The show Futurama, by Matt Groening, takes place around the year 3000 and focuses on a pizza delivery boy who has been unfrozen after being cryogenically frozen for the past 1000 years. Upon a
rriving in the future he meets a relative of his, who is a genius scientist and owns a delivery service. The main character, Fry, upon working there meets a Cyclops named Leela and a robot named Bender, as well as a host of other characters.The episode that I decided to summarize and dissect was the episode in which the Planet Express ship crash lands on a planet inhabited by Amazonian women and ruled by a femputer (female computer) which turns out to be a female robot. Upon discovering the crew, the
Amazonian women take the male crew and imprison them and wait for the verdict of the femputer. While they are imprisoned the “space hero” and his second in command, Zaff Branigan and Kif respectively, come to rescue them but also get imprisoned by the Amazonian women.
The femputer dooms them to death by snoo-snoo (sex) and they are enveloped by the emotions of fear and joy at the same time. The death sentence starts up, with an obvious preference for Kiff (the feminite man) over Fry (the nerdy idiot) and Zaff (the cocky space hero). Leela and Amy (Kif’s girlfriend) appeal to the femputer only to discover she is already occupied with Bender, who then sets his fellow men free and grabs all the gold he can.
The Amazonian home world throws the first break at the heterosexual stereotype by indicating an emotional dislike of all men, and using them only for procreation instead of as life partners. The over confidence of the male crew (with the exception of Kif) eventually leads to their downfall, because although they have no problem with their sexuality, it will lead to there death. Finally, the obvious preference for Kif (the more feminine man) is yet another break from the heterosexual stereotype in which a female prefers someone from the opposite sex, yet here they obviously prefer an individual that reminds them of their own sex. This is an obvious reference to lesbianism.
The fact that although the show is set 1000 years in the future, and there seems to be no mention of LGBT could be either a good or bad sign. Good in the sense that there might finally be acceptance of all sexualities and decide that there is no point in even mentioning it. Bad in the sense that LGBT sexuality may not be tolerated and that it isn’t mentioned because they ignore it, or have “expunged” it from society. Hopefully it is the former case, and hopefully our society can mirror this fictional one.
The femputer dooms them to death by snoo-snoo (sex) and they are enveloped by the emotions of fear and joy at the same time. The death sentence starts up, with an obvious preference for Kiff (the feminite man) over Fry (the nerdy idiot) and Zaff (the cocky space hero). Leela and Amy (Kif’s girlfriend) appeal to the femputer only to discover she is already occupied with Bender, who then sets his fellow men free and grabs all the gold he can.
The Amazonian home world throws the first break at the heterosexual stereotype by indicating an emotional dislike of all men, and using them only for procreation instead of as life partners. The over confidence of the male crew (with the exception of Kif) eventually leads to their downfall, because although they have no problem with their sexuality, it will lead to there death. Finally, the obvious preference for Kif (the more feminine man) is yet another break from the heterosexual stereotype in which a female prefers someone from the opposite sex, yet here they obviously prefer an individual that reminds them of their own sex. This is an obvious reference to lesbianism.
The fact that although the show is set 1000 years in the future, and there seems to be no mention of LGBT could be either a good or bad sign. Good in the sense that there might finally be acceptance of all sexualities and decide that there is no point in even mentioning it. Bad in the sense that LGBT sexuality may not be tolerated and that it isn’t mentioned because they ignore it, or have “expunged” it from society. Hopefully it is the former case, and hopefully our society can mirror this fictional one.
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