0:00:06.849,0:00:07.969
TRON: Legacy.

0:00:08.242,0:00:12.538
Disney's neon-infused sequel[br]to the 1982 classic

0:00:12.538,0:00:15.541
includes a particularly egregious[br]example of a trope

0:00:15.541,0:00:18.931
that has bothered me for years.

0:00:19.783,0:00:20.823
"I'm Korra."

0:00:22.138,0:00:25.018
It's a gendered convention[br]that will be instantly familiar

0:00:25.018,0:00:26.538
to science fiction fans.

0:00:27.292,0:00:30.137
The convention shows up[br]over and over again

0:00:30.137,0:00:33.807
in speculative media,[br]but it didn't have a name.

0:00:33.971,0:00:35.151
So I gave it one.

0:00:35.538,0:00:39.598
I call it "Born Sexy Yesterday".

0:00:43.272,0:00:44.592
"She's an ISO."

0:00:44.642,0:00:49.512
The character of Korra is[br]an isomorphic algorithm, or ISO.

0:00:49.840,0:00:54.160
Basically, she's a sentient computer[br]program in the shape of a woman.

0:00:54.386,0:00:55.916
"She's the miracle, man."

0:00:56.675,0:00:58.615
"Everything I've ever worked for."

0:00:59.684,0:01:02.924
"A digital frontier [br]to reshape the human condition."

0:01:04.122,0:01:09.092
As the last of the ISOs,[br]Korra is described in this way:

0:01:09.781,0:01:11.501
"Profoundly naive."

0:01:12.972,0:01:14.852
"Umimaginably wise."

0:01:15.537,0:01:19.937
If that sounds vaguely like something[br]someone might say about a child,

0:01:20.384,0:01:21.644
it's no accident.

0:01:21.918,0:01:25.753
Because that's exactly how [br]TRON: Legacy portraits Korra.

0:01:25.753,0:01:30.293
"But between you and me,[br]Jules Verne is my favorite."

0:01:31.600,0:01:33.180
"Do you know Jules Verne?"

0:01:33.539,0:01:34.259
"Sure."

0:01:35.286,0:01:36.346
"What's he like?"

0:01:37.332,0:01:41.252
She has the mind of a naive,[br]yet highly-skilled child,

0:01:41.523,0:01:45.323
but in the body[br]of a mature, sexualized woman.

0:01:45.809,0:01:48.799
She also serves as[br]our hero's love interest.

0:01:51.069,0:01:57.459
"Profoundly naive, yet unimaginably wise"[br]captures the essence of this trope.

0:02:00.557,0:02:06.817
"Born Yesterday" is an idiom meaning[br]extremely naive, inexperienced, or ignorant.

0:02:07.451,0:02:09.271
"He thinks I'm too stupid, huh?"

0:02:09.386,0:02:10.439
"Uh, no..."

0:02:10.439,0:02:12.819
"He's right. I'm stupid and I like it."

0:02:13.764,0:02:14.526
"You do?"

0:02:14.526,0:02:18.956
"Sure! I'm happy. I get everything I want.[br]Two mink coats. Everything."

0:02:22.294,0:02:23.484
"Activate it."

0:02:24.142,0:02:28.982
As a media trope, Born Sexy Yesterday[br]has both the figurative,

0:02:28.982,0:02:31.509
and in many cases, a literal meaning.

0:02:34.948,0:02:39.128
The 1997 sci-fi cult classic[br]The Fifth Element

0:02:39.288,0:02:44.368
is probably the most quintessensial[br]example of Born Sexy Yesterday.

0:02:45.698,0:02:48.268
"I told you. Perfect."

0:02:49.663,0:02:53.653
Like Korra, Leeloo is whimsical and naive.

0:02:57.635,0:03:01.865
But she's also deliberately framed[br]in a sexualized way.

0:03:01.990,0:03:03.280
"They really made her-"

0:03:03.282,0:03:04.952
"Perfect. I know."

0:03:05.036,0:03:07.866
The female characters[br]that this trope is built around

0:03:07.950,0:03:13.240
are defined by their innocence of[br]and inexperience with worldly things.

0:03:13.268,0:03:14.068
"Pretty!"

0:03:14.468,0:03:20.028
Especially when it comes to sex, romance,[br]or basic social interaction.

0:03:20.028,0:03:21.648
"Would you mind if I kiss you?"

0:03:22.727,0:03:23.817
"Does it hurt?"

0:03:24.260,0:03:26.620
Though the use of[br]science fiction conventions,

0:03:26.770,0:03:30.610
they're brought into the human world[br]already fully formed.

0:03:30.852,0:03:35.852
The mind of a child manifests[br]in a mature female body.

0:03:36.370,0:03:43.330
She may be an android, a computer program,[br]a mermaid, an alien, a magical being,

0:03:43.713,0:03:49.223
or otherwise raised in an environment[br]isolated from the rest of human society.

0:03:50.258,0:03:54.578
Many of these female characters[br]have one very specific thing in common.

0:03:54.591,0:03:59.311
They're all deliberately written to be [br]completely unaware of their own sex appeal.

0:04:01.484,0:04:05.700
This stance provides filmmakers with[br]an excuse to include at least one scene

0:04:05.700,0:04:08.000
in which she disrobes in front of men.

0:04:08.456,0:04:13.136
And because she's so naive, she doesn't[br]understand the implication of this action.

0:04:16.343,0:04:18.513
"Morning! Come on in."

0:04:18.760,0:04:20.390
"Didn't bring my bathing suit."

0:04:20.774,0:04:22.414
"What's a bathing suit?"

0:04:23.535,0:04:24.955
"Ho oh, murder."

0:04:25.194,0:04:28.128
And you might imagine, there's[br]quite a bit of overlap here

0:04:28.128,0:04:29.425
"Oh, good morning Robert!"

0:04:29.425,0:04:31.695
with the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope,

0:04:32.286,0:04:36.706
"This is a magical room.[br]Where did the water come from?"

0:04:36.758,0:04:41.328
"Uh, oh, well, the...[br]The water comes from the pipes."

0:04:41.525,0:04:43.105
"Where did the pipes get it?"

0:04:43.220,0:04:46.234
although characters who[br]were Born Sexy Yesterday

0:04:46.234,0:04:50.004
are often highly skilled at something[br]that men will respect.

0:04:50.644,0:04:53.484
Frequently, that thing is combat.

0:04:56.903,0:05:01.773
Now, so far, we've only focused on the[br]female characters associated with this trope.

0:05:02.149,0:05:04.529
But it isn't really about them.

0:05:04.796,0:05:06.346
"That doorway spins."

0:05:07.291,0:05:12.311
Like most things in Hollywood,[br]Born Sexy Yesterday is written for men.

0:05:13.289,0:05:16.109
And ultimately, it's a relationship trope.

0:05:16.198,0:05:21.384
"5'9".... blue eyes...[br]long legs... great skin..."

0:05:22.174,0:05:24.064
"You know...[br]Perfect."

0:05:24.314,0:05:27.804
So that means we need to talk[br]about the other side of the equation.

0:05:28.291,0:05:29.891
The male heroes.

0:05:31.659,0:05:36.259
Typically, he's a straight, red-blooded man[br]who has, for a variety of reasons,

0:05:36.714,0:05:40.204
found himself alone,[br]or unsatisfied in love.

0:05:43.642,0:05:48.152
He finds himself disenfranchised,[br]or otherwise directionless.

0:05:49.762,0:05:54.682
He either can't find, or doesn't want,[br]a woman from his own world.

0:05:55.091,0:05:59.511
A woman who might be his equal[br]in matters of love and sexuality.

0:06:00.505,0:06:03.655
He does have one thing[br]going for him though.

0:06:03.720,0:06:07.660
He knows all about living life[br]as a normal human being.

0:06:07.840,0:06:09.310
"Too bad you don't eat food."

0:06:09.697,0:06:11.747
"You might find it[br]to be quite pleasurable."

0:06:12.725,0:06:14.537
"How do you get pleasure out of food?"

0:06:14.537,0:06:15.237
"Here."

0:06:15.361,0:06:16.141
"No, thank you."

0:06:16.248,0:06:18.898
"If you want my secret,[br]you'll eat my sandwitch."

0:06:19.223,0:06:21.963
Of course, so does[br]every other guy on Earth.

0:06:22.041,0:06:24.581
Which should make him unremarkable.

0:06:24.942,0:06:26.192
"Chew! Chew!"

0:06:26.923,0:06:29.643
Except, to a woman Born Yesterday,

0:06:30.626,0:06:33.886
because she's presumably[br]never known another man,

0:06:34.231,0:06:39.041
he would seem like the smartest,[br]most amazing guy in the entire universe.

0:06:39.602,0:06:43.182
"Mm, this is fun! What is it?"

0:06:44.989,0:06:47.059
"Ham and cheese on rye with mayo."

0:06:47.715,0:06:52.475
And here where we start to see how[br]the trope is constructed as a male fantasy.

0:06:53.265,0:06:56.235
It's precisely her naivety[br]and her innocence

0:06:56.267,0:06:59.147
that allows her to see[br]something special in him.

0:06:59.524,0:07:04.594
Something that other less innocent[br]or more experienced women cannot.

0:07:05.047,0:07:10.527
"System: normal. Estimated resuscitation[br]time: 600 seconds. Commencing countdown."

0:07:10.671,0:07:13.051
Now we don't have time[br]to go into it here,

0:07:13.096,0:07:18.406
but Born Sexy Yesterday is absolutely[br]everywhere in Japanese anime.

0:07:20.220,0:07:24.410
Now I should note that Born Sexy Yesterday[br]is not a modern trope.

0:07:24.799,0:07:29.039
In fact, it's been a fixture of[br]classic Hollywood science fiction films

0:07:29.302,0:07:31.552
since the beginning of the genre.

0:07:31.744,0:07:33.034
"This was intriguing."

0:07:33.823,0:07:36.893
"I wonder just how far[br]women would permit this to go."

0:07:38.499,0:07:41.199
"It's nothing really personal,[br]just a kiss."

0:07:41.977,0:07:45.027
"Hmm. But why should people[br]want to kiss each other?"

0:07:45.399,0:07:46.979
"It's an old custom."

0:07:47.180,0:07:49.660
"All the really high civilizations[br]go in for it."

0:07:49.715,0:07:51.135
"But it's so silly."

0:07:51.361,0:07:52.941
"But it's good for you, though."

0:07:52.942,0:07:54.842
"It stimulates the whole system."

0:07:54.971,0:07:58.061
"As a matter of fact, you can't[br]be in tip-top health without it."

0:07:58.146,0:08:00.106
"Really? I didn't know that."

0:08:01.119,0:08:03.329
"I'd be only too happy to show you."

0:08:03.564,0:08:05.474
"Well, thank you very much, Lieutenant."

0:08:06.155,0:08:07.625
"No trouble at all."

0:08:08.235,0:08:12.595
Forbidden Planet in 1956 is one example.

0:08:15.559,0:08:18.809
The Time Machine in 1960 is another.

0:08:20.955,0:08:22.445
"Well, what's your name?"

0:08:24.295,0:08:25.035
"Weena."

0:08:25.892,0:08:26.902
"Weena?"

0:08:28.403,0:08:29.783
"How do you spell it?"

0:08:32.734,0:08:33.544
"Spell?"

0:08:33.996,0:08:36.116
"Spell! Write! Can't you write?"

0:08:36.611,0:08:40.321
Then there's a character of Nova[br]from the original Planet of the Apes.

0:08:41.430,0:08:42.440
"Look at that. I..."

0:08:44.147,0:08:45.837
"I taught you to smile."

0:08:46.821,0:08:50.301
who is the protagonist's love interest[br]despite not understanding

0:08:50.308,0:08:52.308
the concept of language.

0:08:56.678,0:09:01.818
The trope usually involves a white woman,[br]but Born Sexy Yesterday is an offshoot

0:09:01.818,0:09:04.214
of a much older media convention.

0:09:08.798,0:09:13.168
One in which white adventurers[br]discover indigenous women.

0:09:14.918,0:09:18.938
Although in this case, [br]science fiction replaces colonialism

0:09:19.002,0:09:21.931
as the mechanism driving that narrative.

0:09:21.931,0:09:24.971
"Big... Bada big boom."

0:09:25.257,0:09:26.594
"Big! Boom!"

0:09:26.594,0:09:28.369
"Yeah, big badaboom."

0:09:28.369,0:09:29.459
"Badaboom."

0:09:29.688,0:09:32.338
"Big boom. Big badaboom."

0:09:34.471,0:09:37.321
Still, sometimes it's a little of both.

0:09:39.264,0:09:43.944
Born Sexy Yesterday fetishizes[br]the stark power imbalance

0:09:43.948,0:09:49.028
between a wiser, more experienced man,[br]and a naive, inexperienced woman.

0:09:49.905,0:09:53.305
It's the ultimate[br]teacher - student dynamic.

0:09:53.878,0:09:59.145
"It's the custom of my people to [br]help one another when we're in trouble."

0:09:59.145,0:10:02.935
Star Trek is famous for making [br]frequent use of this trope.

0:10:07.290,0:10:10.531
Perhaps, "infamous" is a better word,[br]because the trope shows up

0:10:10.531,0:10:14.951
in the original series, and then[br]in every other series afterwards.

0:10:16.232,0:10:22.752
"And this.[br]Is this also helping?"

0:10:24.874,0:10:26.284
"You could call it that."

0:10:28.479,0:10:32.289
"Please, help me once again."

0:10:38.457,0:10:40.697
"Let's start by doing something[br]different with your hair."

0:10:40.697,0:10:44.082
Seven of Nine's relationship with[br]The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager

0:10:44.082,0:10:45.982
is a prominent example.

0:10:46.053,0:10:49.700
Especially as depicted in the episode[br]Someone to Watch Over Me.

0:10:49.700,0:10:51.750
"Try shaking your head a little bit."

0:10:54.432,0:10:55.982
"Is this more appropriate?"

0:10:56.035,0:10:59.955
Fans of that series will remember that[br]The Doctor's own social naivety

0:11:00.054,0:11:03.954
is never framed by the show[br]as something sexy.

0:11:04.358,0:11:05.678
"How shall I choose?"

0:11:06.183,0:11:08.953
"I think you'd look very nice[br]in this one."

0:11:10.741,0:11:14.921
"I am uncertain how to wear[br]such a garment. Assist me."

0:11:15.507,0:11:19.157
"Oh, I, I, I'm sure you'll manage.[br]I'll go prepare the Holodeck."

0:11:19.207,0:11:21.297
"Remember, the idea is[br]to have fun tonight."

0:11:21.373,0:11:23.393
"I'll expect a full report[br]in the morning."

0:11:23.722,0:11:28.122
Although Born Sexy Yesterday was[br]a major part of Seven's character,

0:11:28.125,0:11:32.715
at least to begin with, she is ultimately[br]made much more than than that.

0:11:33.156,0:11:36.536
And outside of a handful of[br]rather cringe-worthy episodes,

0:11:36.738,0:11:41.508
Seven's story is largely one of[br]self-realization and self-discovery,

0:11:41.712,0:11:45.442
which manages to transcend[br]the constraint of the trope.

0:11:47.240,0:11:52.410
To a large degree, this is also true of a[br]character like Sonmi-451 from Cloud Atlas.

0:11:52.450,0:11:55.121
Like Seven, her romantic relationship[br]is downplayed,

0:11:55.121,0:11:58.101
while her character development[br]is made central.

0:11:58.578,0:12:02.298
"Knowledge is a mirror.[br]And for the first time in my life,

0:12:02.305,0:12:07.175
I was allowed to see who I was,[br]and who I might become."

0:12:07.195,0:12:09.255
Which brings me to this point.

0:12:09.517,0:12:11.011
The problem with this trope

0:12:11.011,0:12:14.241
is not necessarily with[br]the female characters themselves.

0:12:14.668,0:12:19.120
If these were simply stories involving[br]naive, extraterrestrial women

0:12:19.120,0:12:22.770
who learn about love, and humanity,[br]then that wouldn't be an issue.

0:12:23.832,0:12:27.922
Likewise, if the male hero was also[br]inexperienced, and our two protagonists

0:12:27.946,0:12:30.270
could discover love and sex together,

0:12:30.270,0:12:34.050
then that would avoid most[br]of the troubling power dynamic issues.

0:12:34.216,0:12:35.606
"What's going on?"

0:12:36.269,0:12:38.149
"We need to understand how it works."

0:12:39.835,0:12:40.575
"What?"

0:12:41.188,0:12:43.908
"This chip. This body."

0:12:44.129,0:12:48.129
So for example, Cameron from [br]The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show

0:12:48.368,0:12:49.628
fits the trope.

0:12:50.092,0:12:52.582
But her relationship[br]with the young John Connor

0:12:52.702,0:12:55.962
is framed as much more[br]of a mutual exploration.

0:12:57.209,0:13:01.679
Since Born Sexy Yesterday hinges[br]on a lopsided power dynamic,

0:13:01.804,0:13:05.064
it almost never portraits[br]the other way around.

0:13:06.255,0:13:09.975
It's extremely rare for[br]a more experienced female character

0:13:09.993,0:13:12.173
to teach a naive man about sex.

0:13:12.708,0:13:14.658
"I think I better go home now, Mary Sue."

0:13:15.743,0:13:16.563
"Why?"

0:13:17.006,0:13:18.996
"I think I might be... ill."

0:13:21.170,0:13:22.770
"Something's happening to me."

0:13:23.923,0:13:25.643
"That's supposed to happen."

0:13:27.432,0:13:28.212
"It is?"

0:13:29.961,0:13:31.341
"Yeah, trust me."

0:13:32.825,0:13:34.525
"Wait, no, no. No!"

0:13:35.402,0:13:36.732
"That's your dessert."

0:13:37.508,0:13:39.258
"You eat that with forks."

0:13:39.267,0:13:43.447
Perhaps that's because [br]most grown women don't find the idea

0:13:43.455,0:13:47.935
of dating an inexperienced[br]adolescent boy all that appealing.

0:13:47.990,0:13:53.500
"No, no, erm... Leave that last.[br]Sandwitch first, dessert last."

0:13:56.436,0:13:58.996
On the rare occasions[br]when the genders are reversed,

0:13:59.299,0:14:02.564
male ineptitude then becomes[br]the butt of the joke.

0:14:02.564,0:14:05.664
"Hi. This is the woman from[br]the baseball card store. Remember me?"

0:14:05.817,0:14:10.404
"Oh yes! Hi! Hello! Hot-diggity-dog!"

0:14:11.332,0:14:13.294
"Thanks for calling me on the telephone."

0:14:15.667,0:14:17.869
She may even end up falling for him.

0:14:18.254,0:14:21.574
But she falls for him despite[br]his inexperience,

0:14:21.858,0:14:23.214
not because of it.

0:14:28.824,0:14:32.424
"Oh I'm so sorry![br]I forgot about the autowash."

0:14:32.581,0:14:36.521
Born Sexy Yesterday is about[br]an unbalanced relationship.

0:14:36.869,0:14:40.279
But it's also very much[br]connected to masculinity.

0:14:43.042,0:14:47.247
The subtext of the trope is the rooted[br]in a deep-seated male insecurity

0:14:47.247,0:14:49.587
around sex and sexuality.

0:14:50.954,0:14:54.874
The crux of the trope is a fixation[br]on male superiority.

0:14:55.234,0:14:58.984
The fixation with holding power[br]over an innocent girl.

0:14:59.154,0:15:01.791
But in order to make that[br]socially acceptable,

0:15:01.791,0:15:03.561
science fiction is employed

0:15:03.564,0:15:07.974
to put the mind of that girl into[br]a sexualized adult woman's body.

0:15:09.183,0:15:11.063
It's a fantasy based on fear.

0:15:11.681,0:15:16.921
Fear of women who are men's equals[br]in sexual experience and romantic history,

0:15:17.584,0:15:21.574
and fear of losing[br]the intellectual upper hand to women.

0:15:24.592,0:15:29.687
In Woody Allen's 1973 comedy Sleeper,[br]the protagonist is frozen,

0:15:29.687,0:15:34.147
and when he wakes up in the future,[br]he's suddenly, and very conveniently,

0:15:34.162,0:15:38.652
the only man left on Earth[br]who still remembers how to have sex.

0:15:41.305,0:15:46.085
That same exact thing happens[br]to Stallone's character in Demolition Man.

0:15:48.271,0:15:49.071
"Oh my."

0:15:50.367,0:15:53.307
"Are all fluid transfer[br]activities like this?"

0:15:53.328,0:15:54.048
"Better."

0:15:54.119,0:15:54.819
"Better?"

0:15:55.697,0:15:56.407
"Oh my."

0:15:56.948,0:16:00.248
So Born Sexy Yesterday is[br]a science fiction trope

0:16:00.270,0:16:04.523
that's designed specifically[br]so male heroes get to automatically be

0:16:04.523,0:16:08.203
the most extraordinary man[br]in a woman's life,

0:16:08.278,0:16:13.118
again, because they are basically the[br]only man to have ever been in her life.

0:16:15.737,0:16:20.090
As such, the trope rests on[br]some troubling patriarchal ideas

0:16:20.090,0:16:22.960
about female purity and virginity.

0:16:23.287,0:16:28.063
By definition, characters Born Sexy[br]Yesterday have no past lovers,

0:16:28.206,0:16:30.883
and no previous sexual experiences.

0:16:31.370,0:16:35.170
She's framed as pure and innocent,[br]sexually and romantically,

0:16:35.242,0:16:39.162
unchanged and uncorrupted[br]by the attention of other men.

0:16:41.527,0:16:46.091
The male hero therefore avoids[br]even the possibility of being compared,

0:16:46.191,0:16:50.071
of being judged, of not measuring up.

0:16:51.408,0:16:54.221
At the end of the day,[br]this is a male fantasy

0:16:54.221,0:16:57.211
about escaping the humiliation[br]and projection.

0:16:57.592,0:17:00.732
Since he's the first and only man[br]in this woman's life,

0:17:01.131,0:17:03.690
he gets to be the best by default.

0:17:06.293,0:17:11.141
Which means he doesn't even have to try to[br]be a better partner, a better boyfriend,[br]

0:17:11.741,0:17:12.772
or a better lover.

0:17:14.072,0:17:15.702
"That's what we call a kiss."

0:17:19.334,0:17:22.873
Of course, the reality is that[br]life experience is a plus,

0:17:22.873,0:17:25.373
and not a minus in relationships.

0:17:29.702,0:17:32.162
And we need more media to reflex that.

0:17:32.179,0:17:37.319
We need media where men enthusiastically[br]embrace women who are their equals.

0:17:37.448,0:17:41.888
Equals in everything, including[br]in matters of love and sex.

0:17:42.784,0:17:45.724
So to all you would-be[br]science fiction writers out there,

0:17:45.740,0:17:47.260
I'll leave you with this.

0:17:48.021,0:17:50.431
Innocence is not sexy.

0:17:51.292,0:17:53.372
Knowledge and experience,[br]on the other hand,

0:17:53.762,0:17:56.585
now that, that's extremely sexy.

0:18:00.278,0:18:03.579
If you'd like to see more videos[br]related to media and manhood,

0:18:03.688,0:18:05.889
just hop on over my Patreon page,

0:18:05.899,0:18:08.869
and help fund[br]the Pop Culture Detective Agency.