Bend Her
| "Bend Her" | |
|---|---|
| Futurama episode | |
|
Coilette, Bender's female self | |
| Episode no. |
Season four Episode 13 |
| Directed by | James Purdum |
| Written by | Michael Rowe |
| Production code | 4ACV13 |
| Original air date | July 20, 2003 |
| Opening caption | "Too Hot for Radio!" |
| Opening cartoon | "Naughty but Mice" (1947) |
"Bend Her" is the thirteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series Futurama. It originally aired in the United States on July 20, 2003. In the episode, Bender changes into a female robot and adopts the name Coilette.
Plot
While attending the Earth 3004 Olympic Games with the crew to see Hermes compete in the limbo event, Bender feels he should compete as well. However, feeling emasculated by the large male Olympic bending robots, he decides to pose as a fembot in order to compete. Competing as Coilette, he easily beats the female competitors, winning five gold medals. However, he is called in for gender testing. Desperate, Bender has Professor Farnsworth give him a sex change, turning him into an authentic fembot.
Coilette is invited to go on a late night talk show. Also appearing on the show is robot actor Calculon, who falls for Coilette instantly. The two go on several dates, which Coilette claims she is doing for the fame and money. Calculon proposes to Coilette, who accepts. Professor Farnsworth reveals that Coilette is slipping closer and closer to being a fembot forever due to her new female hormones. At the wedding, Coilette, Leela, Zoidberg and Fry stage an elaborate scene that fakes Coilette's death. Bender returns to his male persona, and claims to have not been changed at all by the experience. Secretly, however, he seems to miss Calculon.
Production
The opening scene at the Olympics was changed following the September 11 attacks. Several brief shots of various country representatives, including countries related to the terrorist attacks, were removed because the writing team did not want viewers to think that the episode was referencing the attacks. Similar minor changes were made to some other episodes in season four.[1]
This episode was considered somewhat easier to animate than others because there were fewer spaceship scenes.[2]
Cultural references
- The title of the episode is a reference to the 1959 film Ben-Hur. It is also a reference to Bender's name and the act of "gender bending". In the DVD audio commentary, producer David X. Cohen claims the episode title is a "triple joke".[3]
References
- ↑ Moore Rich (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Bend Her" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ Rowe, Michael (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Bend Her" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ↑ Cohen, David X. (2003). Futurama season 4 DVD commentary for the episode "Bend Her" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
External links
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