Mechanophilia
Encyclopedia
Mechaphilia or Mechanophilia is a paraphilia
involving a sexual attraction to machines such as bicycles, motor vehicles, helicopters, and aeroplanes. It is treated as a crime in some nations with perpetrators being placed on a sex offenders’ register after prosecution. Motorcycles are often portrayed as sexualized fetish objects to those that desire them.
, Sergei Yutkevich
, Grigori Kozintsev
and others, a modernist avant garde movement that spanned Russian futurism
and constructivism
. The term has entered into the realms of science fiction and popular fiction.
Scientifically, in 'biophilia
, The Human Bond with Other Species', Edward O. Wilson is quoted describing mechanophilia, the love of machines, as "a special case of biophilia", whereas psychologists such as Erich Fromm
would see it as a form of necrophilia
Designers such as Francis Picabia
and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
have been said to exploited the sexual attraction of automobiles.
Culturally, critics have described it as an "all pervading" within contemporary Western society and that is seems to overwhelm our society and all too often our better judgement". Although not all such uses are sexual in intent, the terms are also used for specifically erotogenic fixation on machinery and taken to its extreme in hard core pornography as Fucking Machines
. This mainly involves women being sexually penetrated by machines for male consumption, which are seen as being the limits of current sexual biopolitics. Arse Elektronika
(organized by Austrian art-tech group 'monochrom'
) is propagating a DIY/feminist approach to sex machines.
Authors have drawn a connection between mechanophilia and masculine militarisation, citing the works of animator Yasuo Ōtsuka
and Studio Ghibli
.
In Frank Zappa
's rock opera
, Joe's Garage
, the titular character is claimed to be an "appliance fetishist" by the Church of Appliantology
and has a homosexual relationship with an industrial vacuum cleaner.
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
involving a sexual attraction to machines such as bicycles, motor vehicles, helicopters, and aeroplanes. It is treated as a crime in some nations with perpetrators being placed on a sex offenders’ register after prosecution. Motorcycles are often portrayed as sexualized fetish objects to those that desire them.
Art, Culture and Design
Mechanophilia has been used to describe important works of the early Modernists such as the 1922 FEKS "Eccentric Manifesto" http://koti.mbnet.fi/cgurney/reality/newbabylon/em/emcover.html of Leonid TraubergLeonid Trauberg
Leonid Zakharovich Trauberg was a Jewish Ukrainian Soviet film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1924 and 1961 and was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1941.-Filmography:* The Adventures of Oktyabrina ...
, Sergei Yutkevich
Sergei Yutkevich
Sergei Iosifovich Yutkevich was an award-winning Soviet film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:He began work as a teen doing puppet shows. Later he helped found the Factory of the Eccentric Actor , which was primarily concerned with circus and music hall acts. He entered films in the...
, Grigori Kozintsev
Grigori Kozintsev
Grigori Mikhaylovich Kozintsev was a Jewish Ukrainian, Soviet Russian theatre and film director. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1964.He studied in the Imperial Academy of Arts...
and others, a modernist avant garde movement that spanned Russian futurism
Futurism
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
and constructivism
Constructivism
Constructivism may refer to:* Constructivist epistemology, the philosophical view* Constructivism in international relations* Constructivism , a philosophical view on mathematical proofs and existence of mathematical objects...
. The term has entered into the realms of science fiction and popular fiction.
Scientifically, in 'biophilia
Biophilia Hypothesis
The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book entitled Biophilia.- Love of living systems :...
, The Human Bond with Other Species', Edward O. Wilson is quoted describing mechanophilia, the love of machines, as "a special case of biophilia", whereas psychologists such as Erich Fromm
Erich Fromm
Erich Seligmann Fromm was a Jewish German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was associated with what became known as the Frankfurt School of critical theory.-Life:Erich Fromm was born on March 23, 1900, at Frankfurt am...
would see it as a form of necrophilia
Necrophilia
Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia or necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses,It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from the ancient Greek words: νεκρός and φιλία...
Designers such as Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia
Francis Picabia was a French painter, poet, and typographist, associated with both the Dada and Surrealist art movements.- Early life :...
and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti was an Italian poet and editor, the founder of the Futurist movement, and a fascist ideologue.-Childhood and adolescence:...
have been said to exploited the sexual attraction of automobiles.
Culturally, critics have described it as an "all pervading" within contemporary Western society and that is seems to overwhelm our society and all too often our better judgement". Although not all such uses are sexual in intent, the terms are also used for specifically erotogenic fixation on machinery and taken to its extreme in hard core pornography as Fucking Machines
Fucking Machines
Fucking Machines is a pornographic website that features video and photographs of women engaged in autoerotic sexual stimulation with a large variety of penetrative fucking machines and other sex toys. The site is based in San Francisco and is part of the network of pornographic websites operated...
. This mainly involves women being sexually penetrated by machines for male consumption, which are seen as being the limits of current sexual biopolitics. Arse Elektronika
Arse Elektronika
Arse Elektronika is an annual conference organized by the Austrian arts/philosophy collective monochrom, focused on sex and technology. Speakers at past conferences have included Mark Dery, Violet Blue, Annalee Newitz, Rudy Rucker, Carol Queen, and Richard Kadrey with demonstrations by Kyle...
(organized by Austrian art-tech group 'monochrom'
Monochrom
monochrom is an international art-technology-philosophy group, founded in 1993. Its offices are located at Museumsquartier/Vienna ....
) is propagating a DIY/feminist approach to sex machines.
Authors have drawn a connection between mechanophilia and masculine militarisation, citing the works of animator Yasuo Ōtsuka
Yasuo Otsuka
is a Japanese animator who worked with Toei Animation and Studio Ghibli.Prior to becoming an animator, Ōtsuka worked in the Kantō-Kōshin'etsu district drug enforcement office at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. As a member of the support staff , he was responsible for the seizure of drugs and...
and Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...
.
In Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, Joe's Garage
Joe's Garage
Joe's Garage is a 1979 rock opera by Frank Zappa. Zappa stated that along with Lumpy Gravy, this album was one of his finest achievements. It was originally released as two separate albums, the first comprising Act I, and the second part as a double-album which made up Acts II & III. All three...
, the titular character is claimed to be an "appliance fetishist" by the Church of Appliantology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
and has a homosexual relationship with an industrial vacuum cleaner.
Further reading
- 'Mechaphilia: Sexual Attraction to Machines', Schlessinger. Please Press, 2003.
- 'Biophilia, The Human Bond with Other Species', Harvard University Press, 1984. (P. 116)
- 'Forensic and Medico-Legal Aspects of Sexual Crimes and Unusual Sexual Practices', Anil Aggrawal. CRC Press; 2008. ISBN 1420043080 (P. 376)
- 'The Future of Fucking Cyberschtup Pioneers Test-drive High-tech Sex Machines', Jessica Handley. Hustler, August 2000.