9/24 Was That Really Sex?

I can’t help but laugh at the sensory arm with Nikanj pleasuring Joseph and Lillith in the middle of them, without the two humans touching. It somewhat disgusts me because this makes Lillith dependent on Nikanj for the only pleasure in her life; this is manipulative. When thinking about this situation and comparing it to larger issues surrounding women, I feel as if Nikanj is a stereotypical male taking advantage of the vulnerability of a single mother. Not sure if this fully connects, but there is a point here that as an alien, he holds power over the human as many men do/feel they should in relationships.
However, I can’t help but be okay with Nikanj pleasing Lillith because she has become the scapegoat for all the humans to blame their miseries on. I put myself in the shoes of the humans awakened and I can understand why they are suspicious of Lillith – they do not know her background and she does have supernatural traits that make her an “other.” This highlights how easy it is to find fault in those that are unfamiliar to us.
Gender also plays a role in regards to Lillith’s physique. I cannot help but link her more masculine build to that of Bev and the female body builders in Pumping Iron II. Lillith is stigmatized because she is a woman with a larger frame as were the body builders; there is somewhat of a disgust placed towards all of these women because they do not represent the stereotypical norm. Statuesque women are largely seen as unnatural. The humans even refer to Lillith as a man.