Dropout Presents: Courtney Pauroso: Vanessa 5000

October 22, 2024 7:55 AM - Season 1 (Specials)

"Courtney Pauroso examines society's relationship with technology as sex robot Vanessa 5000." A one-hour Dropout Original live special, a one-woman show that starts off as comedy but goes some other places. Also available: an 11-minute behind-the-scenes video. Tags on Dropout's site: Dropout Presents, stand up comedy, improv, laughing, courtney pauroso, unhinged, dystopian, technology, robots, sexual fantasies. I'd add: cyberpunk, feminist, kink, music, scifi, clowning (Pauroso discusses how her clown experience feeds into this show). Mind the content notes on Dropout's site.

"Vanessa 5000" reminded me of Janelle Monae's work, Bo Burnham's "Inside", and the Murderbot books in how the artist addresses commodification, objectification, exploitation, interpersonal performance, the mediating effect of mass media on artists, and expectations performers and audience have of each other. An astonishingly vulnerable and skilled performance that must have been an astonishingly intimate experience for the live audience.

I am thinking that this ought to get nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in the Hugo Awards next year.

posted by brainwane (2 comments total)

This performance was stunning. I was amazed how long she could keep up the robotic body movements without breaking.

For folks who aren't yet Dropout subscribers, Dropout Presents has some clips of the show and behind the scenes on their YouTube shorts.
posted by katieinshoes at 6:55 AM on October 23 [2 favorites]

This was weird, entertaining, crazy, and maybe a little horny. That Goblin Mode was quite something else. I do love Dropout and all they do, and this one was turned up to 11.
posted by Marticus at 5:57 PM on October 23