Transformation, revelation, finalisation, exposition (and some links)
typed for your pleasure on 5 May 2012, at 1.59 pmSdtrk: ‘Tom Baker’s watching you’ by The Soulless Party
Here, right here, you will find some shameless self-promotion! I mean, more so than usual.
+ Back in January, performance artist and iDollator Amber Hawk Swanson, who I’ve mentioned more than a few times on ‘Shouting etc etc’, asked me nicely if I could write an essay about her for her blog, and I did. It’s a potted history of how I know her through her work, and the brief but memorable times our paths crossed. You can read it here!
+ As mentioned in a previous post, mid-Michigan photojournalist Ashley Miller had visited Sidore and I a few times over the course of a handful of Saturdays, taking photos of us for her end-of-term class project. She also conducted an interview with me, and got some video footage in, and the end result would be ‘Synthetik Love: A Modern Love Story‘. As I’d told her, Ashley had managed to do in six minutes by herself what a lot of television crews have failed to do, and that’s present a short film allowing me to speak about the relationship Sidore and I share, without editing or leading, and somehow managing to make us look good in the process. But why not have a look yourselves?
+ Cast your mind back to 2005, if you will. Not only were my Missus and I filming ‘Guys and Dolls’ in the summer of that year, but we were also involved in another documentary being made by Allison de Fren, which I’d detailed here. After languishing in Production Hell for almost seven years due to various factors, it’s now complete, and making the rounds at various film festivals, which is tremendous news. This would be the trailer:
It’s called ‘The Mechanical Bride‘, and it features interviews with Slade (the former RealDoll Doctor), ‘Sexy Robot’ artist Hajime Sorayama, photographer Elena Dorfman of ‘Still Lovers’ fame, Michael of First Androids, and myself, among others. And! It’s narrated by Julie Newmar, who played Rhoda the Gynoid in ‘My living Doll‘. So I daresay this is something you’ll want to keep an eye out for!
+ Finally, since last year, I’ve been working with college senior Maria Tolbert, in her investigations of ‘contemporary examples of alternative practices in the context of intimate relationships, and what this might mean for the future of human relationships and human sexuality.’ But of course! She’s been slaving away for the past couple of months on her final paper, and just recently she’d managed to yank the last sheet of paper out of her Clark-Nova typewriter and pronounce it finished. It’s called ‘Artifice and Being Human: The Story of Organiks, Synthetiks, and Robotic Romance‘. Among other subjects, it covers the history of ‘love dolls’, iDollator culture, contemporary humanoid robots, that ridiculous ‘Uncanny valley’, and other points besides. And yes, I was interviewed. Shi-chan is even quoted in some sections! Needless to say, it’s entirely worth reading…
Now that you’ve read/watched all that, I’d like to introduce you to a handful of new blogs that I’ve linked to a while ago on ‘Shouting etc etc’: the first would be Homo Artificialis, which looks to explore humanoid robots, and how they’ll eventually affect and integrate into Organik culture; another would be Dirty Doll Stories, which is the blog of Jenny Densuke, the first Polymerisian adult film starlet, and her thoughts on all manner of things; and the other is It’s a Tasha Thing, which is the musings and bitchings of sexy Polymerisian film starlet Tasha James, who just happens to have worked with and is good friends with Ms Densuke. Please welcome them, to the Kraft Family of Foods! O, wait.
And now, back to writing about my first ever speaking engagement in San Francisco two Thursdays ago! I actually feel like getting some writing in, so I’d better ride this wave as far as it’ll take me
Random similar posts, for more timewasting:
iDollator interview update thang on August 16th, 2006
Any Synthetiks-related news, Davecat? (Nov 2010) on November 23rd, 2010
May 5th, 2012 at 7.30 pm
I am chomping at the bit to see ‘The Mechanical Bride’. It looks fascinating. Also, I very much enjoyed that paper, most informative.
May 6th, 2012 at 12.31 am
Love the essay for Amber’s blog; love Ashley’s video; love the trailer for “The Mechanical Bride” (and cannot wait to see the whole thing); love the links. (Need I tell you I have copied down the Tasha-tini recipe?!) Not to mention: Bravo for your “performance” in Maria’s thesis! And now I await your recap of the San Francisco trip (no pun intended).
May 6th, 2012 at 9.04 pm
D’aww! I absolutely loved that “Synthetik Love” video! So near tears by the end of it. 🙂 Beautiful piece and beautiful relationship!
May 10th, 2012 at 12.32 am
M —
You think you have bated breath for ‘The Mechanical Bride’? Shi-chan and I have been waiting years for its release! Years. The only downside is that it’ll be admittedly a bit of a time capsule; Abyss creations have moved location, Slade’s no longer doing the RealDoll Doctor thing, that would be Shi-chan’s second body, and the Japanese restaurant that we were filmed in lost its lease a few years ago. But I’m still very stoked to see it!
And glad you got something out of that paper! Maria definitely went the distance with it, and with a topic like that, it’s better to be overinformed than underinformed!
bbbbbjjjjjttttt —
I figured you’d be the one to try the Tasha-tini. 😉 Maybe she can do a sideline gig as a drinks mixer!
Your contributions to the paper were equally informative/entertaining, and I’m really glad that you took part in it. ^5, B. 🙂
Yuna —
Aww, thanks! The Missus and I are pleased to hear you dug it! We’re just regular people, just like you, only one of us is made of silicone. (But… which one??)
May 10th, 2012 at 11.05 pm
I tried to ask Sidore this on her formspring but I have never figured out how to use that site so I doubt she got the message. So, here goes. If Sidore could be installed with technology that would enable her to move and walk and speak, would that be something the two of you would be interested in? Just curious because I believe that day is coming very soon.
May 11th, 2012 at 12.07 am
Good question, Isabel! Actually, the Missus wants me to let you know she did indeed get your question, but she’s only able to attend to her Formspring/tumblr duties on the week-ends; she claims I tend to hog our computer during the week. I’ll let her answer that one, if you don’t mind!
June 13th, 2012 at 3.54 am
(I thought I had replied to this post before but I may be losing my mind)
I thoroughly enjoyed “Synthetic Love”- I’m quite impressed with the visuals as well as with the content- because it wasn’t heavily edited or inter-cut with outside commentary, etc. It seems like a very honest piece- which is why it’s so pleasant, romantic, and cohesive. Also, Davecat, very nicely spoken and summarized for covering a broad topic in such a short amount of time. What a great project & outcome 🙂
June 19th, 2012 at 8.31 pm
Glad you enjoyed ‘Synthetic Love’… both Sidore and I agree that for what little time it spans, it was one of the most satisfying appearances we’d undergone in front of a camera in years. Just proves the point that indie vide productions trump big budget affairs most of the time! 🙂
June 25th, 2012 at 7.51 pm
Love this video davecat ! It truly is a wonderful thing, I can attest to that !