# Why are Terminators built to be anatomically correct? (Silly answers preferred but not required.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159 "2015-01-06T20:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/61 "2015-01-07T21:29:32Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think the real question is, since the dick is superfluous, would Skynet repurpose it? Skynet (presumably) doesn’t have the giggle reflex that genitalia evokes in so many humans, so it’d have no qualms about using a dick in a way humans would find hilarious.\* Detachable handgrenade? Extendable I/O interface? WiFi antenna? > > \*Or, if you prefer, ridiculous. Seriously, this thread has made it this far without anyone offering up the “[manual inflation nozzle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAROv-V783s)” possibility? ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/62 "2015-01-08T08:55:33Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Plus, imagine the scenario - a huge, naked guy comes up and demands your clothes. Is your reaction really going to be different based on whether he’s got a dick or not? Erm, yes? The police report would certainly be different. In one example its “A big naked guy mugged me and stole my clothes” and just another day on the job for officer McShooty. In the other example its “This big guy stole my clothes but get this, he was totally naked and had no ass or dick, there was nothing there at all, it was creepy as fuck!!”. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/63 "2015-01-08T09:48:02Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Recently I saw a few minutes from Terminator 3 or 4 (whichever one had Claire Dames in it). [Clair Danes](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000132/?ref_=tt_cl_t3) was in Terminator 3. Clair Dames (whom I can not provide a link to on this board) is a porn star. Feel free to check out her anatomical correctness with a google search. To answer your original question, the T-800 series Terminator was meant to resemble human form. It was an endoskeletal robot with a living skin exterior and no ability to reshape its body, unlike the T-1000 with a liquid skin exterior. Obviously the purpose was to make the T-800 series robots with living skin to appear to be human. With that purpose in mind, why wouldn’t they give the Arnold Terminator a cock and balls? Why give him skin? Why give him hair? Why give him eyebrows? Why give him fingernails? Why give him eyeballs? All equally ridiculous questions. Whether “Claire Dames” was an honest mistake or not, this thread seems like a sophomoric contraption to me. “Why would you put a wiener on a robot?” Because the robot is an incredibly complex machine built by a highly advanced artificial intelligence to completely replicate an organic human being of the male gender. Seems pretty self evident to me. But then again, you made it clear you don’t give a shit about the movie that you couldn’t be bothered to watch. Why do you give a shit whether the robot has a dick or not? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/64 "2015-01-08T13:46:36Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Erm, yes? The police report would certainly be different. > > In one example its “A big naked guy mugged me and stole my clothes” and just another day on the job for officer McShooty. In the other example its “This big guy stole my clothes but get this, he was totally naked and had no ass or dick, there was nothing there at all, it was creepy as fuck!!”. Police report? The only police report was “Three dead punks found in a park. One naked.” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/65 "2015-01-08T15:26:10Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > [Clair Danes](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000132/?ref_=tt_cl_t3) was in Terminator 3. Clair Dames (whom I can not provide a link to on this board) is a porn star. Feel free to check out her anatomical correctness with a google search. > > To answer your original question, the T-800 series Terminator was meant to resemble human form. It was an endoskeletal robot with a living skin exterior and no ability to reshape its body, unlike the T-1000 with a liquid skin exterior. > > Obviously the purpose was to make the T-800 series robots with living skin to appear to be human. With that purpose in mind, why wouldn’t they give the Arnold Terminator a cock and balls? Why give him skin? Why give him hair? Why give him eyebrows? Why give him fingernails? Why give him eyeballs? All equally ridiculous questions. > > Whether “Claire Dames” was an honest mistake or not, this thread seems like a sophomoric contraption to me. > > “Why would you put a wiener on a robot?” > > Because the robot is an incredibly complex machine built by a highly advanced artificial intelligence to completely replicate an organic human being of the male gender. Seems pretty self evident to me. But then again, you made it clear you don’t give a shit about the movie that you couldn’t be bothered to watch. Why do you give a shit whether the robot has a dick or not? I didn’t say anything against the movie. I enjoyed it well enough when it came out; I just didn’t have time to watch it the other day and wasn’t sure whether it was the third or fourth in the series. As for Dames vs Danes–that was just a typo. That said, I didn’t intend for this thread to be taken seriously. I ENCOURAGED silly answers, partly because the topic itself is ridiculous (the scene I alluded to was clearly meant to be comic) and partly because most of my CS threads are jokey. I come to CS to play. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/66 "2015-01-08T15:37:04Z")
Lighten up, folks. I’ve learned some things from this thread. First of all, I’ve learned that there’s a porn star named Clair Dames! (After all, the “M” and “N” keys are right next to each other.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/67 "2015-01-08T16:02:15Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Lighten up, folks. I’ve learned some things from this thread. First of all, I’ve learned that there’s a porn star named Clair Dames! (After all, the “M” and “N” keys are right next to each other.) It’s “Lighten up, FRANCIS.” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/68 "2015-01-08T16:31:46Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > There’s a fairly well-known black and white shot of Arnold posing in the nude that I went online to search for and I found the scene you’re talking about while I was at it. In this clip anyway [you can see quite a bit](http://adult.bloglovin.com/viewer?post=2548721203&group=0&frame_type=a&context=expanded_post&context_ids=&blog=1921178&frame=1&click=0&user=0). (NSFW obviously) > > As for the black and white shot, [here’s a Google Image search page that shows it](https://www.google.com/search?q=arnold+schwarzenegger+nude&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=EwOtVJezC8KdNuz-gsgG&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1354&bih=871) (also NSFW). As an average homophobic hetero guy I’ll just say that: Being that he’s completely flaccid in those shots and still fairly ‘ample’, I’d say that my original opinion is incorrect. \*\*\*He has an enormous schvensticker! 😃 * * * ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/69 "2015-01-08T17:41:19Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > If word gets out that Terminators are hung like a Ken doll, the first step in gaining entrance to a survivor community would be, “Show us your dick.” I joined a survivalist community a little while back. This explains a lot. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/70 "2015-01-10T02:54:59Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Oh my, at first glance I read the thread title as " Why are _Transformers_ built to be anatomically correct?" And thought, _wow, I really missed out by only having Gobots_. :eek: > > My silly answer, I guess. Now you’ve made me remember the Bayformer version of Devastator having giant wrecking balls for, well, balls… ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/71 "2015-01-10T03:23:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I didn’t say anything against the movie. I enjoyed it well enough when it came out; I just didn’t have time to watch it the other day and wasn’t sure whether it was the third or fourth in the series. As for Dames vs Danes–that was just a typo. > > That said, I didn’t intend for this thread to be taken seriously. I ENCOURAGED silly answers, partly because the topic itself is ridiculous (the scene I alluded to was clearly meant to be comic) and partly because most of my CS threads are jokey. I come to CS to play. Despite the spittle spraying attitude of my post, I wasn’t too serious about it. Though “why does the robot have a weiner?” is pretty a pretty sophomoric question. And you did seem to paint the Terminator series with disdain: “I didn’t watch long because I didn’t care enough” That coupled with the Claire Dames reference made me wonder if you were fishing from a moving boat with lures down, so I bit with equal zeal. The question is pretty silly in context of the Terminator universe, though. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/72 "2015-01-10T03:57:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I didn’t say anything against the movie. I enjoyed it well enough when it came out; I just didn’t have time to watch it the other day and wasn’t sure whether it was the third or fourth in the series. As for Dames vs Danes–that was just a typo. > > That said, I didn’t intend for this thread to be taken seriously. I ENCOURAGED silly answers, partly because the topic itself is ridiculous (the scene I alluded to was clearly meant to be comic) and partly because most of my CS threads are jokey. I come to CS to play. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, advise you to watch the first Terminator. It is a masterpiece of film, tense and without a wasted scene while being not only the pinnacle of action and thrillers but also scifi and time travel movies. Not only a great thriller, but smart too. The second movie also comes highly recommended, but I personally dislike it since it shits on the perfection of plot the first movie presents. And sorry for my serious answer, but it really is obvious in the context of even the first one why terminators have penii. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/73 "2015-01-10T04:15:58Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, advise you to watch the first Terminator. It is a masterpiece of film, tense and without a wasted scene while being not only the pinnacle of action and thrillers but also scifi and time travel movies. Not only a great thriller, but smart too. > > The second movie also comes highly recommended, but I personally dislike it since it shits on the perfection of plot the first movie presents. > > And sorry for my serious answer, but it really is obvious in the context of even the first one why terminators have penii. 🙂 I’ve seen all four–the second and the one with Dames in theatres, the other two on tv. The first one I saw was the one is with Robert Patric, which came out when I was in college; I really enjoyed it, and consequently I tend to take it as the standard. The Danes one was good; one thing that stands out for me is the big car chase, which I recall being much better done than a similar scene in one of the MATRIXes. Oh, and the female terminator was my favorite niece’s favorite movie character for YEARS. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/74 "2015-01-10T08:33:57Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Philip K Dick gets credit for Bladerunner and Total Recall but he was also the true father of the Terminator franchise with a scifi story called Second Variety. Philip K who? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/75 "2015-01-10T13:21:14Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Whether “Claire Dames” was an honest mistake or not, this thread seems like a sophomoric contraption to me. Of course it’s ridiculous. Reese explains why robots look like humans in a very important scene in the first movie. But it’s Skald. so… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/76 "2015-01-10T14:39:38Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Of course it’s ridiculous. Reese explains why robots look like humans in a very important scene in the first movie. But it’s Skald. so… First, I haven’t seen the first one in 20 years or so, and then on video. I don’t recall thhat scene; I’m sure I didn’t watch every scene and study it. Forgive me for not recalling every detail. Second, it’s a JOKE THREAD. The thread title asks posters to be silly while leaving room for serious answers. Plenty of other people got that immediately. I’d say more on why you seem not to but the Rhymer Rules for Posting prohibit me from investing the board with emotional weight. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/77 "2015-01-10T15:01:36Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Second, it’s a JOKE THREAD. The thread title asks posters to be silly while leaving room for serious answers. Plenty of other people got that immediately. I’d say more on why you seem not to but the Rhymer Rules for Posting prohibit me from investing the board with emotional weight. Fine, it’s a joke thread. That doesn’t change the fact that Terminators being able to COMPLETELY pass for human is a huge part of the movie. It’s right there in the premise. It’s like asking why Indiana Jones knows so much about biblical artifacts. Indiana Jones knows so much about biblical artifacts because he’s an archeologist who knows a lot about biblical artifacts. Terminators are robots who look like humans because they are robots who look like humans. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/78 "2015-01-10T15:13:07Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Despite the spittle spraying attitude of my post, I wasn’t too serious about it. Though “why does the robot have a weiner?” is pretty a pretty sophomoric question. And you did seem to paint the Terminator series with disdain: “I didn’t watch long because I didn’t care enough” > > That coupled with the Claire Dames reference made me wonder if you were fishing from a moving boat with lures down, so I bit with equal zeal. The question is pretty silly in context of the Terminator universe, though. Don’t accuse another poster of trolling – however obliquely phrased and presented as a hypothetical – outside of the Pit. Thanks, **twicks** ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/79 "2015-01-10T15:31:48Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Fine, it’s a joke thread. That doesn’t change the fact that Terminators being able to COMPLETELY pass for human is a huge part of the movie. It’s right there in the premise. It’s like asking why Indiana Jones knows so much about biblical artifacts. > > Indiana Jones knows so much about biblical artifacts because he’s an archeologist who knows a lot about biblical artifacts. Terminators are robots who look like humans because they are robots who look like humans. You are taking this way too seriously. I suspect you don’ have enough banana splits in your diet. Studies show that insufficient banana split consumption leads to degeneration of the facetiousness lobe of the minor paramecium. Please, for your own sake, get to the nearest Dairy Queen as fast as you can. I’ll be praying for you. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159/80 "2015-01-10T18:00:26Z")
I really like the phrase “sophomoric contraption.” I’m pretty sure it doesn’t actually mean anything, but it sounds cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-terminators-built-to-be-anatomically-correct-silly-answers-preferred-but-not-required/709159.md?page=5)