The Futurama episode “I second that emotion” and Possessor(2020) both highlighted a debilitating component of empathy. In the Futurama episode, Bender initially (and ultimately) lacks empathy, he still experiences emotions however he seems to reflect a child that hasn’t reached the Theory of mind stage. His actions come off very much like a toddler because his actions are selfish. At the birthday party, he gets jealous because all of the focus isn’t on him. He gets angry that having nibbler affects his life. The issues isn’t emotions for him its understanding other people’s perspectives are different from his. He truly can’t see why Leela is so upset when nibbler is flushed down the toilet – The episode goes against the Embodied theory, because even though he is able to pick up on all the clues that she is upset and hurt by his actions, he sees that she is crying and know that means she is sad, but he has no emotional empathy for her because he is unable to simulate how that would make him feel. When he has the chip on his actions are guided by the emotions he is experiencing (Leela’s emotions)
Ultimately, Leela’s emotions end up almost costing them their lives, because feeling that fear for everyone’s life (as a robot, I don’t feel like Bender’s life was ever in any jeopardy) paralyzes Bender. It’s only when Leela is able to shut off her emotions and therefore Benders forced “empathy” is he able to attack and overcome the monster.
Possessor also demonstrates how emotions and the desire to really FEEL something get in the way for Taysa to do her job. Girder mentions to Taysa that it takes a certain type of person to do what they do. In order for her to be able to do it, she needs to be detached from any emotions. In the beginning with the butterfly, while she is desensitized, she is not completely devoid of empathy- she describes feeling guilty at taking the butterfly’s life. However, once she gets rid of her own emotional ties and she becomes completely detached physically and emotionally from her family she can state plainly as a fact without guilt that she killed the butterfly. This demonstrates how having emotions can and did hold her back at her job. Her emotions and her ties to her family weakened her mentally. Sharing a consciousness would affect anyone’s psychological state. There is such a conflation of primordial and non-primordial emotions that it would be difficult to resume your own life after being pulled out of someone else’s. The tangible personal artifacts seem to be needed to reset and remind her who she is.
The scenes where he is wearing her skin shows that its difficult to separate in the mind who is whom. She essentially is wearing his skin, however he also has access to her thoughts and her emotions – so when he wears her skin, it just shows that the consciousness are merged, he is using her memories and emotions the way she is using his, therefore like with bender, having those emotions weakens her and she needs to shut them off in order to best perform at her job. I think in these cases it’s stating any empathy is debilitating, but more as a commentary that in the real world too much empathy cripples people.
5 thoughts on “Crippling Empathy”
Hi Nicole,
I love your analysis of Bender. Comparing him to a toddler works really well. As you note, it is not that he doesn’t feel, it’s that he doesn’t try to feel or understand the emotions of others (nor does he make much of an effort to). You make a great point that he knows that Leela is crying and sad—he perceives her emotion—but he doesn’t feel that sadness himself. At least until he gets the chip.
I also really like your discussion about Vos’s primordial and nonprimordial experience of emotions—and how those get mixed together when she is possessing the body of another. I love that you included the images of the masks in this post. Not only is the imagery amazing (and one of the creepiest parts of the film, imo), but it also gets to diffusion of Vos’s identity. As Sara discusses in her post, Vos is almost always wearing a mask. Yes, when she inhabits the bodies of others, but also when she is performing herself.
Jessica Hautsch
Bender definitely seems like he has not reached an emotional maturity level. However, I have seen this with adults in my life lacking empathy for others and it is so sad. As humans we try to not make people feel bad and when they do, make them feel better. Bender was throwing child like temper tantrums and then when he flushes nibbler down the toilet, he just walks out and goes about his life. He does not think about his actions or how they affect the people around him. I think that also ties in with Vos wearing the mask. People like narcissistic personality disorder wear a “mask” figuratively to not show the persona of who they are. I think with vos it was metaphorically showing how she can be molded and lack empathy for hurting others.
ellryan
Hi Nicole,
Describing and comparing Bender to a toddler is spot on. I agree that he is just not able to understand Leela’s sadness. It is important to note that he does feel emotion but does not have empathy. As you’ve said, he’s angry that Nibbler is around and the attention is not on him. I also agree that Bender’s empathy was forced by the chip and was not real empathy. Additionally, your analysis about how empathy affects Taysa is fantastic. I love how you connected what happens in the film to the real world by stating that having too much empathy can really make people hesitate and have a great impact on them. After watching the film, I believe that having the right amount of empathy is necessary. As we saw in the film, not having empathy at all can also be pretty terrifying. Well done!
Anthony Aromolo
Hey Nicole!
Interesting analysis on Bender for the Futurama episode. I would not have thought to compare him to a child but I 100% agree that he does seem to reflect a child that has not seemed to reach the theory of mind stage. He has that middle or older child syndrome where the attention is taken away by a baby, the baby being Nibbler in this case. Your analysis on Possessor was also really good, I like how you mentioned the skin wearing scene because that was a strange scene to watch but it does connect to how emotions can get in the way of her job.
Brianna
Hi Nicole !
I liked how you touched on the fact that Bender DOES seem to feel emotions. I feel like in Science Fiction, robots are so often seen as emotionless and wholly lacking feeling. The difference between emotions, emotional response, and empathy are very prevalent in this episode. You and Brianna are totally right that he acts a bit like a child. His worldview is very narrow, and it seems like he physically is unable to understand anyone else’s worldview
arbuonaiuto