Showbiz Pizza.
Chuck E. Cheese.
Those wind-up monkeys with the cymbals.
Animatronic cowboys.
Automatic fortune tellers.

What do these things have in-common?
-ABSOLUTE TERROR-

Fear of animatronic musicians and stationary automata seems to be a universal phenomenon. Why is that? The obvious answer is that mechanical men are scary because it seems as though lifeless metal and machines have come-alive. But if that's the case, then why do people love robots so much? Everything from the old Hero Jr. (a mechanical arm-on-wheels) to R2D2 and K-9 is met with open arms. And who can forget the 'droid from TV's Lost In Space? ("Danger Will Robinson!") -The robot stole the show!

The very same people who feel a sense of unease when confronted with a grinning mechanical monkey will totally GUSH over robot -no matter how ugly it is!

"Oh! He's so CUTE!"
"Isn't he just darling?"
"Mommy! Can I have one?"

Even EVIL robots are popular -especially with kids. (Hell, the Daleks and the Decepticons are almost CUDDLY…)

Robots, it seems, are either treated just like people -or small children- (does anyone remember Tweetie from Buck Rogers?); or else they're treated like exotic pets (Short Circuit ; the Bozz from Riptide…). In any case, robots aren't very scary.

Which brings us back to the question of why do so many people think that automatons are frightening?

Perhaps it is the fact that automatons are stationary. This emphasizes the fact that what you're looking at ISN'T a plastic pet -it is a mindless machine. Robots are free to move-around, but automatons are basically mechanical SLAVES. (But who knows what sort of cunning intelligence lurks behind those empty staring eyes…waiting to break free.)

Another factor may be the (relatively) primitive technology that was used to make them. Mechanical musicians predate the digital age by at least 300 years. Unlike today's animated toys (which use computer chips instead of hydraulics), mechanical musicians are often painfully slow, with exaggerated, jerking movements. They're supposed to look like "real" people, but little details -such as skin tones- are just not right.

The Body Snatchers
Perhaps our fear of automata has to do with the fear of being deceived by a bunch of mindless mechanical zombies. Lifelike androids are disgusting in much the same way that an inflatable doll is disgusting. Automatons -with their fake hair and molded plastic skin are threatening because they make familiar features seem alien.

Ripping the face off of a robotic simulacrum to reveal mechanical parts just beneath the surface of the android's "skin" is a theme which appears in many popular science fiction films. This suggests a deep sense of unease about our own identity as human beings in the age of technology. Fear of alien abductions, Black Market organ theft, and lifelike androids has replaced the fear of shape-changers and demonic possession.

One automaton deserves special attention, and that's The Mechanical Gypsy..

The Mechanical Gypsy Fortune Teller.
The Mechanical Gypsy is a standard attraction at carnivals and fairs. There are many superstitions surrounding the "power" of the automatic fortune teller. Many people believe that the machine itself is EVIL.

Perhaps the electricity which flows through her body gives the Gypsy a kind of super-natural magnetism. Or perhaps the Mechanical Gypsy isn't really plugged-in at all !!!

To learn more about the history of automatons click HERE!