Kenna Keller: Intermission 5 - Story 5

I wasn't a fan of this particular story and, instead, the intermission resonated much more readily with me. It was so interesting seeing the storyteller being misgendered by a robot as that is such a prominent facet of our society today. There remain such strict gender roles in place, and many citizens are overjoyed or simply content with overzealously advertising their gender. There is also a strong presence of 'policing' anyone who deviates from these strict roles. There is also, however, a likely much smaller portion of people who are either bending these rules themselves or are supportive and okay with others doing so. The concept of misgendering someone is simultaneously a legitimate issue that more accepting people consciously try to avoid as well as a meme that less accepting groups use in tandem with conversations of 'snowflakes' and 'safe spaces'. It makes sense, though, that in an existence void of gender it would be impossible to tell the differences, despite how difficult it is to place our socialized selves in that space.

I was also particularly fascinated with the means of communication that these robots utilize. It is dizzying to image all the means of communication these robots are capable of, as the human mind is limiting and we literally can't know what we don't know. This is a common trope in robot characters, from C3PO to Sofia the robot. I think it is a fascinating marker of intelligence that we, as humans, as subject to. With technology, however, it is essentially just part of the existence. The concept of language is also fascinating in terms of equating it with stupidity. There is a scene in Breaking Bad where Hank, a successful DEA agent in New Mexico, is transferred to Texas. Everyone at the new office speaks fluent Spanish, a trait he would make fun of old coworkers for, but is now seen as the bare minimum. Unable to perform in this new environment, and treated as an idiot for failing to lear what is basically the essential language, he has a panic attack and returns to the easy, cushy job in New Mexico. I can't help but think that if I were in the storyteller's place, I would feel a lot like Hank.

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