Uploaded April 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The sci-fi concept of cybernetics was all the rage in the 1970s. On American television, The Six Million Dollar Man (played by Lee Majors) was given a bionic eye, allowing him to see across vast distances (in addition to bionic legs and an arm, which gave him super speed and strength). Three years later, when the bionic craze was at its peak, it was decided to spin off another show, The Bionic Woman (played by Lindsay Wagner). In an effort to not exactly duplicate the same enhanced abilities, the Bionic Woman was given a bionic arm, bionic legs – and a bionic ear. Hearing, of course, is synonymous with empathy and protection – which, in most Western cultures, were considered traditionally 'feminine' traits (if one eschews the fact that, although male and female biological differences may be innate, the concepts of femininity and masculinity are cultural constructs), while the male gaze has been embedded within the visual culture of traditionally patriarchal societies since time immemorial.
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The sci-fi concept of cybernetics was all the rage in the 1970s. On American television, The Six Million Dollar Man (played by Lee Majors) was given a bionic eye, allowing him to see across vast distances (in addition to bionic legs and an arm, which gave him super speed and strength). Three years later, when the bionic craze was at its peak, it was decided to spin off another show, The Bionic Woman (played by Lindsay Wagner). In an effort to not exactly duplicate the same enhanced abilities, the Bionic Woman was given a bionic arm, bionic legs – and a bionic ear. Hearing, of course, is synonymous with empathy and protection – which, in most Western cultures, were considered traditionally 'feminine' traits (if one eschews the fact that, although male and female biological differences may be innate, the concepts of femininity and masculinity are cultural constructs), while the male gaze has been embedded within the visual culture of traditionally patriarchal societies since time immemorial.
Become our Patron:
patreon.com/museumofportablesound
Book Your Visit:
museumofportablesound.com/plan-your-visit/how-to-visit
Make a Donation:
museumofportablesound.com/get-involved/donate
Become a Member:
museumofportablesound.com/get-involved/memberships
Follow us on Facebook:
facebook.com/MuseumOfPortableSound
Like us on Twitter:
twitter.com/museumsound
Friend us on Instagram:
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