Friday, November 2, 2012

Futurama - Robot Hell


In the episode of the first season of the animated comedy Futurama, title “Hell is Other Robots, Bender, a robotic character, enters into robot hell. His journey to this robot hell is initially caused by a robot drug induced “trip,” similar in nature to what a human being would experience on LSD, known as “jacking on,” in which the robot abuses electricity. Bender, now clearly reliant on abusing electricity (he steers their space ship directly into an electrical storm for the sake of getting “high” on electricity). His addiction to electricity is a satirical play on Dante’s line in which he states that he has strayed from the straight path.

Bender, recognizing his problem decides to attend a meeting at the Temple of Robotology, which is a church-like organization for robots where the “robot devil” is discussed. Robots can potentially be downloaded straight to hell. Soon afterwards, Bender is quickly converted to a religious and pure lifestyle. Within three minutes he gives into his temptations and again starts living irresponsibly, lustfully, avariciously, etc. The robot devil comes for him soon afterward and downloads him to robot hell. The gateway to this robot hell is found at an abandoned carnival on a ride titled “Inferno.”

Upon entering into this robot hell, the robot devil informs Bender that “We know all your sins Bender and for each one we’ve prepared an agonizing and ironic punishment!” Level one consists of depriving Bender of all of the things that made him happy on earth. For instance, he loved cigars; now in Robot hell, Bender takes the place of the tobacco and is rolled up into a cigar leaf and then he is smoked by other robots. Level two consists of leaving Bender’s punishment up to fate. He is placed on a spinning board and spun around a wheel on which different punishments are describe; wherever he lands, once he is done spinning, will determine his punishment—he gets deep fried. Level three and four are skipped. Level five consists of Bender having his hard drive “scratched” by the preserved head’s of the members of the Beasty Boys…

There is no real description of any of the other levels passed level 5. Only after challenging the devil in a fiddling contest, the prize being a golden fiddle,—what’s up Charlie Daniel’s band—as a divergence, do Bender and his friends escape.

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