Christina Aguilera's latest album is called Bionic and features her with a cyborg face. Robots have taken over pop culture.
Looks like Christina Aguilera is the latest in a long line of pop divas that will be shedding her human skin to reveal the robot within. Aguilera’s latest album, Bionic, is set to hit stores in June, and features the singer with half a cyborg face alongside her more sultry human one. This is a growing phenomenon. There’s been a long line of chart-topping female musicians donning robot garb to garner attention and I think they’re hitting on one of the public’s more excitable nerves. Performers transforming into singing automatons is a sign that robots, cyborgs, and other high tech creations are square in the group consciousness. Could these pop divas be heralding in a new age of robot-centered culture? Check out the pics and videos below and judge for yourself.
It’s rare, but occasionally I do lift my head out of the science and technology sand and look around into pop culture. What I’m seeing is a rise in the baseline awareness and cultural acceptance of technology. We like our smart phones, our computers, and our online social networking. It’s part of who we are now. The music industry knows that, too.
Beyonce's robotic glove seemed permanently attached for months.
Beyonce had already gone full robot at the BET awards in 2007.
Christina Aguilera may be going cyborg, but others have been there first. Beyonce’s Single Ladies music video featured a robotic glove that the singer proceeded to wear at every public appearance for months after. Before that, Beyonce appeared in full robotic attire at a BET awards ceremony. On tour, one of her more popular numbers similarly featured her rising from the stage to have a robotic suit peel away from her body:
Of course, that stage number was probably based on an earlier Kylie Minogue performance that was featured prominently on her own tour (skip to 2:20):
Even costumes that aren’t robotic in appearance can make a huge splash by incorporating robotic movement. Lady Gaga, always the trend topper when she can’t be the trend setter, debuted an outfit dubbed “the living dress” during her Monster Ball tour. The articulated costume moved in a very robotic fashion and was met with incredible enthusiasm by the audience.
You can’t escape the fact that Aguilera and these other singers aren’t just selling robot motifs, they’re also selling sexiness. Divas aren’t simply dressed up as machines, they’re portrayed as sexy machines. Which is probably par for the course in the music industry. Still, it’s hard to watch some of these robotic numbers and not wonder if there’s a certain fetishism at work here. Are performances like this whetting the public appetite for the day when we’ll eventually have robots that provide humans with sex acts? That might be a stretch. More than likely we’re seeing two related phenomenon. The widely accepted adage that “sex sells” is being coupled to a new adage: “technology sells.” Put the two together and you have a big part of the motivation behind these divas taking the metallic plunge.
The robot suits keep coming. Here's Fergie at Madison Square Gardgen this year.
There are few symbols of technology as potent as robots – they’re the ultimate combination of the appearances of humanity and machine. When we see cultural icons taking on the appearance of robots it is a sign of technology’s growing role in our society. Technological acceptance may shape how we adjust to a future shaped by the unexplored realms of accelerating sciences. In other words, you can gawk at the pretty singers in the robot costumes now, but the not so distant tomorrow is going to be filled with spectacles that are far more advanced, alien, and exciting. …We’ll probably think these new technological wonders are pretty sexy, too.
[image credits: ChristinaAguilera.com, Kevin Mayer/Getty, Celebrifi]
[video credits: RMCsHOTMUSIC, GagaNewsDotCo, Videotronick]
[source: ChristinaAguilera.com]
http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/20/the-future-of-sex-androids-vr-and-the-orgasm-button/
Comments
Its amazing that Britney, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce are all gimmicks recycling the same themes….they’ve all done the robots theme (ironic being that they are robots) and bad slutty dominatrix girls dressed in all black with a dark theme.
I sincerely love Lady Gaga and her odd dresses nevertheless she definitely let herself down now being seen out in see through undergarments.
I sincerely love Lady Gaga and her odd dresses nevertheless she definitely let herself down now being seen out in see through undergarments.
hehe! I adore Beyonce she is my fav artist of all time.
hehe! I adore Beyonce she is my fav artist of all time.
Beyonce is so wonderful! I grew up in Houston too! Nice to see a woman from my home town be one of the top 100 most powerful and influential celebrities in the world!
Beyonce is so wonderful! I grew up in Houston too! Nice to see a woman from my home town be one of the top 100 most powerful and influential celebrities in the world!
I guess I disagree. It’s not like we’re seeing a convergence to Kraftwerk-y sounds or aesthetics. There’s always some bleeding edge of electronica doing that kind of stuff, but “The Man-Machine” had a worldwide hit song. In stark contrast, I don’t see how this is different from Madonna’s usage of S&M in the 90s.
I guess I disagree. It’s not like we’re seeing a convergence to Kraftwerk-y sounds or aesthetics. There’s always some bleeding edge of electronica doing that kind of stuff, but “The Man-Machine” had a worldwide hit song. In stark contrast, I don’t see how this is different from Madonna’s usage of S&M in the 90s.
There’s also of course the video from The World is not Enough by Garbage.
There’s also of course the video from The World is not Enough by Garbage.
The music industry is not the only area robots are becoming more mainstream…I have a 2 year old and it seems the cartoons are including more and more and more robotic scenes and overtones as well, brainwashing early. I’ve also seen an advertisement for an alcoholic drink (I think some brand of Vodka) that has a sexy female robot at the end of the commercial…it’s everywhere.
The music industry is not the only area robots are becoming more mainstream…I have a 2 year old and it seems the cartoons are including more and more and more robotic scenes and overtones as well, brainwashing early. I’ve also seen an advertisement for an alcoholic drink (I think some brand of Vodka) that has a sexy female robot at the end of the commercial…it’s everywhere.
“It’s hard to watch some of these robotic numbers and not wonder if there’s a certain fetishism at work here.”
You are close. It is not a trend, not a fetish — it is symbolism. The robotic theme is an expression of a certain mindset. People with that mindset wish for a robotic future (for a very particular reason). These people use certain other symbols as well because they believe they give them power. For a quick start, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKDZhu-EZw
If you found that interesting, I recommend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi2HaJf1VI
For more, watch the videos on this channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarhanK501 or search for “The music industry exposed” on YouTube.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/ also takes apart music videos and analyzes the symbolism.
“It’s hard to watch some of these robotic numbers and not wonder if there’s a certain fetishism at work here.”
You are close. It is not a trend, not a fetish — it is symbolism. The robotic theme is an expression of a certain mindset. People with that mindset wish for a robotic future (for a very particular reason). These people use certain other symbols as well because they believe they give them power. For a quick start, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKDZhu-EZw
If you found that interesting, I recommend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi2HaJf1VI
For more, watch the videos on this channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarhanK501 or search for “The music industry exposed” on YouTube.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/ also takes apart music videos and analyzes the symbolism.
You forgot the awesome Bjork “All is full of Love” video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA
@Kev
That is an awesome video!
You forgot the awesome Bjork “All is full of Love” video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA
I swear that I called this one.
Robotics, Cyborgs, and Cyberpunk culture is going to be front and center in the coming few years.
In the other arm of the media hype, look forward to movies like; Tron: Legacy, Neuromancer, and Reboot.
I swear that I called this one.
Robotics, Cyborgs, and Cyberpunk culture is going to be front and center in the coming few years.
In the other arm of the media hype, look forward to movies like; Tron: Legacy, Neuromancer, and Reboot.