Core Post #2

In “Terminal Resistance/Cyborg Acceptance,” Scott Bukatum discusses the masculine/feminine implications of the presentations of cyborgs in cinema. He argues that cyborgs don’t just embody our subconscious fear of and need for mastery over machinery, but they can also be representations of the battle between masculinity and femininity. The machinery of cyborgs represent a kind of pre-electronic age, industrial armor of masculinity that protects against the feminine forces of both the natural world and of softer, more internal electronic technology. In his view, older industrial, factory technology made of iron, rivets, and gears represents the masculine, and the more delicate computer electronics made of plastic, silicon, and glass is the feminine.

It’s easy to relate this idea of a cyborg as some kind of male paradigm to the Terminator films. Schwarzenegger himself is a male archetype, a cigar-smoking body builder in life, and action-hero on screen. The stoic, robotic Terminator character is a kind of John Wayne meets Mr. Spock – the ultimate strong silent type who can’t express his feelings but can kick ass.

Bukatum goes on to argue that the T1000 that represents femininity, battles Arnold’s masculinity. Masculinity is rigid, and the T1000 is the ultimate in fluidity, he says. He also relates its changeability to a feminine penchant for changing physical appearances through cosmetic products and procedures. On the surface, Robert Patrick’s character hardly seems feminine. But compared to Arnold, the elements of the feminine start to stand out. He is much more delicate-looking both in his body and his facial features. He is more clean-cut, and he is more slender, lithe, and agile. The T1000 can take whatever shape it wants, and so it automatically has a kind of androgynous quality to it. Twice in the film, it even takes on the outward appearance of a woman.

It’s also interesting to note that the central female character of the film, Sarah Conner, is very masculine. She works out, knows how to use a gun, and is a lot stronger and tougher than any of the human men in the movie. The film can be read as one long battle of male vs. female elements, with the males as the winners.

Questions

1) How do cyborgs in film represent traditional masculine qualities?

2) How do cyborgs in film represent post modern anxiety over the growth of technology?

3) In what way is the first terminator film be an example of the cyberpunk genre?