the OBSCENE machine: ersatz human

History of the Obscene Machine Cyberhive...

The Obscene Machine is an ever-evolving "ARTkive" chronicling cultural studies advancements in something I call the "ersatz human"--broadly understood, it is a series of links to stories that document the history of human self-fashioning, from ancient "primitive" totems and fetiches, to contemporary digital avatars and dolls.

In other times, this blog has served as a community exchange vehicle for my students at San Diego State University. In Fall 2011, The Obscene Machine was a cultural studies seminar at San Diego State University entitled TECHNOSEXUALITIES--the course is led by head cyborg Professor William A. Nericcio. Previously, it was the host cyberHIVE for a Spring 2011 undergraduate English 220 seminar: Robotic, Erotic, Electric: Televisual Nightmares, Seductive Hallucinations, and Naked Pscyhes in Literature, Film, Art, and the Web.

Know, also, that this blog had earlier incarnations and aspirations: The Obscene Machine began its life as an online supplement both to English 493, a literature and film undergraduate class at San Diego State University, and English 725, an Ethnic American cultural studies graduate seminar--both were directed in the Spring of 2007 by the aforementioned Dr. Nericcio and the posts associated with those two classes remain online here as an ersatz gallery and a living memorial.

These mirrored courses, both experimental, fuse an interrogation of Ethnic American critical theory with a more general probing of "fictional humans"--hence the term "Ethnic Mannequins" as a subtitle for the graduate seminar and its coincident obsessions with cyborgs, novels, stereotypes, and film. Both courses may be interpreted as supplements, if not revisions, to Tex[t]-Mex (UT Press, 2007) book and precursors to Eyegiene.

The Robot Running this Site...

William Anthony Nericcio is the Director of MALAS, the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences at San Diego State University. When not shepherding brilliant graduate student devotees of cultural studies, Nericcio also hangs his hat as a Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Chicana/o Studies, and serves on the faculty of the Center for Latin American Studies. Utterly more than is necessary to know can be found in his perplexing, image-laced online autobiography and a complete digital index of his web-based shenanigans is located here. Lastly, can also see a graphic design portfolio by Guillermo Nericcio García, his, er, 'cousin,' at memogr@phics designcasa.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Caucasian Bestiary, #29

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Two More Chapters in the History of the "Ersatz Human" | Body Modification Edition

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Another Unhappy Moment in the Uncanny Valley: Anderson Cooper Edition

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Yet Another Chapter in the History of the Ersatz Human or Freaky Comic Caucasian Dolls

Thursday, August 04, 2011

One More Plunge into the Scary Uncanny Valley or the Ersatz Human is a Burgeoning Field...

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Yet Another Fateful Chapter in the History of the Bizarre, Ersatz Human! via BOINGBOING.NET

Friday, June 24, 2011

The {Cyber} Ersatz Human: Eliza or Freud's Analysand on the Couch with a Computer | via Boingboing.net

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Ersatz Human, chapter 40 and counting.....

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

John Frame, via Boingboing.net: The Art of the Ersatz Human or What's the Difference Between Puppets and Robots?

Saturday, February 05, 2011

More Ersatz Human-inspired Art via Boingboing.net

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Eight Most Prominent Hyper-realist Sculptors: REPOST

Monday, June 14, 2010

Mark Dery IS the Obscene Machine--Catch his Lecture on Anatomy, Exhibitionism, and More in Brooklyn!

Monday, May 10, 2010

A Noir Allegory on the Ersatz Human and Robots

Friday, May 07, 2010

Robots Running About LOCO!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

More High Fashion Fun With the Ersatz Human: Bruno Dayan