Original artwork, not a still
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy · 1979
The Encyclopedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as "Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun To Be With."
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The joke is the gap between what a thing is and what its advertising says it is, with a salesman's slogan standing next to a deadpan dictionary entry. Adams was sending up the tech industry's habit of selling every product as a friend. The 'Plastic Pal' line has become a common label for over-friendly gadgets and chatbots, and Marvin, the robot who is anything but fun to be with, is the walking proof that the slogan is false.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyShow the scene
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) sets two definitions of a robot side by side. The Encyclopaedia Galactica, the stuffy reference work that the Guide has largely replaced across the Galaxy, gives a dry one. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation gives the other: the slogan on its range of robots and gadgets with Genuine People Personalities, whose motto is 'Share and Enjoy'. Marvin, the Heart of Gold's depressed robot, is one such product. Elsewhere the Guide calls that same marketing division 'a bunch of mindless jerks' who will be first against the wall when the revolution comes.
Sources (3)
- Hitchhiker's Wiki: Robotopening definitionReference checked
- Hitchhiker's Wiki: Sirius Cybernetics Corporationmotto and Marketing DepartmentReference checked
- Wikiquote: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyIntroduction and Chapter 11 passagesReference checked
Context reviewed
