TV ad features creepy fembot

This sunblock commercial from Japan starring a fembot is creepy, especially the close-up at the end. Link

[#1 posted by ThinkPositive , July 25, 2008 2:13 PM]

There must be cultural differences in perceptions of creepyness.

[#2 posted by jdgiotta , July 25, 2008 2:37 PM]

Makes me think of a Gelfling from The Dark Crystal

[#3 posted by jazminecat , July 25, 2008 2:39 PM]

um. why the hell does a fembot need sunscreen???

[#4 posted by Lauren O , July 25, 2008 2:43 PM]

We are deep in the heart of Uncanny Valley here. I'm so confused about why they made this decision. The fembot is less attractive and sympathetic than a real woman, and it probably cost more to make/operate than it would to hire an actress (though I don't really have a good idea of pricing for that kind of stuff). It's not as if this is advanced technology that they're showing off; this seems like pretty standard animatronic shit you could see at Disneyland.

WHY??

[#5 posted by trr , July 25, 2008 2:44 PM]

Why does she not look more Japanese?

[#6 posted by Anonymous , July 25, 2008 2:49 PM]

But the question is... can you sleep with it and build a meaningful relationship that end result will be the downfall of mankind?

[#7 posted by ErikO23 , July 25, 2008 2:54 PM]

does that even qualify as a fem-bot? i mean, fem-bots were always hot. that things just looks like a rubber puppet operated by a puppeteer with serious twitch.

[#8 posted by slywy , July 25, 2008 2:55 PM]

My first question, too -- why not a human? Is this a case of "just because we can"?

[#9 posted by sehlat , July 25, 2008 3:06 PM]

They should have gotten Freya Nakamichi-47 to do the commercial.

[#10 posted by Elrohir , July 25, 2008 3:18 PM]

One thing I wonder is why don't they put the hardware in a fursuit. That should be less human-like enough to remove most of the creepiness.

[#11 posted by Lightfoote , July 25, 2008 3:19 PM]

At least if they were going to go to the trouble of doing it... err... all creepiness and questions about why aside, I would think that they could produce something that looks better than that.

[#12 posted by Eric D , July 25, 2008 3:21 PM]

All I can think of is that her lines (or I guess it's a voice over) includes some kind of reference or pun that makes the robot thing make sense.

[#13 posted by guy_jin , July 25, 2008 3:24 PM]

I'd hit it.

[#14 posted by Anonymous , July 25, 2008 3:31 PM]

Reminds me of the bot from Serenity.

[#15 posted by ZippySpincycle , July 25, 2008 3:58 PM]

"I've seen sunburns you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships peeling skin off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched unprotected dermis glittering in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those... moments will be lost in time... like... Coppertone..in rain"

[#16 posted by Jardine , July 25, 2008 4:15 PM]

I think we should just all be grateful that this ad does not involve any tentacles.

[#17 posted by Takuan , July 25, 2008 4:17 PM]

speciesist

[#18 posted by jeannieh , July 25, 2008 4:22 PM]

1: Bug spray ad, if you want to be accurate

2, re #4 Lauren O: The catch-phrase at the end is, "Even androids can recommend Kincho bug spray." The joke being that androids shouldn't get bug bites, or care about bug bites, but they still have a favorite brand, etc. etc.

[#19 posted by magnetite , July 25, 2008 4:32 PM]

This is what happens to a country when two nuclear bombs are dropped on it. A good enough reason for disarmament...for anyone

[#20 posted by Anonymous , July 25, 2008 4:47 PM]

And, why would you call bug spray "Preshower"? Are there bugs in the water there?

[#21 posted by Anonymous , July 25, 2008 5:38 PM]

Im a host student in Ehime prefecture in Japan right now, and I see this ad almost every day. My host family still thinks its hilarious that Im so frightened by it.

[#22 posted by soupisgoodfood , July 25, 2008 7:10 PM]

Doesn't look creepy to me. Just looks like a robot. If you get creeped out by something like that, then perhaps it's time to talk to a therapist? I think there have even been studies about why people get creeped out by things like this, but don't have any links.

[#23 posted by cholling , July 25, 2008 7:51 PM]

That's the uncanny Marianas Trench.

[#24 posted by ChezMichelle , July 25, 2008 8:20 PM]

She needs a bit of work, especially on her waving.

[#25 posted by eti , July 25, 2008 8:44 PM]

She's not a robot! She's stuck to a board!

[#26 posted by Mark Frauenfelder , July 25, 2008 8:54 PM]

Everyone is especially witty today. I love it!

[#27 posted by jhum101 , July 25, 2008 8:55 PM]

soupisgoodfood: Doesn't look creepy to me. Just looks like a robot. If you get creeped out by something like that, then perhaps it's time to talk to a therapist? I think there have even been studies about why people get creeped out by things like this, but don't have any links.

See Uncanny Valley(wikipedia)

[#28 posted by DizzyMissLizzy , July 26, 2008 2:37 AM]

Her arm is scarily lumpy in the closeup. When she waves, she almost hits herself in the face. And she's standing on some special creepy femmebot platform in the middle of a park? Is there some kind of advertising actors' strike right now, or what.

[#29 posted by minamisan , July 26, 2008 4:06 AM]

my japanese wife was more creeped out by that than I was...

[#30 posted by Nelson.C , July 26, 2008 4:50 AM]

Freya Nakamichi-47 wouldn't need the sunscreen; her chromatophores already do a fine job of screening out high-energy photons from the sun. Besides, if they could hire Freya for the job, that would mean it was too late for anyone to benefit from sunscreen.

Anyhow, the advert makers had to use a fembot from the ugly side of the uncanny valley; they only have a few seconds for viewers to get the visual joke. A lumpy, robotic bot makes the point right from the get-go.

Anyone check out the follow-on youtubes? I found this one particularly funny. And also creepy.

[#31 posted by bcsizemo , July 26, 2008 8:16 AM]

Are we even sure it really is a fembot? Personally it just looks like a poorly done 3d rendering. I certainly wouldn't have thought "real" when I saw it.

[#32 posted by holtt , July 26, 2008 10:14 AM]

Her face and motions looks like someone who's had a stroke. I wonder if that's what makes a stroke victim seem "creepy" - in that it takes then down into that uncanny valley.

[#33 posted by the Other michael , July 26, 2008 1:25 PM]

#15

so glad I had finished my coffee....

[#34 posted by tengu99 , July 26, 2008 4:56 PM]

OK, I was at the Aichi Expo a couple of years back where they had one of these "manning" an information booth and she was a bit saucier... here's the clip.

Although she did have a tendency to twirl her eyes around in a way that made her appear to be seconds away from a complete Harry Mudd android freakout...

[#35 posted by Anonymous , July 26, 2008 10:20 PM]

They had a bot in kimono at a demo booth at Japan Day in NYC this year.

[#36 posted by Keneke , July 28, 2008 11:36 AM]

Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time of your life...

But seriously, I can see full well why they'd have a bot in an ad (to answer comment #4). In today's world of blaring ads, you need something that will catch people's attention. This is why Coke and Levi's and Budweiser ads get more and more elaborate, funny, or just plain weird. Anything that will distract people out of their jaded, tuned-out malaise.

[#37 posted by wangleberry , August 2, 2008 1:53 AM]

thunderbirds