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Gay Robot

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Gay Robot
Gay Robot as he appears in Nick Swardson's Pretend Time was designed by Stan Winston Studios.
First appearanceShhh... Don't Tell
Portrayed byNick Swardson
In-universe information
SpeciesRobot
GenderProgrammed as male

Gay Robot is a comedy skit on Adam Sandler's fifth album, Shhh... Don't Tell.[1] In the sketch, a group of friends are watching football when the neighbor calls to let them know that his invention, Gay Robot, is coming over.[2] Gay Robot is very good with football statistics and is very horny because he does not know any other gay guys.[2] The sketch consists of Gay Robot constantly trying to entice the others into sex with him.[3]

Overview

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As a comedy TV series, it was initially rejected until posted online, where it became a hit.[4][5][6] In 2005 Comedy Central ordered a pilot of Gay Robot as a live-action series from Sony Pictures TV and Adam Sandler and Jack Giarraputo's Happy Madison.[1] In 2006, Comedy Central filmed a pilot for a TV show based on the comedy bit, which has never aired. But clips posted online (first on MySpace) quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views.[7] The robot, voiced by Nick Swardson, discovers he is gay after a wine cooler is spilled on him and fries his circuit board.[8][9] According to the Hollywood Reporter, "The original pilot, in which Gay Robot and his fraternity buddies try to find him a date for the homecoming dance, was written by Swardson and Tom Gianas, who both executive produced with Sandler."[9] TV Guide called the show a guilty pleasure and Gay Robot "the feyest droid since C-3PO".[6] Inside the robot itself is actor Doug Jones.[6] In an interview, he confirmed the insides of Gay Robot are based on Jon Lovitz's butler robot guy in The Benchwarmers, named Number 7.[6] Although Jones is in the robot, it takes three people to maneuver Gay Robot.[10] The robot suit costs $250,000.[10] A feature-length Gay Robot movie has been worked up in an initial treatment, but is in limbo.[10]

In 2007, the series was redeveloped as an animated project.[1] The original run is composed of two eleven-minute stories per episode.[4] According to the Comedy Central press release, "[T]he show follows the day-in-the-life adventures of Gay Robot and the guys partying their way through life while trying to find their way in the world."[11] Gay Robot lives with his friends Nick, Pat and Matt after college.[12] The character, voiced by Swardson,[1] appeared in promos for Swardson's new series, Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, and appears in the show. In the premiere of Pretend Time Gay Robot is shown to be a bouncer/door ID-checker at a party where guest star Ryan Phillippe tries to enter, and Gay Robot makes passes at him.[13][14][15] In another episode he uses an iPhone Offender App, and as a newer, presumably young, robot he defends himself against a pedophile.[16]

In 2011 Swardson revealed he had written a four-part mystery series, "Gay Robot and the Curse of the Haunted Jockstrap" for Gay Robot, but the network killed it after the script phase.[10]

Other appearances

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Posters were also seen in the movie Grandma's Boy. It was shown as a new video game.

In the Futurama episode "Proposition Infinity", Gay Robot can be seen in the crowd during Bender and Amy's speech; he can also be seen dancing at the robosexual parade.[17]

Other gay robots

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In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper, character Jeb Hrmthmg, a futuristic gay man, has a gay robot as a house servant.[18]

While never officially being called gay (as they are robots without sexual functions or orientations), the Star Wars droid C-3PO—and, to a lesser extent, R2-D2—have been labelled as gay-coded characters by various commentators since their debut in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope.[19][20][21]

Chrome is a 1978 gay robot love story novel written by openly gay actor George Nader; it has become "somewhat of a queer cult novel".[22]

Frank Zappa's 1979 rock opera Joe's Garage features a pair of gay robots in Act II by the names of Sy Borg and Gay Bob. Sy Borg ends up dying due to overly vigorous intercourse with Joe, the opera's protagonist.

In William Hoffman's 1985 play As Is, representing "the opening salvo in the theatrical war against AIDS",[23] the character Saul turns into a "flamboyantly gay robot" as part of a chorus of characters presenting diverse views on the AIDS pandemic.[24]

The character Hedonismbot from the TV show Futurama has been described as pansexual, speaking in a flamboyant voice and making references to orgy pits.

In 2011, a costumed and self-described gay robot protested then-candidate Michele Bachmann to support equal LGBT rights for gay humans and robots.[25][26] He had previously protested Bill Clinton in 2007 who was campaigning on behalf of his wife Hillary Clinton.[27]

In April 2010, Geoff Peterson, a gay robot sidekick, first appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. It was voiced by Josh Robert Thompson, and it was designed and built by Grant Imahara.

In 2011, filmmaker Mike Buonaiuto presented a fictitious gay robot available to consumers named Adam to raise "awareness of the importance of self-acceptance".[28][29]

In 2011 Duke Nukem was revealed to have planned for a gay robot sidekick. Randy Pitchford, the "Gearbox boss", stated at a BAFTA event that "sexuality is part of the Duke personality", explaining that the original idea behind the sidekick was "to explore how Duke would relate to a peer that might have a different sexual orientation".[30][31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Nordyke, Kimberly (May 25, 2007). "Gay Robot as Ani Project". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Sandler, Adam. "Gay Robot lyrics". Elyrics. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  3. ^ "Nick Swardson". October 24, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Snicks, Nick (March 13, 2008). "Ready or not, 'Gay Robot' is coming to TV". AfterElton. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  5. ^ Grossman, Lev (May 25, 2007). "It's Wrong to Laugh at Gay Robot". Time. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Holbrook, Damian (March 29, 2007). "What Do Buffy, Hellboy and a Gay Robot Have in Common?". TV Guide. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  7. ^ Broadcasting & Cable, Volume 136 (2006) ("When Comedy Central didn't pick up the pilot, Sony put it up on MySpace and attracted several hundred 'friends' to its page")
  8. ^ Towle, Andy (May 25, 2007). "Adam Sandler's Gay Robot As Animated Film?". Towleroad. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Gay Robot out as ani project". Hollywood Reporter. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d Potts, Kimberly (October 19, 2011). "Nick Swardson Talks About 'Bucky Larson,' 'Pretend Time' and Censoring Gay Robot". The Wrap. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  11. ^ "Gay Robot". Synopsis of Gay Robot animated series. The Futon Critic/Comedy Central. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  12. ^ Surette, Tim (March 13, 2008). "Comedy Central dev slate includes a gay robot". TV.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  13. ^ Miller, Oliver (October 13, 2010). "Ryan Phillippe Meets a Gay Robot on 'Pretend Time With Nick Swardson'". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  14. ^ "Gay Robot Has Eyes for Phillippe". Advocate. October 13, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  15. ^ "Gay Robot Has Eyes for Phillippe". Dallas Voice. October 13, 2010.
  16. ^ Barry, Morgan (November 17, 2010). "Gay Robot Gets It All Wrong, Again, On Nick Swardson's Pretend Time". Gawker. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  17. ^ "Proposition Infinity". Futurama. Season 6. Episode 4. Comedy Central.
  18. ^ Erickson, Hal (2007). Sid and Marty Kroft: A Critical Study of Saturday Morning Children's Television, 1969-1993. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 9780786430932.
  19. ^ "The Internet has strong opinions as to whether C-3PO and R2-D2 are gay". The Pop Culture Experiment. May 12, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  20. ^ "With 'The Rise of Skywalker,' C-3PO Is Still a Queer Icon". MEL Magazine. January 7, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  21. ^ Seems Gay: C-3PO. Retrieved May 5, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ Benshoff, Harry M. (1997). Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film. Manchester University Press. pp. 158–9. ISBN 9780719044731.
  23. ^ Oliver, Roger (October 2010). "Evolution of Contemporary Gay Theater". The Juilliard Journal. 26 (2). Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  24. ^ Hodges, Benjamin A. (2003). Forbidden Acts: Pioneering Gay & Lesbian Plays of the 20th Century. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 633. ISBN 9781557835871.
  25. ^ Massar, JP. "Gay Robot vs. Michele Bachmann: 'Mission Accomplished'". Daily Kos. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  26. ^ "Michele Bachmann Heckled By 'Gay Robot". On Top. December 23, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  27. ^ Taintor, David (December 23, 2011). "'Gay Robot' Heckles Bachmann At Iowa Event". Talking Points. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  28. ^ Towle, Andy (November 16, 2011). "Can a Hot Gay Robot Convince You to Love Yourself?". Towleroad. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  29. ^ "Artificial Instinct: Sexy Gay Robot Wants You To Take Control". Instinct. November 16, 2011. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  30. ^ Minkley, Johnny (May 12, 2011). "Duke Nukem had 'gay robot' sidekick". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  31. ^ Funk, John (May 12, 2011). "Duke Nukem Originally Had a Gay Robot Sidekick". The Escapist. Retrieved November 27, 2012.