Women Computing and Culture:

proceedings of the 1994 conference

Peter Bishop, Maureen Dyer and Penelope Griffin (eds.)

‘Gamegirls: working with new imaging technologies’ is extracted from a longer work titled ‘Cyborgs: the contested zone.’ This work deals with the construction of the textual figure of the female androidinal figure, particularly the genetically engineered replicant, Rachael, from Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction techno-film Bladerunner, and VNS Matrix’ computer-generated DNA Sluts from the art video game ALL NEW GEN. Whilst Bladerunner
problematises the ontologically structuring binary human/technology, which is significant to the premise of cyberfeminist theory, it ultimately re-coups the woman/machine figure as the passive object of male (hetero)sexual desire and mastery. ALL NEW GEN constructs the female cyborg as active agent of her own desires.

Are you testing if I’m a replicant or a lesbian, Mr Deckard?
(Rachel to Deckard, Bladerunner)
Oh, suck me off. (VNS Matrix, 1993)

Women Computing and Culture: proceedings of the 1994 conference. Peter Bishop, Maureen Dyer and Penelope Griffin (eds.). Cover
Women Computing and Culture: proceedings of the 1994 conference. Peter Bishop, Maureen Dyer and Penelope Griffin (eds.). Cover

Publication Details

Type
Book Section
Title
Gamegirls: Women and New Imaging Technologies
Author
Jyanni Steffensen
Publication
Women Computing and Culture: proceedings of the 1994 conference, Peter Bishop, Maureen Dyer, Penelope Griffin1 (eds.), pp. 110–125, 1994, English
Publisher
Research Centre for Gender Studies, University of South Australia, South Australia, Australia
ISBN
0 909215 60 X

Attached Files

Projects Referenced