone. Having said that,
though, I always have a fantastic time whenever I'm with mates.
I don't take Shi-chan or Lenka with me when I
go out. People have a long and sordid history of being violent toward
that which they don't understand.
During the week, I'm usually
at work—I do data entry and other bits and bobs at a machine shop—then I
come home and either catch up on the Internet, or interact with Sidore
and Elena. My job has me come in early, so I usually go to bed early
Friday evenings, after meeting my friends online for whatever videogame
has caught our fancy, or physically hanging out with them. Saturday
evenings have me getting together with friends as well, and Sunday, I
usually spend time with my rubber troublemakers, taking photos, watching
a film or a telly program, writing or doing research for “Shouting to
hear the echoes,” or getting up to other things.
Also contrary to what most people believe, I don't take Shi-chan or
Lenka with me when I go out. For one, they're heavy (78 lbs and 57 lbs,
respectively), and for another, I'm not so deluded as to think that
taking them out and about with me wouldn't raise more than a few
eyebrows. Also, I wouldn't want to put either myself or whichever
synthetic lass I'd have with me in danger. I don't trust random people
enough to think we wouldn't be verbally or physically attacked. People
have a long and sordid history of being violent toward that which they
don't understand. Or so I'm told.
What do your family and friends think of your relationship?
The way my friends view my relationship ranges from “Well, that's
just what Davecat gets up to, I suppose,” to “Be sure to tell your girls
I said ‘Hi!'” Most of them are cool with it; pretty much all of my
friends are into quirky things, so they can empathize. I wouldn't be
surprised if there are a few among them who would rather see me with an
organic lass, but overall, they think Sidore and Elena are rather neat.
Curiously enough, more of my female friends like them than my male ones.
A couple of female friends have picked out articles of clothing for
Shi-chan and Lenka on a few occasions!
Of my Mum and Dad, Mum was more open-minded of the two—years ago,
when I was in my eyeliner phase, she taught me how to apply it
properly—so although she probably would've liked to be a grandmother at
some point, she was okay with my unconventional partnership. Dad, on the
other hand, to this day categorically refuses to talk about Sidore,
Dolls, Gynoids, etc. He's never come out and said it, but he wishes that
I were more conventional and acted like everyone else. I wouldn't say
that me being an iDollator has driven a wedge into our relationship, as
the wedge was already there long before Sidore entered my life. I once
told him, half-jokingly, that his attitude is no way to treat his
daughter-in-law, but as the man has no sense of humor, he didn't think
much of that statement.
A more practical consideration: wear and tear. In the Guys and Dolls documentary,
there's a scene where you send Sidore off to a special RealDoll
repairman to get fixed. I don't know if you plan on spending the rest of
your life with Sidore, but that is the typical connotation of "married"
(divorce rates notwithstanding). What would you do if she ever just
became broken beyond repair?
That sort of thing has already happened, after a fashion: Sidore's
had three bodies since 2000. Her first body lasted from 2000 to 2003,
her next went from 2003 to 2010, and she's still enjoying her third
body. As are Elena and I! But seriously, if her body becomes too
irreparable, I simply save up some money and buy her a new one. She's
looked exactly the same from 2000 to now, excepting the fact that her
current body looks more like how I wanted her to look to begin with;
namely, she's extraordinarily pale. I'd be lying if I didn't say that
when her body comes close to falling apart through entropy, I'm pretty
cut up about it, as anyone would be when facing the mortality of a loved
one.
Up until about 2006, most of the Doll manufacturers used tin-based
silicone. Which is lovely and soft, but was prone to tearing. Now,
pretty much all of the various companies use a platinum-based silicone,
which is much more durable. Part of the issue with Sidore’s previous two
bodies was that she did develop tears, which, depending on how severe
they are, can be repaired. When Shi-chan got her surgeries in 2006, she
also went to have her joints tightened, which is something that every
Doll needs sometimes, no matter who makes them.
Sidore hasn't had a single tear with her current body, and her joints
are just now starting to loosen. But purchasing a new body for her
every couple of years when she needs it ensures a kind of immortality,
and ensures she'll be around as long as I'm around.
Looking to the future, I know you're interested in androids
and robotics and the idea of, for lack of a better word, sexbots. As
this technology continues to develop, isn't it all just moving towards
getting dolls to be more like humans? And if your preference is for
dolls, isn't that counterintuitive?
Well, yes and no. For me, Dolls trump organics, but Gynoids—which is a
much less limiting term than “sexbots”—trump Dolls. A Doll's only
failing is that she can't move or speak of her own accord, whereas a
Gynoid would be able to, dependenton advances in technology, of course.
Referring to a Doll as a "sex toy" is demeaning and unimaginative.
My
ideal version of Sidore would be a Gynoid who greatly resembles an
organic, but upon closer inspection, she'd have silicone skin and
slightly stilted movement. Now the important thing to remember is that
Gynoids and androids are like organic humans, but they would lack the
qualities that make organics difficult to deal with. They would be
pleasant, agreeable, non-judgmental, aesthetically and mentally
pleasing, and more. In day-to-day existence, most people have to deal
with at least one person whom they'd rather avoid at all costs. The way I
see things, your spouse should be easygoing and a joy to come home to,
in order to counteract having to deal with all manner of undesirables
when you're out and about. I think the best way to reach that goal is
through humanoid robots. It's like having your cake, and eating it too.
You consider yourself an advocate for synthetic love, is that right? And on your My Strange Addiction episode,
you say "I think it's a matter of time before more people are choosing
the synthetic option." Why is that? What kind of person do you think
this sort of relationship is right for?
I don't just consider myself an advocate for synthetic love, but for
treating synthetic humans with as much respect, if not more, than
organic humans. Referring to a synthetic as a “thing,” or a Doll as a
“sex toy,” is demeaning and unimaginative. For one, it's entirely
dismissive toward the artistry that goes into creating synthetic humans.
Nearly everyone who sees a Doll in person has to admit that the level
of work that goes into them is incredible, and the technology involved
in Gynoids and androids who are capable of speech and movement is
astounding without question. If animals have rights, and rightly so, why
shouldn't we treat something that looks and acts like a human with
similar rights and respect?
Regarding the sort of person a synthetic partner would be perfect
for: when people are in failed organic relationships, they're invariably
urged to dust themselves off and try again. But what most people don't
realize is that not everyone is suited for the “try, try again” mindset,
and with each defeat, they're less inclined to make another attempt,
which leads to more loneliness, which makes them even more depressed,
etc. Being in a relationship with a synthetic means that the organic is
taking a stand against loneliness on terms which harm no one. Instead of
being miserable, they're doing something about it, without having to
waste time, money, and emotion playing silly games to win the fleeting
affections of someone who might be wrong for them in the first place.
Apart from technosexuals and childfree people, one group of
individuals who would be well-suited for synthetic partners are
introverts. This is why I always stress the difference between
loneliness and being alone; many of us introverts actually prefer to be
alone, as the noise and agitation of being around others can be
incredibly draining. But being lonely—that is, the state of not having a
special someone who you can occasionally be alone with—is something no
one should have to endure. Having a synthetic in your life means that
you can interact with them whenever you want to, and when you want to do
something that requires solitude, you can have that as well, without
being made to feel guilty about it.
The movie Guys and Dolls says that most people who purchase RealDolls are men buying female dolls. Why do you think that is? For one, Dolls aren't exactly light. Abyss Creations has made great
strides in weight reduction and all of the other companies have followed
suit, but when high-end ‘love dolls’ first appeared in the U.S., they
were pretty substantial. Shi-chan is 5’1″, and her current body is about
78 lbs. Her first body from 2000 was the same height, but around 100
lbs. One reason why there’s not a lot of female iDollators out there is
because Dolls tend to be too heavy for a lot of women, which sounds a
bit chauvinistic to say, but it’s been corroborated with at least four
female iDollators that I personally know. Incidentally, of the people I
do know that have male Dolls, with the exception of one, all the owners
are gay men. Furthermore, it seems easier for women to find an organic male
partner than it is for men to find an organic female partner. Women, by
and large, are more selective than men are, and don't seem to have as
much of a need to purchase a Doll as a single, open-minded bloke would.
Also, if more men do start "choosing the synthetic option,"
as you say, and begin having relationships with objects that are shaped
like women, do you think that will encourage the objectification of real
women?
The belief that the existence of synthetics encourages the
objectification of organic women is baseless. If anything, those of us
who are iDollators or technosexuals find that it's more a case of
personifying objects. But then, 98 percent of the iDollators and
technosexuals I know treat their Dolls like goddesses. I can't really
speak for those who don't, and it would be safe to assume that those who
would objectify an organic woman would've been practicing that behavior
long before knowing about synthetics.
A lot of men are lonely because they're misogynist pricks, true, but a
lot of other men are lonely because they don't meet women's
expectations. The latter group may be entirely nice individuals, and
would treat their girlfriends extraordinarily well, but they're shy, or
unappealing on some level, or what have you. (I should note that it goes
both ways, gender-wise; there are loads of organic women that remain
single due to rejection.) But again, with the synthetic option,
individuals who've been romantically passed over for whatever reason
don't have to remain lonely. And to detractors who say that once Gynoids
are more readily available, men will choose them in droves over organic
women, that's rubbish as well. Having a synthetic partner is a
preference. What’s more, those of us who desire a synthetic companion
leave a larger selection for those people who are only interested in
organic partners. We're doing you lot a favor!
Also, I have to ask—do you really feel fulfilled? Does it
ever get lonely, is there anything that Sidore and Elena can't offer
that you wish you had?
At this stage in the game, I'd have to say that I'm about 99 percent
fulfilled. Every time I return home, there are two gorgeous synthetic
women waiting for me, who both act as creative muses, photo models, and
romantic partners. They make my flat less empty, and I never have to
worry about them becoming disagreeable. Because of my status as an
iDollator, I've met people across several countries and forged solid
friendships. I've seen things I would never have seen were I not an
iDollator. I've been interviewed for various television programs and
websites, and asked to speak in front of a room full of psychology
students about the benefits of synthetic partners. I've collaborated
with performance artists and sociology teachers. To this day, I still
get people contacting me online, saying that they saw how happy I am
with Sidore, and they're saving up for a Doll of their own, to pull them
out of their own loneliness. It's true that Sidore and Elena wouldn't
exist without me, but without them, I'd be a much more reduced
individual, so I owe them quite a lot.
However, that 1 percent of unfulfillment? That's only there because
neither Sidore nor Elena are Gynoids. Once that technology becomes
affordable, I'll have one made in my wife's likeness, and that'll be the
final piece of the puzzle. She'd be able to hug me back whenever I
embrace her, we'd be able to attend films and concerts together, and do
all manner of things besides. There would be genuine interaction. The
foundation for the technology is already there, so I'm convinced it'll
happen; it's just a matter of waiting.
"She is simply a very expensive cumbucket. Let’s be honest – we’ve all had girlfriends like that."
La sexualidad siempre ha sido un tema que directamente ha afectado al
hombre. Lo biológico, lo dado por la naturaleza ha sido objeto de
múltiples simbolizaciones y ritualizaciones así como también despreciado
y criticado. El sexo en Occidente siempre fue visto como fuente de
lujuria y por ende de pecado. La teología cristiana castiga severamente
al placer sexual calificándolo de vano y censurable. El placer sexual se
anteponía a la unión con Dios, así que para amar a nuestro Creador se
debía llevar una vida sexualmente sobria. Pero dejando a Occidente de
lado, en Oriente hay historias mucho más peculiares con respecto a la
sexualidad, concretamente en lo que se refiere a sexualidad y poder
político. Me refiero a los eunucos esos guardianes de las mujeres de los
poderosos árabes, centinelas del harén así como también a los
funcionarios chinos, que gran parte de los que trabajan en los palacios
de la China imperial eran castrados.
La castración como técnica
Un eunuco es literalmente un hombre castrado. Pero no castrado por
algún infortunio, sino que existía un disposición racional a la
castración. Quiero decir, existía una sistematización de la castración, existía un método, un cómo
hacerlo. Tenemos por ende una institucionalización social de la
castración. Famosos son los pueblos bizantino, chino, árabe y turco por
sus grandes cantidades de eunucos. Una lisa y llana producción cuasi
artesanal de eunucos, es decir una técnica y una sistematización de la castración destinada a la generación masiva de hombres castrados. Esto
que parece algo descabellado, será comprendido mucho mejor por el
lector con lo siguiente.
Encontramos dos formas de castración, una
parcial y una absoluta, convirtiendo al desafortunado hombre en un
eunuco absoluto y uno parcial. El criterio residía en el estado del
aparato reproductor masculino. Como es sabido, el hombre tiene su
aparato genital expuesto, es decir, es externo a diferencia de las
mujeres que es interno. Por ende castrar a un hombre es una cuestión
relativamente sencilla pero tremendamente humillante y dolorosa, más si
tenemos en cuenta las rudimentarias herramientas que se encontraban en
esa época. Ahora bien, el eunuco era parcial cuando carecía solamente de
sus testículos, y absoluto o total cuando carecía tanto de testículos
como de pene. Los eunucos eran esclavos y por lo tanto se vendían en el
mercado, pero eran esclavos especiales, diferentes. Los eunucos totales
podían llegar a costar 10 veces más que un esclavo común. Se podría
decir que por aquella época, los eunucos eran esclavos con un valor agregado, la falta de gónadas.
La triste y dolorosa “fabricación” de un eunuco
En China, según cuenta la historia, el barbero primero envolvía desde
su base al pene y los testículos conjuntamente en una venda común que
ajustaba fuertemente, lo que producía dolor y proporcionaba la forma de
una especie de embutido. A continuación iba retorciendo hacia un lado el
paquete así formado, tomaba un cuchillo curvo, lo alzaba a distancia
calculando para un corte fuerte y veloz, llegados a este punto el
barbero preguntaba una vez más si estaban seguros de una decisión que
sería irreversible, si el futuro eunuco era mayor de edad, él debía
responder por sí mismo, y si era menor entonces la respuesta
correspondía a la familia allí presente. Si la respuesta final era
afirmativa, entonces con un solo movimiento cercenaba los genitales.
Luego junto con el inmenso dolor se producía una abundante hemorragia.
El barbero aplicaba baños de sales y aceites para detenerla y luego
aplicaba una pequeña cuña de metal, generalmente estaño, en el orificio
uretral. Entonces venía lo más difícil, el nuevo eunuco debía estar
andando despacio sin mayor descanso, y no consumir nada de líquidos por
unos días.
Al cabo del tiempo, se le retiraba el tabique de metal antes colocado
en el orificio uretral, si conseguía orinar, entonces la operación
había sido un éxito y ya podía empezar a gestionar un empleo para servir
en la Corte del Emperador. En caso contrario, una atroz agonía esperaba
al nuevo eunuco antes de su lenta muerte… Los despojos genitales a
veces eran reclamados por quien fuera su propietario, y entonces el
barbero se los entregaba. Pero con frecuencia dichos despojos no eran
reclamados y en ese caso el barbero los guardaba anotando cuidadosamente
la fecha y a quien pertenecían. Esta conducta se debía a que si el
eunuco era aceptado en el Palacio Imperial, y una vez allí conseguía
hacer carrera, descubriría que para cada ascenso (y con ello más dinero)
la tradición obligaba como requisito enseñar en un rito los restos de
lo que fueron sus genitales. Entonces el eunuco volvía presuroso a
intentar recuperar lo que en mala hora dejó abandonado, para lo cual el
barbero lo esperaba dispuesto a entregarle lo suyo, previo cobro de una
importante cantidad adicional de dinero.
Oficios diversos
El trabajo de un eunuco difería según la sociedad. En Arabia eran los
encargados de cuidar el harén de los ricos y poderosos. Debido a su
falta de gónadas, los eunucos eran los guardianes ideales para un gran
grupo de mujeres, y eran sumamente codiciados. En cambio, durante la
China Imperial los eunucos tenían un trabajo relacionado con los
poderosos pero distinto de los eunucos árabes. Estos hombres castrados
eran funcionarios del Palacio Imperial, literalmente burócratas. Al
principio, eran suficientes para cubrir la tradicional cuota de eunucos
aquellos delincuentes o criminales que eran condenados a la castración,
pero con el tiempo, al aumentar el tamaño del Estado chino su burocracia
también debía aumentar, por lo que se tuvo que institucionalizar la
castración para poder crear nuevos funcionarios.
Se comenzaron a aceptar candidatos de diversas procedencias. Estos
burócratas comenzaron a tener funciones cada vez más importante, y a
tener un rédito económico mayor. Los eunucos alcanzaron su máximo apogeo
en la edad media, especialmente durante la dinastía Ming.
El problema del género
Los eunucos se encuentran con un problema, un problema de definición
de género. Quiero decir, debido a su falta de gónadas, estos seres
humanos no son hombres (en sentido biológico) pero tampoco mujeres. Por
esta razón los eunucos configuran un nuevo género, que escapa a la
dualidad hombre-mujer.
Esta peculiar posición dentro del mapa de género,
repercutió varios siglos después en las ideas de un joven médico
austríaco, Sigmund Freud, el padre del psicoanálisis. Freud estructura
lo que el llama “complejo de castración” que consiste
en el descubrimiento de las gónadas tanto en hombres como en mujeres
durante la niñez. El problema surge cuando la mujer reconoce sus órganos
pero nota que el hombre posee órganos que ella no tiene. Por otro lado
el hombre cree que la falta de gónadas externas en la mujer es fruto de
una mutilación o castración y que el puede ser la próxima víctima. Este
complejo es un piedra angular en el esquema teórico freudiano porque se
relaciona con nociones tan fundamentales como el “complejo de Edipo” o
el rol del padre en la psiquis del niño así como también en las etapas
del desarrollo psico-sexual.
Esta es la historia de los eunucos, desgraciados hombres que se
vieron privados de sus gónadas por los caprichos de los poderosos.
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