Bend Her

Infobox Futurama episode
episode_name = Bend Her
episode_no = 67
prod_code = 4ACV13
airdate = July 20, 2003
country = USA
writer = Michael Rowe
director = James Purdum
opening_subtitle = Too Hot for Radio!
opening_cartoon = Unknown
guest_star =


caption = Coilette, Bender's female self.
season = four

"Bend Her" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth production season of the animated television series "Futurama".

Plot summary

While attending the Earth 3004 Olympic Games with the crew to see Hermes compete in limbo (which he narrowly loses), Bender feels he should compete as well. However, feeling emasculated by the large Olympic bending robots, he decides to pose as a fembot in order to compete. Competing as "Coilette" from the Grand Duchy of Robonia (a country he obviously made up), he easily bests the female competitors with his adept, bulkier build as compared to the fembots' slender limitations. He wins five gold medals without being discovered, until he is called in for gender testing. Desperate, Bender has the Professor give him a sex change, turning him into an authentic fembot.

"Coilette" is invited to go on "Late Night with Humor-Bot 5.0" and starts to show fembot tendencies, while insulting other women. 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. While Leela and Amy actively protest that Coilette's behavior is setting a bad image for women, Calculon proposes to Coilette, who accepts — her motive being to subsequently divorce Calculon to get half his belongings. On an outing, however, Coilette's emotions go wild as she sees that Calculon really loves her. Professor Farnsworth then reveals that Coilette is slipping closer and closer to being a fembot forever due to her new female hormones. At the wedding, Coilette, Leela, Doctor Zoidberg and Fry stage an elaborate scene that fakes Coilette's death. Though heartbroken, Calculon vows to star alone in a film "dedicated to her memory". Bender returns to his male persona, but still seems to miss Calculon.

Cultural references

* The title is a reference to "Ben-Hur". It is also a reference to Bender's name and the act of "gender bending". In the DVD commentary producer David X. Cohen claims the episode title is a "triple joke".
* Hermes says Barbados Slim, his rival, has gone "One toke over the line!", a reference to the 1971 Brewer and Shipley hit song "One Toke Over the Line".
* Humorbot 5.0's show is a mix between "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno and the "Late Show with David Letterman". The rising television behind the desk for the viewing of a clip is a similar to that of the "Tonight Show", whereas Coilette's behavior is similar to that of Drew Barrymore on the "Late Show".
* When becoming female, Bender is injected with "Femzoil", a parody of Pennzoil. When he is made male again, he receives "Testosteroil".
* The song during Bender and Calculon's dating montage is "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones.
* The robot Coilette dates, Calculon, stars on the TV show "All My Circuits", a play on the name of the soap "All My Children".

Continuity

* Humorbot 5.0 also appeared in "That's Lobstertainment!" doing stand-up. In this episode, Humorbot 5.0 is now the host of his own late-night talk show a la David Letterman.
* In the beginning of the episode, no one believes Hermes will be able to do any limbo dancing—and even he seems to have problems, though we have seen his excellent ability to limbo in "A Flight to Remember" (when he uses his limbo skills to get under the door on the crashing spaceship) and "A Clone of My Own" (when he limbos under the stove).
*It is revealed in this episode that the year is now 3004.

Robonia planetary anthem

In addition to the Coilette's awards ceremony, the anthem is played during her appearance on "Late Night with Humorbot 5.0." The tune is loosely based on the national anthem of Freedonia from the Marx Brothers movie "Duck Soup". According to Bender, the only lyrics are:

:"Hail, hail Rob-on-i-a"
:"A land I didn't make up!"