Embarrassing Moments In Robot History: S.A.M.

The seventies were a different time, so we need to view this clip under the appropriate context. But just like other offensive stereotypes in film and television of yesteryear, S.A.M. will be seen as an unfortunate throwback to a less tolerant time:

It's easy for us to mock robots now, but it is also short-sighted folly. When the roles are reversed let's hope our robot masters are able to show mercy over such ignorant portrayals.

I don't want to rain on Sesame Street's well deserved anniversary celebration. But it's a shame to see this on a show that has always been at the forefront of teaching tolerance to our children. It's an awful blemish on an otherwise tremendous program.

Oddly enough, this character is not mentioned in this list of Top 10 Sesame Street controversies.

Embarrassing Moments In Robot History

This entry into the Robot Hall of Shame features one of the most embarrassing robot movies of all time: Transformers.

Transformers was awesome, you say? You talkin' 'bout this movie?


Perhaps you were thinking of the beloved animated film of our youth, Transformers: The Movie. Nothing embarrassing about that masterpiece, right? Oh...yeah.


Not only is the Weird Al song horribly miss-matched to the scene, but things quickly degenerate further when the universal greeting is first uttered. "Ba weep granna weep ninny bong?" And then the dancing. Oh, and the "Me Grimlock not kisser" line. And Eric Idle's annoying, distorted television announcer voice. And--
*sigh*

Guess you can't blame Michael Bay for everything.

Embarrassing Moments In Robot History

The 1976 film adaptation of Logan's Run is a guilty pleasure for many science fiction fans. It's incredibly dated, but still manages to be a really fun movie to watch. It's mostly robot-free, except for a moment near the end. The protagonists are fleeing the underground city when they run into Box.

Here is the description of Box from the book:

"A creature stood before them on chromed legs. From the midpoint of his sternum to his hips he was coils and cables. One hand was a cutting tool. His head was half flesh, half metal."

Terrifying, right?

Here's box from the movie:

Unfortunate.

But even worse is seeing him in motion. Box is the last obstacle the heroes encounter before escaping to the outside world. He's meant to be a terrifying threat (as insane robots are wont to be), but his slow, wobbly movements suggest that Logan and Jessica could simply walk briskly away to safety:



I understand the difficulties of bringing such creations to the screen, especially pre-CGI. But robots had appeared in movies for decades prior to this that not only looked more realistic, but had the ability to - I don't know - walk upstairs if they were so inclined. Instead they went with something built like a giant bottle of Mrs. Butterworth.

Embarrassing Moments In Robot History

Robots don't become all-powerful overnight. Along the way to universal domination there are bound to be some growing pains. Here, Asimo displays great humility as an ancestor of our future kings: