From the week’s reading and class discussion, it is clear that there is a feminist debate on the implications of post-human interactions with technologies. Toffoletti Kim in her article titled “Cyborgs and Barbie Dolls: Feminism, Popular Culture and the Posthuman Body”, highlights some of the debate. Kim suggests that Post-human is the interconnectedness and interactions between the body, the self in a new technological age (Kim, 11). In this era of Post-human, there is an intentional focus on constructing one’s identity through the use of technology. Kim mentions and I do agree that the post-human interpretation falsely connotes a de-naturalizing process. The assumption is that the increasingly complex human interactions with technologies means that there is a deviation from human nature and what is deemed as natural. In the article, Kim borrows from work by Katherine Hayles in which Hayles argues that Posthuman does not mean a de-humanizing process but rather challenging the boundaries between human and non-human forms. Hayles feminist critic in her work titled Posthuman Bodies examines the connection between posthuamnism and disembodiment.

Even in the Posthuman stage, virtual spaces within technology still deny women’s bodies of their lived experiences in the world. However, there are artistic work aimed at re-empowering female voices which have previously been silenced. Life Size is a 2000 movie about a girl who accidentally brings her doll (Eve) to life whilst casting a spell to resurrect her mother. The movie is praised for casting a colored Barbie and Tyra Banks as the transformed human Barbie. The barbie, an inanimate object lacking voice is then re-imagined as a human being thus given some urgency. The movie challenges the hegemonic notions of human interactions with technologies such as toys. Often we construct and project characteristics onto such technologies. Therefore, humans hold the power to envision and create an alternate world and relationship with the technology. By anthropomorphizing the barbie, there is a power shift from the girl to the barbie thus a change in the dynamics between the human and the technology.

Despite the human transformation of the barbie, the movie is still problematic in that it reproduces feminine stereotypes. When brought to life, Eve is characterized as oblivious and mentally incompetent; stereotypical characteristics associated with models. The movie appears to be pushing racial boundaries by casting a black barbie however upon further examination, it reinforces the ‘dumb attractive model’ stereotype. Therefore, Life Size is an example of an artistic work which discusses empowerment between humans and technology yet still reproduces social stereotypes.

Sources:

Toffoletti, Kim. Cyborgs and Barbie Dolls: Feminism, Popular Culture and the Posthuman Body. MacMillan, 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.