6/15    Dear motd guys who have seen the movie Stepford Wives. Do you prefer
        a genetically altered obedient wife who cleans/cooks for you and is
        good in bed, or do you prefer the challenges of having a real,
        non-engineered companion? Which one would you be happier in the short
        AND long term, and why? It seems to me that the message from the movie
        is that the former is bad, but I am not convinced.
           \- or would you prefer to be hooked up to a machine that let
              you switch between them in a dream state you never woke up from.
        \_ I believe in the long term, the dominating term isn't house cleaning
           or good sex, but companionship.  A stepford wife is as boring as a
           cockroach. -- ilyas
        \_ the cook/clean thing seems irrelevant, since the cost of a
           non-genetically modified old fashioned maid would be far far
           less, so you have to assume that anyone who could afford the
           Stepford Wife already has their housework issues worked out.
        \_ Both, that's why women like vibrators and going out to nice dinners.
        \_ I for one would prefer the genetically engineered wife.
        \_ How can a woman be bad in bed? Doesn't the guy do everything? How
           can one be bad?
           \_ If you're doing everything, she's bad in bed.
              \_ He shoots!  He scores!  The crowd is going wild!
           \_ I just reread 1984 and there is a good description of how BAD his
              wife was in bed. If it seems like a chore, a requirement for
              procreation, that's generally not the best thing in the world.

              Also, on top of compatibility, there are lots of techniques that
              can be employed. Some 80 year old woman on oxygen has a show on
              technique. I wonder how good she is in the sack.
        \_ The climax of the movie is reached when we discover that Mike
           is a creation from our basic needs that we lack in modern
           society. The creator of Mike explains that in today's society
           we're so busy with our work that we have no time to take care
           of our family and to have quality time, and that the creation
           is an attempt to go back to the "good 'ol days". However,
           the secondary message is that even the good 'ol days is not
           perfect, that a person's happiness (namely, the husbands) should
           not come at an expense of others (the slave working wives
           in the 50s). Since we can't have it all, now we're now stuck with
           what we have, and THAT, is the whole point of the movie.
        \_ I for one prefer the unpredictability and the excitement you get
           from a real wife. That way she can run off with another guy and
           take away your money from child support and alimony. Yeah.
           \_ BDG, is that you? --BDG #2 fan
           \_ I have a stupid question. If she runs away with another guy,
              does she still get half of your money? I mean if she wants a
              divorce because she likes this other guy better, how does it
              usually end up? She still takes half of the money?
              \_ In CA, yes.  In other states, it varies.  This is a "no fault"
                 divorce state.
              \_ Yes. It doesn't matter what her reason is. She is
                 entitled to half of the assets earned over the course of
                 the marriage plus child support, if applicable. She may
                 also get alimony - one year for every year you were
                 married.
                 \_ Is it the same case if the wife is working and the man
                    is not?
                 \_ what if you get married in one state, move to CA, then
                    move away from CA? how is it determined if she gets the $?
                    \_ Where did you file for divorce?  You can't file in a
                       state which you are not a resident of, AFAIK.
        \_ Why not just buy a RealDoll and pay a maid?  I mean, really, if the
           idea of a Stepford Wife appeals to you, you don't really want a
           relationship with a real human being.  Get the toy and the service
           and call it even.
           \_ but a RealDoll is anything but real. It is not interactive.
              It does not shout "$#^$#S me harder!!"
                \_ More to the point, a stepford wife isn't either.  She is
                   interractive like a video game, or a recording.  Actually,
                   she is an it.  It may shout all sorts of things, but they
                   are not real.