Well, my blender agreed with your points, but my clock radio says: fuck 'em!

I once read about a man badly disfigured by burns, who was basically a shut-in. He said that his Real Doll helped him with his loneliness. He was under no illusions that the doll was anything but a doll, but for him, it filled a need. Sad story, but at least it's something.

... so I'm not too worried. The vast majority of people want to be loved for who they are - to know that they've been chosen by somebody who could have said no, to have somebody bear witness to their lives. The few out there who prefer the company of robots and dolls ... well, maybe that's what they need, for whatever reason. Maybe, as the article pointed out, they have social, psychosexual, or physical disability-related problems that make it difficult for them to have normal relationships, because of confidence or any number of other issues. The dolls don't even have to be permanent substitutes for sexual relationships - I'd imagine they could be used as a highly valuable adjunct to sexual surrogacy therapy.

It's also likely that a good number of people in the market for the dolls they have Narcissistic Personality Disorder (very likely in the case of somebody who wants to be unconditionally adored without having to deal with the messiness of another human being's wants and desires), in which case it's probably much better that they're out of the dating pool anyway!

Isn't there such a thing as letter moderation against gratuitous random ad hominem attacks?

Maybe the realdolls that have to go see the doll doctor have been subject to the same type of treatment several Barbie dolls receive. Salon did a piece about it some years ago... how little girls would mutilate their Barbies because the lifeless dolls inspired huge rage in them, and that the author of the piece had herself destroyed her Barbies. I don't know, but maybe the realdolls cause their owners to "hurt" them because no matter what the owners do or say, at the end of the day the dolls will still stare into space with the same expression? And if that's the case, perhaps the hurting of dolls is healthy.

But then... If I ever happen to visit someone who has a giant silicone partner, intact or otherwise, I *will* judge them, and I *will* think their sex life is a little odd. Please hide your dummies well, is what I'm saying.

like in the movie AI (I *think* it was that one), then I'll be all for them.

And at a later point, if a somewhat mentally unstable doll user decides to interact with a real human, the thought (for me) is just a little too frightening to contemplate. Some psychological screening for a potential buyer beforehand, perhaps?

Equal rights and empowerment for our robotic sistern!!!! Down with the Carbon Based Overlords!

@Brightstar - I can take some educated guesses where a guy like you would find a fiance. Just 'cause you can't score with a white chick and can with an Asian (I would bet 50 bucks) doesn't make you less of a spaz. Just a typical geek.

I had a Japanese woman tell me to my face she would marry any American over any Japanese man because they would leave her alone more.

Wow, maybe the Real Dolls aren't that bad after all?

@Brightstar - I can take some educated guesses where a guy like you would find a fiance. Just 'cause you can't score with a white chick and can with an Asian (I would bet 50 bucks) doesn't make you less of a spaz. Just a typical geek.

As I get older and older, I get plenty of women coming on to me now (especially after I read the books on how to succeed with women). Many are these women are even damn attractive. But I don't let them near me, if they are AMERICAN and exhibit typical American woman traits. Make of it what you will. I really do not care. It is MY choice.

In case you have been under a rock, it is fashionable among white guys to date Asians. Undoubtedly, this scares the bejesus out of you white women who thought you had successfully cornered and gamed us poor men. It SHOULD scare you, because there are TEN TIMES AS MANY ASIAN WOMEN AS AMERICAN WOMEN, many of whom have hotter bodies, faces, and are more polite, and decent, and smart and do not seem to savor generating constant crises and calling it a 'relationship'.

I see tons of white guys, some not so good looking, some good looking, with Asian girls on their arms, at least here in Texas.

You say, these women are only in it for money or something else. How is this WORSE than the putrid deal American women have on offer? If I am going to get screwed by man-hating marriage laws that inevitably punish us poor men, let her at least be smart, ambitious, MORAL and beautiful.

I had a Japanese woman tell me to my face she would marry any American over any Japanese man because they would leave her alone more.

I take this as a positive. I do not want someone either who I have to be with 24/7/365. I have an independent life. So does my fiancee. We both stay apart, then when we are together, we appreciate each other more because we are not with each other all the time.

I do not know what your problem is. Well, I do know. It makes me laugh.

There is an early episode of the Twilight Zone about a guy who has been banished to a desolate asteroid as punishment for committing a crime. The man who brings him supplies feels sorry for him and brings him a female robot companion. The prisoner rejects "her" at first, but then grows to love her. He is then given a reprieve and must return to earth without her.

This raises a raft of issues, some old some new: Will my robot lover be allowed to visit me in the hospital? If she has a job and income, can we file jointly? Who will take care of her when I die? Can I have her deactivated and buried with me?

And what if she suddenly starts going to protests with the other robots, burning her bra and demanding equal pay? Will I have to start calling her "Ms."?

P.S. Did anyone else prefer the Buffy-bot to the Slayer?